The 6.5's

[436]

I'm very much a 6.5 fan... I've had a few in my day... but to tell you the truth... my mind always seems to come back to the 6.5 Rem Mag'..., in a proper barrel length it's a "lead storm" on the range… I bought one of the first to come out in the Remington's M700 back in the day, I thought then, as I do now; it was way ahead of the times…. Don't really know why it's not used more... it did pretty much everything my 6.5x284 did... and as Okie2 said; it could run very near neck & neck with the .264 Win Mag with a good hand load and barrel…. We didn't have the bullets for the 6.5's back then… but today there no reason the 6.5 Rem Mag shouldn't get more respect, it's a great old cartridge.
My .02 as a 6.5 Rem Mag
436

 

[Ian B]

You get a really flat trajectory, with fairly low recoil, and they are effective on game. Makes for a pretty attractive combo.

Every cartridge is a trade-off in bullet choices, recoil, powder consumption, ballistics, energy, action type, component availability, barrel life, etc, etc.

6.5s just happen to fit what a lot of folks are after when weighing the choices. We do a bunch of 264 Win mags and they are fun to shoot.

Thats a pretty accurate reason.
My main reason for going with the 6.5 is pretty much all of the above.
Their not the best thing out there in terms of ballistics but they have a good combo of stuff going for them in other words they tend to be well balanced.
The reduced recoil is especially an advantage when you shoot a lot of rounds per range session.

 

[OKIE2]

I'm very much a 6.5 fan... I've had a few in my day... but to tell you the truth... my mind always seems to come back to the 6.5 Rem Mag'..., in a proper barrel length it's a "lead storm" on the range… I bought one of the first to come out in the Remington's M700 back in the day, I thought then, as I do now; it was way ahead of the times…. Don't really know why it's not used more... it did pretty much everything my 6.5x284 did... and as Okie2 said; it could run very near neck & neck with the .264 Win Mag with a good hand load and barrel…. We didn't have the bullets for the 6.5's back then… but today there no reason the 6.5 Rem Mag shouldn't get more respect, it's a great old cartridge.
My .02 as a 6.5 Rem Mag
436

THANK YOU
At least you and I know how good the 6.5 Rem Mag is.
I have 2 of them in 26" barrels and
3 264 mags one 24" one 26" and one 30"

 

[BlackSS]

What is the parent case for the 6.5 rem mag?
How fast can it push a 130 gr bullet and with what kind of powder charge?
Short action?

I am planning to use the 130 gr Swifts. Nearly the same BC as the 140 grainers and should get a bit more velocity.

 

[bota]

My 6.5-06AI pushes the 130 berger at 3175 from a 27" barrel. I am really liking this caliber, and my smith claims that his other customers are getting about 1500rnds out of their barrels.

 

[OKIE2]

What is the parent case for the 6.5 rem mag?
How fast can it push a 130 gr bullet and with what kind of powder charge?
Short action?

I am planning to use the 130 gr Swifts. Nearly the same BC as the 140 grainers and should get a bit more velocity.

6.5 rem mag is the parent case.
Remington brass can be bought at Midway.com $77.00 per 100 cases.
here is your lad data for it.
6.5mm Remington Magnum - AmmoGuide Interactive

 

[BlackSS]

Many of the numbers on that page do not show numbers on par with 264 win mag. 130 gr bullet at 2600 - 2800 is nothing to write home about.

You real world users getting better performance than that?

Looks like it is based on a 350 rem mag case.

 

[Don Ward]

6.5 Rem Mag has a case capacity of 68. something. The 264 is 82. Theres no replacement for displacement as they say in racing.

That said, a 6.5 going between 2800 & 3000 has a whole bunch of uses.

 

[OKIE2]

Many of the numbers on that page do not show numbers on par with 264 win mag. 130 gr bullet at 2600 - 2800 is nothing to write home about.

You real world users getting better performance than that?

Looks like it is based on a 350 rem mag case.

look again
130 Barnes Hodgdon H-4831 57.0M 3087 fps

 

[jlamb]

I just did a custom build 6.5-06 for 1,000 yard shooting. I love it. I'm shooting groups as low as .18" and as large as .27" at 100 yards with the dialed in load.

Rem700 action
26" Barrel w/1 in 8" twist
H-S Precision Stock
Leupold MK4 6.5-20 Scope

Good 25-06 brass like Nolser is easy to get. I use H4831SC and Sierra 142SMKs.

 

[cfvickers]

I get 3200 from a 130 VLD and 3100+ from a 140 VLD with my 6.5-284. Take 2 inches off the barrel and I lose about 50 fps but that still remains pretty respectable, and it is far more efficient than the .264 WM or any of the magnums (save for the 6.5 rem mag with near identical case capacity and numbers). I get these velocities without serious pressure signs.

 

[LRHWAL]

Hi Weezer,

As you point out, the 6.5-257 Roberts is almost the 6.5x57 "Mauser" . The shoulder angles differ slightly as far as I can tell. Would need to check a manual, but I read somewhere the 6.5x57 maintains 8x57 shoulder angle (not sure). The 6.5x57 has the benefit of being a factory cartridge and there is European ammunition available.

I'm not sure it does much more than a 6.5x55 though when in standard form and the Swede is far more available in the US.

Now with the AI configuration it gets interesting and I'd probably go for the 6.5x55 AI in the US if I liked that case size simply because of the availability of brass etc., or the 6.5 Roberts version, again because of components.

I've never had any of these, but I've looked at them quite a lot and would have one if firearms were easier to buy over here. I know a few guys who shoot them (6.5x55 and 6.5x57).

 

[MrMajestic]

Got my first 6.5 build on the way, a 6.5X47 Lapua. After looking at the ballistic coefficients and sectional density of this caliber it was a no-brainer. Sure I can get in the .6's with a .30 but my arthritic shoulder doesn't enjoy launching 210 grains anymore. Anybody wanna buy a .300 H&H AI?

 

[MNbogboy]

A little trivia though i may not quite remember the dates exactly....The 350 rem mag was introduced about 1964 or so specially designed for the model 600 carbine...about two years later rem introduced the 6.5 rem mag for the same rifle....The short barreled 600s did not bring out full potential of either cartridge...Remington offered them later in the 700 with longer barrels but maybe a tad bit late and their popularity waned....But the 6.5 craze of late might just bring this one "back".....I almost went with the 6.5 mag but being everything else I have uses the .473 bolt head I stayed with the program and ruled the belted mag out.....

I too have been bitten by the 6.5 bug and am currently building and developing loads for two .260 rems on Savage actions, one a 26" Shilen varmint and the other an ER Shaw 24" sporter......Preliminary chrono tests are showing 2925 with 130 bergers and 2975 with 123 Scenars out of the Shilen.....Haven't had the Shaw over the chrono yet but it seems to like 120 Amax the best as far as 100 yard accuracy goes....

Best of all the recoil is "sweet"...