CZ550 Lux 6.5x55

[Sweet 6.5]

      After waiting 9 months for my lisense I got my rifle yesterday!! I fitted the Burris FFII 3-9x40  and went to the range. I used ammo that I loaded last weekend. 140gr Nosler Comp bullets in Lapua  cases. Mild load to break the barrel in and for me to get use to the trigger.  (2495fps ave.) I had to make them shorter than what I had them 78mm to 75mm seeing  that the maks was 76mm - after the session the TPL increased to 77mm. This is still not  ideal and I hope after another 20 or so shots the burris will be gone and I will be able to get  closed to the 80mm!    Any way - I really enjoyed the afternoon at the range - Shot 2 @ 25m and then moved  to 100meters. Shot 3 - adjusted the scope and shot 3- adjusted the scope and shot  the next 12 on the foto. This is a random load with no load development at all.  Bitmap

[/t][/t]    I cleaned the barrel after each shot for the first 7 shots and suddenly the copper fouling became less.  From then on I cleaned after every 3 shots untill I was done.

[nomosendero]

Very nice rifle in a great round. I can see you have a shooter!

[Dave in WV]

Sorry but you post at times is confusing. What is "TPL"? Are the numbers stated in mm (75mm,76mm,77mm,78mm, & 80mm) related to cartridge overall length?
"This is still not  ideal and I hope after another 20 or so shots the burris will be gone and I will be able to get  closed to the 80mm!"  Do you mean you are going to remove the scope?
Good shooting by the way. You have a nicce looking rifle.

[Sweet 6.5]

   Sorry !! TPL is Afikaans (from South Africa) for total cartridge overall length. And yes
it is in mm.
The scope is not going anywhere.
 
The burris I spoke about was suppose to be the burr that was formed when the
barrel was made. Right at the throat is a burr - and with the breaking-in this gets
removed which make a longer COL possible.
 
I went to the range this morning - seems to me I can't get the speed up but the groupings are
great. So I think I will stop chasing spead and just enjoy it.

[Dave in WV]

Thanks for clearing it up. I thought something was going wrong in the translation .
You have a nice rifle and scope. They should serve you well. I've never owned a 6.5x55 rifle but I always heard and read the beauty of the cartridge's performance didn't come from speed. The 7x57 and 6.5x55 built a reputation over many years of performing beyond the cartridges' size.
 
Here's a product you can use to help smooth a barrel.
http://www.davidtubb.com/final-finish-tms
 

[Silvertp]

Nice shooting rifle.  I'd just take it out and enjoy it.  140 grain Noslers at 2500 fps should be  very mild on the shoulder and a killer of game. 

Silvertp

[Sweet 6.5]

After a couple of weeks I like the rifle even more.
 
The rifle likes the range and I am taking it on it's first
hunt this week - see if we can get an impala.
I will be using the the Hornady Interlock 129gr @ 2700fps.
 
 

[nomosendero]

I look forward to your report!

[Sweet 6.5]

   All went well. I first saw the herd of impala early this morning.
I stalked them for about an hour, it was dense so I just saw the bodies every
now and again in the sun.
I managed to move around them and waited at a clearing where
I thought they will pass through. (I was right)
I moved close to a bush and set the shooting sticks up. I waited about 20 minutes
before they started to move into the clearing about 100 yards away. I waited for the ewe to turn
and shot her just behind the shoulder with the 129gr Interlock. She made a U turn and went about
25 yards before she went down. 

[jrnsuz]

Now that is a beautiful rifle! Congratulations

[nomosendero]

Very good!

[Brithunter]

Nice going and an excellent hunt.


I notice your using Hilver or Lynx mounts. Have you considered the straight rings:-





Those are 1" Hilver rings. medium matte #4663N. Highs are #4665N





My .308 ZKK 601

[RevJim]

 Great rifle, load and hunt! I thought all 'genuine Afrikaner Boers" shot their game in the head? ha. I had a .260 Remington (6.5/308) for awhile ( before I had it reamed out to 6.5/284) and I loaded that same Hornady 129 to about 2900 ( 24 inch barrel) I shot a nice Axis buck in hardened antler and a Mouflon ram with that rifle down in Texas. It was a solid killer, not as spectacular as the '06 and its kin or course, but a good round. Now admittedly, when I had it converted to the 6.5/284 I was getting close to .264 winmag speed with the Nosler 120 Ballistic tip another very good bullet, even better than the Hornady 129 (which I found to be a hard bullet). I used it for long range, At bushveldt ranges, it would gain nothing on your 6.5x55, and yours is very accurate ( or you are a "genuine Afrikaner Boer" and you were "born" a good shot ( baia lekker scooit) pardon my Afrikaans please.

[Sweet 6.5]

Ek hou regtig van jou Afrikaans! (I really enjoy your Afrikaans - its really good) I am a genuine
born Boer and I have been shooting for as long as I can remember.    I shot my first warthog
with an open sighted Lee Metford  .303 when I was about 8.

I saw by the exit hole the 129gr made that it must have stayed in one piece. I like it being harder which
means it will hold together on bigger animals as well.

Brit - I didn't even know about those rings, I will have a look and see if I could find some. I use Thor, a SA made
copy of the Lynx rings.

[Sweet 6.5]

Btw - nice piece of wood on that BRNO! 

[Brithunter]

Btw - nice piece of wood on that BRNO! 

Thank you. The stock was the clincher when John pulled it out of the box in the shop that Christmas Eve ........................................ as it came into view I just said MINE!


The figure reminded me of this classic rifle:-





and they make nice companions





Funnily enough that is another 6.5mm but this time it's the 6.5x53R.


I had not heard of Thor rings I must admit.