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Thanks for noticing!

My little brother has had my Swede and my load book for it, and I haven't seen it in four or five years. Your load sounds about like my "pet" for that caliber, if not even a tad faster!

While we're talking about my pet peeves, I'd just as soon have muzzle energies banned from publication. Taylor pointed out that it's inappropriate to use that measure in larger calibers, and I think it's almost as wrong in the small bores. I'm not averse to velocity: I also have 6.5x68 (basically an old German equal of the 264 WinMag), but it's a certainty that your Swede's 140/2630 will outperform the big banger with a 105/3350 combination in almost all circumstances. The sectional density of the bullet seems to get short shrift, and few people seem to use the concept of point blank range to zero their scopes. It's making a point the hard way to use speed to make up for thought and practice.

I agree.

The cartridge that I load the most is the 300 Weatherby Magnum. I use 80.5 grains of H4831 powder to push a 180 grain spitzer bullet. This is on the low side of the recommended loading data for that bullet weight and powder type. However, it is still plenty fast and plenty powerful and will get the job done.

For 45 ACP loads, I look for the absolute lowest powder/velocity possible. All I want to do with a 45 auto is simply punch holes in paper. If I wanted to use the thing for protection, I would reach for a box of factory loads...not reloads.

I love my high velocity rifles, including all the Weatherby Magnums, but I see no reason to push the limits. A 50 grain bullet traveling at 3,600 fps from a 220 Swift is plenty of speed. I have no need to crank it up to 4,000 fps. In fact, I have heard that some bullets will actually explode in midair, from the heat and friction of traveling at too high of a velocity.

Well, Jim, you have a significant advantage over most other shooters in that you are using one of the best rifle calibers ever developed!

My personal peeve is the "bigger is better" mentality exhibited by so many fellow hunters these days. You know, the guys who just have to have shoulder-bruising "Magnums" when all they hunt are little whitetails, because they have bought into the fallacy that their father's .30-06 just does not cut it anymore.

Faster is better. Bigger is better. It's the same delusion that hunting ability or manliness or whatever can be attained by purchasing a "better" caliber or making the caliber you have faster than anyone else. It's the same disorder that causes some neanderthals to lift their trucks four feet off the ground.

Your 6.5x55 Mauser on the average develops 2525fps at the muzzle with just under 2000ft/lbs energy. Few of us ever shoot a game farther than 300 yards. At 300 yards your rifle still has 1996fps and 1230ft/lbs remaining enough to take games as big as antelope with a correctly placed shot.

In fact even as far as 500 yards you still have 1685fps & 882ft/lbs enough to take a whitetail deer if you can aim that far. Aim high 58"(imagine a girl standing on deer's back) aim for the poor girl's head and you'll hit the deer at 500 yards.

Now back to your question, What is the point of higher speed?

A higher speed will carry the bullet straighter, farther and produce more energy.

If your rifle, with the same 140 grain bullet, produced 3100fps(like a 270win) then it would have produced 2987ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle, still had 2180fps & 1477ft/lbs remaining at 500 yards and would have dropped only 35" instead of 57" so then you could have aimed at the girl's butt and hit the deer :) not that any hunter would hunt that far. We can always sneak within 200 yards or less of animals before they feel threatened. I just saw a pack of 40 antelopes within 40 yards of the road in Arizona.

Everybody wants the fastest car,Computer,gun etc.Some people just think they can improve on things.The highest velocity loads seldom are the most accurate.And in some guns barrel life can suffer. If you were to look at the ballistic difference between a hot loaded round and one operating within the normal range there just isn't much difference.

Years ago when I was reloading a 300wtby I did the same thing at first, but found that accuracy went down with the hot loads,so eventually I had to lower the velocity down into win mag speeds.Then I could drive tacks with it !

faster loads = less bullet drop

I do 2 kinds of shooting with my 8mm Mauser

factory loads just over 2700fps for hunting

and 3100fps for 1000 yard target competition shooting

I am not velocity crazy!

I shoot 22-250 WSDSMT

Winchester Super Duper Short Magnum Turbo

Muzzle velocity is 5456fps and I load my own ammo to plus or minus one grain of plutonium powder. My hand loads penetrate titanium armor and cost me $177.50 per load

I can group 15 rounds in a inside of a quarter at 300 yards in gail force winds.