Anyone out their playing with the 6.5-06 or 6.5-06AI? I'm getting ready to chamber a 29" tube in 6.5-06AI and hang it on a Ruger #1. My current thinking for brass is to neck down some decent 270 brass and either cow form or fireform with real loads to blow out the ackley shoulder. Any comments or experiences along these lines would help.
6.5-06AI
- Thread starter dkoopman
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
Fiftydriver
Official LRH Sponsor
First rifle I ever built was a 6.5-06 AI and have built many since that first one and all have been very impressive performers. SO close to 264 Win Mag performance its hard to believe.
I designed my reamer to use 25-06 cases. Take a boat tail 6.5mm bullet, seat it in a 25-06 case and the boat tail will expand the neck as the bullet seates, fire and your ready to roll with formed cases.
I like the 120 gr Ballistic Tip and 140 gr A-Max in my personal rifle but I hear there is a 130 gr Accubond due to come out as well so that will be a great choice as well.
Great round, lots of performance and easy to load for.
Watch the case lenght on those 270 cases, they will need to be trimmed unless the reamer is designed for the longer case necks.
Kirby Allen(50)
I designed my reamer to use 25-06 cases. Take a boat tail 6.5mm bullet, seat it in a 25-06 case and the boat tail will expand the neck as the bullet seates, fire and your ready to roll with formed cases.
I like the 120 gr Ballistic Tip and 140 gr A-Max in my personal rifle but I hear there is a 130 gr Accubond due to come out as well so that will be a great choice as well.
Great round, lots of performance and easy to load for.
Watch the case lenght on those 270 cases, they will need to be trimmed unless the reamer is designed for the longer case necks.
Kirby Allen(50)
You know it's kind of funny about this round. All my life I have really shot the 270win. and the 264winmag. I really never liked the idea of the belted case on the 264 and it looks like it should rip pills out better than it does. The 270, although it is my favorite always seemed like if it just had a little more go juice it would be perfect with the 130's.
I have always had a hankerin to build 6.5-06AI, but since I had a 264 and 270 I never bothered. This round looks like to me to be all a man would need and would be the perfect balance with 120gr pills for big game hunting in North America. Like the 130 marrys to the 270win.
I think I will...Kirby, I have an old pre64 action with a Douglas 25cal. barrel on it now. I need to save up some chump change and XMAS is here and all. You think you can fix me up.
Thanks Tim
I have always had a hankerin to build 6.5-06AI, but since I had a 264 and 270 I never bothered. This round looks like to me to be all a man would need and would be the perfect balance with 120gr pills for big game hunting in North America. Like the 130 marrys to the 270win.
I think I will...Kirby, I have an old pre64 action with a Douglas 25cal. barrel on it now. I need to save up some chump change and XMAS is here and all. You think you can fix me up.
Thanks Tim
Excellent point on the trim length. I was planning on necking them down, trimming for length, and neck reaming to give proper bullet tension. I usually try for about 0.004 of neck tension after reaming. I didn't think of using the bullet to neck up the 25-06, but I can certainly see that working well. Great thin about the 6.5-06 is ither way I'm only moving the neck a few thou and there's plenty of good brass to work with and bullets to choose from.
I'm really looking forward to this rifle and spent alot of time in choosing the cartridge I wanted in a 6.5. I toyed with a 6.5x57 but just didn't want to go to the expense of having a reamer made. I'm hoping for a spectacular finished product, though. I had a krieger #18 SS Fluted barrell made and hope to use the entire barrell length, and I picked up a Ruger #1 SS in 30-06 that shoots like a dog. Good thing about the Ruger #1 is I can have 4" more barrel and still have the same over all length compared to a bolt action. I just hope I can get the lock time and trigger managed well enough in the Ruger to do the cartridge and barrel justice. Since I have the reamer and everything, I may build a bolt action for the same cartridge, too. Maybe pick up a Rem 700 long action or a large ring mauser to start with. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Thanks
Dennis
I'm really looking forward to this rifle and spent alot of time in choosing the cartridge I wanted in a 6.5. I toyed with a 6.5x57 but just didn't want to go to the expense of having a reamer made. I'm hoping for a spectacular finished product, though. I had a krieger #18 SS Fluted barrell made and hope to use the entire barrell length, and I picked up a Ruger #1 SS in 30-06 that shoots like a dog. Good thing about the Ruger #1 is I can have 4" more barrel and still have the same over all length compared to a bolt action. I just hope I can get the lock time and trigger managed well enough in the Ruger to do the cartridge and barrel justice. Since I have the reamer and everything, I may build a bolt action for the same cartridge, too. Maybe pick up a Rem 700 long action or a large ring mauser to start with. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Thanks
Dennis
