which 6.5 bullet ?

splattermatic

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Nov 15, 2006
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i've decided to go with a 6.5-06 instead of x284.
the reasoning is, talking to several people, and my experiences with a 6-284, feeding the fatties, is sometimes a problem. my action started as an -06, and it fed perfectly, so i'm going to keep it as such.
now i've been reading as much as i can on the 6.5's, but still have questions.
it sems that the .264 magnum, the 6.5-284,6.5-06, and even the 6.5-55, all seem to run the same velocity range, ie, 140 grainer around 2900 fps.

so this is another factor in the choice. bergers are great target builts i hear as well as perform on game, a dual purpose bullet.

given this an -06, should i concentrate on this weight or are lighter bullets as good in the caliber.

btw, 6.5's are totaly new to me.
i looked at some hornady 120's yesterday at the gunshop, and they sure are long and skinny !
 
If they 'seem' to shoot around 2900, it woud be because they have similar length barrels that come into tune there. But all are capable of considerably higher velocities with the 140s, trust me.

It makes no sense to use such a large case for 2900fps when any 260 can do that using less in powder, and fitting in a magazine.
Nothing wrong with the 6.5-06 that I know of, and maybe someone here can give you better examples of it's true potential.
 
What twist barrel are you getting? That will determining which bullet weight is suited for you. 1-8.5 to a 1-9 are best suited for the 140g.
 
"Mikecr" is right the little 260 can get the 140's to 2900fps but in my 27" 3 groove Lilja those were starting to get warm and the accuracy nitch was just under that. With that said I shot both the 140 A-max and the 140 Bergers , both shot great but the Berger's BC was a bit better and I had less sorting to do.

I have seen some guys get 6.5-06's to 3200fps with 142 Sierra Match Kings but their accuracy was at a good bit slower speed , generaly around 3000fps. I haven't seen to many match style bullets that liked to be driven hard. I killed a doe this past season at 944yds with a 140gr Berger and it worked well , I'm sure that the A-max would have opened up a bit faster but I have no complaints with the Berger.

If your happy with shooting 2900fps then I would certainly look at the 260 or 260 Ackley Improved as they will both give you that speed with less powder , longer barrel life and you can use the great 308 Lapua brass necked down which is both cheap and easy to find plus it'll last forever if you can anneal the necks after about 6 firings. I have built a few 308's on Rem 700 long actions just so I could shoot the 175-210gr Berger bullets seated WAY out and they all fed fine in the LA and I'm sure that the 260 would be no differant.
 
6.5 bullets

my brothers .264 sendero goes way faster than our 6.5-284"S.* safely and accurately. we have not shot any game with the 264 or the 6.5-284's yet. only targets* out to 1000 yards. i don;t think the 260 will match a 6.5-06 or a 6.5-284 in vleocity any more than a 30-30 will match a 300 savage or a 308 will match a 30-06. several good bullets we have shot are the 123 and 139 lapua, the 142 sierra for targets, i would shoot a 120 balistic tip or a 125 partition on game. i would get a 8.5 twist not 9. roninflag
 
Sorry for hijacking this thread but that 6.5-06 topic drew me in.

I have wondered for a long time if a 6.5-06 loaded with Berger 140gr VLD's is too long for the magazine of a Remington 700 BDL long action.

Does anyone know?
 
i would do some more reserch on the 6.5x284.there are LOTS of them at 1000 yard benchrest matches these days.why?they are like a .308 win.dump some powder in shove a bullet in the case and they shoot very well.,well maybe not that easy,but in my opinion the 6.5x284 seems to be more accurate than 6.5-06.jason
 
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