whats wrong here???

[kevin.303]

This afternoon I took my Ljungman out for some target practice again decided to try Federal 6.5 ammo this time, having made the mistake of believing something I read on the internet. I can’t remember where (but I know it wasn’t here) but I read that the Federal load isn’t as hot as the Remington load (I’m trying to save the cases), and was more accurate in the AG42. I soon found out otherwise. We paced of the distance at about 125 yards. First squeeze of the trigger I noticed it seemed to recoil more than the Remington ammo and the powder was a lot smellier. After 5 rounds I figured I’d go check to target, not a single hole on it. Tried another 5 shots and 3 hit the very top of the target and the cardboard backing. After 20 rounds only 9 found the paper and only 2 where in the rings, both 7’s. I was only able to hit those because I aimed at the ground in front of the target stand! Now I’m not the best shot, but with the Remington loads I used last week I was able to put most of my rounds in the score rings. The thing that bugs me is those 2 boxes of federal cost $53.00 after tax. I saved one box and my dad’s gonna buy another box of Rem. And will try again with a sheet of plywood next week. Come to think of it the 9 rounds of .303 I fired never hit the paper either. What do you guys think, is the ammo or my shooting skills that are lacking? :?

[1911crazy]

It sounds like the federal ammo is hotter? The federal ammo could also have the wrong burning rate powder for your barrel twist too? So there is a few things that could be wrong and its not you. Iwould look for Sellier & Bellot 6,5 ammo or FNM 6,5 ammo because both are very accurate in the swede's.  I would benchrest it at 100yds and see what happens first.                                             BigBill

[Mikey]

Kevin:  I second BigBill's advice to look for some Sellier and Bellot ammo.  The european made ammo shoots to the original mil-spec requirements (at least S&B does) for those european calibers.  Also, American ammo makers have seriously loaded down the european calibers in favor of the American calibers.  Another concern is that 6.5 Swedish semi-autos are rarely found in hunting rifles here leaving the ammo makers to consider bolt action or single shot needs only - they then use different powders that may not be conductive to accuracy in semi-autos.

And, if the have loaded them to slower velocities, as they usually do, then your point of impact is gonna be somewhere other than your point of aim.

Here's whatcha do - assuming your rear sight is set to its lowest setting, put a round out at 25m, then 50m to see where she hits at those ranges, and then at 100m.  You may need a shorter front sight and a Swedish Mauser front sight might fit - naw, forget that - the Ljungman front sight and the M96/38 front sights are not interchangeable.

Try the different ammo.  Mine Ljungman shoots great with S&B.  Let's see what we get with that.  HTH.  Mikey.

[kevin.303]

for the immediate future, i'll user the remington loads for hunting. i've only seen S & B up here once, and they didn't have 6.5. after deer season im going to order a couple boxes of igman and if i like it i'll make a bulk order. some folks say that Bell is the most accurate load for the 6.5 and others say it's junk. i noticed with half of the cases i recovered that the primers where partially backed out of there pocket. thats not good is it? if worse comes to worse i'll order some brass from sinclair international and load that, or buy Fed. & Rem. loads take them apart and use a different powder.

[savageT]

kevin303,
Good Luck finding 6.5x55mm S&B ammo!!!!!!!  The company made a decision (nothing reported to the Press though) to remove/discontinue all 6.5x55SE ammo from their markets.  I wrote them last year about this issue and NEVER received an acknowlegement of my e-mails. NOTHING!

I don't know the reason(s) why, but it seemed to start when rumor (and that's all it ever was!) surfaced about how the cutter tipped-SP 140 grain S&B 6.5x55mm ammo was not holding up or mushrooming properly for deer hunting??  The last time I went to the S&B Site, they were still listing at least a couple different loads.

Regarding your sighting in practice.......You should save some ammo costs by starting in at the 25yd. position and a very large target board.  Do you have a good spotting scope or binoculars?  At that distance, you should be able to monitor where the hits are striking.  If you have any of the orginal ammo that you first used go back and try it.

Jim

[kevin.303]

my dad says we have some 6 foot by 6 foot wall paneling and will try it on that. i originally used remington ammo and while it easn't great it was good enough for hunting this year. i don't have a scope or binos, just lots of time to walk to the target after each shot. i was shooting in the back of cousins farmyard, using a picnic table as a rest. at first i thought the Federal load was louder too, until i realized that the sound was bouncing of the barn on my left and the grain bins on my right! whats a good powder for the AG42? do any reloading manuals list specfic loads for it?

[1911crazy]

I just picked up some remington 6,5 cases and remington 140gr bullets from MidwayUSA so i can roll my own ammo.  I even bought the LEE 6,5 RGB swede dies from them too that fit my RCBS Rockchucker press.  Besides buying new sellier & bellot, Igman and fnm ammo too. I even found some surplus swede sniper too.  For the semi auto ljungman I reloaded the cases with the CCI military nato primers because the primer walls are thicker so slam fires can't occur just to be safe too.  That bites about sellier & bellot not making swede ammo any more and it must be the 7mm mauser stuff too because its harder to find too.  I like both calibers the 6,5 and the 7mm both are equal in accuracy too. (very close) But i like the little recoil we get out of both them.  I also notice the 8mm mauser surplus ammo getting scarce too its all starting to dryup. Its time to reload for sure by doing both we can save some $$ at the sametime.
                                                                                     BigBill

I went crazy buying all the military caliber dies from MidwayUSA last spring so i can start reloading for all the surplus calibers i use.  We can't beat the prices of the LEE RGB dies either $10?  The 7,5 french and 7,62x25 dies ran around $25 and thats still half the price of RCBS dies and more for some.  If you have your C&RFFL midway does give you a discount too.  I'm just trying to look to the future and plan on making ammo to keep on shooting these awesome military guns.

[kevin.303]

i noticed something else. there was an excessive amount of powder residue on the magazine feedplate, receiver walls and bolt face. it didn't have that problem with the Remington ammo. in light of all this i think i can safely say it was the ammo and not me. whew, what a relief!

[rockbilly]

I was at a gun show in Abilene Tx two weeks ago and there was all kinds of S&B ammo.  My son and I both shoot 6.5s, he swears by the S&B, it performs well in his gun, but mine WON'T shoot it.  At first I though it was my scope, so I put a new one on the gun.  Same problem.  I tried 140gr Remington, started at 25 yards, five shots to get her on, then moved out to 100 yards, made a few adjustments and am grouping on the center  about six inches above the bullseye on a 25 yard pistol target.  This should put me in the kill area out to 200 yards.  It's grouping three rounds about the size of a fifty cent piece.  I couldn't cover the pattern with a dinner plate shooting the S&B.

Course, like I said my son's m-38 groups the S&B about fifty cent size at 100 yards.  That's wit a barrel that's just a little over 18 inches.