30 Gibbs shoots

[Mysticplayer]

Got my rifle back from the gunsmith last week and I have fireformed and shot some loads. The initial results are excellent.

With fireformed Fed 30-06 brass, I just shot some molied 165gr Hornady SST bullets into a ragged hole at 100yds. The powder was H4831SC (64gr) and CCI BR2 primers. The throat has been cut so that my bullets just engrave the rifling when chambered (still feed from the magazine).

Will chronograph soon but should be in the WSM/win mag range. Rifle has a 26" barrel. Recoil is stiff and a muzzle brake will be added soon. Will try some long range shooting as time allows.

For someone thinking about the WSM but because of budget can't do it, I would recommend the 30 Gibbs as an alternative. Any 30-06 rifle can be rechambered for this round and it should give the same performance for the cost of rechambering (about $75 to 100).

Get a neck sizer or maybe a Lee Collet 300 Win mag die and you are set. The reg. 30-06 or 308 bullet seater will work. When the brass gets too big to fit, throw it away. After three full loads, the brass looks great. A tight chamber and sharp shoulder are keeping the brass from stretching or bulging.

My new "skinny long" magnum...

Jerry

 

[JerryM]

Hi Jerry,
I will be interested in your chronograph results.
About 15 years ago I chronographed a .30 Gibbs, and the velocities were only slightly higher than a regular 06. I realize that it might have been the loads the guy used, but I have always doubted the claimed results of the Gibbs cartridges.

Please let us know your chronograph results.

Thanks,
Jerry

 

[Darryl Cassel]

JerryM

Don't ever "doubt" the claims of the Gibbs line of cartridges until you own one and load for it at max.

I have two 30 Gibbs, a 25 Gibbs and a 6.5 Gibbs. Just sold another 6.5 Gibbs to a fellow here on the forum.

With 30" barrels the 30 Gibbs and 190 gr bullets are right there with the 300 Win Mag with 190s.

The 6.5 is right there with a 264 Mag both with 140 gr bullets.

The 25 Gibbs is right there with the 257 Weatherby.

Ray Romain has all the Gibbs reamers and we use the 270 case as the base instead of the 30/06 case.
It gives a .050" longer neck and a great cartridge to shoot.
It has the 35 degree shoulder which works very well.

You don't have to go to some of the smaller mags when you have a Gibbs Gun. Good brass is available also. Norma makes 270 brass which is ideal for the 6.5 and 25 Gibbs.

Have had several Gibbs guns ovcer the years and like them alot.

Jerry Teo
Send me an Email and I'll give you some loads for the 30 Gibbs. Mine really likes the 168 and 190 gr SMK bullets. The 190 gr load gets to 1000 yds in a hell of a hurry.

DC

[ 01-18-2003: Message edited by: Darryl Cassel ]

 

[Guest]

Darryl,
I was thinking about a 6.5-06 but your Gibbs sounds interesting. Could I get some more info please? I have an Obermeyer 5R barrel with a 1 in 8.5" twist that will finish at 27" just waiting to be put together. Thank you for your time.
Wayne

 

[Darryl Cassel]

Wayne

The 30" barrels seems to really make the Gibbs shine.

The 6.5/06 is a dandy cartridge too and I would consider looking further at that one unless you like to fireform cases like you will have to do with the 6.5 Gibbs chamber.
Some people don't like doing this, but others don't mind.

The Gibbs cartridge will hold up to 9 more grains of powder over the standard case depending on the brass you use.

It is a serious improvement over the standard and will perform quite well.

For normal use and shooting with the 6.5 bore, the 6.5/06 is a very good one. If your after more velocity, then the Gibbs is the answer. The 6.5 Gibbs and 140 gr or 142 gr Bullets with the 8 or 8.5 twist will amaze you.

Ray Romain (Gunsmith) has a 6.5/270 reamer that is even better then the standard 6.5/06. It will give a .050" longer neck. He also has the 6.5 Gibbs reamer on the 270 case.

With up to 9 more grains of powder capacity, the Gibbs is a dandy and like I mentioned above, will give you added velocity and the wear factor of the barrel, is very good.

Ray's phone number is---814-265-1948 if you want to call him.

Later
DC

 

[ewallace]

Darryl
How do you like the 25 gibbs? Would it be a good varment round?

 

[Guest]

Darryl,
Thanks for the info. I think I will call Ray next week. Also, why do you say that the 6.5 on the 270 is better? Does the 0.050 longer neck really help that much? I hope I don't sound too ignorant but I don't understand the benefit of a longer neck. The use of better brass without having to trim 0.050 off sounds good though. Do you have to have custom dies for the 6.5-270 or can you modify a set of 6.5-06 dies?
As always, you have been a great help,thanks.
Wayne

 

[Darryl Cassel]

Wayne

Ray has the dies in stock.

There is a few benefits to the longer neck. They are, seating and holding of the bullet, neck tension and having the extra length to set the bullet out further if you so desire. More powder room capacity when you can set the bullet out further.
There are other reasons, but these are the ones most talked about.

Most reloaders like to have a longer neck to work with.

Crow mag

Just look at the ballistics on the 257 Weatherby and that's what the 25 Gibbs will do for you.
It does make a good Varmint round and don't blink your eye or you will miss the hit.
That's with the 100 gr Ballistic tip bullets at 1100 yds too.
A bit rough on throuts with full power loads.

Later
DC

[ 01-18-2003: Message edited by: Darryl Cassel ]

 

[Mysticplayer]

JerryM, I too was a little skeptical about the results. Well, not anymore. My barrel is 26 1/2", 1 in13twist. My load uses H4350 and moly 165gr SST lit with a Fed 215M primer. Loaded to just off the lands, the accuracy has been really good (1/3MOA at 250yds). Vel is 3000fps. I can get to 3100fps but groups open up and brass life is VERY short - max load would be about right.

Using H4831SC, the vel is slightly under 2900fps and the accuracy is even better.

I am sticking to the H4350 because the extra vel is what I am after and the accuracy is small enough for the intended use. Will try shooting at LR when the snow melts a little.

Goal is reliable shooting from field rests under 3/4 MOA at 950 yds.

Thanks for the offer Darryl but I am going to stick to the H4350 simply because it is working in this and other rifles. I don't want to stock too many other powders.

As to the fears of a short neck, try this experiment. With your boattail bullets seated in the case, put another beside and see how much of the bullet is actually held by the neck. I bet it is a lot less then you think.

When I did this with my SST and my '06, I found that only 1/4" of the bullet was held. The boattail occupied most of the neck/shoulder. My Gibbs holds as much of the bullet as the longer necked '06. It also allows loads that are very close to the RSAUM.

Magazine capacity is higher then the short magnums, brass is everywhere and "free", performance is very similar. Would recommend the Gibbs family to anyone looking for more performance out of the '06 family of cartridges.

Good stuff..

Jerry

 

[dsteve931]

Excellent I have 2 30 Gibbs as well a Springfield and 98 mouser both shoot well yes never doubt rocky I get 300 mg velocity as well

 

[FEENIX]

Very nice dig! gun)

 

[Rich Coyle]

I made a .25 wildcat with a slightly shorter neck than the Gibbs. I ran GSCustom 85HV bullets with H4831. While testing primers I chronographed thirty shots. The average was 3,919 feet per second.

 

[elkaholic]

The Gibbs WILL do what people say! It was actually the reason the Sherman case was developed. I was going to build a Gibbs, but did not like the short neck so designed the Sherman case as a result. The cases are identical in capacity, but the Sherman has less body taper and a 40 degree shoulder for less case stretching and better barrel life, because it also has a much longer neck. I had no problem reaching 3050' with 190's in a 26" barrel. The Sherman reamer will clean up a 30-06 chamber, or a Gibbs for that matter. They both are truly a magnum on an '06 head size......Rich

 

[Physhstyx]

Just purchased an old Remington 725 with a custom barrel in 30 Gibbs. I am very anxious to shoot this one.