6.5 Swede Limitations

Nodak7mm

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I am considering a LR unit in .264 and there is a lot of coverage on the 260 & the 6.5x284. The one I am curious about is the 6.5 Swede. It has a couple of grains more capacity than the .260. The brass can be obtained from both Lapua & Norma. Seems like a winner from that perspective. My question is all load books reflect a max CUP of appx 47-48k while other cartridges go to mid 50 to 60k top end, WHY?

Is it a libility issue due to the "old" actions/rifles that are chambered in it and purposly downloaded? Or is the brass available also limited to that CUP? Simply, what is the limiting factor that keeps one from pushing this cartridge?

Thanks

Nodak

[ 01-07-2003: Message edited by: Nodak7mm ]
 
Nodak,

I think you hit the nail on the head when you brought up the old actions.

From the little I've gathered from some of the European shooters, the 6.5x55 is THE target round. It's loaded much hotter than here and the shooters use switch barrel Sig's and Blazers, etc,, RWS, Norma, etc make loads that would be considered WARM here in the states.

FatBoy...
 
Nodak7mm,
I shoot a 6.5x55 with the Ackley shoulder on it using Lapua brass. My accuracy load is 2910fps with a 140gr bullet w/ 50.5gr of H4831 and Fed 210s. All of the hot shooting 6.5x284 shooters use H4831 and H4831SC also and their accuracy loads chrono in the mid 2900 range also. So I duplicate thier ballistics within reason with 3-4 less grains of powder using good Lapua brass and not the soft Norma stuff. This is with the Ackley shoulder on it though. Nothing wrong with a std 6.5x55 Swede either. It has a great track record that is hard to argue against. But if this is for hunting then you can load up the 6.5x284 case to higher velocities on the upper end. I've gone up to 2985fps with my 6.5x55AI and the 6.5x284 can easily go over the 3000fps mark. But when backed off and comparing one accuracy load against another I can stay right with them. I've got a second barrel for my HG also that is chambered in 6.5x55AI also.

I've fired 2 official Screamer groups with it in BR competition, (2) top 20 patches in the IBS National Championships for 2001 and 2002 and 6th in the 2001 PA World Open in LG Group catagory and numerous individual wins. My smallest group at 1000yd so far is a 3.187" with a perfect 50 score last September. Have one other group in the 3" range and several in the 4 and 5" range so this isn't a fluke. Wish I had more time to really play with it to keep it tuned up to be more consistant, but other things are more important right now.

DSC01420.JPG


Am I a fan of this case......?
grin.gif

So to directly answer your question... it isn't the brass. I agree with Fatboy that it must be the older actions and liability reasons. But hot-rodded in a modern action and barrel it will run with the big dogs for killing paper. So it is more than a 260 and runs neck-and-neck with the 6.5x284 for accuracy loading.

Steve

[ 01-07-2003: Message edited by: Steve Shelp ]
 
Thanks Guys, That is what I thought, but wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. I recall a couple of articles in P/shooting that Bob Jourdan did 4-5 yrs back on that cartridge, its AI's and his BJ Ackley but can't find em easily right now.

Steve great shooting! I am shooting in my first ever F-class format match this weekend and I gotta feeling I am just going to dig it far too much & will have to dedicate a rifle to it & the 6.5 looks like the ticket. Dang it anyways!
grin.gif


Thanks

Nodak
 
"I am shooting in my first ever F-class format match this weekend and I gotta feeling I am just going to dig it far too much & will have to dedicate a rifle to it & the 6.5 looks like the ticket. Dang it anyways! "

By the end of that 33 minute time period you'll have the rifle and equipment you need planned out and you'll be working on how your gonna pay for it.
grin.gif


LR shooting has got to be one of the most addictive legal things a person can do.

FatBoy...
 
Nodak7mm
Are you shooting in the F-class around here or are you traveling to one?
Crow Mag
 
Crow,

I am currently on temp duty in Oklahoma and made connections with a very gracious LR shooter who took me LR shooting on my last visit here and invited me to shoot with him at a match in Tulsa this weekend. I hope to find out more about this class in MI as I beleive they shoot hipower out to 1000 yd at Camp Grayling. It is something I am sure to research further and will advise what I find out.

My stumbling block is since I moved to MI last fall (01) I have spent one of every three days in OKC. But being the optimist, I have met some great shooters (in OK) that are more than willing to help out a greenhorn...

Steve Shelp, care to elaborate on your Swede? Very curious now... Thx

Nodak

[ 01-08-2003: Message edited by: Nodak7mm ]
 
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