Let’s discuss the 6.5x55 SE

[farmerlifter]

I want to see a pic please when you're done. I'd love a short barreled Tikka with open sights.

Will do! Should have it sometime next week, I went with the necg ghostring sight with standard aperture and Corlanes in BC is doing the drill and tap for a hooded williams base. At some point Ill be setting it into a Wildcat composites stock as well.

 

[Runwilderness]

Stupid question here, but I see people mentioning the long throats on the tikka rifles, do most people when loading for hunting not go to cartridge base to ojive? Would that not solve the problem of how deep or shallow the throat is cut?

The long throat allows you to load to a longer COAL before you hit the lands, giving you an increase in case capacity.

 

[WI-Carcosa]

update on this for those trying to get more speed from a shorter barrel. I had Hendershots add .5g of n560 for an updated load shooting 135drt out of a 19” T3.

Original Hendershots 135g drt: 2714 fps avg, 40 std dev, 111 es
With .5g added n560 135g drt: 2740 fps avg, 20 std dev, 66 es
Both shot very similar groups.

I am waiting to try n555 to get more temp stable. This is a fun round to shoot

Put my Swede in a rokstok and it shoots the N560 just under pressure with the 135grain DRT terminal shock very well now. 2704fps avg in 36 degree temps.

 

[Skatchewan]

First of all, I love this round, and I don’t want this to turn into a debate. I’m just now getting into reloading. Using Hogden’s online tool, I’m seeing Max loads reaching around 2700 fps in a 140 gr and 2800 in a 120 gr respectively. Curious if anyone here has pushed these weights closer to the 2900 fps range safely. What powders are you using, etc? Fwiw, this will be getting fired from a Tikka T3 Hunter 1-9 twist with a 22.4” barrel. Will be used for Coyote and Whitetail predominantly.

I shot a buck yesterday with a ML, muzzle velocity 1700 fps. exited, buck ran 100 yards and he piled up dead.

Don't get too hung up on velocity my friend.