6.5 Carcano Bullets???

[Mr_Flintstone]

A very conservative coating of Eastwood Ford blue is .002. I can see .004 being very easy to do, but I don't know what that would look like. If your only trying to grow .002 or .003 you will have zero issues guaranteed. I don't have experience with coatings thicker than that so I won't speak on it..

Thanks. I wasn’t set on any particular method for “creating” correct diameter bullets, but this method seems to be the least expensive and least labor intensive. All I’ll really be out is for a sizing die, and the powder coat. From what I’ve seen, the Cool Whip bowl method should provide the appropriate increase in diameter, and I already have an old toaster oven that I can bake them in. I slugged my bore once and got .268”, but I may double check that before buying a sizing die.

 

[AJC1]

Thanks. I wasn’t set on any particular method for “creating” correct diameter bullets, but this method seems to be the least expensive and least labor intensive. All I’ll really be out is for a sizing die, and the powder coat. From what I’ve seen, the Cool Whip bowl method should provide the appropriate increase in diameter, and I already have an old toaster oven that I can bake them in. I slugged my bore once and got .268”, but I may double check that before buying a sizing die.

A cool whip bowl works fine. I use Costco containers with screw on lids because I do a bunch and the idea of the lid coming off means a mess I don't intend on dealing with. Any container with a recycling #1 will help generate the static buildup you need without other steps like adding plastic bbs.

 

[mstreddy]

Flintstone,
You asked which molds I have.
In 6.5 I have
Lyman 6.5 6.5 140 266469 - RN
NOE 6.5 269 163 269-163-RN-W6
NOE 6.5 270 151 270-151-RN-BB5

Tell you what, I think I'll get some casting done in the next couple of weeks. I'll cast some up out of each mold, and I'll send you some samples to try out. I'll toss in some of the Gardner's too.
I do have one of the NOE .268 sizing dies, so I'll run them through it.

- Eddy

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

Flintstone,
You asked which molds I have.
In 6.5 I have
Lyman 6.5 6.5 140 266469 - RN
NOE 6.5 269 163 269-163-RN-W6
NOE 6.5 270 151 270-151-RN-BB5

Tell you what, I think I'll get some casting done in the next couple of weeks. I'll cast some up out of each mold, and I'll send you some samples to try out. I'll toss in some of the Gardner's too.
I do have one of the NOE .268 sizing dies, so I'll run them through it.

- Eddy

Thanks. I appreciate that.

 

[Remington1911]

For the longest time I used these:


I have looked and looked and I can't find them anymore, not sure if they still make them.

When these came on the market I bought a "bag" and gave them a shot.


Hornady and PPU side by side:



In my limited testing I had good luck with the PPU bullets, and would call them on par with the hornady. The bore on my test rifle is the same as yours.

In shooting the factory PPU ammo I was lucky if I could hit 8.5x11. After the hand loads I was minute of softball at 100 yards, and I was happy with that, accurate enough to be fun.

I had the same feeling about the PPU bullet being the "wrong profile", but they did shoot well.

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

For the longest time I used these:
View attachment 1119212

I have looked and looked and I can't find them anymore, not sure if they still make them.

When these came on the market I bought a "bag" and gave them a shot.
View attachment 1119213

Hornady and PPU side by side:
View attachment 1119214
View attachment 1119215

In my limited testing I had good luck with the PPU bullets, and would call them on par with the hornady. The bore on my test rifle is the same as yours.

In shooting the factory PPU ammo I was lucky if I could hit 8.5x11. After the hand loads I was minute of softball at 100 yards, and I was happy with that, accurate enough to be fun.

I had the same feeling about the PPU bullet being the "wrong profile", but they did shoot well.

I have tried the PPU bullets. That's what I'm using right now, and like you, they are much better than the .264" bullets, but not exactly what I'd call accurate.

 

[AJC1]

I have tried the PPU bullets. That's what I'm using right now, and like you, they are much better than the .264" bullets, but not exactly what I'd call accurate.

Just out of curiosity what type of accuracy are you trying for and what are you getting. I don't know if I would expect sweed level performance, but at least paper plate at 100.

 

[Bob Meyer]

I have two carcanos, a rifle and a carbine. Both shoot fine with .264 bullets. I had two others that wouldn't shoot the normal diameter bullets, and they went down the road. Recently I brought a Lyman mold specifically made for carcanos, 268645. These bullets are supposed to be 250gr. I haven't cast with it yet. Come spring we'll see how it works out.

 

[Bob Meyer]

Make that 150. gr.

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

Just out of curiosity what type of accuracy are you trying for and what are you getting. I don't know if I would expect sweed level performance, but at least paper plate at 100.

With the .264” bullets, they would cover a paper plate at about 50 feet. The .267 would cover a paper plate at 50 yards.

 

[AJC1]

With the .264” bullets, they would cover a paper plate at about 50 feet. The .267 would cover a paper plate at 50 yards.

Paper plate at 100 is a minimum for me even as a pinker. Maybe cast about 1800 fps will do better

 

[Remington1911]

I have tried the PPU bullets. That's what I'm using right now, and like you, they are much better than the .264" bullets, but not exactly what I'd call accurate.

"Accurate" is something that means different things with different guns. I would say mine is an easy 3MOA rifle, sometimes a little better sometime a little worse. 3moa, was good enough to do its job at 200 yards.

 

[Remington1911]

Just out of curiosity what type of accuracy are you trying for and what are you getting. I don't know if I would expect sweed level performance, but at least paper plate at 100.

I have 4 different rifles/carbines One fairly nice one is right at 2moa all day long, the others 3 is about all I can expect. All of them will hit a sheet of typing paper at 100 with 6 rounds, and I am happy enough with that. I know what they can do.

To tell the truth my bench is set at 100 yards and that is where I shoot everything from, I am just far too lazy to bring the tractor down there, hook the table to the loader and move it around, so it just sits. Just this year I bought a portable shooting bench (mainly for rimfire), but it will be fun to see how things change at closer ranges.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

L-R
Italian military issue SMI 952
Gun Show handload (160gr, FMJ, 27 gr IMR 3031)
My handload, Norma case, Speer 140 gr JSP, 38 gr Triple 7 by weight, Win LR mag primer
My handload, Graf case, .268" Graf 160 gr JSP, 30 gr IMR 3031, Win LR primer

For ages, the only commercial ammo available was the Norma of Sweden, 160 gr with .264" bullets (common diameter for a lot of European 6.5mm cartridges).

Norma case necks are proportional to .264" bullets. I do not recommend loading .268" bullets in Norma cases.
Graf case necks are proportional to .268" bullets. I do not recommend loading .264" bullets in Graf cases.
My Carcano short rifle is a Model 38 made at Terni arsenal in 1940. I get about the same results whether I use .264" bullets or .268" bullets. My opinion, while many Carcanos do better with bullets larger than .264" not all Carcanos need the larger diameter bullets.


Last black powder match target I fired with the Speer .264" 140 gr bullet and Triple 7 BP sub, 38 gr weighed powder charge. Benchrest, 100 yds, 5 shots, 49 of possible 50 points.

The scope is a used no name shotgun scope I bought for $10 at a gun show. It cleaned up nicely. I used a Savage 340 side mount (offset to allow inserting an enblic clip from the top).