Help, Looking for a new hunting caliber, thinking 6.5-284, 6.5 SAUM maybe?

Monttrap04 said:

Might take a look at the .264 win mag. Should feed perfect in a 7 mag rebarrel and give plenty of velocity for whatever you want to do. Kinda boring but doesn't mean it isn't good.

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The .264 Win. Mag. is a perfect fit for your action and bolt. No fuss, no muss, no messing around. Proper powder and bullet selection will lead to a long hunting life relationship.

If you want something just a little different, I'd run the 6.5 x 257 Weatherby. We see this as a top performer for all bullet weights in the hunting class designs.

Regards.

not sure if anyone has said it yet but, how bout the 6.5-300?? you already have the bolt face so no change on that and it would be a screamer....

odoylerules said:

Sounds like the SAUM might be the way to go for this particular rifle. The 6.5-284 would require a different bolt. It's a LA with an internal mag of around 3.4", COAL shouldn't be an issue at all.
I'm thinking I should order some components, build up some dummy rounds and send off to JGS for a reamer. My smith is a buddy giving me a great deal and doesn't have the reamer.
•Any help or advice about bullets and brass?
•reamer specs?
•dies?
•barrel?
•bullets?

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Build another 7mm RemMag, but with a match chamber with SAAMI neck specs, so you will have very low expansion of the case body, but you don't have to turn the necks. I have one built like this, and with Nosler brass and 168 VLD's, I'm pushing max pressure in the mid-to-upper 60's in powder grains of 7828 SSC, but I'm pushing over 3,100 FPS MV from a 26" barrel.

Also, I'm seating my bullets to 3.370" COAL for my Browning A-Bolt II (A-Bolt mags have a short length). You can have your chamber reamer cut to the specs I'm talking about, but have your leade cut to where your cartridges won't exceed 3.400" COAL, and you will still be close to the lands as possible for accuracy. Your smith can get that dimension for you, when you figure out what your main bullet you want to shoot will be. I personally would set it up for the Berger 175 Elite Hunters or 180 Hybrids, or 195 Elite Hunters. Also, I would go with a 26" 1:8 twist. A Proof Research carbon fiber barrel would make for a really accurate LR and lightweight hunting rifle that you could pack around.

sable tireur said:

The .264 Win. Mag. is a perfect fit for your action and bolt. No fuss, no muss, no messing around. Proper powder and bullets election will lead to a long hunting life relationship.

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bpcrshooter said:

not sure if anyone has said it yet but, how bout the 6.5-300?? you already have the bolt face so no change on that and it would be a screamer....

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Excellent recommendation!

odoylerules said:

View attachment 98496 View attachment 98495 I have a stainless Ruger M77 mark ii I've decided to give a new life. It's currently a 7mm rem mag. I want something different this time. I'm taking it to the smith in a week or two to be accurized and Re-barreled. This is going to be a lightweight hunting rig for deer and antelope sized game. (I have a 338 lapua IM I'll use for elk)
I was thinking a 6.5-284 or 6.5 SAUM or something similar maybe. Any thoughts or help is greatly appreciated.
•I reload.
•Barrel life isn't that important being a dedicated hunting rig.

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odoylerules,

There are some folks who believe that a Ruger can be accurized just like any other round body action. But it takes a little more work and some understanding of bedding techniques to get it right. Free-floating the barrel completely can work but so can leaving a pad for the breech area of the barrel. It never has been a one way street.

MudRunner2005 said:

...but have your leade cut to where your cartridges won't exceed 3.400" COAL, and you will still be close to the lands as possible for accuracy. Your smith can get that dimension for you, when you figure out what your main bullet you want to shoot will be. I personally would set it up for the Berger 175 Elite Hunters or 180 Hybrids, or 195 Elite Hunters.

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I encourage the use of the word 'or' (as above) in many of these discussions. Do not misconstrue this as picking on one poster at all. I think it's important to point out that with the vast selection of VLD, Classic VLD, Elite VLD, Accubonds, ELD-X, pointy bullets, etc. that simply selecting one design or one bullet to pin all your hopes on as being the best and most accurate is fallacious these days. First, they don't all shoot best close to the lands, with some wanting to be as much as 0.050" off the lands. Second, not all of these designs are interchangeable with one reamer design. This starts the big debate as to whether you should use two reamers for adjusting the chamber or order a new one with the dimensions you want and wait the 6-8 weeks, hoping that you picked the best dimensions. Add into this that not every barrel likes every bullet...

I have recently gone through all of the maneuvering of setting up dummy cartridges and testing chambers with new throats and freebore in order to assess which bullets in which cartridge need to be set at what dimensions. Then the hurry up and wait for the roughers and finishers to be ground and shipped. Now the tedious testing has begun in order to proof the concepts as applied to those reamers. I am liking all of the dimension being on one reamer because of consistency.

Do not forget the variables of powder and primers to add into the mix.

Given your parameters, I would have a meeting with your gunsmith to determine if a SAAMI or CIP chamber might work without having to go through all the challenges of trying to accommodate the newest 'heavy for caliber' whiz-bang bullets. For 95% of our hunting, these long, skinny bullets are more trouble than they deserve.

Enjoy the process!

264 win mag. I run Retumbo with 140 Bergers at 3300fps and it's a 1/2 MOA rifle.

between the two, I'd go 6.5x284. Lapua brass. SAUM brass is not always fun to find. I shoot 6.5x284 for anything up to elk. Plenty of range capability too. 123 Amax's with R23 just over 3100fps

Have you considered the new Hornady 6.5 PRC?
It fits in short or medium actions with a standard magnum bolt face (.532"), but putting it in a long action would give you handloading opportunities to extend COAL.
Factory 147gr ELDMs run at 2910fps & 143gr ELDXs at 2960. With handloads they would both surely go over 3,000fps without pressure problems.
Brass will be supported (at least by Hornady) and recoil is very modest.

I shot a 264 win mag for many years. It can be a screamer. You can also use that 7 mag brass with a simple neck down.

I've built two 6.5-270 WSM (6.5-300 WSM) as well. More case capacity than the 65 SS and really should be run on a long action to take advantage of seating depth.

I've built one 6.5 SAUM.

I've now built two 65 SS which I plan to use on my mountain goat hunt this September. They're as fast as the 6.5 SAUM and 65 WSM with less powder.

You have a long action so I'd probably go with the 6.5 WSM. Nothing but a neck down of brass. 264 win mag brass can be hard to find although so can the WSM at times.

I used Winchester brass in my 264 which was much tougher than the Remington. I use Norma in the WSM and 65 SS. Primer pockets loosen quickly if you run it hard and fast. I found 200 pieces of Bertram 7 SAUM brass and it's incredibly tough. Primers are almost difficult to seat after two stiff loads that would drop primers in the Norma. The Bertram is 25 fps or so slower than the Norma, though.

parshal said:

I shot a 264 win mag for many years. It can be a screamer. You can also use that 7 mag brass with a simple neck down.

I've built two 6.5-270 WSM (6.5-300 WSM) as well. More case capacity than the 65 SS and really should be run on a long action to take advantage of seating depth.

I've built one 6.5 SAUM.

I've now built two 65 SS which I plan to use on my mountain goat hunt this September. They're as fast as the 6.5 SAUM and 65 WSM with less powder.

You have a long action so I'd probably go with the 6.5 WSM. Nothing but a neck down of brass. 264 win mag brass can be hard to find although so can the WSM at times.

I used Winchester brass in my 264 which was much tougher than the Remington. I use Norma in the WSM and 65 SS. Primer pockets loosen quickly if you run it hard and fast. I found 200 pieces of Bertram 7 SAUM brass and it's incredibly tough. Primers are almost difficult to seat after two stiff loads that would drop primers in the Norma. The Bertram is 25 fps or so slower than the Norma, though.

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What kinda speeds and what bullet were you using with the Norma? Norma Brass is rated at over 60,000 PSI in the 7mm SAUM, I thought it would run a 6.5 hot as a firecracker if you really stretched its legs in a 6.5
When Gardner started developing the 6.5 SAUM he was really interested in a lower pressure longer barrel life in the competition aspect not really pushing speed for a hunting- low volume type shooting.

Berger Elite Hunter, ELD and ELD-X, 140 and 143. I pretty much get between 3150 and 3200 depending on powder. I use(d) N570, R26, H1000, H4831sc and a couple others. R26 gives the best velocity in the SS and WSM for me.

If you still haven't made your decision or ordered too many specialized components, the easiest change by far will be a .264 win mag....you will get better performance than a 6.5x284, and with the proper powder selection you will be hanging around in the 6.5 ss neighborhood, you won't have to worry about OAL in the short ruger action (3.430 limitation) you will have perfect feeding since all it is is a necked down 7mm rem mag, where you may/will need your feed rails modified with any other cartridge mentioned, AND you can just resize your current 7mm mag brass and use it!!

I just did it, it was originally a 300 wm, now a .264 wm, feeding is perfect, and with the 147 at the lands it is 3.340" OAL and feeds perfectly, with a SAAMI spec throat.

codyadams said:

If you still haven't made your decision or ordered too many specialized components, the easiest change by far will be a .264 win mag....you will get better performance than a 6.5x284, and with the proper powder selection you will be hanging around in the 6.5 ss neighborhood, you won't have to worry about OAL in the short ruger action (3.430 limitation) you will have perfect feeding since all it is is a necked down 7mm rem mag, where you may/will need your feed rails modified with any other cartridge mentioned, AND you can just resize your current 7mm mag brass and use it!!View attachment 99972

I just did it, it was originally a 300 wm, now a .264 wm, feeding is perfect, and with the 147 at the lands it is 3.340" OAL and feeds perfectly, with a SAAMI spec throat.

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What are you running the 147 at for velocity? I'm planning on replacing my 6.5 CM with a hotter 6.5

Creedmoor shooter said:

What are you running the 147 at for velocity? I'm planning on replacing my 6.5 CM with a hotter 6.5

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I just got it bedded, havent had a chance for load developement. From ehat I am seeing, 3100-3200 with the right powders.