Someone talk to me about 6.5 cartridges that fit…

[mitdr774]

I make my 6.5-06 brass out of Sig .270 and my 6mm-06 brass from Starline .270. Both cases are a pass through a sizing die to neck down and then a trim to length. They both do take a slight fire forming, but I have not experienced any performance concerns between first firing and already fired brass in either rifle. I do not own a .270 so its easy to differentiate the brass for the two cartridges.

My 6.5-06 is pushing a 129gr InterLock to 3150 fps. This is a warm load in my rifle though. If I recall correctly I was pushing 140gr InterLock and 142gr ABLR around 3000-3050 fps, and the 150gr ABLR at something like 2850 fps. Personally I like the 129gr IL due to how it shoots and how it behaves. I have used the 129 at velocities ranging from 2250-3150 and it has worked. The 2250 was using book loads in a 6.5x55 that were supposed to be doing about 2500 and it was about a 60yd shot on a mature whitetail. The 3150 was my hot load in the 6.5-06 on a pronghorn at 406yd (supposedly about 2330 fps at that range). Both were one and done. I should probably work on a load for the 140gr InterLock for that one, or possibly the 130gr CX.

[Wambli Ska]

Those are great numbers. This idea is really starting to grow on me.

[Varmintmist]

6.5x55SE; 28" bbl; Rem700 LA; 142gr SMK over N165; 15 shot string 2921fps avg; SD @14.5; verified 24 MOA drop at 1k w/200 zero. Hanging right next to 6.5 284's and 6mms.
Lapua makes lots of brass because its the 06 of Scandinavian countries.
If you are making it to "reach out" you will be hand loading anyway so thats a non issue.

1kA.jpg (213.23 KiB) Viewed 3491 times

[mitdr774]

The -06 still has more displacement than the 6.5x55 and can push a little harder. I should have added earlier that I have a 26" barrel on my 6.5-06. A 22" or 24" would work, but I feel that the shorter barrel length would be better suited with a 6.5x55 than a 6.5-06. I feel you give up too much by cutting it down 2-4".

Now I want to get back to playing with my 6.5x55 M98.

[Varmintmist]

One other thing.
I was going to go with the 6.5 06, but for what I wanted to use it for the barrel wear was not worth the gain. So use is a big factor in the decision. A fun hunting gun, doesnt matter. Something you are going to shoot a lot, erosion matters.

[mitdr774]

That is a mild concern, but with some due care its not that big of an issue. I did do some barrel damage early on with my 6.5-06 by shooting it more like a 6.5 CM or 6.5x55, but I have not noticed any further damage after taking more time at the range. The 6mm-06 has a stainless barrel to hopefully mitigate some of the issue, but I dont shoot that one to quickly. One of my .243s needs a new barrel. I dont know if I should blame the previous owner or myself, but its cooked inside. Probably be hard pressed to cook the barrel of a 6.5x55 if you load within specs.

[Jay]

Ditch the old mid length action and go with a modern short action that pushes 6.5 to 2950 fps..

I happen to have two FN actions that are begging for a classic rifle combo. I’ll probably do your idea too in the future but I think this project set is next in queue.

I was just messing around. I get it. The 6.5 PRC, despite how it was marketed, isn’t going to do in a hunting rifle what I’m doing with it. I’m running a 26” barrel. Mine was built for a purpose. And is very much not classic.

It’s all fun.

[Bigslug]

The notion that has come and go in my head over the years has been a 6.5x57, possibly in a .30-06-length action, possibly with the A.I. treatment to blow out the shoulder and body taper to increase case capacity. Got boring and decided .30-06 solves more of my problems.

[Diver43]

The notion that has come and go in my head over the years has been a 6.5x57, possibly in a .30-06-length action, possibly with the A.I. treatment to blow out the shoulder and body taper to increase case capacity. Got boring and decided .30-06 solves more of my problems.

Well it has worked for 124 years now.

[Wambli Ska]

Ditch the old mid length action and go with a modern short action that pushes 6.5 to 2950 fps..

I happen to have two FN actions that are begging for a classic rifle combo. I’ll probably do your idea too in the future but I think this project set is next in queue.

I was just messing around. I get it. The 6.5 PRC, despite how it was marketed, isn’t going to do in a hunting rifle what I’m doing with it. I’m running a 26” barrel. Mine was built for a purpose. And is very much not classic.

It’s all fun.

I know! I'm falling in love with the concept of chassis guns and the incredible accuracy potential and stable platform advantages that we've gained with modern tech. At some point I'll be here asking the same questions about building one of those. But as I go through the list of "projects" and find more stuff that I'm unpacking in preparation for the next and hopefully last move for a while, I remembered that this is a goal I had a while back and had been in the back burner for a while. I want a set of "matching" Mausers, one in a get-out-there cartridge for medium game and a civilized stomper for up close and personal. These are not going to be "pretty guns" or collectibles. Just honest mid 1950s style working guns in nice blue with wood stocks. Unpretentious, but old school stylish, if that makes sense.

[Wambli Ska]

The notion that has come and go in my head over the years has been a 6.5x57, possibly in a .30-06-length action, possibly with the A.I. treatment to blow out the shoulder and body taper to increase case capacity. Got boring and decided .30-06 solves more of my problems.

Life is simpler when I just have one problem to solve. That problem is: "I want this?". I gave up in trying to really justify anything gun related a long time ago...

And I already have 5 30-06 rifles (that I can remember) and I can't recall the last time I shot any of them. It has never been my favorite round though I understand that it is the "Jack Of All Trades" chambering and pretty much the only gun most hunters would need. But that takes all the fun out of variety out of the equation for me.

[Wambli Ska]

One other thing.
I was going to go with the 6.5 06, but for what I wanted to use it for the barrel wear was not worth the gain. So use is a big factor in the decision. A fun hunting gun, doesnt matter. Something you are going to shoot a lot, erosion matters.

The are impressive numbers for sure. Yep, erosion plays no significant part in this equation. The way I look at it my son won't go through all the ammo I'll make for this gun. This fall is dedicated to finding a house, as of next year every year will be about planning a hunt somewhere and having my own place to hunt and shoot again.

[Varmintmist]

The are impressive numbers for sure. Yep, erosion plays no significant part in this equation. The way I look at it my son won't go through all the ammo I'll make for this gun. This fall is dedicated to finding a house, as of next year every year will be about planning a hunt somewhere and having my own place to hunt and shoot again.

OK, so not favoring one way or the other....
Its going to be a reloading endeavor, so thats not a thing.

Define "out there" 200-400? 400-600? Is the extra speed going to matter? If you push distance wind matters a lot more than drop. Elevation is easy, windage is witchcraft and heavy for cal bullets with sectional density work better.

What critters? Across the board? Then the lighter might not be for you.
Carrying long distance? Then light might not be for you.
Twist rate?? 9-8-7.5-7?

If you feel the need for speed, then stop screwing around and go with a 6.5 Gibbs.

If you are shooting medium game at 400 yards or less, its a matter of whatever you want. There is no practical difference. The deer wont complain if you kill it 200fps slower than you could have if you went with the faster.

One thing I find fun with the SE is that a lot of people in the US only know the Swedish Mauser loading if they know it at all. Practically, the 284 doesnt out run it enough to matter. Now some 6mms...........

[Wambli Ska]

The are impressive numbers for sure. Yep, erosion plays no significant part in this equation. The way I look at it my son won't go through all the ammo I'll make for this gun. This fall is dedicated to finding a house, as of next year every year will be about planning a hunt somewhere and having my own place to hunt and shoot again.

OK, so not favoring one way or the other....
Its going to be a reloading endeavor, so thats not a thing.

Define "out there" 200-400? 400-600? Is the extra speed going to matter? If you push distance wind matters a lot more than drop. Elevation is easy, windage is witchcraft and heavy for cal bullets with sectional density work better.

What critters? Across the board? Then the lighter might not be for you.
Carrying long distance? Then light might not be for you.
Twist rate?? 9-8-7.5-7?

If you feel the need for speed, then stop screwing around and go with a 6.5 Gibbs.

If you are shooting medium game at 400 yards or less, its a matter of whatever you want. There is no practical difference. The deer wont complain if you kill it 200fps slower than you could have if you went with the faster.

One thing I find fun with the SE is that a lot of people in the US only know the Swedish Mauser loading if they know it at all. Practically, the 284 doesnt out run it enough to matter. Now some 6mms...........

Out there, I'd like t get really comfortable with the rifle/chambering combo out to 500+ yards because I doubt I'll ever take a shot at game at much past 300-400 MAYBE max. So for many folks here that's not much of challenge shooting wise, for me it's a stretch since I grew up hunting in the 75-200 yard club all my adult life, and I'm still becoming comfortable with shooting the longer distances. To 300 yards I don't break a sweat but anyone can do that.

I do have a 6.5 Gibbs, and I even have a few hundred cases properly headtstamped. From what I've read forming brass is a PIA and I still have not ordered the custom dies I need for it since, well, I keep forgetting I own the damn thing. It is a beautiful custom, I have to decide what it's place in my life is after I get around to really playing with it. It was a purchase of opportunity without much thought except, hey, I really like this gun.

[Bigslug]

I guess where my interest in the 6.5 failed was when I kept reading about folks chasing high velocities. . .and they weren't getting them.

My 24" 700 .30-06 that strangely came from the factory with a long throat that allowed me to seat to match the long magazine is throwing 168 grainers at 2975 fps. My 22" .30-06 Ruger Hawkeye - granted, it's a bit off the reservation - is throwing 150's at 3060. My .308 Ruger Scout is chucking 130's at 3,000.

The 6.5's generally seem to be working a lot harder to achieve those speeds with lighter bullets from the same parent cases or similar. OK. . .maybe there's a higher B.C. at play to compensate for the lower throw weight, but the trajectory and wind drift comparisons largely seemed like splitting hairs, and when splitting hairs, I kept coming down on the side of the logistics of plentiful brass.

Where the 6.5's WOULD interest me is in the area that almost no one seems interested in these days: lightweight, low recoil stalking rifles that punch above their weight class due to the higher sectional density of their projectiles. Forget about trying to reach into the next zip code - just give me a six pound carbine with a mid-power variable scope that swings like a good skeet shotgun, can punch through a moose, and do it with recoil that any 12-year-old can handle.

I couldn't bring myself to cut up a clean one, but an already sporterized and scoped 6.5x50 Arisaka Type 38 or 6.5x55 Swede 94 carbine would be just about perfect. Maybe start with a rotted bore 98 and build a light one on that. It worked for Bell and his 7x57 - - sorry, .275 Rigby.

[Wambli Ska]

May I introduce you to my Kimber Hunter chambered in 6.6 Creed?

[Bigslug]

May I introduce you to my Kimber Hunter chambered in 6.6 Creed?

Yeah. . .I'd probably still stick with one of those late 1800's/early 1900's military rounds just in the name of:

1. Same ballistics.

2. Saying "WHAT-EV-ER!" in the face of the latest flavor of the week.

[mitdr774]

Keep in mind that the smaller bore will make it harder to throw the same weight bullet at the same velocity. The way its always been explained to me for comparing bullets of different diameters is that you need to look at things like SD and BC to compare velocities. A 129gr InterLock in .264 (.445 BC, .264 SD) has a similar BC and SD to a 180gr InterLock in .308 (425 BC, .271 SD). My 6.5-06 (26" barrel) is pushing the 129gr to 3150 fps. My .30-06 is not going to push a 180gr that fast. My R700 .30-06 (24" barrel) is about maxed out pushing a 150gr to 3100 fps.

6.5-06 with a 129gr at 3150 at 406 yards worked just as well as a .30-06 with a 150gr at 3100 at 250 yards on pronghorn. I have no reason to doubt that the .30-06 would have been just at 406 yards. It would have probably just needed a bit more hold over.

[Zee]

I’m pushing a 140gr out of my 6.5-06 at .264 WM velocity.

[mitdr774]

If we are talking Hodgdon published data, .264 WM 140gr velocities are very doable in a 6.5-06 if you are willing to trust software and your components. Mine is fairly happy pushing a 140-142gr at 3000-3050 fps. I just didn't like the trajectory chart compared to the 129gr and that's why I went with the 129gr.

[Varmintmist]

I guess where my interest in the 6.5 failed was when I kept reading about folks chasing high velocities. . .and they weren't getting them.

The MV with the 6.5 isnt why the 6.5 is interesting. The sectional density of the bullet of the bullet carries better down range, meaning it will stay stable and supersonic farther out than most in a reasonable package.

[Varmintmist]

Out there, I'd like t get really comfortable with the rifle/chambering combo out to 500+ yards because I doubt I'll ever take a shot at game at much past 300-400 MAYBE max. So for many folks here that's not much of challenge shooting wise, for me it's a stretch since I grew up hunting in the 75-200 yard club all my adult life, and I'm still becoming comfortable with shooting the longer distances. To 300 yards I don't break a sweat but anyone can do that.

Ok, so nothing you listed wont do that wont do that well. If you are going to play in wind, again, I would hang with 139-140-142gr bullets. Stick a heavier bbl on it in a decent stock. I think you will find that the real difference going out to a mid range 500 ish is more with wind, and if it isnt all that fooky, the 6.5 will still behave.

Once you get it built, put a sling on it and look for a mid range competition. You will find out how it shoots at 600.

[Varmintmist]

Buddy of mine has a 6.5x55 Shielen comp bbl 1:9.5. Bought from Midway, had installed by the guy by the guy who built mine. Cloverleafs at 100 with 123 gr SST in a hunting rifle.

[mitdr774]

Not sure I would want to use the 123 SST at 6.5x55 velocities. The 129 SST comes apart at those velocities and it is supposed to be tougher than the 123 SST. My main complaint about the SST line is that while they shoot great, they come apart to early and easily on game. 1:9.5 twist seems a bit slow for a 6.5x55, but probably okay if sticking to 129gr or less if i had to guess.

[CPJ 2.0]

Only thing I’d use an SST on would be varmints. Killed a lot of deer with the 7mm 139 out of my 7-08, but everyone grenaded inside. Never had an exit, even at 250 yards. Fine for the perfect shot, but leaves too much room for error if the deer doesn’t place itself in the desired posistion.