Author Topic: Loading for my 6.5x55 Encore (Read 420 times)

Carphunter · « **on:** September 10, 2005, 01:49:52 PM »

Question for Thompson gurus out there.

What is your procedure for finding proper seating depth for an Encore rifle?

For my other rifles, I normally make a mock cartridge way over length. I coat the ogive of the bullet with Sharpie marker so I can see where the rifling touches it.

I then proceed to chamber, unchamber the bullet to observe nicks in the sharpie and then measure to those marks to get a rough idea of how much further I have to seat the bullet. I then seat the bullet deaper succesively until I believe I do not touch the rifling with the bullet. I then use my kinetic bullet puller to back the bullet out again, and keep pushing it back in to check to see if my initial measurement was good. I use a Sinclair comparator on my calipers to get a measurement to bullet caliber diameter and say that's my distance to rifling from the head of the case.

With the Encore, one thing that's made this kinda tricky is that I believe when closing the action, while the cartridge's long, everything's ok and I may have to give a little effort to close it...but I'll see my contact marks. But, when the bullet's getting close to correct depth, the case no longer provides resistance to closing the action, so I'm worried that closing the action will either "throw" or not throw the case forward into the chamer in a repeatable manner.

Now, with the Encore I know I'm supposed to also use a feeler gauge on the closed action. Do I want to subtract or add this to my measurement? (I'm guessing I add it so I seat the bullet a tiny bit long to account for the case slamming back on firing....evn though I think it's only a distance of .004 or .006" .

So.... any great hints for a newbie Thompson reloader?

(Oh, I did cheat and take my calipers which have a post for measuring holes and came up with a depth of 2.555" to rifling.....which seems to coincide with the measurement I had on my final cartridge when I no longer bullet rifling marks onto the bullet.

TCBrian · « **Reply #1 on:** September 12, 2005, 12:27:34 PM »

I only have 6.5x55s in military mausers with the original barrel and have found that seating depth does not seem to matter since they have a very long throut. Many TC barrels have fairly long throuts too, so it may be the same situation. I just never go under Minimun OAL and try to seat most bullets just deep enough to provide a good hold on the bullet. Often this means bottom of the bullet flush with the bottom of the case neck.

I have one scoped and sporterized mauser with a match trigger and floated barrel that is extremly accurate with several bullets and as mentioned with the original military barrel. I can't even imagine how accurate the cartridge will be in an Encore with a good barrel.

My three favorite loads are:
95gr V-max 43gr of 4064 This load shoots sub minute of angle groups of 5
120 Nosler BT 41gr 4064 This load averages right around 1"@ 100yrds
140 Hornardy sst 41.5 gr 4350 This load shoots a little less accurate about 1.5"@100yrds

All loads are well below max and show no pressure signs at all. The v-max load is devastating on Coyotes as far out as I can hit them. The 120 noslers are a great deer and antelope load. My buddy borrowed my gun when his gun failed on an antelope hunt and dropped one in its tracks at 250yrds with that load. He had never fired the gun before that. I just told him to hold dead on and pull the trigger and it was lights out!
The 140 SSTs should be great on deer, but I haven't tested them on game yet.

What is interesting is that as the bullet weight goes up the accuracy goes down even with a variety of powders. Given the military barrels twist rate is designed for heavier bullets the opposite of what I experienced should be true. I was told not even to bother with the light V-Maxes, but have shot many groups under 1/2" with that load.

My point is that I would not be too concerned about trying to get the bullet a certain distance from the lands. Just don't seat into the lands or go less then minumum and I am betting you will love that cartridge in an Encore.

Brian

james · « **Reply #2 on:** September 13, 2005, 08:52:35 AM »

I have found that with the 95 gr. bullets, accuracy is improved by seating the bullets around 3.0 oal. I started at 3.015 where I seated the 140 and 129 gr. bullets but the case neck probably didn't uniformly grip the short bullets and groups suffered. Every time I pushed the bullet a few thou. deeper the group got smaller. I quit at about 2.995 to 3 when I was getting about .75" groups. I was using Varget powder but will have to try some 4064. My 129 and 140s were grouping .8 to 1" on a good day and about 1.25 average.
james

Carphunter · « **Reply #3 on:** October 03, 2005, 01:34:37 AM »

made a second attempt in loading my 140 GameKing's for this thing.

I found out on my first batch I had mucked up seating distance...I was in the lands from the get go.

After figuring that out, I got my new loads made up some I'm .005 off.

I didn't find any real stellar loads in the H4350/140. I think I'll look at them, find the ones that looked best...but then seat another .005 deeper.

I'm also going to try some lighter bullets. I don't know how the twists compare...but I've heard a lot of people with M38 Huskies say that their guns like lighter bullets.

FYI... I shot all the same loads I had made for the encore through my Husky.... Husky ate them all fine...and almost always kept them in a 4" circle at 100yds through iron sights. I was getting ready to sell that gun...but damn...it's better than my eyes...so I think it's gonna go doe shootin' this year.