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Years ago - early 1990's I suspect, I had a 29" M96, 1912 Swede that had been "sporterized", ie: stock cut off. I shortened the barrel to 26" & re-chambered it to 6.5x68S - just because I could.
I still have all the data on that rifle in one of my 3-ring loading note binders.
I kept the loads lighter than my buddy was loading & one day we went out looking for something to shoot. Mid afternoon, Keith stopped the truck as in the middle of the round, about 200yards way, was a snowshoe hare. I got out, chambered a round (129gr. Hornady Sp at 3,100fps) leaned on the door jam and aimed at the bunny. Just as I was taking up the slack, another hopped out onto the road and stopped immediately behind the first. I said to Keith "2 for one" - how far do ya figure"? he said "not a chance - maybe 200". I barely had to move a few inches to line them up and "POW/SPAT"! 2 for one. We walked down and both got 200yards to the first one, another 20 to the second one. Through the scope they looked like they were almost touching.

The bullet went through just under the shoulders of the first - surprisingly didn't blow up, - 2" hole though which just about cut it in half, just the same, but maybe not enough resistance in ribs and lungs to blow the bullet, hit the ground just about exactly 1/2 way between them then sprayed the second hare with stones and bullet fragments - looked like he'd caught a load of BB shot. About 1/2 the bullet also went through his shoulders, just a rectangular hole. He had little stones stuck in his muscles, head to haunches.

We had a good chuckle about that bunny's "time" being up.

That was my most memorable British Columbia 6.5mm shot for this child. I wrote it up and posted it with a picture on the staff notice board at the jail, to let their kids know I'd shot Peter and his accomplice. LOL 'Some' of the staff thought it was funny, others not so much. The stew tasted just fine.

The 96 action was not long enough to eject a loaded round, so the bolt had to be withdrawn slightly to get a round out of the chamber, but it would eject a fired case.

This chambering blew up 120 gr.Speer and 140gr. Speer bullets alike. The 129 HOrnady's surprised me by staying together and shooting just barely under an inch.

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Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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