The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Alpha1 wrote:
If its a dud Ill bin it. The rifles monetary value is of no consequence and I would never sell it on.

I wish I had a spare slot. I'd take it off your hands - it intrigues me.

It intrigues me to and frustrates the hell out of me as well.

This might be a statement from the Ministry For The Bleeding Obvious.......but is the chamber spotlessly clean?, as in scrubbed clean and smooth?

Although if you put "6.5x55 tight chamber" into Google it seems like quite a common problem

SORTED
The gunpimp was spot on its nothing to do with cartridge over all length. Its about fitting the brass to the chamber. I completely stripped the rifle into all its basic parts cleaned everything measured everything. reassembled it except for the stock I left that off so I could work on it better. I bought new lapua brass. Hornady a max bullets. I all ready have a couple of other makes of bullets.
I used a cartridge headspace bushing a overall length thingy and a set of redding dies. I used a single station Lyman press and the Wamadet. The cases now fit the bolt closes with a gentle resistance on the bolt knob. I started of with several cases that would not chamber at all and the bolt was a pig to get open. When I finished with them the bolt closed on them and a gentle squeeze closed the bolt. I haven't seated any bullets yet or checked bullets for over all length but Im confident I have cracked it.
Thanks to ovenpaa for his help and advice and offering to look at the gun for me. Thanks to the gunpimp for putting me on the right track.
I think one of the problems was a lifetime of shooting and reloading for military rifles the most exotic gun I have ever owned previous to this one is my Steyr SSG 69. This one is as tight as a Nuns chuff. A completely new ball game. I'm looking forward to getting it on the range now.

Happy Days!

Glad you got it sorted Alpha1.

Well done

Excellent stuff :)

Now all that's left to do is re-assemble the rifle, load up some ammo and get some rounds downrange!

That was the plan but I just checked I don't have a suitable powder I have used all my N160. I will have to see if I can get some locally or may be one of the ramshot powders they tend to be a bit cheaper.