6.5 ss final design

elkaholic

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After a couple of weeks of head scratching along with a few set backs, we have come up with a final design and have PTG working on a reamer. For those of you who didn't read the first thread, our intent was to build a TRUE short action 6.5 that would fit in ANY mag box with the 140 Bergers and would duplicate the velocity of the 6.5 Sherman. There has to be a lot more people out there than me that are tired of loading all of these so called Short action rounds as single shots! I think we have the cure that will cycle through a std. Rem 700 action and come close to 3200' with 140's in a 26" barrel. We chose the SAUM case as a parent because shortening the VERY THICK WSM brass turned out to be more than most people would care to do and the SAUM needs less shortening anyway. Norma brass is available for this build. The taper will be blown out considerably and the shoulder sharpened to 40 degrees as are all of the Sherman designs. With a LONG .320" neck, coupled with the sharp shoulder this cartridge should have great accuracy potential and be easier on barrels than anything comparable. It will hold approx. 64 grains of H1000 to the base of the neck. Whidden will be building my dies and will turn them around in 6 weeks. The reamer and Benchmark barrel should arrive around the same time, so with a little luck, I may have it together by May. Rhian (Bigngreen) and I are pretty excited about the potential for a long range carry rifle with low recoil and plenty of pop! I think it just might make a tremendous F class rifle as well. Thanks to Rhian for helping me brain storm this whole thing. Here is a pic of the 6.5 SS compared to a .270 WSM. It is not fully formed yet and is actually .270" in this pic but it will give a good approximation if you imagine less taper in the case, a 40 degree shoulder and .013" less diameter.......Rich DSCF0489.jpg
 
Is this not similar to the "6.5 idea" posted by sj-pratt on this site? His "6.5 idea" is based on a shortened 6.5 x 284 case to propel the 140 Gr Berger. In comparing the two the "6.5 idea" has some range time and velocities posted and it is still in a development/ fine tuning stage. Therefore, do you feel you will be close to these numbers?
 
Is this not similar to the "6.5 idea" posted by sj-pratt on this site? His "6.5 idea" is based on a shortened 6.5 x 284 case to propel the 140 Gr Berger. In comparing the two the "6.5 idea" has some range time and velocities posted and it is still in a development/ fine tuning stage. Therefore, do you feel you will be close to these numbers?

I guess it is similar as far as a shortened case and I really like Steves case design. I think we are looking for more velocity than Steve by quite a bit and still have a functioning short action design that doesn't burn barrels like a WSM necked down. Our case will hold approx. 70 grains H20 full and approx. 65 grains to base of neck. The WSM is 8 grains more than that and I believe Steves case is around 54 grs.? We are trying to get the most performance out of a TRUE short action coupled with good barrel life and accuracy. This case has a .025" longer neck than the 6.5x47 Lapua.....rich
p.s. To put it more in perspective, I think the length is similar to steves case but his has a .500" body and ours is a .552" body. Ours is similar in length to a Creedmoor but with a lot more capacity......
 
Here is a heads up on the new 6.5 SS. I received the barrel from Benchmark today only 43 days after I ordered it. Pretty good! Now if it will shoot:D It is a 5 contour, 8 twist 5r stainless with 8 flutes. I have the reamer already from PTG and should have the go gauge soon. That is the only hold up as my smith is ready to chamber it ASAP. He is a 6.5 shooter and is quite anxious to see how this performs. My dies should be here from Whidden in about two weeks. I may have to drill out a 6.5x55 die and make a neck sizer out of it so I don't have to wait. The barrel will be finished at 26" and we expect to get 3200' with a 140. Also planning on 3000+ with the 160 Matrix. It should pack a long range punch with a .720 b.c.! Does anyone have an idea what I could use for a neck sizer since it has a .550" head?
DSCF0512.jpg
This is my first 8 flute. I think I like it better than the 6......Rich
 
Very nice, just a gauge away from seeing what it'll do. I'm very excited to see what it does, very cool to take a new chambering that isn't an improvement of an other case but a whole different animal and work it out!!!
 
Very nice, just a gauge away from seeing what it'll do. I'm very excited to see what it does, very cool to take a new chambering that isn't an improvement of an other case but a whole different animal and work it out!!!

Rhian.....I'm going to call Kiff tomorrow and see where the go gauge is at in production. Last I heard, it was supposed to be heading for heat treat.....Rich
 
Rhian.....I'm going to call Kiff tomorrow and see where the go gauge is at in production. Last I heard, it was supposed to be heading for heat treat.....Rich

Good luck man....:D The last several orders I have had with them have taken well past due date. The order I am waiting on now, a bolt and firing pin, they said will go out March 12th. ****, I should have confirmed that was 2013...:rolleyes:

jeff
 
Order a die blank from PTG and ream it with your chamber reamer. Then bore it for Redding bushings. Pretty simple with a lathe.
 
Good luck man....:D The last several orders I have had with them have taken well past due date. The order I am waiting on now, a bolt and firing pin, they said will go out March 12th. ****, I should have confirmed that was 2013...:rolleyes:

jeff

Hi Jeff.....I have actually had good luck with them in the past, but for some reason, thay completed the reamer way ahead of the go gauge.....Rich
 
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