Need for Swede

[Stearinlys]

Swede guys,

I'm getting into reloading, and am looking at picking up a Tikka 6.5 Swede. Just wondering what you have for reloading setups, and what brands you would recommend for all the reloading components you use for them. I'm also curious (even though I haven't found anything for it yet) if there's any reloading differences between the original and the new SE/SKAN loadings, or cases aside from charge amount.

Thanks!

 

[WhoGarrDen]

https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/reloading-newb-check-list.372113/

This is what I used as a general framework while getting started this year, filling in the gaps with some google-fu.

 

[Stearinlys]

Thanks @WhoGarrDen

 

[6mm Remington]

When you get all of your stuff get some 130 gr. Nosler Accubonds and 120 gr. E-tips. Either of those will work great for Everything! Find a good accurate load and go forth and put meat on the table. Great cartridge and great bullets equals success.

 

[Torque]

Mine loves 129g Hornady BTs.

 

[Stearinlys]

Thanks guys! I'll check those out. I was thinking the 143's or the 140 NBT. Appreciate the input!

 

[Lando]

As far as reloading, there is a big difference between the common loads and the SKAN loads. The common loads are underloaded due to older rifles and pressure issues, but the SKAN loads are for more modern rifles like your Tikka. My general understanding after researching is that you can safely start modern loads at the upper level of 260 Remington pressures with good brass.

 

[LeftyWilbury]

i went with lapua brass for loading up good hunting ammo. when my pops finishes shooting up the sellier & bellot for practice, i'll reload that for plinking. don't recall having a hard time finding load data but it's been a bit...

 

[Choupique]

Ive had really good luck with the 155gr lapua mega. Only about 5 or 6 deer with it, but never stopped one and all the deer were bangflops.

 

[Unckebob]

I would look at stocking up on brass first, I briefly looked at the 6.5 Swede but concluded getting brass would be too much of a PITA vs more common cartridges.

If I was sure I could have gotten the brass (I was looking during the shortages era), I didn't think it would be difficult to reload for and it is a cool cartridge vs my 6.5CM.

 

[BrBa]

Go with Lapua brass. 6.5x55 is probably the least expensive case Lapua makes because it's so common over in Europe.

The other reason to go with Lapua is for the correct dimensions. American made brass has a slightly different rim diameter.

 

[Stearinlys]

Go with Lapua brass. 6.5x55 is probably the least expensive case Lapua makes because it's so common over in Europe.

The other reason to go with Lapua is for the correct dimensions. American made brass has a slightly different rim diameter.

Interesting, I was originally planning on going with Norma, would there be that much of a difference between them?

 

[Stearinlys]

i went with lapua brass for loading up good hunting ammo. when my pops finishes shooting up the sellier & bellot for practice, i'll reload that for plinking. don't recall having a hard time finding load data but it's been a bit...

Norma, Vihtavouri, and I think even Nosler have updated loads on their site. Again, I'm not as concerned about loading because I know about loads here in NA are loaded for the old rifles.

 

[dfschell]

I have both Norma and Lapua brass and recently received a new Encore barrel
26 in with 1:7 twist maybe get to try some of the longer offerings
Good luck

 

[BrBa]

My only experience with Norma brass was a box of Nosler factory loaded ammo. Norma makes their brass, or at least they did at the time. The primer pockets were all grossly undersized and had to be reamed out with a primer corrector tool. Took a fair amount of effort. The brass was also shorter than standard. None was a deal breaker, just annoying. All my Lapua brass has been stellar, and super consistent. It will last and last and last....

You'll want to get a decent case trimmer with this cartridge, just fyi. Trim down to 2.155" and it will go several firings until you have to trim again.

 

[Mtnmilsurp]

The trimming sucks. It’s a good reason to go [emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]]]].[emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]]]x[emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]]] AI. If/when I buy a lathe first project will be AI’ing my Swedes. And Lapua brass has been far better for me than federal or Winchester. Otherwise my best load data has been from the Vihtavuori app.

 

[Stearinlys]

The trimming sucks. It’s a good reason to go [emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]]]].[emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]]]x[emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]]] AI. If/when I buy a lathe first project will be AI’ing my Swedes. And Lapua brass has been far better for me than federal or Winchester. Otherwise my best load data has been from the Vihtavuori app.

Not sure what's going on there, hahaha.

That's interesting, I was looking at that too. Will that require custom loading tools? Obviously a custom reamer, hopefully the local gunsmith has it. Or would you just neck size it and send it?

 

[Elkhunter777]

Sent a pm.

 

[Southern Lights]

I own a few rifles in 6.5 Swede and have shot it for years. Typically:

140gr SST/ELD-M/Partitions
Lapua Brass
H4350/ADI2209
45.5gr (45-46)

Velocity is nearly identical for 6.5 Creedmoor in 22" barrel. So about 2700fps in most loads.

Like others said, just get Lapua brass and you won't have any regrets.

I use Rock Chucker and Redding match dies. I load to 6.5x55 COAL spec to avoid magazine/feeding issues.

I have been transitioning to lead-free and am looking into 110-120gr all copper but haven't gotten a load worked up yet. I'd expect they would be ~2900-3000fps with near same above.

 

[Ozarkansas]

your ability to hot rod the swede will depend somewhat on what rifle you get. The tikka, for example, is on a long action and has a very long throat. With spitzer bullets you have tons of room to seat them wayyyy out and get lots of powder space back. If you have a gun that lets you do this you probably won’t hit pressure signs until you’re several grains over book max, even for SKAN loads. Performance in that gun is more similar to 6.5x284 than 6.5 creedmoor, but you end up not being able to seat lighter/match bullets very close to the lands.

Other manufacturers might be more limited either in magazine length or throat, and not let you go beyond SAAMI spec COAL