6.5x58R Sauer

[pastorp]

Anyone reload this round?

I bought a old hammer drilling and the rifle barrel is in this round. Can't find much info on it for reloading. Or case forming. Any help appreciated.   

Thanks,

[Sir Charles deMoutonBlack]

I don't, but I do do some cartridge conversions.  Here is what I found out;

Cartridges of the World, 3d Ed., shows a straight tapered case.  The dimension chart shows a base diameter of .433 in. and rim dia. of .500, and case length of2.30 in.  That doesn't sound very common!  The load suggested is a 127gr. bullet over 24 gr. of 3031 for 2100 fps.  Factory loads were 2020 fps.

Grafs are out of stock on brass!

http://www.grafs.com/catalog/category/categoryId/685

Back to COTW 3d;  9.3 X72R ammo is still being made.  Mine is Sellier & Bellot. I use it for shortening to .360 Nitro Express (In Europe the same round is called 9.3 X 57R)  The base diameter is .427 - .430.   The conversion would be fairly simple.

http://www.sellier-bellot.cz/rifle-ammunition.php?product=12

Reasonably priced dies are available from;          http://www.ch4d.com/

[pastorp]

Thanks sir Charles,

That's more than I've been able to find. I did find brass & dies listed on midways online catalog. But they were expensive. I probably won't shoot it much but my smith gave it a safe to shoot score when he checked it out.

I thought I read somewhere that you could form brass from 30-30 brass. But I've not been able to find that source again, so perhaps I imagined it. 

Regards,

[Sir Charles deMoutonBlack]

"I thought I read somewhere that you could form brass from 30-30 brass."

The trouble is threefold;
1.  .30-30 brass is only 52mm/2.03 inches long.  The Sauer specs are 58mm/2.3 inches.  Using original long .38-55 brass gets closer at 54mm/2.12".  It might work?  Again an obstacle;  2 1/8 inch long .38-55 cases don't just fall off trees.
2.  Rim thickness might be different, it is on  my .360 express.  I tried it, and I had to thin the rims until it closed easily without straining the hinge. Most dimension tables don't tell you rim thickness.
3.  Base diameter of the .30-30 family is about .425" rather than .433 for the Sauer.  This is not fatal.  You might get slightly pregnant looking cases, but with moderate loads you will be able to get away with it.  I use only cast bullets in my Husqvarna Cape gun.

If you are desperate to make the Ol' Girl sing, find some long .38-55 cases and convert a few to see if it works. It might not be pretty, but if moderate loads are used it would be safe.

Waidmanns Heil! 

[NAVYBDO]

I have a 6.5x58-1/2R Sauer x16 drilling, Simson and Sohn, not hammered. I bought dies from RCBS and cases from Bertram Bullets of Australia (several years ago they were ~$40 a box for virgin brass). The brass was actually 6.5x58 (1/2 a mm wont matter). Loaded up using 120 gr Nosler Part IIRC. Cant remember the powder/charge off the top of my head (3031?) but I got ~2350fps and at 50 yds (range available) I put 3 into under an inch.

Send me an e-mail and I'll look up the charge/powder over the weekend if you like.

Ralph

halvorsen@ll.mit.edu

PS: Though the Germans are sticklers for detail I found the nomenclature on the flats to be wrong! It was stamped 6,6 not 6,5. But slugging the barrel revealed a .264" bullet not .260". No, the barrel wasn't worn. Pristine for a 1929 gun. This was just before the .260 Remmie came out so I lucked out.:-)