6.5x55 loading?

[BCloninger]

Should filler be used in a 6.5x55 case? A lot of room is left in the case after loading, so powder will shift unpredictably otherwise. What kind of filler?

For those using this caliber, what action? And if you're shooting a Tikka or Sako, do the 'Smiths get fussy about the metric threads when it's time for a new barrel? After market stocks?

[Jason]

Isn't the fact that you're asking about filler kinda hinting that 6.5x55 might not be the best choice...

[yankee]

I don't know of anyone using fillers in the 6.5 x 55 case.
There should be no problem with a smith cutting a metric thread on a new barrel.
Most everyone uses a remington 700 action. This probably dates back to the 70's when most everyone started with an out of the box remington bdl with a varmint barrel. As these barrels wore out they put on new ones. Also as the game progressed new stocks were designed and most were made to fit the remington 700 because most everyone had one. And with the new stocks and barrels came the different kinds of triggers but most of these were adapted from benchrest and highpower shooting. So in other words there are many different optional goodies that fit the rem 700.

[Jim Beckley]

You are quite right in saying about the space in the 55 case, I never used any filler in mine, and I did use a rather light load. I know that a couple of the top smiths in the valley won't mess with the metric threads on a Tikka, when Jim H. re barreled his Tikka, he used a guy in Tucson, named Ron DeWorf, with excellent results.

[Varn]

BCloninger,
A 6.5x55 is one of the best choices you can make if you are shooting a modern 6.5x55 such as a Tikka, Sako, Remington, CZ, etc. Loading it can't be much simpler. Load a 139 Lapua or 142 Sierra over 38 to 40 grains of Varget starting low and working up while looking for pressure signs. When you find your ram load, substitute your choice of 107 through 123 grain for C-P-T and try it for accuracy. I have owned three Tikka 6.5x55's and been involved with at least 5 others that this recipe worked perfect for. Do not use these loads if you are using an older rifle such as one of the old swedish mausers. With these loads you will get approx 2650-2700fps with the 139-142 grain bullets and will lose very few rams. My first year shooting HP Hunter rifle I shot a Tikka 6.5x55 with 139 Lapuas at 2710fps with these loads. I kept a log of rams hit in matches and practice. I hit in excess of 135 rams and lost two. That percentage puts it on par with anything else on the line. Don't be too concerned with some excess space in the case. I've never seen it causing a problem nor have I heard of anyone else having a problem with it either. All the best. Mark

[BCloninger]

Thanks folks! This is for a Tikka T3 that should handle modern loads easily.

So why the 6.5x55? Because a Remington .260 is very hard to find, and the 6.5x47 is only available as a custom build using expensive brass. Why the Tikka when the Remington 700 is, as Kitty puts it, the Chevy short block of high power actions? Again, because the Tikka is readily available in 6.5, in a well finished build, at a reasonable price. When the economy picks up and extra work refills the toy account, I'll talk to Evelio about something more perfect.

So why the 6.5 fixation? Because a couple of years ago when I started looking at high power silhouette I did a lot of research on calibers and rounds, and the 6.5 kept turning up as an optimum compromise between recoil, ballistic coefficient and the ability to knock over Rams. Larger calibers will always have an advantage on Rams, and the additional recoil that goes with that. Like I said, compromise.

[Bob Mc Alice]

Good choice and good reasons Bear. ..er Mr.Cloninger. It is a good performer and you will be happy with it. As for metric threads on future replacement barrels, not to worry. I have operated just about every brand of lathe made. Throw handles, turn knobs and the machines will cut english or metric threads without complaint. No doubt that Evelio has metric thread capability.

[BCloninger]

Thank you sir. Like so many things, then, it's in the tooling and the operator.

There is some concern that match pace shooting will overheat the light barrel and burn it out quickly, but aside from the expense it's hard to see a downside in getting a new, high grade barrel. I was more worried that nobody would want the job.

[Bob Mc Alice]

Dave B. has a couple of thousand thru his factory barrel Tikka now. Even hot off the bench a couple of weeks ago it shot groups under an inch at chickens. It's a great rifle and I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.

Now any smith worth his salt should be prepared to cut metric threads. Foreign made actions are common place. The Tikka / Sako guns probably have M24x1.5 or 2.0 threads similar to the M70 or M700 16 pitch. Even if not a 1.5 or 2.0, the lathes here at the shop have pitch choices in between. Cutting metric threads pays the same as english...money is money.

[Evelio Mc Donald]

Bob
I have re-barreled two Tikas, they don't have metric threads, they have 1" 16 TPI
Mc Alice
In both of my lathes, I would have to change several gears to be able to cut metric threads, also it is my understanding that you can't use the half nut. Kind of weird, in 40 years of working in a very large machine shop, I don't re-call ever anybody having to cut a metric thread, of course everything we build was related to the Oil field.
Evelio.

[Bob Mc Alice]

Sorry about the salt comment, Evelio. I was refering to the above guys that turned away good work. Good to know of the 16 pitch on the Tikka. I can see a Remington takeoff hybrid in Bears future.

We have a couple of older lathes that also need gear switching. We do some foreign contract work on our turbine compressors and pumps also for the oil and gas industry. Use the "4-WHOLE"on the nut, it works for us.

[BCloninger]

If the Tikka holds up well, it will get a new, heavier barrel and - if possible - a Nesika stock. By that time I will have enough invested in brass, magazines, and familiarity that switching will become painful. Again, thank you Bob, and thank you Evelio!

[Another Dang 9]

[quote="BCloninger"]If the Tikka holds up well, it will get a new, heavier barrel

I just had a new gun put togeather in 260 rem on a rem 700 action. the barrel is a Lilja #5 contour and it just makes weight 9.2 lbs for hunter class. Don't go for a heavy barrel you may not make weight. I bought a few barrels before I found this out the hard(and expensive) way. I got a Hart barrel in #5 contour and it was a full 1 1/4 lbs heavier.

[BCloninger]

I've seen the same thing with Broughton barrels - their #5 is heavy. I did that one, and Evelio made it work anyway! Next time the smith doing the work gets to pick a barrel they're familiar with...

[Another Dang 9]

its to bad the barrel makers and stock makers don't publish the weights of there products. It would make life a lot easier for everyone. I know the weights can very depending on whos mixing the components from day to day but even a ball park weight would help. I have an H&S stock that looks like swish cheese just to get the weight down for standard class.