Equipment for loading 6.5x55, 7.5x55, 7.62x54r

[woodcr24]

Hello all,
I'm interested in reloading. Have not yet invested in reference material, though I certainly will if/when I make the commitment. The primary question that I have pertains to the press. I shoot 6.5x55, 7.5x55, and 7.62x54r. I don't expect to shoot anything else. Well... maybe .303 some day. The recreational shooting that I do is at 200 - 300 yard ranges, however I also have the occasion to shoot at 1,000 - 1,200 yds. I also enjoy hunting with my milsurp rifles, and there's a paucity of hunting ammo available for the 7.5 and the 54r. So I have a mind to do two things for each of the three cartridges: reload for hunting, and reload for high-precision long range marksmanship.

Initially (and due to my lack of knowledge with reloading), I had been looking at a progressive press, such as a Dillon RL-550b. However, I've seen a considerable amount of info on single-stage press systems, and the advantages in consistency relative to progressive presses, particularly with regards to "match grade" loads.

Figuring that I would be reloading once-fired PPU or new Lapua cases, what do you all recommend for a press: single-stage with all of the support equipment, or progressive with an accurate grain scale to ensure consistency of powder mass in each case? What I want to avoid is starting down one road and then realizing later on that the direction I took was erroneous. I'm not interested in turning out hundreds of complete rounds per day. I'm interested in consistent performance every time I squeeze the trigger.

Many thanks for your time.

Best,

Chris

 

[Trnelson]

It's hard to go too far astray for what you've asked about with any of the name brand presses. RCBS, Hornady, Lee all make quality presses and reloading dies. Be forewarned, one thing leads to another with reloading. Welcome and have a great time!

 

[RT2506]

First thing to get is a Sierra rifle loading manual. It will teach you how to reload and it has suggested accuracy loads and those are usually very accurate and this cuts down on your search for a good load. Get a STEEL single stage press. Lee makes some good dies for those calibers and I would get the set with the Factory Crimp Dies because it's use DOES improve the accuracy of the 7.5x55 and 7.62x54R but could not see any real difference with the 6.5x55 after extensive testing. Get a RCBS or Lyman beam powder scale. You can do well with two powders. For the 7.5x55 IMR 4064 is wonderful for bullets 168 grs and lighter. Accurate XMR 4350 is great with the other two and for bullets over 168 in the 7.5x55. Speaking of the 7.5x55 if you are shooting a K-31 rifle the listed cartridge over all length in most loading manuals is waaaaaaaay too long. These rifles have a short throat. I am a collector of these military rifles and have shot them a great deal for many years. If they have good bores you can make these old war horses really shoot especially the 6.5x55 Swede M-96 Mausers and the 7.5x55 Swiss K-31s. Good luck and have fun.

 

[woodcr24]

RT2506 - Thank you very much. The rifles I shoot are various Swedish Mausers (1896, CG-63) and an M98 for the 6.5x55, K31 for the 7.5x55, and m39 for the 7.62x54r. I'm presently working on having a sporterized m96 that I had picked up some time back re-barreled for long range. I'll purchase a copy of the Sierra loading manual as you suggest and will review it in depth before I go any further.

 

[RT2506]

The PPU cases are very good cases by the way. Your M-39 should shoot .311 diameter bullets. It is a good idea to slug the bore of any of the 7.62x54R rifles to see what diameter bullet to actually use. The Russian rifles especially so because their barrels very greatly. I use a .315 diameter lead muzzle loader ball made my Hornady. Remove the bolt and drop one in the chamber end. Use the steel cleaning rod to tap it into the bore. Place a piece of wood flat on the top of the cleaning rod so you don't mess up the threads before you hammer on it. After hammering the cleaning rod as far as it will go use about 6 inch pieces of wood dowel rod down the bore and use the cleaning rod on top of them to drive the slug out the muzzle. Once you have the slug in hand measure the width between the high spots on the slug with a calipers. These high spots are the depth of the grooves. If it measures .310 to .311 use .311 diameter bullets. If .311 to .312 use .312 diameter Hornady bullets. If it measures over .312 it will not shoot jacketed bullets accurately so I usually send them down the road. This load has proved VERY accurate in all my 7.62x54R rifles.
50 grs Accurate XMR 4350, PPU case, CCI 200 primer, .311 174 gr. Sierra Match King COAL 3.000 and use a medium crimp with a Lee Factory Crimp Die. This load shoots right to the sights of my B barrel M-39 Finn.
If you get a rifle that needs .312 diameter bullets use the above load with the 174 gr. Hornady RNSP at COAL 2.790 This bullet does not have good ballistics but it sure is accurate and makes a good hunting bullet for out to 200 yards or so.
Be aware that MOST load data for the 7.62x54R list the use of .308 diameter bullets and I have NEVER see a rifle in this caliber that would shoot .308 bullets accurately because they are too small. These rifles also like heaver bullets like 174 gr and heaver.
I also have a 96 Swede that someone had started hacking on and I got it and made a sporter out of it. I left the original 29" barrel on it and you can get serious velocity with safe under 46000 CUP loads that these small ring Mausers are designed for. I get 3000 fps with 120 gr bullets and 2800 fps with 140s. This rifle is very accurate and it kills deer waaaaaaaaaay across a field DRT with 120 Sierra or Ballistic tips or 140 Hornady interlocks or Sierra SP. Have fun.

 

[woodcr24]

Great - thank you very much, again.