Help with 6.5

[mike33]

Have a 260 rem. model 7. Love the way it drops deer in there tracks. Currently shooting 100 gr. nos bt 3k fps, not bad out of a 18 1/2" barrel. looking to build a 6.5 to gain more vel. what would be reccomended? Would like to stay with a 22" barrel if possible but could go to 24 if need to be.
Mike

 

[silvertip-co]

The longer the barrel the heavier it will be to carry, unless you're building a LRH rifle. I was never a 18" barrel fan but the do kill game effectively, and scientifically theres very little noticeable difference between an 18" barrel and a 22" barrel(velocity wise). May I suggest the 22" barrel for your sheep rifle to keep the weight down. A Hart or Lilja ought to work fine and give you excellent accuracy. And good luck, let us know how it works out. I think the 260 Rem, the 6.5-284 Norma, and the 284 Win are finally achieving the success they so richly deserve as short action LRH ctgs, we just need to get the factories to put out some rifles for us in them 3 cals to keep the costs down.

 

[mike33]

Thanks silvertip, yes i played with the 25's for years 250 classics opened up to improved cut barrel to 20" with no vel lost. Now i picked up this 260 3 years ago that wouldnt shoot. Factory ammo was actually 3" group at 100 yards. So i started playing: trigger, bedding, and of course handloading. I wanted to prove i could get the gun to shoot 1" and 3000 fps with nosler 100 gr. bt. I reached my goal with it and sometimes have to let the barrel cool a little on third shot to keep the group. I actually got 3/4" couple times but have a consistant 1" overall. My load is 50 gr. win. 760. I have killed 4 deer in md. and pa. and they didn't move out of there tracks. I am very happy with the 6.5 but would like to see 33-3400 if possible with the 100 gr. bullet for long range hunting practices. I still would like to stay at 22" if i need 24" i have 2 - 257whby's to choose from. I am very impressed with the 6.5, should i stay with the 10 twist.
Mike

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

You love thouse fast little pills hugh. I am having my 260 built as wee speek. I went with the 1-8 twist 28" BRUX beacuse I am planing to shoot the 140g bullets. I can only guess what my veloicty will be at maybe 2900 if im lucky I guess.

I would like to see your rifle if you can post up some pic's

I think you would be OK with a 1-10 twist if you are only going to shoot the 100g bullets I chose the 1-8 so that it wouls stabalize a broder range of bullet weights.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

I just finished a 264-300 wsm with a 24" barrel and it is a one hole rifle with the 140 bergers at .640 bc. It is 7 pounds scoped out and recoil is negligible. It comes within a 100 fps of my 264 win mag in a light, short action. I shot it a bit this week and it was very impressive out to 600 yards.

 

[mike33]

You love thouse fast little pills hugh. I am having my 260 built as wee speek. I went with the 1-8 twist 28" BRUX beacuse I am planing to shoot the 140g bullets. I can only guess what my veloicty will be at maybe 2900 if im lucky I guess.

I would like to see your rifle if you can post up some pic's

I think you would be OK with a 1-10 twist if you are only going to shoot the 100g bullets I chose the 1-8 so that it wouls stabalize a broder range of bullet weights.

I will post a pic later but it is just a rerular Rem. model 7. Yes i like velocity, i agree with Roy Weatherby's theroy that vel. kills. Im not a large bullet fan. I actually killed a 900 lb. buffalo with this gun. I shot it 3 times but 2 would of worked. I killed my nicest buck ever this year with my 223 50 gr. bullet 1 shot. Now the reason for that was i fell and thought i might of knocked scope off on 260 so i broke out my back up gun. ( would include pic but don't know how to )
mike

 

[jimmy10pt]

I just got a 6.5 284 Norma from Savage. I had them put the 6.5 set up with the f t/r package instead of the f class (different stock basically). Am currently waiting to get my buddies chrono back cuz he shot the faceplate w his .22 but judging by my drops i'm gettin 140gr a maxes between 3k and 3100 fps w 51.9 grs of h4831 sc. I would guess with a 26 or 28 in. barell you could be rockin some 100grs around 3300fps. ur barell life may shrink some from cookin those little pills out that fast but they will be lazer beams. have fun!gun)

 

[mike33]

I know about the barrel burner loads but here is my theroy on a hunting rifle. Lets say we have the ultimate gun built giving the high numbers but a 700 round barrel life. We start by fireforming 60 case and do barrel break in as we go. Then it takes us 60 rounds to find best load. = 120 so far. For the next 25 years we take 5 shots to sight in for hunting season, now were going to be at 245 rounds. That is going to allow us to shoot at 455 deer, elk, sheep, or what have you. I'll take a barrel burner and shoot the hot pills any day.
mike

 

[hammertyme]

It really depends how much gain you wish in Velocity. The barrel you have can be re-chambered to 6.5 X 06 for a couple hundred more feet per second. You will have a single shot though.

Pretty much limited to the Short mag or 284 case and again the short mag will take some alteration to fit and be used as a repeater. SO clean and simple 6.5 X 284.

Neal

 

[mike33]

Yes im favoring the 284, strong case. I was just looking for others with it using the 100 gr. bt in a 22" barrel to see how much vel they was getting. Most items i read guys was using heavier bullets and 28 + " barrel length. Also wondering if anyone uses the 6.5 for elk.
mike

 

[J E Custom]

The longer the barrel the heavier it will be to carry, unless you're building a LRH rifle. I was never a 18" barrel fan but the do kill game effectively, and scientifically theres very little noticeable difference between an 18" barrel and a 22" barrel(velocity wise). May I suggest the 22" barrel for your sheep rifle to keep the weight down. A Hart or Lilja ought to work fine and give you excellent accuracy. And good luck, let us know how it works out. I think the 260 Rem, the 6.5-284 Norma, and the 284 Win are finally achieving the success they so richly deserve as short action LRH ctgs, we just need to get the factories to put out some rifles for us in them 3 cals to keep the costs down.

The 22" barrel should pick up between 100 and 200 ft/sec over the 18".

The 308 based cases seem to top out arround 20 to 22" of barrel, longer doesent
get you much ( You reach the point of diminishing returns ) unless your shooting
heavy bullets.

A 20 0r 22" # 5 contour Lilja will fit the stock with very little work and add maby 1/2
of a pound to the model 7 and it will be a lot stiffer ( More accurate ).

I have a 7/08 mod 7 in a 20" lilja and it pushes the 120 gr blistic tip 3150 , normal hunting
load is 3010 ft/sec with the 120gr blist,tip. When it had a 18.5" barrel velocity with the
same hunting load was just over 2800 ft/sec. so placing a custom 20" barrel improved
velocity buy 200 ft/sec.

Just my 2 cents
J E CUSTOM

 

[RockyMtnMT]

My 12yr old son shot his 1st elk this year w/ his 6.5-06 at 375yrds. Loaded w/ 130g Sciroccos at 2950fps. Shot through the heavy shoulder bone going in, took out the front of the lungs, and broke the shoulder bone on the off side. Found the bullet in the meat when we butchered. Bullet retained 82% of it's weight. Needless to say I was very impressed, this was a great big old cow, they don't get any bigger.

Perhaps tomorrow I will try and post the trip and pics again and see if I can get it to work on a different thread.

Good luck w/ your 6.5

Steve

 

[CapDog]

I shoot a .260AI out of a 24" barrel and can push 140gr SST's and 142gr MK's to 2875fps. 130gr Bergers hit 2980fps with no pressure signs. I wouldn't hesitate to use this rifle on elk and moose.

 

[zuba]

I've got a specialty pistol with a 18" barrel in 6.5x284 and am very pleased. Using the 140 amax and 140 berger it has killed antelope at 490, 375 250 and 220 yards, all died without taking another step. I've killed a few whitetails here in Wisconsin and am very pleased with closer performance too. As long as you put the bullet in the right place it seems to do the trick.