SELLIER & BELLOT Ammo ?

[.45colt]

Hello All. I Picked up a 6.5x55 this summer. can pick up this ammo for $20.00 a box. Anybody ever shoot it or reload S&B cases.? I know we get what we pay for...... Thanks, Jim.

[Old Ironsights]

Never tried to reload (lots of S&B is Berdan), but unlike CCI-Blaser, S&B has always gone "bang" on first pin-strike.

[rond]

I've reloaded a lot of pistol brass but not rifle.

[J Miller]

When S&B first came on the market I bought some in .303 British. It shot well and was boxer primed. But the primer pockets were shallow and made reloading the brass a PITA.
What it's like now I don't know as I've not bought any in 20+ years.


Joe

[2ndovc]

I've shot and reloaded quite a bit of S&B in .303, 7.62x54 and some others including the 6.5x55. Haven't had any problems but they do tend to split at the 2nd or 3rd reload. Light target/ cast loads I've used for the 7.62 Russian have lasted much longer for obvious reasons. Always seems to be accurate stuff.

Have fun with the 6.5!

jb

[gamekeeper]

I have used their centrefire rifle and shotgun ammo, no complaints with either...

[Merle]

I have shot a fair amount of their vintage military calibers with good results.
Never reloaded any, but I hear that Prvi Partizan is sturdier and reloads better/longer.

[AJMD429]

Excellent ammo (I've used 357 Mag, 44 Mag, 303 British, 22 Hornet, 12 gauge shot and slugs), but I've not reloaded any brass yet. Seems well made, but from what was posted earlier, might benefit from annealing if you have the time/knowledge/equipment/patience (I don't).

[Blaine]

I think I got a box of .44mag a long time ago because it was cheap, and I was broke. I can't recall it being bad stuff, but it seemed to leave a lot of dirt, and unburned powder behind. This was a long time ago.

[Pete44ru]

.

Over a decade ago, I bought (new) & used S&B ammo both in my 7x57R Sauer Drilling and in my commercial 6.5x54 Mannlicher M-1903 Carbine, w/o any issues.


.

[MrMurphy]

I've shot S&B extensively.

12 gauge
9mm Para
.45 ACP
.357 Magnum
7x57mm
8mm
7.62X39mm (lots)
.303 British
5.56mm

Various others. Across a 15 year period. Rarely had an issue with any of it aside from one box of .357 that kept sticking in the cylinders after being fired. You'll be fine.

[.45colt]

Thanks For all the Info Guys. .

[Carlsen Highway]

I have shot a lot of S&B in many cartridges, because its cheap and because I found it universally to be quite accurate, and also higher velocity than American ammo. For hunting, the bullets in my opinion are harder than others, but not excessively so, and I would use them without thinking twice.

I have reloaded them in many cartridges also, from .22 Hornet, .222, .243, 6.5x55, 7x57, .308, .270, .30/06, 8x57 and probably others I havn't remembered...

My impression is that the brass may be harder than others, some chamberings it can be hard to resize, (like .270), but that might be my dies. I have not had a split case or head separation...but then I dont reload cases ten times or more like some do. I just hunt mostly so I dont shoot as much as other people at the range, so I am not reloading the same brass multiple times.

One negative thing I have noticed is that S&B brass can have the primer pockets a little off-centre in some cartridges, (but not others) so go easy on your resizing or you might break a decapping pin, if it bottoms out cold and hard, then ease up and have a look...or you may find that seating primers is not happening without glitching - and this is for the same reason. This is not in all cartridges. I cant remember if it was 6.5x55 or not, I think it definately was 7x57. Also, in .22 Hornet the flashholes are too small for some decapping pins to go through. (Like Hornady)

I would use Sellier and Bellot brass before I would use Federal, put it that way. Use it happily, anneal it if your going to size it a lot, and keep on eye on your decapping.

Another thing, while you mentioned the 6.5x55 - some 6.5x55 brass is a different case head size than others, and wont go in the normal shellholders properly. This was a surprise to me when I first started to reload it. I think the US made 6.5x55 brass is actually the same size case head as .30/06 / .270 / 7x57 etc. Whereas the shellholders you buy are actually for the European size. Anyway the S&B brass should fit alright.

[.45colt]

Thanks CH, pretty much seals the deal . I'm going to order a bunch.

[marlinman93]

Had issues with S&B .22RF ammo years ago. A fair number of bullets stuck in the bore when the tips blew out. They were a hollow base bullet, and some flaw caused the hollow to be too deep and fail at the tip. When pressure released the bullet simply stopped. Fortunately it was in my target pistol, so it didn't cycle the next round, or I'd have bulged a barrel.