6.5-06 Ai

[rotorhead]

Does anybody have or know anything about this cartridge?? My brother is wanting me to put a rifle together for him and I asked what caliber/cartridge?? He said I don't know but I like your 25-06 ackley, but I don't want the same gun as you. so I have two options here sell him my 25 and build a 6.5 or build him a 6.5 or completely consider another round. He shoot mainly targets. but he does hunt a deer every year and goes coyote hunting with me. I'm sure this is all the big game hunting he will do but he wants to retire his old 308 and get something in a little smaller bullet dia. cartridge but capable of some good distance. He also wants the barrel to last more than 400 rounds if you guys get my meaning. Its a tall order sort of but I figure this 6.5 should get about what the 25 get barrel life wise.

Anyway, I could use some thoughts on the matter from all perspectives. I will be doing the loading for it so any information from dies to accuracy etc would be appreciated.

Thanks, ahead of time

Rh

 

[James Jones]

If your wanting to squeeze the last little bit of effecient velocity out of a non magnum for the 6.5 then the 6.5-06Ai is a great choice. This caliber will get you to 1000yds easly and I think if your up to the job will cleanly take deer at 1000yds. Ackly improving this case will add very little in the velocity department but will help with making your brass last a little longer with less case flow.

But here are a couple things to consider first.
1) you have to fire form your cases to get all the good out of them and that eats up barrel life.
2) to get the best brass you have to use 30-06 Lapua and neck it down in several steps and thats kinda a pain in the butt.
3) now their is a company that offers regular 6.5-06 ammo and that can be fired in the Ackley chamber if it needs to be.

The 6.5-06 will out perform the 25-06 in both long range and power at long range with conventional offered bullet and you will get a little bit more barrel life, you could step up the weight with the Wildcat bullets for the 25 though and get more range out of it.

Here is my oppinion though. I assume that your building on a long action and if it were me I'd build a 6.5-284 , its only a few ticks behind the 06 case velocity wise not even enough to matter at 1000 yds , their is no fire forming cases and the brass is available from several companies including Hornady and Lapua both of wich are good quality. you will be able to seat the long high BC bullets out as far as you want in the long action without any feeding problems. And the 6.5-284 has a proven track record in the 1000 yd comps.

any of the wild cats in 6.5 if loaded with the right bullets will be suitable for critters up to Elk with little trouble.

so all in all my vote goes to the 6.5-284 then the 6.5-06 Ackley if you just have to have that little bit more velocity. That being said I built a 260 instead of a 6.5-284 due to having a short action and I realy don't think the lost velocity is gonna matter.

 

[rotorhead]

sounds good, I looked into it a little and your suggestion for the 260 looks like it might be the ticket. I have a 25-06 ackley now so I think I'll keep it and build my brother a 6.5 of some sort. I have a long and a short action so either is an option.
I'm thinking a fella could Ackley improve the 260 and keep up with the 6.5-284 and kind of help the barrel wear a little.
What kind of velocity and accuracy are you getting out of your 260 and at what distances?

RH

 

[James Jones]

I'm shooting the regular 260 Rem chamber but its tight. I thought about getting the Improved version but decided against it , I figured that the case is already pretty effecient and any improvment would be slim and in my oppinion the fireforming and added barrel wear woulden't out weigh the extra 100fps that it might offer.
I using 243 Lapua brass necked up with a 140gr A-max seated to just bump the lands and it feeds fine for the mag but I do have the Wyatt's mag box installed.
I've only had it at the range a couple times and have narrowed down my load to 48.5grs of VV-165 and that is giving me a velocity average of 2794 fps with an sd of 8fps. Accuracy is awsome this load shoots in the very low .3's consistantly and mid .2's when I do my part at 100yds. I have shot golf balls at 300yds realy consistantly but thats as far as I have run it so far