Had some fun with a trim little Swede

A rifle.... let's be clear.

So... been away from the forum for a while. No real reason...just life, busy, blah blah blah.

My father has a Model 70 Classic Featherweight in 6.5x55. He has struggled to get it to shoot well. He taught me to handload, although he's never gone quite as deep into it as you all have led me by reading here and talking to a few of you.

So...

I finally said, "Give me that 6.5....I'll sort it out."

Some 140gr Ballistic Tips, Norma brass, RL26 later....combined with a mandrel expander....and I have it producing groups at 1.05-1.07 inches at 100 yards with speeds in the 2830fps range and zero pressure symptoms. He's a happy camper.

Next project...my 15 yr old daughter who's been left-eye dominant and shoots a lefty M70 has recently discovered she's now right eye dominant. And she's right handed. Sooooo....she's gotta hang in there with her lefty M70 for the early youth doe season in about 10 days, but then after that, I guess I gotta sort something out for her with a right handed rifle. It never ends, lol.

Hope you've all been doing well!

The 6.5 Swede is my all time favorite round!
If one doesn't group, there's something wrong with the rifle.

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He was adamant to use 4064. Accuracy was ok but he couldn’t find any real speed before hitting serious pressure.

7828 was a bit better.

RL26 gave it the gas.

I was really looking forward to reading this thread Tom and wondered why it wasn't in other topics.

But alas we are just talking about another rifle lol

Tom, she will love the caliber and it will serve her well. It is one of my absolute favorite calibers.

Just curious Tom. I know she has been a hunter since a very young age, but was curious whether or not her younger sisters have shown an interest in hunting ?

Glad to see you posting again Tom.
RL26 is always good for more gas since it's a high energy powder but I would give up 100fps for .50" or less accuracy using a different powder.
Maybe you can train your daughter to be ambidextrous and solve the right left problem.>)

2830 fps = nice!
What is your load? And primer?
Have some 130 and 140 gr AccuBonds to try in my Sako 6.5x55.
Love this cartridge! I have more triggertime with it than any other centerfire cartridge, and this is my 4th 6.5x55. Finally got the lefty I have always wanted!

Is your daughter's lefty a 6.5x55 too?
Very interesting that her eye dominance has changed, as I had always read that this only occurred due to eye disease or injury (hope this was not the case in her instance).

Interesting fact is that women tend to be left eye dominant more that men. Eye dominance is not related to being right or left handed. I have also found that native peoples also tend to be more left eye dominant than caucasion people. (through training and setting people up in archery)

50.6gr RL26, Fed 210 primer, Norma brass, 140gr NBT....22" barrel. That's for my old man's rifle. He'll be hunting that load and that rifle this year.

Megan's rifle is a backwards oriented 7mmWSM. I load it with H4895 and a 140 NPT to about 2650 and it shoots about 1.1-1.2" at 100 yards and she handles it just fine.

When she was about 8, I noticed her twisting and contorting to shoot, and complaining it was awkward.

Did eye dominance tests several times over several days. Each came back left eye dominant.

Moved her to shooting lefty and she came alive. Easier to shoot and a lot of talent.

Just this past week I noticed similar stuff again, and tested her. Right eye dominant. Repeatedly.

She's had no injuries. Her left eye has perfect vision, her right eye needs a mild corrective lens, believe it or not.

I'm cross dominant, but the reverse of what Megan had been. She's right handed and was left eye dominant for a bit.

I'm left-handed and right eye dominant. I can shoot right and left handed, I just have to close my right eye to shoot left handed. She's basically the same now....she can shoot right or left handed, just needs to shut an eye to do it left handed. I shoot right handed to follow my eye dominance, but I'm equally capable of shooting right or left handed.

Fine cartridge and glad the young lady is doing so well. You did good work on the load. I am right handed and left eye dominant. Handguns sight naturally but I get eye strain with long strings of rifle shooting. I used to shoot shotguns with both eyes open so can't nail that down. The change is interesting. I had never heard of that. Mike

Thanks for the load info; will have to try that.

Interesting change in eye dominance, for sure. Glad it wasn't anything worse.

Both my wife Susan and I are cross dominant as well; right handed and left eyed domianant.
Definitely makes shooting life more interesting.

Years ago I worked hard to learn to shoot right handed and with closing my left eye, obtain my sight picture with open sights andthen maintain the right eyefocuswhen I re-opened my left eye.
Never know when you'll get something in your eye, or be in a situation where you need to change hands to shoot because of some obstacle or obstruction. Easy enough to get a branch in the eye as you make your way through the bush while hunting. Thought it best to be prepared.
Did come in handy the day I was charged by a black bear at work, and shot him with my Marlin 375 Win, and then as he turned to run away, I had to step past the corner of the gasplant building, switch hands and shoot him again right handed as he was going away. He only made it another ten yards, and I finished him off with a coup de gras shot right handed. Didn't really need to do last shot as he was wobbling hard, but don't like to see any animal suffer more than necessary just to save a cartridge.

I like to say that since right handers are left brain and left handers are right brain, that those of us those of us that are cross dominant use both sides of our brains! LOL

Tom,

Good to see your post and to learn that Megan is still shooting. The Swede is a sweet cartridge to be sure. Like April, I wondered what was going on, and then I read your post. It wasn't quite as exciting as my fevered imagination had led me to believe.

My 15 yr old daughter doesn't shoot, but has had pretty dramatic changes in eyesight. From 9 or 10 till now, she's gone from needing reading glasses, to not needing glasses at all, to now needing a slight correction to see at distance. The eye Dr. said that young women can go through eye sight changes earlier than young men and her changes in vision did not concern him at all, as everything else in her eyes were healthy. I'm guessing that's just part of it for your daughter. Sounds like a good excuse to buy a new gun though. Have a good hunting season.

It actually occurred to me this morning—

I have a 1949-vintage pre64 m70 in 30-06. It was worked on a bit. It’s a shooter, not a collector.

Before I got it, it had a LimbSaver installed.

I have it shooting quite well at 2700fps for a 165gr Partition. Recoil is quite manageable given the weight of the rifle and the pad.

I think I’ll have her shoot it and see what she thinks.... might be an easy solution for this season.

Tom some 125gr AB would be wicked on deer with a reduced load and shouldn't recoil any harder then the 7mmwsm.

I honestly think she’ll be ok with the existing load.

She’s at 2650 for a 140PT now in her 7wsm.

A 165 at 2700 will be a pretty modest increase in recoil. I’ve shot this ‘06 and that load a fair bit. It’s reliably MOA to 300 and is easy on the shoulder.

I have her use a PAST pad at the range. I think this will work....

I used to have a featherweight 6.5 Swede, and like a total fool I let my brother talk me out of it. I remember having a tough time getting it to shoot several bullets, but it shot the old hornady 140 sp extremely well. One of the best feeling rifles I ever owned, and wish I had it back.


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That P64 M70 sounds great, hope she likes it. I bet that old Winchester is a smooth cycling rifle if it's a well used shooter. Always good to have "extras" in the safe and you can't go wrong with an '06.