8x56,

Dugaboy has set you straight. I shoot 9,3x74r a lot in four different guns, and shoot a pre war Merkel o/u as one of them. I had trouble taming the Merkel a bit. I was using IMR 4064 in it...worked great in my Valmets and Tikka...but not for sour owl droppings in the Merkel. I use mostly Woodleigh 286 softs and solids...I've had my best luck with them, but the Nosler 286 shoots right with the Woodleighs.

I went to IMR 4350 in the Merkel and have a brand new gun in that Merkel. It was just a matter of finding the right ingredients.

For the record...AND I DON'T ADVOCATE USING ANY DATA QUOTED...I got it to shoot with 64.5 gr with Woodleigh softs and 62 gr with solids. I worked up to these loads SLOWLY...checking velocity and signs of pressure. The somewhat hotter loads were the ones that shot together. I wish it had worked out to be the somewhat milder loads.