6.5x55 COAL?

[targaflorio]

I'm getting ready to load up Lapua brass with SMK 142s for a M96 Swedish Mauser. Lapua book calls for their 139s to be loaded out to 3.15" but their factory ammo measures only 3.058". Sierra ran their tests at 3.1".
I loaded some dummies out to 3.15" . They feed fine. They were scored with rifling marks.
I will powder with RL22 and H1000 to start. WLR primers.
Suggested COALs?
Thanks!

 

[Ed Baker]

Re: 6.5x55 COAL?

Polish the bullet you just chambered with #4 steel wool. Seat it .005 deeper and rechamber the dummy round. See if you still have marks from the lands and grooves. If so, continue this process until you have 1 very faint marking on the bullet. Use that as you bullet to lands distance. I always back of .010 from that OAL and start load development from there. This is just one method to find the lands/grooves in the throat and has worked for me.

Ed

 

[acloco]

Re: 6.5x55 COAL?

You can reach the lands on a Swede?? Wow.

Has been my experience, the swedes like a 0.050" jump to the lands.

 

[bward]

Re: 6.5x55 COAL?

Buy the tools to measure it and you won't have to guess based on someone else's chamber that has a different throat than yours. I don't see how you could effectively tune a load without knowing your distance in or to the lands.

 

[targaflorio]

Re: 6.5x55 COAL?

Ok, so I seated a bullet in a fired case with my fingers, and chambered the round, expecting the bullet to stick in the rifling. It came out in the case normally. So if long cartridges feed from the mag and the bullets don't stick in the rifling, how much bullet bearing surface do I need inside the case neck?