Reloading 6.5 Carcano Neck Sizing with Swiss dies

Melnic · Oct 28, 2020

Reloading 6.5 Carcano Neck Sizing with Sweed dies

EDIT< 6.5 SWEEDISH MAUSER Dies, not Swiss

OK,
I will be running out of 6.5 Carcano soon, and even Ammo seek shows it unobtanium.

Although I put a WTB add for Carcano dies, I'm wondering if its possible to neck size only a 6.5x52 Carcano using Sweed 6.5x55 sizing die.
Since the carcano is shorter, I should be able to offset the sweed die to neck size only.

Next is the bullet, I"ve seen published .264 (same as Sweed) and .268
the PPU bullet I pulled is .264 (not uncommon for PPU to load on the skinny side)

I have a bunch (200) of light 100gr .264 and also .264 142gr match(100). I'd prefer to keep the 142 for the Sweed cause I have an accurate load already for it.

My ONLY goal here is to be able to bang 12" steel at 100 yards so I'm not trying to win any national matches.

Thoughts?

j8064 · Oct 28, 2020

Don't know if a 6.5 Swede die would work. Worth a try. If all you plan to do is neck size IMO you'd be better off with a Hornady 6.5 die:
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1011096636

If you use .264 bullets I can almost guarantee your accuracy will suck. .268 is going to give you much better performance in a Carcano. 100 gr is pretty light as well. Original rounds were loaded with 162 gr RN bullets.

If you've never FL sized 6.5x52 cases do yourself a favor and pick up the correct RCBS shell holder and lube the bejesus out of the cases. The case rims can rip out of the S/H very easily - trust me on that... :innocent0

Good luck and let us know how the rounds work out.

:thumbsup:

lazarus · Oct 28, 2020

Not gonna lie, this is half of why I’ve decided to pass on all these Carcanos. Ammo is unobtanium right now. Proper sized bullets are non-existent too. And lastly no one even seems to have dies for them.

I didn’t want to buy something that was likely to sit in my safe for a year or two before I could even shoot it, or at best, maybe I could find someone and buy a box or two of Ammo just to try it.

ironhead7544 · Oct 29, 2020

Graf is showing some 139 gr Prvi Partizon bullets.

You could also try cast bullets.

Melnic · Oct 29, 2020

ironhead7544 said:
Graf is showing some 139 gr Prvi Partizon bullets.

You could also try cast bullets.

Good Catch! I did not drill through grafs as much as I should have.

Melnic · Oct 30, 2020

So, I put a 6.5 carcano fired case into a 6.5 Die. It neck sizes the first 5mm of 7mm length of neck
I think with a FCD, this should work until Carcano dies come available.

I ordered 139gr bullets from grafs

Melnic · Nov 10, 2020

success!

Slugged the Carcanos and ordered .268 bullets and some new cases.
One Carcano once fired does not chamber in the other so I have to keep them separated after firing.

The Sweedish Mauser Die will neck size more than enough and its a tad tight so even with the smaller neck resized , the neck tension holds it in just fine for range use.
I did not bother with a FCD for now.

The grouping for even my better Carcano is not very good but it was still a tad better @ 50 yards (2"). For the first time, I was hitting steel pretty consistant (aiming about 1.5ft low) at steel at 100 Yards.

I went with 29gr of H4895 .268" 139gr FMJ 2.905" OAL

Melnic · Aug 15, 2021

FYI
Lee has 6.5 carcano 2 die set available on their website now.

atblis · Sep 8, 2021

I think you could take a Lee collet neck die for 6.5x55 and and shorten the sleeve. Lee will also make custom mandrels IIRC. The collet neck does work very well and do not require case lube.

Reloading 6.5 Carcano Neck Sizing with Swiss dies

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