6.5X52R ammo available

[CoyoteJoe]

I just received notice today that Midway USA has shipped the two boxes of Sellier & Bellot 6.5X52R ammo I had ordered a couple of months ago. I'll give a little report after I get to fire a few but for now I just thought I'd let you all know it is available again.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/82...oint-box-of-20

[CoyoteJoe]

As an update I've also received notice today that it is available here:
http://www.ableammo.com/

[CoyoteJoe]

As an update I've also received notice today that it is available here:
https://www.ableammo.com/catalog/-p-116451.html

[CoyoteJoe]

Sorry for the double post, I've tried to delete but somehow this site won't let me edit. Anyhow, I've also received notice from another source, http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...roductId/26781
I also obtained one box from Reeds ammo but at a higher cost both for the ammo and fro shipping making the one box from Reeds almost as costly as two boxes from Midway.
Of course there are times when to get what you need you have to pay a premium. Reeds also has 9x57, 9.3x57 9.5x57 and 7.5 Swiss revolver and 7.5 Nagant Revolver ammo.
http://shop.reedsammo.com/

[CoyoteJoe]

Sorry for the double post, I've tried to delete but somehow this site won't let me edit. Anyhow, I've also received notice from another source, http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...roductId/26781
I also obtained one box from Reeds ammo but at a higher cost both for the ammo and fro shipping making the one box from Reeds almost as costly as two boxes from Midway.
Of course there are times when to get what you need you have to pay a premium. Reeds also has 9x57, 9.3x57 9.5x57 and 7.5 Swiss revolver and 7.5 Nagant Revolver ammo.
http://shop.reedsammo.com/

[sharps4590]

Wow! Makes me glad I handload!!! Pretty cool they have some of the old Mauser and Mannlicher cartridges though. Lots of guys don't handload.

[CoyoteJoe]

I handload as well, in fact I seldom buy a factory load except for 9mm handguns which one can buy cheaper than one can load but you do need brass to start with.

[mike ford]

There was an article in this month's Guns & Ammo, about Hornady introducing 25-35 Win. ammo, loaded with a 110gr Flex Tip bullet at 2425 fps. This is possible with their LeverEvalution(?) powder, which is optimized for the particular cartridge. They have two different bullets, one of which contains no lead. This ammo should chamber in most 6.5x52Rs, and if I owned one, I would be pretty excited. Just a "heads up" to 6.5x52R owners.
Mike

[CoyoteJoe]

Yes, I got one box and fired one five shot group from my stalking rifle. They actually chronographed 2335 fps with an extreme spread of 37 fps from the 24" barrel of my Franz Kettner. The downrange retained velocity is very much better than the common round nose or flat point bullets, they carry slightly more energy at 200 yards than the Winchester round nose load at 100.
Sellier & Bellot 6.5X52R 117 grain flat point
Muzzle ...................... 100 yards ................ 200 yards ............. 300 yards
2208 fps/1276 ft.lb. 1856 fps/895 ft.lb. 1544 fps/620 ft.lb. 1287 fps/431 ft.lb.

Winchester 25/25 117 gr. round nose
Muzzle.......................100 yards...................200 yards................300 yards..............trajectory....100 yards....200 yards....300 yards
2230 fps/1292 ft.lb. 1866 fps/904 ft.lb. 1545 fps/602 ft.lb. 1282 fps/427 ft.lb..........................+3"............-3.5"

Hornady LeverEvolution 110 grain flex tip
Muzzle.......................100 yards..................200 yards...................300 yards...........Trajectory...100 yards......200 yard....300 yards
2425 fps/1436 ft.lb. 2181 fps/1162 ft.lb. 1925 fps/930 ft.lb. 1738 fps/738 ft.lb...........................+3.3"............. .0..............-5.1"

I was excited to get the S&B ammo with proper 6.5X52R headstamp. That will make it easier to keep loads for my 1897 vintage Winchester 25/35 separate from my 6.5mm loads for the Franz Kettner. By keeping them separate I can minimize resizing of the brass and thus improve both accuracy and case life as well as developing handloads best for each rifle. However, as soon as I can get my hands on some of the Hornady flex tip bullets I will be loading them in both rifles to take advantage of the improved ballistic coefficient in a bullet designed for the correct velocity range.

[CoyoteJoe]

As an update I did get to the range last week. The weather was less than ideal so I cut that session short and fired only one five shot group with the S&B factory load. S&B claims a muzzle velocity of 2208 fps but my chronograph showed an average of only 2023 fps with an extreme spread for 5 shots of 40 fps from a 24.3" barrel. Those five grouped in 2.6" at 100 yards from my Franz Kettner rifle. For comparison the only handload I had time to shoot was an 87 grain Speer psp over 32.0 grains of Hodgden CFE223 powder. That averaged 2585 fps and grouped in 1.9". Most of the handloads I have previously fired from that rifle grouped under 2 moa so I'm not real thrilled with the accuracy of the S&B loads but certainly it is adequate for a 100 yard deer rifle which is pretty much the limit of the cartridge anyway.