6.5 Sherman vs 6.5-300 Wby Mag?

raider1v1

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Im looking for a pretty speedy 6.5mm cartridge and these two seem to be pretty even. Given that i can get brass from Weatherby vs having to form the Sherman is there a reason i wouldn't go with the Wby mag over the Sherman? Is there another cartridge i should evaluate?

The goal will be 1200yd+ Prairie dog hunting.
 
It all depends on what your after and how much you plan to shoot.
The Sherman equals 264 mag with less powder and Sherman has better barrel life over the rest again by leaps. If your going to shoot a lot then barrel life is a good goal to have.
My hunting pard had a 26Nosler 580 rounds barrel was burnt
You could do a 6.5 Sherman short witch Rich carries brass for it will do what the reg Sherman does in a short action.
No doubt the 6.5 Weth is fast but wow that's a lot of powder and again barrel life will be decreased.
I shoot the Sherman 3250 with 140, 3050 with 160 others get a bit more speed than my self but what's 50ft/ second.
 
ah i wonder how much the brass is? i think i saw an old thread for $2/per a bit ago.

if the 264 mag is relatively equal to is that may be my choice. the brass is cheaper and easier to find. on the trips i like to take about 200-300rds so if brass is cheap-ish thats a huge bonus.

the barrel will be long, 30"+ so im hoping to get into the 3200-3300fps.
 
Idk if your picky on having magnums or not but the weatherby is a magnum and the Sherman isn't, if your looking for a hunting rifle any of the above would be a good choice, but if you are wanting to take one to the range a lot I would take the 6.5x300 and 26 off the table unless you don't mind replacing barrels
 
It all depends on what your intentions for using it are.
Anytime there is high velocity there is a price for it, which includes barrels, and there really wont be major differences in barrel life between many of them.
Research will show that the 6.5x300 Wby cartridge evolved as a wildcat in the 50s. By the mid 60s it had become the most popular long range cartridge on the planet, especially among long range hunters in places like PA. But by the mid 70s it had become like a sinking ship, and hunters were abandoning it in favor of better choices due to new bullets being introduced. Thats about the time I got seriously involved in L/R hunting, so I never had a hot 6.5.
But frankly I always felt I had been cheated a little by not having one. So about 8 or so years ago I put together a 6.5x300 WSM. After some initial bugs I had the thing shooting very well with the 26" Brux 8 twist barrel. Right around 3350 with 140s and H1000. I shot a couple Antelope with it and was very pleased until one day I took it outside along with my old 7x300 Wby shooting 162s. By the time I came back inside I had decided to vacate that ship also. For L/R hunting/shooting, there is absolutly nothing a 6.5 can do better, but unfortunatly many of us need to be shown.
 
It all depends on what your intentions for using it are.

So about 8 or so years ago I put together a 6.5x300 WSM. After some initial bugs I had the thing shooting very well with the 26" Brux 8 twist barrel. Right around 3350 with 140s and H1000. I shot a couple Antelope with it and was very pleased until one day I took it outside along with my old 7x300 Wby shooting 162s. By the time I came back inside I had decided to vacate that ship also. For L/R hunting/shooting, there is absolutly nothing a 6.5 can do better, but unfortunatly many of us need to be shown.

In a long action rifle I would agree and if your intentions are medium sized deer and smaller I would say that any of the fast 6mm-7mm cartridges will give an experienced hunter a DRT humane kill.
I like the the 6.5 for the same reason that they are popular in PRS... Recoil management and great external ballistics out to 1000 yards, especially in the thin mountain air.
The 7mm's work great for cow elk, mule deer, caribou and equally so are the 6mm's for antelope thru whitetail deer. The 6.5 is right smack dab in the middle and IMO seems to be the best compromise to do both jobs well.
As far as which cartridge is better for the OP? The 6.5 Sherman would be my pick. Under a 1000 yards they will both do the same job. Availability of brass, the price to load plus barrel life would be my main factors for making a choice. Powder selection and availability is also much better when loading the 6.5 Sherman too...

Good luck with your choice... Go out and practice often and then fill your freezer with game meat!
 
The goal will be 1200yd+ Prairie dog hunting. I wouldn't mind something like a 6mm but at that distance wind starts to take a heavy toll.

7mm bullets, i like the extra weight, but after running the numbers in shooter the 6.5 is a bit better and its lower recoil and less powder. if i was hunting game id use 7mm but since they are prairie dogs, 6.5 is 100% fine.

i dont have an action picked out yet so magnum vs long action vs short action isnt really a consideration. im thinking that i like .264 magnum so far but im not married to it.

my 'wish list' would be
1. available brass
2. minimal prep (non-fireformed over fireformed for example)
3. barrel life
4. recoil/efficiency (example would be a cartridge that has 10gr more powder but only 50fps more)

if i know the drawbacks i can work around them. if its a barrel burner, id build on a savage action and get a quality pre-fit barrel from some place like shilen to swap myself vs having one made by GAP locally for ~750-800.
 
The goal will be 1200yd+ Prairie dog hunting. I wouldn't mind something like a 6mm but at that distance wind starts to take a heavy toll.

7mm bullets, i like the extra weight, but after running the numbers in shooter the 6.5 is a bit better and its lower recoil and less powder. if i was hunting game id use 7mm but since they are prairie dogs, 6.5 is 100% fine.

i dont have an action picked out yet so magnum vs long action vs short action isnt really a consideration. im thinking that i like .264 magnum so far but im not married to it.

my 'wish list' would be
1. available brass
2. minimal prep (non-fireformed over fireformed for example)
3. barrel life
4. recoil/efficiency (example would be a cartridge that has 10gr more powder but only 50fps more)

if i know the drawbacks i can work around them. if its a barrel burner, id build on a savage action and get a quality pre-fit barrel from some place like shilen to swap myself vs having one made by GAP locally for ~750-800.

Oops!, My bad... Missed that it would be for prairie dogs!

Then I would pick the 6.5 Sherman but don't discount the lowly 243 AI or 6mm Comp. Those 6 mm 115 DTAC have a .620 BC and can be pushed at 3200fps. Also Badlands bullets have a new 100 gr hunting bullet with a claimed .58 BC. In a 6mm Comp they leave the barrel at @ 3350 fps.....1200 yards on prairie dogs - not a problem...

I totally understand your concerns about picking a cartridge that minimize your wind issues but IMO learning to make good wind calls is all part of the learning process for LR shooting. Don't try to beat the wind by picking the fastest cartridge just learn to trust that supercomputer between your ears...
 
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My 6.5 Sherman with a max load of N570 drives a 140 Berger at 3339 fps out of a 28" Hart. I'd go 6.5SS for what you're wanting to do. Good quality brass available and no prep.
 
Try finding N570. Not knocking any of it but that powder is so had to find. I've looked every time I go powder shopping and have never seen it on the shelf period. I have been in 2 different states in one day and looked at alot of different sporting good stores. Seen the tag on the shelf for the stuff but so far its been a ghost.
 
Oops!, My bad... Missed that it would be for prairie dogs!

Then I would pick the 6.5 Sherman but don't discount the lowly 243 AI or 6mm Comp. Those 6 mm 115 DTAC have a .620 BC and can be pushed at 3200fps. Also Badlands bullets have a new 100 gr hunting bullet with a claimed .58 BC. In a 6mm Comp they leave the barrel at @ 3350 fps.....1200 yards on prairie dogs - not a problem...

I totally understand your concerns about picking a cartridge that minimize your wind issues but IMO learning to make good wind calls is all part of the learning process for LR shooting. Don't try to beat the wind by picking the fastest cartridge just learn to trust that supercomputer between your ears...

I have a fast twist 243 that i shoot now, was just looking for something with a bit more oomph at that distance. the longest i have a confirmed hit is 928. beyond that it gets more like artillery vs just one shot at a time.

is there a link to the 6.5 sherman brass? what are the COAL's that people use? I am thinking since ill probably burn the barrel shortly, that a quick change savage may be the best option but im not sure it will fit in the target action.
 
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