6.5 ss final design

[elkaholic]

OK, had a minor delay with the go gauge but I forged ahead, like there was another option We have 28.5 in of barrel, I plan on cutting it back at least once or twice to get a feel for barrel length vs velocity with this case. Tomorrow I case prep and fire form and Sunday we get serious if everything holds to plan gun)

Mid chambering pic.
View attachment 21448
Trying a new type of crown, recessed 11 degree target crown.
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Barrel hooked up on my test mule Savage model 12.
View attachment 21450

VERY NICE Rhian! I can't wait to see the field results!.......Rich

 

[barnesuser28]

VERY NICE Rhian! I can't wait to see the field results!.......Rich

+1, Rhain, how do you like that BC medalist A2? I am thinking of putting that stock on the 30/375 S.I., also,,,, no muzzle brake?? I never thought i would see the day..... LOL just ribbin ya

 

[bigngreen]

+1, Rhain, how do you like that BC medalist A2? I am thinking of putting that stock on the 30/375 S.I., also,,,, no muzzle brake?? I never thought i would see the day..... LOL just ribbin ya

The BC stock is heavy and someone thought sticking a brick on the front of it would be a cool idea but it is rugged as all get out and does feel good when your shooting it , I like the Stockade PD special a little better for the Savage or a laminate, this one will eventually end up in a SSS monte carlo laminate spec'ed for my wife.

I didn't want to brake it yet because it's going to get cut up a bit and I wanted to play with crowns Besides I'm pushing 250 lbs these days so I can take it if I want but I might wuss out gun)

I blew one case out to check it out and it looks goooood, I have 10 cases ready to punch out with a fire forming load with a bullet then I'll turn them around and load them with a real bullet and load and see what she'll do tomorrow.

 

[bigngreen]

OK, so before Rich strokes out I figured I'd better get something up on the first data for the new 6.5 SS.
I sized the300 and 7 SAUM cases back in a shortened 270 WSM die, then ran it into the 6.5 SS die to finish the shoulder pushing it back .010 past where it will finish. I trimmed to length and sized again to set the neck for turning then turned from .2955 to .290.
My first fire forming was 55gr of h4831sc with a 120gr Sierra pro hunter jammed, I though I was playing it safe with that load and I was way safe and they shot 1 inch at 3090fps.
I sized the cases to spec and loaded 58-62 of Retumbo in 1gr increments with a 140 Berger hybrid seated 20 thou of the lands at a Coal of 2.905, I also loaded 55-59 gr of Retumbo under a 160 Matrix seated .80 thou of the lands at a Coal of 2.765.
Velocity data for the 140 Berger hybrid was 2918, 2982, 3032, 3086, and 3157 fps, there was very low pressure signs and I don't think I'll be able to pressure out with Retumbo but I don't think 3200fps with a 140 is going to be any trouble at all, the shots just walked up the target nothing interesting mostly just trying to find the range to work in.
The 160's were way soft starting at 2722 fps and topped at 2858 with no pressure signs but I doubled up on one charge so I didn't get one velocity. Not much data on the 160's but 3000fps should be easy I think.
The plan is to now work on seeing just what kind of tack driver we have now that we know we can easily hit the velocity range we want.

300 RSAUM, 270 WSM resize, 6.5 SS resize, trimmed to length and turned then fire formed and reloaded.

140 Berger hybrid and 160 Matrix loaded.

140 Hybrid loaded and beside the case.

Lots of room in the mag with the 120's jammed, needed to bend the feed lips open a little in front for the straight case.

Gunsmith did an awesome job on the crown

 

[elkaholic]

EEEEEhaaaaaaa! Looks like things are looking very good so far! Get that dang reamer headed this way!......Rich
If you can spare one piece of fire formed brass, send that along too. PLEASE!!!!!

 

[bigngreen]

Reamer's on the way back, I could only send it Pony Express though, may take a couple weeks That gauge will need ground, nothing I have would touch it!!

 

[elkaholic]

Reamer's on the way back, I could only send it Pony Express though, may take a couple weeks That gauge will need ground, nothing I have would touch it!!

I guess that's good news, bad news! Quality steel, wrong dimension

 

[elkaholic]

I ordered a new go gauge from PTG (no charge) but didn't want to wait for them, so I took the reamer and old gauge over to my smith today for some "minor surgery"! I should have the "pint size" Sherman smokin' by next week. With a little luck, I may get to whack a bear yet before the end of May when season ends........Rich

 

[barnesuser28]

Any updates Rhian, Rich?

 

[elkaholic]

Any updates Rhian, Rich?

Yup.....You can't hurry a smith......Rich

 

[bigngreen]

Loading my Saturday batch right now

 

[mtntrapper1]

Guys, this is looking great, and very interesting, Ive been shooting a 6.5x284 recently and was looking into another 6.5 possibly very soon. So this could really be the ticket. Great work and thanks for sharing all the info and pics to Rhian and Rick. I see one of these or a Sherman in my next rifle. I have a Win long action for one and have a line on a short action also.

Andy

 

[elkaholic]

Guys, this is looking great, and very interesting, Ive been shooting a 6.5x284 recently and was looking into another 6.5 possibly very soon. So this could really be the ticket. Great work and thanks for sharing all the info and pics to Rhian and Rick. I see one of these or a Sherman in my next rifle. I have a Win long action for one and have a line on a short action also.

Andy

Good choice! If I ever get mine together, I'll get some data up......Rich

 

[bigngreen]

Didn't make it out today but I will tomorrow, I decided to move to H4831sc and see what that yields, I'm getting the feeling Retumbo may be a little slow for this case. My case density looks like better with the h4831sc, I'm shooting 56.3, 57,57.5 and 58 gr, the 56.3 load is a killer accurate load in the 6.5 Sherman and we've documented it well so I wanted to shoot it in the 6.5 SS as a direct comparison between the two.
Formed up another 15 pieces of brass and I ran them all through with just a little bit of dry lube on the necks and I didn't have a single dent and sizing was smooth and fast.