6.5 WSM Getting Started Questions

[Chappy6mm]

I just bought a new project. It is a Rem 700 action with a XX Premium Air Gauged Douglas barrel with a brake chambered in 6.5 WSM. This unit is UNFIRED
I am fairly new to wildcats other than the 6-284 Ive recently been playing with.
In the 6-284 I just ran my 6.5-284 brass thru a new set of Hornady 6-284 dies I purchased online. That was EASY
With this 6.5 WSM I have some dies that came with the gun and some 270 WSM Brass
Dies are:
Redding Type S Bushing Style 270 WSM with a .293 bushing
Forster Bench Rest Seater That has 260 REM on the box marked out and someone wrote 6.5 WSM on the box.

Do I just run the brass thru the Redding Die and I am done?
Are these 2 dies all I need?
How do I know for sure the Seater is going to work?
Like I said I am new to the wildcat game but fairly knowledgeable when it comes to reloading and making everything precise.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Ark. Trapper]

I just bought a new project. It is a Rem 700 action with a XX Premium Air Gauged Douglas barrel with a brake chambered in 6.5 WSM. This unit is UNFIRED
I am fairly new to wildcats other than the 6-284 Ive recently been playing with.
In the 6-284 I just ran my 6.5-284 brass thru a new set of Hornady 6-284 dies I purchased online. That was EASY
With this 6.5 WSM I have some dies that came with the gun and some 270 WSM Brass
Dies are:
Redding Type S Bushing Style 270 WSM with a .293 bushing
Forster Bench Rest Seater That has 260 REM on the box marked out and someone wrote 6.5 WSM on the box.

Do I just run the brass thru the Redding Die and I am done?
Are these 2 dies all I need?
How do I know for sure the Seater is going to work?
Like I said I am new to the wildcat game but fairly knowledgeable when it comes to reloading and making everything precise.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

The 270 WSM bushing neck die will work fine with the correct bushing and .264 expander ball. I'm guessing that the seating die you have started life as a 260 seater and whoever chambered the rifle also ran the reamer into the die to make it a 6.5WSM. It will be easy to check the seating die once you neck size a piece of brass. Just slide it into the seater die by hand and see how far it goes. If it stops with over about 3/8" of the case sticking out it's probably still a 260 die and most likely wont work. Lee sells a full length die set for that caliber for around $40, and you will eventually need a full length die anyway so I'd just buy a set and be done with it. The 6.5 WSM is a **** good round too. I've got 2 friends that have rifles chambered for it. One shoots 140 AMAX's at 3250fps and the other guy shoots 130's of some sort at 3350fps. Both are 3/4MOA rifles out to 600. Those were also the first loads they tried so I'm sure both would do better with a little tinkering.

 

[Outlaw6.0]

Is your sizing die a neck die or a FL die? With the proper bushing, it will work just fine. Your seating die very well may have been re-chambered, you'll have to verify though. Yes, just run'er through the die just as you do with your 6-284.

I'm dern happy with my 6.5WSM (& my 6-284). You picked two of the more potent wildcats IMHO.

Keep that barrel cool! If you need any help, PM me & i'll do my best.



t

 

[MontanaRifleman]

If your die is the FL Die, it is the same one I have and it and the .293 bushing should work just fine. If you're using unturned brass, i would recommend the .294 bushing but the .293 will work fine. I'm using the Hornady 264 WM seater to seat the bullets. Total runout with seated bullets is running about .0005-.0015, not too bad. The Forster die should be at least as good as the Hornady and probably better. To check to see if it's the right die, take a sized case and try to insert the neck into the seating plug. If it fits snugly, then it should be the correct die.

On runout... if you don't have a runout gauge, get one. or else you wont know what you're doing right or wrong. You can have the best custom dies and end up with terrible runout if you don't use them properly and the only way you'll know if you're using them properly will be with a runout gauge.

If your Type S sizer is the FL die, then those are the only 2 you will need. If it's the Neck only die, then you will need a body.... or better yet, just the the FL die and sell the Neck die.

The 160 Matrix (if you have a 8" twist) and RL33 will make a great combo.