Loading For Swede Carbine

[harry mac]

In the not too distant future I shall be starting to load for a 6.5x55 M94 Swedish Cavalry carbine. I already have some N160, and this seems to be a recommended powder for this cartridge. However, would I be better off using something a little faster, bearing in mind the short barrel of the carbine? At least initially, I'll be using 139/140grn bullets, should I also switch to a lighter bullet?

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[jtice01]

I would think if the carbine had the original barrel it would be throated for the older, heavier bullets. Meaning you'd want to use heavier bullets as well, to ensure minimal jump and good sight matching.

[bob q]

If you are just looking for accuracy , not max velocity , the powder burn rate does not make that much difference and has nothing to do with accuracy . In some carbines my best load is with I-4350 . You would want to use a bullet that shoots best in YOUR gun . I have very accurate loads for M-94's using a 100 fp , 107 smk , and also to standard 140 range bt or fb bullets . The 160 round nose is the worst [ but not that bad ] . No US type bullet will shoot to the sights , [the military bullets are made different ] , plus after 100 years of wood settling the zero change really change . The throat length really does not matter , I have load that are way of the lands and they shoot fine .

[mr.e moose]

Using a older Hornady manual I started with a 140 grs Interlock with a initial charge of 28 grs of IMR-3031. Working my way up I found great groups at 200 yards with a charge of 32 grs, still way below max as shown in the manual. Once I got a tight cloverleaf I called it a day, this was with Norma surplus practice rounds that I pulled the little copper projectile and replaced the powder with 3031.

[harry mac]

I'd love to be able to get hold of some of the Hornady 160grn RN bullets, but they are now discontinued, I think, so that would make them hard to get hold of over here unless I drop lucky and find someone with old stock. The most common bullets will probably be SMK or PPU.

[browningautorifle]

I pulled the little copper projectile

Our little gallery rounds? That must have been a tribulation, those can't weigh 20 grains...

[bob q]

How ? I just pull them out with pliers .

[Ovidio]

On my 96/38 I use N150 with good results.
Shorter barrel as the long M96, I think it just works fine.
I’m also thinking of trying the N140 or the Lovex S060-2.

[Patrick Chadwick]

"However, would I be better off using something a little faster, bearing in mind the short barrel of the carbine."

In general, NO. It's not a matter of barrel length, it's the maximum chamber pressure that sets the limit.

I know someone who ruined his Swedish Mauser by using a fast powder and a light bullet. The 6.5x55 case has a neck that is heavily "bottled" in comparison with, say, a .308 WIN. The expanding gas is correspondingly heavily "throttled" by the smaller cross-section of the neck and bore. A fast powder in that large space will have a relatively low filling factor (compared with .308 WIN) and generate a very high pressure before the bullet gets moving and the peak pressure is relieved by the bullet moving down the barrel.

It is surely not a good idea to try to outsmart Vihtavuori, who probably know more about loading the Swedish Mauser than the rest of us put together. And the fastest powder in their published data is N140, when using 123gn or lighter bullets.

Personally, I would prefer a bit of flame coming out of the muzzle to a bulged barrel. I have found, over years, that the loads in the Vihtavouri book produce reliable results that I cannot beat with my own experimentation.

Stick to N150 (the most flexible) or N160 (for really heavy bullets).

[browningautorifle]

I wasn't going to get into it but since Patrick has, be careful loading for the 6.5x55 as you can damage rifles as he's pointed out. I have memory of an experienced reloader changing the angle of his bolt face by loading hot for his 6.5 swede...