Finally!!!....completed my 6.5-25 WSSM

Congrats!!! Very nice looking rig. Hope it shoots really great.
I really liked the muzzle break, awesome!!!gun)
Have fun, and keep us posted.
 
once again..thanks to all replies..




I've been contemplating a 6.5 for my next rifle. This is looking pretty nice.

Question: Maybe I missed it but why are you not using .243WSSM brass? Is it because the .223WSSM brass has thicker necks?


My original action was a 25 WSSM....so I did not contemplate a .243WSSM.

If you do this project.....contact Dave at Pacific Tool & Gauge.....he made the 6.5-25WSSM reamer for me....also...PM me if you want the contact info for my gun smith.


yes.....I hate breaking in barrels...

fire one....clean...fire one....clean...fire one....clean...fire one....clean...fire one....clean...fire one....clean...fire one....clean...fire one....clean...fire one....clean...fire one....clean...


fire three....clean...fire three....clean...fire three....clean...fire three....clean...fire three....clean...fire three....clean...fire three....clean...fire three....clean...fire three....clean...fire three....clean...


this is my first "custom" hand-lapped barrel.....talk about SMOOTH as a Baby's butt...


anyways.....if you are in Ohio...you know that the wind has been kicking around 15 - 20 mph with gusts up to 25 mph last Saturday morning...

Distance = 100 yards

this target was (40) rounds of Hornady 95 gr. V-MAX's strictly for fire-forming cases...I made an elevation correction after the 1st (6) and proceeded to put the next (34) through that BIG HOLE!!

Average velocity = 3,511 fps for (40) shots

65trg1.jpg
 
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Sorry to dredge up an old thread.

but im looking at making a 6.5-25wssm and wanted to find out some information as its rather scarce on the net.

Any idea's on Barrel life shooting Reasonable velocities (3000 fps or so with 140 grainers) or faster with a lighter bullet. haven't got a load or anything yet so im relying on others knowledge..

thanks for any help you provide :)
 
I use 47.4IMR 4350 w/139Lapuas, and in 28" barrel this provides 3025fps.
I calculate accurate barrel life with this load at ~1800 with 1min/shot.
I recently swapped a barrel at a shot count of 743, and I measured .006" of leade movement on it.
This is better barrel life than would be seen with a 6.5-284, but this cartridge could not possibly match 6.5-284 potential. Any implication to the contrary is flawed.

I think the 6.5WSSM represents the perfect capacity for 26cal.
Winchester's reloading 25wssm brass is very very good.

Two things to consider though:
1. WSM brass is the parent of WSSM brass. They just formed it down.
This makes it extremely thick, because WSM body thickness becomes WSSM neck thickness(~20thou). So don't even consider the WSSM for any accurate use without a plan to turn the necks. And turning necks so thick is not easy.
2. The WSSM is at magnum cartridge diameter, so you need a magnum action.
This ensures enough barrel steel around the chamber, allowing proper extraction with typical to stiff loads. The WSM/WSSM actions generally use larger diameter barrel threading.

The 6.5WSSM would be matched with a 260AI. But good 260 brass? Does it exist?
A 6.5-284 could be formed down just as the WSM was, to match the WSSM capacity. But Winchester has already done that for us.
 
I use 47.4IMR 4350 w/139Lapuas, and in 28" barrel this provides 3025fps.
I calculate accurate barrel life with this load at ~1800 with 1min/shot.
I recently swapped a barrel at a shot count of 743, and I measured .006" of leade movement on it.
This is better barrel life than would be seen with a 6.5-284, but this cartridge could not possibly match 6.5-284 potential. Any implication to the contrary is flawed.

I think the 6.5WSSM represents the perfect capacity for 26cal.
Winchester's reloading 25wssm brass is very very good.

Two things to consider though:
1. WSM brass is the parent of WSSM brass. They just formed it down.
This makes it extremely thick, because WSM body thickness becomes WSSM neck thickness(~20thou). So don't even consider the WSSM for any accurate use without a plan to turn the necks. And turning necks so thick is not easy.
2. The WSSM is at magnum cartridge diameter, so you need a magnum action.
This ensures enough barrel steel around the chamber, allowing proper extraction with typical to stiff loads. The WSM/WSSM actions generally use larger diameter barrel threading.

The 6.5WSSM would be matched with a 260AI. But good 260 brass? Does it exist?
A 6.5-284 could be formed down just as the WSM was, to match the WSSM capacity. But Winchester has already done that for us.

its going to be built on a Savage Target action (the barrel is currently 6.5 x 284 il be setting it back 2" and running in a reamer for 6.5 wssm. not terrably worried about super accurate right now. if it shows the potential i think it will il start thinking of neck turning etc. more a coyote, groundhog, general target.

thanks for the load recomendation. it gives me somewhere to start.
 
Make sure the barrel you remove/action uses Savage's largest(1.125") threading.
Savage FAQ


Its their Standard Action. not the Small action for .223 or 204. there is More than enough meat in both the bbl and receiver to hold up to a short mag. its in 6.5 x 284 right now. will be using the same bbl. just setting it back 2 inches to get rid of most of the chamber. its a straight bull 1" bbl from stem to stern so it will be more than ok for my purposes.
 
Its their Standard Action. not the Small action for .223 or 204. there is More than enough meat in both the bbl and receiver to hold up to a short mag. its in 6.5 x 284 right now. will be using the same bbl. just setting it back 2 inches to get rid of most of the chamber. its a straight bull 1" bbl from stem to stern so it will be more than ok for my purposes.

The 223 does not have a different action, only a different bolt head. There are 2 different thread diameters that Savage uses on it's barrels. A large shank and a small shank, they are not dependent on caliber. You have a target action which is a large shank.

Either way it doesn't matter to you, unless you decide to buy a new barrel, then you need a large shank...
 
if i buy a new bbl id be buying a total blank and doing the work myself (im a gunsmith in canada) not a big problem to toss the bbl in the lathe and do the threading myself. i also need to make a diff barrel bolt so i can take it off easyer than using the $50 tool from brownells.
 
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