Author Topic: 6.5 X 55. BULLET SEATING. LONG OR SHORT? (Read 1039 times)

Leadlauncher · « **on:** March 05, 2004, 12:09:40 AM »

G'DAY MATES. HOPE YOU ARE ALL LAUNCHING PLENTY & FLATTENING THE STEEL. AFTER MUCH MESSING AROUND WITH 7MM08 & .260 REMINGTON, I'VE MADE UP MY MIND & SETTLED ON A SAKO FINNLIGHT IN 6.5 X 55. TO SHOOT BOTH HP & HUNTER, WITH MOLY 107'S & 142'S. BASED ON DAVE'S LOAD INFO. (IF YOU TELL ME I'VE MADE A BAD CHOICE I AM DEFINATELY GOING TO CRY!) QUESTION: I CANT GET ANYWHERE NEAR THE LANDS EVEN SEATED OUT AS FAR AS PRACTICABLE. SHOULD I JUST THEN SEAT TO THE FACTORY SPECS FOR THESE PILLS?. ONCE AGAIN, SORRY TO BE A NUISANCE.

KIND REGARDS
LEADLAUNCHER

ajj · « **Reply #1 on:** March 05, 2004, 03:19:44 AM »

I would first try the accuracy with the start (not the base) of the boattail at the base of the neck. This gives a good, even grip of the neck on the bullet and has yielded accuracy about as good as any other OAL in a couple of my rifles. This is a tip one of the big boys passed along and it worked well for me.

Gringo Grizzly · « **Reply #2 on:** March 05, 2004, 05:10:35 AM »

Leadlauncher,

Choice of rifle looks ok to me as a hunter - a bit light for a standard rifle.
I use a 6.5x55 in HPHR in a Tikka Whitetail Hunter.
I'd prefer to seat the bullets out to just touch the lands, but with my rifle, the throat is out there pretty far and this isn't practical.
I seated the bullets in the case where the bearing surface - not the boattail portion of a 107 smk makes contact with the entire neck.

This rifle shoots GREAT despite the bullet jump, using 38 gr H4895/107 SMK (not moly'd) all the way through the turkeys. I shoot 42 gr Varget under a 142 SMK for the rams with good results.

Mark Varner has more experience with this combination and seats his bullets even shorter than I do - with good results and I think his charge is up one grain from mine but he's using moly-coated SMK's.

I prefer the Lapua cases and advise getting them if you can as you just don't have to jack with them as much.

Using this rifle with 107's feels about like my .260's. The Ram load bites a little harder at both ends.

Gringo

iceman99 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 09, 2004, 08:02:09 PM »

I shoot a Sako TRG-S in 6.5X55. Seating the bullets long tends to improve accuracy in my rifle. The only problem is a throat that will accomodate a 160Gr bullet means you're gonna have to worry more about how much of the bullet is still in the case instead of how close it is to the lands...

Shooting out is better than rusting out!

DanDeMan · « **Reply #4 on:** March 10, 2004, 09:52:51 AM »

Howdy Guys and Gals,

After many years of scratching my follicully challenged head as well as shooting a lot of bullets down range, here is what I've found concerning seating depth of bullets:

If the 6.5X55 chamber is like the original Swede with a very shallow leede angle, then seat the bullets so that the back of the bullet bearing surface / start of the boattail is at the neck-shoulder junction of the case. These chambers will not allow the bullets to engrave the lands. Military chambers are designed so that the poor souls killing and getting killed have confidence in chambering the round that may save their life.

If, on the other hand, the chamber has been designed for match shooting, and there are several that I've measured that indicate the designer did not understand what is and is not important so this is said with the caveat of buyer beware, seating the bullets into the lands is the way to go.

My 6.5x55, 29.5" long Swede military rifle is capable shooting 1/2 MOA groups using the above loading technique that has the bullets well into the cases.

Regards,

Dan Theodore