oldfamily
Well-Known Member
Any information on this round? Thinking of building one.
6.5 x 257 weatherby info
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Wolf76
Well-Known Member
Thought of building this cartridge when my 257 bee torched the barrel. Decided to buy a 7.5 twist 25 cal barrel instead. Going to shoot the blackjack or the absolute hammer bullets. Already had competition dies for the bee, so why add more expense.
With all the bullets for the 6.5s, its tempting to move up. 007".
AND with the new 6.5 rpm, fairly certain I wouldn't do this mild wildcat.
With all the bullets for the 6.5s, its tempting to move up. 007".
AND with the new 6.5 rpm, fairly certain I wouldn't do this mild wildcat.
I thought about this too, but I rebarreled my 257 weatherby to a 257 weatherby again with an 8 twist barrel.
If you want to shoot 264 cal bullets just chamber it for 264 win mag. It will make your life easier and you won't have to burn rounds down your barrel to fire form 264x257 weatherby.
I literally made my 257 weatherby brass from fire forming 264 win mag brass, so the cases are almost identical in volume. And 264 win mag is just cool. It is the best round that never got the following it deserved.
If you want to shoot 264 cal bullets just chamber it for 264 win mag. It will make your life easier and you won't have to burn rounds down your barrel to fire form 264x257 weatherby.
I literally made my 257 weatherby brass from fire forming 264 win mag brass, so the cases are almost identical in volume. And 264 win mag is just cool. It is the best round that never got the following it deserved.
Hi Hoss.
I love .25cal, but i always thought that 6.5-257 weatherby would make a nice wildcat.
Is the parent case altered enough to warrant a fireforming process? I just presumed it would be a simple run through a 6.5 expander mandrel and then go 'play'.
Thanks.
For decades I wondered why Weatherby did not do the 6.5 either on the .257 case or the .240 case. Either would be fantastic. I waited and hoped. Finally they came with a 6.5...on the 300 case? Just never made sense to me until the RPM showed up. Maybe the sweet-spot for 6.5 case volume. That said I would still go with a 6.5x257Wby with a 26" barrel and great supply of brass available. The Wby case will do for the .264 Win mag what it does for the 7Rem mag.
Andrew Massi
Well-Known Member
Its the easiest wildcat around. Your essentially creating a 264 win mag +p with a longer neck.
I neck up 257 brass since I do not own one but do have a 270 wby and didnt want mixed headstamps.
It will push 140 gr bullets real quick but not as fast as the 270 wby will.
I feel it really shines with 120-127 gr monos
If you like bergers mine showed promise with the 156 before ca went lead free and the 156 became hard to find.
I used pac nor and their reamer. Redding dies
26" and a 1:7 twist. If I did it again I'd get an 8 twist
Andrew Massi
Well-Known Member
Powders:
Vv n560, h4831sc, rl26, retumbo, h1k. Imr 7977/8133/7828ssc.
Vv n560, h4831sc, rl26, retumbo, h1k. Imr 7977/8133/7828ssc.
Hespco
Well-Known Member
Using VV24N41 my Win 70 EW, will push Nosler 140 gr AB to 3228 fps with ease. This is with an off the shelf rifle. Save your self a lot of hassel & extra expense. Go with a straight 264 mag. Then if you ever want to sell it , it will be much easier. Also lot's of "AVAIBLE" brass for 264, like 7 mag necked down to instant 264 brass. Take your time & thunk this thru. Lot's of custom rifles out there that owners can't sell. A factory available cartridge sells more easily.
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Getting 3250 FPS with 140 Berger VLD and 68 grains of Rel 26.
oldfamily
Well-Known Member
Not worried on selling anything that I build, I like odd ball rifles. 264 win mag had one and did not like how it done. It was an old winchester that had the 1 in 9 twist. Looking for something different, that gives you something that gives you performance for the amount of powder that you use. A 260 ackley will drive a 140 berger @ 3060 fps with less than 50 grains of powder, so why mess with the prc or the new weatherby round. 6.5x 284 same thing, more powder less performance. And if I don't like the way it performs, ream barrel out to a 6.5 stw and burn the hell out of it. I am having another 260 ackley built for a lighter carry gun, once that barrel starts to open up ream it out to a 6.5 sherman. One thing to think about when you think on building with a short action, or a long action.
I believe @25WSM has a lot of experience with this case. I like the long wby neck, but not the long wby freebore, quality wby brass is spendy and not that easy to find currently. 264wm run with necked down adg 7mag brass will probably be the best bet. Peterson is making 7mag brass now as well, be another good necked down option. Guys have made 257wby brass from 264/7mm mag, and it forms well, however you're neck comes up pretty short.
25WSM
Well-Known Member
Tough choice between the 264win or 6.5x257bee. I personally like the wby case design. The long neck will let you shoot all the weights of 6.5 bullets effectively. Throat it long for the 147eldm to sit at the bottom of the neck and there is still enough neck to run the little guys up to the rifling. And I like the shoulder. I think it keeps from torching the throat as fast. On my 257bees I get over 1000 rounds no problem. I run them hard too. After doing the 6.5saum I probably won't build any more 6.5x257s for myself. The 6.5saum is less than 100fps slower and fits into a short action. Plus adg saum brass is very nice.
Pluses for the 264 are brass, brass and more brass. 7mags necked down work great. With a proper throat it will perform.
Short neck is not as good for multiple bullet weights.
Like I said tough choice. Pluses and cons for both. What's more important to you is how I would choose. Between the 2 I like the 6.5x257 but if I had to choose any 6.5mag it will be the 6.5saum.
All 3 will push a 140 to 3200 to 3300.
My saum does 3130 with 147eldms and it's not broke in all the way not is it a hot load. Shoots in the 1s. I fully expect it to do 3200 once it speeds up.
Shep
Pluses for the 264 are brass, brass and more brass. 7mags necked down work great. With a proper throat it will perform.
Short neck is not as good for multiple bullet weights.
Like I said tough choice. Pluses and cons for both. What's more important to you is how I would choose. Between the 2 I like the 6.5x257 but if I had to choose any 6.5mag it will be the 6.5saum.
All 3 will push a 140 to 3200 to 3300.
My saum does 3130 with 147eldms and it's not broke in all the way not is it a hot load. Shoots in the 1s. I fully expect it to do 3200 once it speeds up.
Shep
25WSM
Well-Known Member
Jms is right. How the heck did wby not do this one. It's better than the 257wby and the 270 wby. I'm a huge 257bee fan but the selection of bullets and higher bc of the 6.5s is hard to ignore.
Shep
Shep
