260 Rem Vs. 6.5-06

[Weezer]

I've made two 6.5x284s, 260AI, 260 and 6.5x57AI (Roberts AI). Pushed them from mild to wild. For shootability and all around I would go with the 260. With 6.5 cal you don't have to push it 3000 plus for good killing and penetration. All the steam and recoil in the world makes for nothing if you shoot them in the ***. A Berger 140 @ 2700fps will blow thru a big muley at 100 plus yards and take both lungs and the heart with it. Now when I was young buck that horse power and my rifle is bigger and badder was pretty impressive. Now a sweetheart rifle (260 or 6.5x55) will give me everything I need for everything up to Moose, for big bear I want my 375H&H for that feel good feeling.
For long range target the 260AI is my pick over the 6.5x284. A old man up in central Idaho told me long ago that you don't need 2 buckets of powder when 1 bucket will do. It only took me 40 years to understand it. Good hunting and good luck with what every you choose. Weezer from Idaho

 

[Sully2]

I've made two 6.5x284s, 260AI, 260 and 6.5x57AI (Roberts AI). Pushed them from mild to wild. For shootability and all around I would go with the 260. With 6.5 cal you don't have to push it 3000 plus for good killing and penetration. All the steam and recoil in the world makes for nothing if you shoot them in the ***. A Berger 140 @ 2700fps will blow thru a big muley at 100 plus yards and take both lungs and the heart with it. Now when I was young buck that horse power and my rifle is bigger and badder was pretty impressive. Now a sweetheart rifle (260 or 6.5x55) will give me everything I need for everything up to Moose, for big bear I want my 375H&H for that feel good feeling.
For long range target the 260AI is my pick over the 6.5x284. A old man up in central Idaho told me long ago that you don't need 2 buckets of powder when 1 bucket will do. It only took me 40 years to understand it. Good hunting and good luck with what every you choose. Weezer from Idaho

A man after my own heart Weezer!!

 

[Sauer 150]

As a Long Range performer the 6,5-06 kan do whatever the 260 can with more authority, less drift, less drop - resulting in higher impact velocity which ranslates into more kiling power.

A 260 and a 6,5x55 Swedish on my side where 6,5's a loaded to normal pressure are interchangeable - an 06 is almost at the heels of a 264 Win being right in between the 6,5x284 Norma and the 264.

3000 f/s + with a well constructed 140 grs bullet is a lot more potent than 2700f/s with the same pill. It's almost the same diffence as between a 308Win and a 300 WM. I cannot believe there are anyone on this sight finding a 308 to be a better LRH round.

If you cannot shoot straight it's very easy - refrain from shooting. A .50 in the *** isn't worth s**t

I currently own 2 6,5x47's, 3 6,5x55's and one 6,5x284 LR Target gun. If I had to take one of them hunting I would take the x284 any day of the week. Expanded .264 bullets are not big and more oomp will be highly appreciated since 6,5 guns is VERY far from my first choice when it comes to BG hunting.

For live weght animals upp til approx 300# they are absolutely lethal - but for large deer, elk and moose I would feel seriously undergunned with anything but the fastest 6,5's shooting a tough wellconstructed bullet at ranges limited to approx 400y.

But to each of his own - I personally have strong preferances againgst tracking bloodtrails and a larger diameter wound channel helps me avoiding such situations

 

[WildRose]

The 6.5 swede has taken every species of game in Northern Europe since it first was developed.

There is so little real difference between the .260, the Swede, and the 6.5x284 it's not worth quibbling over.

If 200 fps is going to make the difference between a killing and wounding over shot placement and bullet selection I haven't seen any evidence of it.

Use the right bullet, put it where it belongs, and dead is dead.

As for the drop and wind drift, why do you think the LR competition shooters do just as well with all of the 6.5's? Because a couple of hundred feet per second does not make that much of a difference at long range. Putting it consistently where you aim however makes all of the difference.

 

[elkaholic]

The 6.5 swede has taken every species of game in Northern Europe since it first was developed.

There is so little real difference between the .260, the Swede, and the 6.5x284 it's not worth quibbling over.

If 200 fps is going to make the difference between a killing and wounding over shot placement and bullet selection I haven't seen any evidence of it.

Use the right bullet, put it where it belongs, and dead is dead.

As for the drop and wind drift, why do you think the LR competition shooters do just as well with all of the 6.5's? Because a couple of hundred feet per second does not make that much of a difference at long range. Putting it consistently where you aim however makes all of the difference.

The recoil "or lack of it" helps most people do a better job of putting it where you aim as well. This is one of the reasons the long range guys prefer it......Rich

 

[Sauer 150]

There is so little real difference between the .260, the Swede, and the 6.5x284 it's not worth quibbling over.

If 200 fps is going to make the difference between a killing and wounding over shot placement and bullet selection I haven't seen any evidence of it.

Use the right bullet, put it where it belongs, and dead is dead.

Here we have to agree to dissagree. A test performed by swedish game management authorities with more than 8000 heads of game taken over 2 seasons clearly states that impact velocities above 2900f/s(900m/s) is the fastest putting game on the ground. Shortest distances game travelled from being hit to being to being on the ground dead was with 300 WM and 7 RM.

I'm not discussing with you that dead is dead if you hit were you are supposed to - but in my book a quicker death is a more humane one. And when it comes to hunting ethics and animal welfare I'm always gone be on the game side of the discussion. That is also why I am very skeptical of the practice of using small calibers on large game. Yes you will kill them eventually but usually it takes to long and is from an animal welfare standpoint poor caliber choices.

As the 25-06 on elk tread currently being discussed these days. On a large bull elk 25-06 is NOT a suited tool for the job

 

[rifle]

Here we have to agree to dissagree. A test performed by swedish game management authorities with more than 8000 heads of game taken over 2 seasons clearly states that impact velocities above 2900f/s(900m/s) is the fastest putting game on the ground. Shortest distances game travelled from being hit to being to being on the ground dead was with 300 WM and 7 RM.

I'm not discussing with you that dead is dead if you hit were you are supposed to - but in my book a quicker death is a more humane one. And when it comes to hunting ethics and animal welfare I'm always gone be on the game side of the discussion. That is also why I am very skeptical of the practice of using small calibers on large game. Yes you will kill them eventually but usually it takes to long and is from an animal welfare standpoint poor caliber choices.

As the 25-06 on elk tread currently being discussed these days. On a large bull elk 25-06 is NOT a suited tool for the job

I for one,believe very little from a "Game Department" ,sorry but they work for a govenment and can say what they want you to hear...

 

[Sauer 150]

You have a point there.

There are lies, white lies and statistics. But the raw data gathered by the hunters themselves and submitting all the background info

Shooting distance
Caliber used
Bullet placement
Moving or still animal
Game movements from place it was shot

From such a large selection of data you are getting quite a few pointers on shot placement and caliber choice if you want them on the ground fast.

Goverment actually not - their biggest source of invome is the fee hunters submit for all types of big game shot here. About 25$ each.

 

[rifle]

I've shot 6.5 for a number of years,waaay before it was cool. I have and used to kill deer 6.5,x52x54x55x57 and 6.5-06,plus .264 WM,speeds from 2000 to over 3000,100 gr to 160 gr bullets and the only thing I can see different is the bullet gets to the fur a little quicker on some.

Not bragging,but the one downside has been the demish of my
"tracking skills". To me it's shot placement,period
I killed stuff in Africa witha 30/06,did not get everything I wanted,but dead is dead...gun)

 

[Sully2]

.....
..- but in my book a quicker death is a more humane one. And when it comes to hunting ethics and animal welfare I'm always gone be on the game side of the discussion. That is also why I am very skeptical of the practice of using small calibers on large game. Yes you will kill them eventually but usually it takes to long and is from an animal welfare standpoint poor caliber choices.

As the 25-06 on elk tread currently being discussed these days. On a large bull elk 25-06 is NOT a suited tool for the job

Animal welfare and hunting ethics I was told are NOT to be discussed on this BB...!

 

[elkaholic]

Here we have to agree to dissagree. A test performed by swedish game management authorities with more than 8000 heads of game taken over 2 seasons clearly states that impact velocities above 2900f/s(900m/s) is the fastest putting game on the ground. Shortest distances game travelled from being hit to being to being on the ground dead was with 300 WM and 7 RM.

I'm not discussing with you that dead is dead if you hit were you are supposed to - but in my book a quicker death is a more humane one. And when it comes to hunting ethics and animal welfare I'm always gone be on the game side of the discussion. That is also why I am very skeptical of the practice of using small calibers on large game. Yes you will kill them eventually but usually it takes to long and is from an animal welfare standpoint poor caliber choices.

As the 25-06 on elk tread currently being discussed these days. On a large bull elk 25-06 is NOT a suited tool for the job

A 25-06 will easily top 2900'......Rich

 

[WildRose]

Here we have to agree to dissagree. A test performed by swedish game management authorities with more than 8000 heads of game taken over 2 seasons clearly states that impact velocities above 2900f/s(900m/s) is the fastest putting game on the ground. Shortest distances game travelled from being hit to being to being on the ground dead was with 300 WM and 7 RM.

I'm not discussing with you that dead is dead if you hit were you are supposed to - but in my book a quicker death is a more humane one. And when it comes to hunting ethics and animal welfare I'm always gone be on the game side of the discussion. That is also why I am very skeptical of the practice of using small calibers on large game. Yes you will kill them eventually but usually it takes to long and is from an animal welfare standpoint poor caliber choices.

As the 25-06 on elk tread currently being discussed these days. On a large bull elk 25-06 is NOT a suited tool for the job

I hate to point out the obvious, but the swede and .260 are both capable of 2,900fps.

Your study also cannot possibly account for shot placement on each of those kills.

No question about it, more energy on impact gives you a bigger kill zone because more damage is done via hyperstatic shock.

Nothing however supercedes proper shot placement and bullet selection.

I've taken 400lbs plus wild hogs with a little bitty .204 Ruger, have seen elk taken with a .222rem, even a .300lbs sow killed with a .17rem.

Would I recommend any of the above? No, but if you can place the shot where it belongs with enough power to strike the vitals and penetrate them or destroy them, the animal is just as dead and they never know what caliber they were shot with.

Bottom line, we are discussing the various .260/6.5's here and there's very little real difference in any of them being discussed.

I have a good freind/client who owns and manages a very large ranch in S. Africa that thinks we're just nuts over here with our "bigger is better" mentality.

His teenage daughter piled up 34 bodies during the fall culling a few weeks ago shooting an itty bitty 6.5 swede... .

 

[Sauer 150]

Of course the 260/6,5's are capable of reaching 2900f/s with any given bullet weight - but not with a wellconstructed BG bullet that will penetrate both halfs of the body and leave a good blood trail on exit.

In .264' these bullets weigh + 130grs and a 140 is better due to higher SD. To reach 2900f/s with any of the two on top with any of these cartridges will be loaded to extremely high pressures to do so.

My two main game species that I do hunt in numbers every year is moose and red deer. Reed deer in good years more than 40, around 10 in a slow year and 4-5 to 10 + moose in the same season. I have used almost everything out there to find out first hand what works or not.

I'm not saying it's the entire truth but from my logs a faster 6,5 kills a lot better than one of the smaller ones. one season I killed 17 reed deer, 3 fallow deer, 3 moose, 1 wild boar and 3 Roe Deer all with a 6,5 swede. From these I for the first time in my life I had to find a tracking dog 3 times to locate dead game that walked so far of that I could not locate them myself. Of all these I only had 1 bang - flop which was a moose cow that had previously been shot at that I took with a head shot at 150y. And the head was the only thing I could see from my elevated stand over a brush area. Never take head shots on game regardless of distance. Prefer to have better margins for error.

I do not feel comfortable with the slower .264's since I find them to be to slow killers. The expanded diameter on their bullets seems to create too small of wound channel and not enough trauma, with too slow a drop in blood pressure and incapasitation compared to the slightly bigger stuff

I have a good friend that shoots at least the same numbers as I do a year - with a high performance 6,5 that shoots 140 AB's in the 3200f/s range and he usually have spectacular results. He is also one hell of a marksman with +1000y capabillities way surpassing mine capable of 1st shot hits on 3/4 MOA targets at 1000m 8/10 times. The high speed 6,5 he still limits to 500meters for the same reasons as mine. At that range the bullets hits with a velocity that does not quite give the performce we would like.

The Study - I'm not sure whether it is available in English. I can try and find out. Shot placement was one of the criterias people were asked to mark down.But how eash section of the animal was done I do not know.

 

[Scot E]

Of course the 260/6,5's are capable of reaching 2900f/s with any given bullet weight - but not with a wellconstructed BG bullet that will penetrate both halfs of the body and leave a good blood trail on exit.

In .264' these bullets weigh + 130grs and a 140 is better due to higher SD. To reach 2900f/s with any of the two on top with any of these cartridges will be loaded to extremely high pressures to do so.

My two main game species that I do hunt in numbers every year is moose and red deer. Reed deer in good years more than 40, around 10 in a slow year and 4-5 to 10 + moose in the same season. I have used almost everything out there to find out first hand what works or not.

I'm not saying it's the entire truth but from my logs a faster 6,5 kills a lot better than one of the smaller ones. one season I killed 17 reed deer, 3 fallow deer, 3 moose, 1 wild boar and 3 Roe Deer all with a 6,5 swede. From these I for the first time in my life I had to find a tracking dog 3 times to locate dead game that walked so far of that I could not locate them myself. Of all these I only had 1 bang - flop which was a moose cow that had previously been shot at that I took with a head shot at 150y. And the head was the only thing I could see from my elevated stand over a brush area. Never take head shots on game regardless of distance. Prefer to have better margins for error.

I do not feel comfortable with the slower .264's since I find them to be to slow killers. The expanded diameter on their bullets seems to create too small of wound channel and not enough trauma, with too slow a drop in blood pressure and incapasitation compared to the slightly bigger stuff

I have a good friend that shoots at least the same numbers as I do a year - with a high performance 6,5 that shoots 140 AB's in the 3200f/s range and he usually have spectacular results. He is also one hell of a marksman with +1000y capabillities way surpassing mine capable of 1st shot hits on 3/4 MOA targets at 1000m 8/10 times. The high speed 6,5 he still limits to 500meters for the same reasons as mine. At that range the bullets hits with a velocity that does not quite give the performce we would like.

The Study - I'm not sure whether it is available in English. I can try and find out. Shot placement was one of the criterias people were asked to mark down.But how eash section of the animal was done I do not know.

I am not sure you are going to get a whole lot of traction here with your velocity-limit theories. This is a LRH site where we often shoot at distances that put our impact velocities below 2000 fps. Heck one of my favorite loads gives me excellent performance on deer sized game down to around 1200 fps with a Hornady A-max. Talking about impact velocities over 2900 fps eliminates about 90% of the shooters here.

With 26-30 inch barrels and a modern action the 6.5 Swede will pretty easily hit those numbers without pressure issues, even with 130 and 140 grain bullets. You have to be careful in looking at online data for the 6.5 Swede. Most of them are loaded to lower pressure levels due to the popularity of the older and weaker Mauser actions. Based on your comments I am curious what action, barrel length, bullets brand and weight, and powder you are using. Your performance doesn't seem to add up to what I have seen.

Scot E.