Compact Firearms and Cartridges of Pedigree Part II

Been here before. Just finished prepping 6.5x55mm brass, which included removing the protective oil from a set of Redding match grade dies and the use of kerosene, die sealer, Kroil, and case lube. I smell like a gasoline refinery on a dead air day and the legends on my keyboard’s keycaps are dissolving. Fortunately there is coffee in reach and my wife is cooking a roast. Bet I get sent to the showers before being seated for dinner.

They call me the Wanderer, the Wanderer…

A few weeks ago I retired my RCBS vibratory cleaner. It was ten years old, worked like a champ, but I grew tired of looking at it… so the band broke up. I replaced it with a nondescript Lyman vibratory cleaner, mostly because it was a different color and because it came with Lyman corn cob cleaning media, the only media that appears to have an affinity for finding and bonding with flash holes.

Fortunately, my standard sequence for reloading is universal die decap, case clean, full length size with decap pin in place, case trim, prime, charge, bullet seat and crimp if required. The primer pockets are cleaned, the flash holes are verified clear, and cases are trimmed to proper length after the expander ball has stretched the case 0.003″ – 0.006″ on extraction.

Whacking moles and making holes…

The subject CZ is not made for long range shooting or for target work, for that matter, even if it is an accurate firearm. The barrel is too short to maximize velocity, which effects trajectory and resistance to wind drift. Still, that doesn’t preclude the rifle from being pressed into 100 yard and 200 yard range days with a hundred rounds of carefully assembled handloads on the bench.

Seven bullets were selected for this project; four fit well into hunting applications, three are match bullets that could easily be pressed into service hunting thin skinned game, although there are better choices for the application. The preference is for flat based bullets rather than boat tail. The boat tail is of no consequence inside 300 yards and at well over super sonic velocities, the long tapering ogive provides a high but nonessential BC and they tend to seat deeply and consume powder capacity.

The 30-06 Springfield length action and magazine box of the CZ 550 permit a maximum overall cartridge length of 3.300″. The SAAMI spec for the 6.5x55mm cartridge calls out an overall length between 3.025″ to 3.150″. Each of the bullets selected was gauge checked in the rifle for maximum cartridge overall length; clearing the magazine and clearing rifling. Each maximum length was then adjusted to meet a criteria of a seating depth no less than one caliber, or seated to a bullet cannelure, or seated to assure rifling clearance.

All of the handloads provided in Part III are based up the indicated cartridge overall length and specific bullets shown below. Altering either would alter performance and peak pressure, possibly creating a dangerous condition. 160+ grain bullets were set aside for the reasons detailed in the final Part III.