After reading previous advice on loading the 6.5x54 Carcano using Hornady 160 gr. .2675 bullets, I pulled the bullets from the rounds I had trouble with before. Using the recommended chart, I loaded ten rounds, carefully measuring each power load and seating the bullets to the correct COL.

The results were surprising. The first round went off OK, although the bolt required more than normal effort to extract the case, but not a great deal more than normal. The second round went off, and I don't think it was louder than the first, however immediately smoke was curling up from the receiver around the bolt. I did not feel any gas on my face, but was surprised at the smoke.

When I tried to extract the spent case, the bolt would not turn. By using the top of the wooden shooting bench, I was able to rotate the bolt and pull it back. The case remained in the chamber. The primer fell out on the bench with a hole burned through it. I had to use a cleaning rod to remove the case.

Note: The bore and chamber had been cleaned prior to firing. Four rounds of 140 gr. Nosler Partition bullets have been fired first. In the photos, the left case is the bad one, and the middle case is the first 160 gr round fired. The right case is from the Nosler 140 gr. round.

Needless to say, I am going to stick with .264 bullets for the rifle. I did fire ten rounds of 160 gr. Hornady .264 bullets after the incident. I had no problems with them.
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