How do you guys feel about the viability of the 6.5-270wsm as a long range hunting round? Is it going to pack a bigger punch than the 6.5-284 Norma? What kind of success has been had with the 6.5-270wsm so far? Do you like the caliber?
6.5-270wsm???
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Tikkamike
Well-Known Member
Tikka Lover on here has one he calls the 6.5WTF he seems to love it
MontanaRifleman
Well-Known Member
The 6.5 WSM has about 10 gr more powder capacity than the 6.5-284, so it it will definitely pack a bigger punch. I am pushing 140 gr bullets close to 3400 FPS in a 27" nitrided barrel with RL33. The down side is it will have shorter barrel life than the 6.5-284... but you have to pay to play. I'm hoping to see a lot longer barrel life with the nitrided barrel.
Fiftydriver
Official LRH Sponsor
I have built a lot of them over the years. All have shot very well, no fireforming needed, no neck turning needed if you have your reamer set up properly.
All have been very easy to set up loads for and have shot very well.
Many will tell you its the full equal to the 264 Win Mag. That is not what I have found for the most part in my testing. That said, I have never used RL33 with the 6.5 WSM and from what I am seeing with that powder in my 300 AX and 338 AX, I can fully believe the results Mark is getting. Seems to add a good amount of performance to standard loads.
My best loads were in the 3100-3200 fps range with 140 gr SMK in the one personal 6.5mm WSM I owned with a 26" barrel length. Again, that was using H-1000 and with RL33, I suspect the numbers would be close to what Mark is seeing, at least over 3300 fps but I have no actual data to support that.
In my test results, actual performance falls much closer to the 6.5-06 AI then the 264 Win Mag with conventional powders. Still, not bad at all!!!
If your looking for a big game rifle and not a high volume shooting rifle, you could do much worse then a 6.5mm WSM especially if you wanted to play with a wildcat that was really easy to work with. Good all around chambering and to be honest, I was amazed that Winchester did not come out with this one with all the good 6.5mm bullets we have on the market today. When they came out with the 325 WSM, I almost passed out when I saw they decided to go with that one over the 6.5mm WSM or 338 WSM.
Good little wildcat to work with and legit 1K reach with best loads on medium big game.
All have been very easy to set up loads for and have shot very well.
Many will tell you its the full equal to the 264 Win Mag. That is not what I have found for the most part in my testing. That said, I have never used RL33 with the 6.5 WSM and from what I am seeing with that powder in my 300 AX and 338 AX, I can fully believe the results Mark is getting. Seems to add a good amount of performance to standard loads.
My best loads were in the 3100-3200 fps range with 140 gr SMK in the one personal 6.5mm WSM I owned with a 26" barrel length. Again, that was using H-1000 and with RL33, I suspect the numbers would be close to what Mark is seeing, at least over 3300 fps but I have no actual data to support that.
In my test results, actual performance falls much closer to the 6.5-06 AI then the 264 Win Mag with conventional powders. Still, not bad at all!!!
If your looking for a big game rifle and not a high volume shooting rifle, you could do much worse then a 6.5mm WSM especially if you wanted to play with a wildcat that was really easy to work with. Good all around chambering and to be honest, I was amazed that Winchester did not come out with this one with all the good 6.5mm bullets we have on the market today. When they came out with the 325 WSM, I almost passed out when I saw they decided to go with that one over the 6.5mm WSM or 338 WSM.
Good little wildcat to work with and legit 1K reach with best loads on medium big game.
Outlaw6.0
Well-Known Member
My 6.5 WSM is based on the Norma 270wsm case, Personally I love the cartridge. The one caveat being, with the high BC long range bullets in the 6.5mm line-up, the COAL can be of concern.
I rock mine in a single shot setup just to avoid consuming powder space due to seating the relatively LONG 6.5 boolets deep into the powder column to achieve a COAL that will function from a SA magazine.
It can still be done though, with the usage of a Wyatt's extended box mag or similar.
I'm been experimenting with the Matrix 160VLD in mine as of late with a healthy dose of VV-N570, I've been able to get the 160's to 3100fps so far with zero pressure signs. My hopes are that 3150-3200-ish before she pressures out, time will tell.
My go to load right now is a 130grn CEB @ 3400fps. 1/3moa stupid, reliable accurate just as Kirby pointed out. I've been floored at how this cartridge digests pretty much anything you stuff into it... tiny groups are the norm. I recall ladder testing (for pressure mostly) when I started playing with the 160's... 3 rounds with a powder charge variation of 1.2 grains went into ~1" @ 415yds... That's pretty dern hard to beat in my book.
t
I rock mine in a single shot setup just to avoid consuming powder space due to seating the relatively LONG 6.5 boolets deep into the powder column to achieve a COAL that will function from a SA magazine.
It can still be done though, with the usage of a Wyatt's extended box mag or similar.
I'm been experimenting with the Matrix 160VLD in mine as of late with a healthy dose of VV-N570, I've been able to get the 160's to 3100fps so far with zero pressure signs. My hopes are that 3150-3200-ish before she pressures out, time will tell.
My go to load right now is a 130grn CEB @ 3400fps. 1/3moa stupid, reliable accurate just as Kirby pointed out. I've been floored at how this cartridge digests pretty much anything you stuff into it... tiny groups are the norm. I recall ladder testing (for pressure mostly) when I started playing with the 160's... 3 rounds with a powder charge variation of 1.2 grains went into ~1" @ 415yds... That's pretty dern hard to beat in my book.
t
Fiftydriver
Official LRH Sponsor
Your right on with the COAL. With a standard short action, you can run into some pretty long lengths or deep seating to keep within the limits of the mag box. Of the rifles I have built for customers, about 70% were build on single shot sendero type rifle platforms, the other 30% or so were sporter rifles and in every case I used the 3.000" extended mag box from wyatts which work very well.
Seekins used to offer a longer WSM DM system but they tell me they are dropping that item from their production list due to low sales.
You guys are certainly getting higher velocity then I have been but that may well be the barrels also. Lilja 6.5mm barrels, which are what I have mostly used on the 6.5mm WSM, are very tight bored and certainly run on the lower end of the velocity average.
Again, if someone wants a high performance medium big game rifle or wants to start playing with high performance wildcats, this is a very hard one to beat. Very user friendly in just about every way.
The only area that can cause SOME issues is in feeding but if you get a factory receiver already set up for the WSM chamberings, or go with a custom receiver designed for these rounds, its not really a problem. If you take a standard receiver such as a Rem 700 short action with standard bolt face, it can be a bit tricky at times to get them to feed really well but it can be done. Best to start with a receiver designed for them and you will have MUCH fewer problems.
That said, a single shot has never given me any feeding problems!!! And for long range hunting, I have NEVER felt I was lacking with a quality single shot rifle.
Outlaw6.0
Well-Known Member
3.000 should be doable, the CEB's are seated to 3.100 IIRC & the 160's just shorter I believe. I was SUPER disappointed with Seekins for discontinuing the WSM DM, that was just the ticket for cartridges like the 6.5WSM....
Keep in mind that my Obermeyer is ~30"
That could help the velocity factor a bit.t
MontanaRifleman
Well-Known Member
I used the same reamer print as Outlaw which has a 157 throat. It was originally for the 130 CEB's and a little on the short side for longer lead core bullets. Since then I've decided to try the 140 Berger Hunting VLD and have to seat them deep into the case. My Coal is 2.910 which puts me about .010 off the lands. It will fit into a short action but I have the standard Vanguard action so if I had to do it again I would use a longer throat. Anyone want to buy a reamer?
So I seated the 140's over 74 gr of RL33 (worked up to it of course) which is a compressed load and it showed about 3375 fps in the 27" nitirded barrel with no sign of pressure. I've load up some with 74.5 gr of RL33 which fills half the neck and is a very compressed load seating those bullets way down. On my way out shortly to see how they shoot... a bit windy here today
So I seated the 140's over 74 gr of RL33 (worked up to it of course) which is a compressed load and it showed about 3375 fps in the 27" nitirded barrel with no sign of pressure. I've load up some with 74.5 gr of RL33 which fills half the neck and is a very compressed load seating those bullets way down. On my way out shortly to see how they shoot... a bit windy here today
Fiftydriver
Official LRH Sponsor
3.000 should be doable, the CEB's are seated to 3.100 IIRC & the 160's just shorter I believe. I was SUPER disappointed with Seekins for discontinuing the WSM DM, that was just the ticket for cartridges like the 6.5WSM....
Keep in mind that my Obermeyer is ~30"
t
Ya, that barrel length certainly does not hurt in the velocity department!!!
Fiftydriver
Official LRH Sponsor
Seekins just made the DM system. Probably the best all around receiver I have ever used for building a repeating version of a WSM rifle is the Borden Alpine Magnum short action receiver built with the mag window for the Wyatts 3.000" extended mag box. This receiver is a short action designed specifically for the WSM to feed properly and they work very well.
MontanaRifleman
Well-Known Member
3.000 should be doable, the CEB's are seated to 3.100 IIRC & the 160's just shorter I believe. I was SUPER disappointed with Seekins for discontinuing the WSM DM, that was just the ticket for cartridges like the 6.5WSM....
Keep in mind that my Obermeyer is ~30"
t
That is very impressive accuracy with those 160's. I need to order some. Your COAL is close to 3.100? That surprises me considering mine is 2.910 with 140 VLD's. How long is the bearing surface and nose of the 160's? I think they would be perfect in the 6.5 WSM over RL33.
Outlaw6.0
Well-Known Member
Yes, IIRC the 130's are right at 3.100"... I'll have to measure the 160's when I get home. I think RL-33 will do the 160's justice.
Kirby- Thanks for the info on the Borden Alpine, I learned something today
t
bigngreen
Well-Known Member
Isn't the Defiance XM action specifically built for the WSM, bottom metal for it accommodates a 3.2 COAL.
I've got a bunch of loads loaded for my little 6.5 SS with 160's and R33
I've got a bunch of loads loaded for my little 6.5 SS with 160's and R33
