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Old July 22, 2001, 07:36 PM   #1
Dogger
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Charles Newton's 256 Newton 3000fps recipe... anyone know it?

Read an interesting article recently about the velocity race at the beginning of the 20th century. The 250-3000 Savage pushing an 87 grain bullet hit the magical 3000 fps. Then Charles Newton bested it with a 256 Newton (6.5mm) load that pushed 3100 fps with a bullet that weighed somewhere around 123 grains. Supposedly this is the load that embarassed/pushed Winchester to develop the mighty 270 Winchester and the original 130 grain /3160 fps loading... Winchester came out on top of the velocity race and stayed there a long time...

Anyway, does anyone have a modern rendition of this original Charles Newton load? What rifle/ cartridge combination do you duplicate it in? Thanks!!
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Old July 23, 2001, 08:57 AM   #2
WIL TERRY
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256 NEWTON DATA

THIS IS ALL IN PHIL SHARPES' BOOK ON SAME.
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Old July 23, 2001, 03:29 PM   #3
Paul B.
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Dogger. According to Phil Sharpe's COMPLETE GUIDE TO HANDLOADING,circa 1937, the 3100 FPS load was with a 100 gr. WTCW bullet with 45.0 gr. of #17 1/2 powder. The 123 gr. bullet's highest velocity was 2765 FPS with #18 powder.
I don't remember which powders replaced these. can't help you there.
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Old July 23, 2001, 08:44 PM   #4
Gewehr98
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.256 Newton was a close cousin...

to the current 6.5-06. If I remember correctly, Charles Newton used the .30-06 as the parent cartridge. I'd recommend a beginning (light)load for the 6.5-06, with perhaps the 107gr Sierra MatchKing to keep pressures down.

Did you manage to find an original Buffalo Newton? I'm SOOOO jealous! I passed up a nice example a few years ago, and am still kicking myself for it.

Ever since then, I've done a bunch of work with my 6.5-06 Interdiction Rifle, but I load 120gr Nosler Ballistic Tips, in reformed RWS 7x64 Brenneke brass, on top of a compressed charge of H-4831SC, for 3210 fps.
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Old July 25, 2001, 04:19 PM   #5
Bee
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Don't use the 6.5-06 loads since the case is alot shorter and will hold less powder, also don't use the loads that are in the old P.O. Ackley books I tried one 3 grains less and the primer fell out and hit my foot when I opened the bolt My Quick LOad program says that 52.7 Gr of Reloader 22 will get you 2999 fps with a Nozler 120gr BT but it is a warm load
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Old July 28, 2001, 02:45 PM   #6
Dogger
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Thanks for the replies. No, I haven't found an original Buffalo Newton. I wish!! I hope to acquire a 6.5-06 and duplicate Newton's original load.
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Old November 27, 2004, 01:13 PM   #7
bisonland
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.256 Newton Modern Load:

Hi All: I have a 1st model .256 Newton Rifle. I use: 57 gr. H4831 SC with the
129 gr. bullet & get 3126 fps over the chronograph.
My Newton Rifle has the original .256 Newton Barrel...it was found in
a collector's stuff & had never been mounted on a rifle...had the
Newton Markings...no cuts for iron sights...and no index mark for the
receiver...bore was new, never shot through. Thats the barrel on my
.256 Newton...a Newton/Pope Barrel never shot through until I got it.
Nice find! In the Book "The Handloaders Manual of Cartridge
Conversions" by John Donnelly...a listing of the .256 Newton gives
57 gr. 4831 with a 140 gr. bullet for 2890 fps attributed to Barnes.
A word...each rifle is an individual..so my load may not be optimum for
another in the same loading...but its fine for me & accurate.
Also, in regard to other info...I find the easiest is to form .256 Newton
from .25-06 parent brass...run it thru the sizing die, trim & fire form.
While, .30-06 & .270 brass can be used...you run into the problem of
brass thickening in the case necks...but with the .25-06, you are not
sizing down to .264 but sizing up a bit so don't have this problem.
Best Regards, Tom
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Old November 27, 2004, 05:21 PM   #8
bisonland
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.256 Newton Loads

In answer to a former post...the old 17 &1/2 Dupont Powder was replaced by
3031...however remember that slow powders that would work best in the .256
Newton weren't developed yet...I wrote in a previous reply what powder I use
to get the Newton factory velocity...easily!
A lot of the older cartridges...one in particular...the .30 Newton does great with modern slow buring powders...the cartridges were great designs..so far
ahead of their time that just recently are the correct slow burning powders catching up!

Best Regards, Tom
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Old December 5, 2004, 07:30 PM   #9
GlennH
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OK, I checked. Once fired cases filled to the neck with tamped down H 110(it was handy)....The 30-06 holds 69 grains and the 256 Newton holds 65 grains. It is a little shorter but has straighter sides. And if you have an original Newton you have that interrupted screw bolt, chrome vanadium steel on your side.
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Old December 6, 2004, 10:41 AM   #10
Leftoverdj
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Pre-WWII velocity claims included a large dose of imagination. The very few chronographs existing were in the hands of the factories and there was no way for the handloader or shooter to get access.

Ken Waters did his usual superlative workup on the .256 Newton and you can find the article and the data in the current edition of Pet Loads. I have the data page on .pdf and will send it to anyone who gives me an email address to send it to.

The data reads to me more like a hot 6.5x55 than a 6.5-06. Were I loading for a .256 Newton, I would be tempted to use top 6.5x55 loads as starting data for the .256. (Usual cautions apply. What I would do might not be what you would do, and you're on your own if you try it.)
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Old February 6, 2009, 12:27 AM   #11
Voyageur
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I ran across this and thought it might be of some value for the archives.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 256 Newton.jpg (177.2 KB, 325 views)
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Old December 29, 2010, 07:55 AM   #12
Newton Arms Company
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Newton reloading data

Hello everyone. The information on the previous post came from our website!
If you need any information on the .256, .30, .35, or .40 Newton, visit www.NewtonArmsCompany.com It is an online publication/article with pictures, notes, historical information, load data and everything. It is a non profit information site only, nothing is for sale. There is step by step .256 Newton case forming information available at www.SuncoastGunClub.com also.
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