6.5 140vld at 3300-3400fps???? need help

lovdasnow

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hey guys. i've done a lot of searching and maybe I've overlooked it, but I'm having a hard time deciding on caliber for a lightweight long range gun. i would like to push the 6.5 140 vld to 3300-3400. but don't even know if that's a possibility. i would like to avoid fireforming if possible.

I've got a heavy 6.5x47 lapua that is a blast to shoot, and a 14lb, 338-378 getting built for places where i'm just hiking a few miles. just sold my custom 300RUM that i loved, but was made an offer i could not refuse, and that's why the 338 is getting built

Now i have the bug to build a carry gun with finished weight around 8lbs. It will be topped with the NF 2.5-10x32 and would like to keep the barrel to 24" with no brake. 1000yds max, but realistically more like 800 with this setup.
Not really worried about barrel life, that's why i build my lapua, so i could shoot a ton and not worry too much about it.

i would love to hear your thoughts on caliber, speed, and how that would be conducive to a 8lb mid to long range setup.
thanks guys, i really appreciate you helping me organize my thoughts.
 
From what I am seeing, the velocities you want are going to require a long action. I checked on reloader's nest for some quick load data, but I really didn't look at barrel length. As per the velocities that I did see, 6.5WSM, 6.5 SAUM, 6.5x300 Weatherby mag, and probably the 264 Win Mag will give you those velocities or close too. Of the ones I named, I would probably go with the 6.5 WSM or SAUM. These two could be put into a short action if necessary.

Tank
 
thanks for the fast response. i'm just leaving for work, but will do some reading on the 6.5wsm and saum when i get back. that sounds like that may be a good option. I'll try to figure out what kind of velocitys guys are getting with a 24" barrel.
 
I can tell you for certain that a 6.5mm 140 going 3300-3400 FPS is going to EAT barrels alive. The 264 RM might give you 3100 with a 26" barrel. With the cramped bore space you are going to need a large case and a long barrel.

For those speeds at that bullet weight you are in 7mm RUM territory.

If it is flat shooting you seek, get a LRF and forget about how flat it is. If it is beating the wind you seek, you can do that with another caliber that will shoot higher BC bullets. With the 7mm WSM, you can run the 162 AMAX around the 3000 mark or the 180 VLD around 2800 all in a 24" barrel. These are wind busters for sure.

Let us know what you decide!

M
 
I can tell you for certain that a 6.5mm 140 going 3300-3400 FPS is going to EAT barrels alive. The 264 RM might give you 3100 with a 26" barrel. With the cramped bore space you are going to need a large case and a long barrel.

For those speeds at that bullet weight you are in 7mm RUM territory.

If it is flat shooting you seek, get a LRF and forget about how flat it is. If it is beating the wind you seek, you can do that with another caliber that will shoot higher BC bullets. With the 7mm WSM, you can run the 162 AMAX around the 3000 mark or the 180 VLD around 2800 all in a 24" barrel. These are wind busters for sure.

Let us know what you decide!

M

+1 I agree, but he seemed to want the 6.5mm. Though the 6.5 WSM and 6.5 SAUM should do 3000 out of 24" wouldn't you think? Even at that speed it's still going to buck the wind pretty good.

Tank
 
I looked a lot at the 7mm 168's and the 180's, but the BC on the 6.5 140 was pretty stinking high, and the recoil would be less with that round as well to make it more comfortable to shoot without a brake (although that is not high on the priority list)

the 6.5 and 7mm is where this search started, and maybe i should not have eliminated the 7mm so quickly.

i completely agree with your comments about a LRF and not worrying about velocity. I have a swaro lrf, but i do like the added speed to increase margin of error on exact ranging and wind reading. not using it for an excuse to not practice more, but just for that extra margin, if i can get it.
 
When you find something let me know too, please. :)

I've got a Accumark 300Wby that has been sitting doing nothing for to long and is either going to get sold or made into a 6.5 overbore something.

I'm personally not a big fan of belted cases or the short fat cases like the WSM which is why I was thinking something like a 6.5-7RUM. But, it was brought to my attention that I would most likely need atleast a 30 or 30+ tube to get any kind of reasonable amount of gain it would be capable of. Bummer for me but it certainly makes sense.

If you do a 6.5 off a WSM case do they typically use the 7WSM case and neck it down from there? The 7WSM case, going by the #'s, looks to have the most case capacity of all the WSM's as well as would be a simple neck down to 6.5.

How well do these short fat cases with long bullets feed thru a long action and what kind of FPS do they get with the 140ish bullets????
 
I just went to reloader's nest.com. He is using 62.0grns of RL19 in a 30" tube getting 3320fps with a 140VLD in a SAUM case. Another load is a 6.5WSM with H1000 pushing a 140 SGK to 2940 with 59.2grns of powder. I would imagine with a VLD and RL17 or something similar in burn rate should be able to push it into the 3050-3100fps ball park, but that is merely speculation. Not owning the caliber it's hard to say. There are some guys on this sight that own the 6.5 shorts so you may want to post something like, "Need reloading info on 6.5 WSM or SAUM" and see what your response is. You may want to look at the ballistics of a 270WSM with a 150grn bullet. You can push them close to the numbers you want and from what I read, devastating on game. I'm seeing 3100 to 3200fps with Berger VLD 150 posting some good groups. That will get you to the 1000 mark for deers and antelopes. That's out of a 24" barrel too.

Tank
 
I just went to reloader's nest.com. He is using 62.0grns of RL19 in a 30" tube getting 3320fps with a 140VLD in a SAUM case. Another load is a 6.5WSM with H1000 pushing a 140 SGK to 2940 with 59.2grns of powder. I would imagine with a VLD and RL17 or something similar in burn rate should be able to push it into the 3050-3100fps ball park, but that is merely speculation. Not owning the caliber it's hard to say. There are some guys on this sight that own the 6.5 shorts so you may want to post something like, "Need reloading info on 6.5 WSM or SAUM" and see what your response is. You may want to look at the ballistics of a 270WSM with a 150grn bullet. You can push them close to the numbers you want and from what I read, devastating on game. I'm seeing 3100 to 3200fps with Berger VLD 150 posting some good groups. That will get you to the 1000 mark for deers and antelopes. That's out of a 24" barrel too.

Tank

You have to really stomp on the 270 WSM to run with the 6.5's. I can clock the 140gr bullets 3300-3400fps with a 26in barrel and slow powders but the BC is much lower than the 6.5's and the ballistics match the 6.5 with a 140 gr bullet at the 3000-3100fps range.

I think Ernie is running a new 6.5 on the 270 WSM with Norma brass, may look into that a little. I can hear the barrel crackling now!:D
I think LTLR had some dealings with the 6.5 STW also.
 
My 264 stw will reach over 3300 fps with the 140 in a 28" barrel. You might could design something off the 338 lapua imp or ultramag case to do it but not at that weight rifle. With what I have worked with in 6.5 the 6.5 wsm I think would be the best option in that weight rifle. You will not get 3300 fps but it will be accurate and the most efficient in that barrel length. With short barrels the larger the caliber the better off you are with large cases because the less overbore you have the more efficient you are with velocity loss or the lack of it. That is why the 338 win mag does so well in short barrels. It doesn't lose much and is very efficient. So if you went the wsm route the 300 might be the best and the 7mm probably better than the 6.5. I mention the wsm because it is one of the most efficient large cases out there for use in short barrels.

For hunting purposes in a lightweight rifle with 24" barrel there are many choices that work well to 800 yards. If you include elk size critters the list gets shorter. The high BC wsm cartridges will get you there and there are several others particularly if deer size stuff is what you are after.

I have taken several animals at long range out to 1100 yards with a 24" barrel lightweight 338 win mag. A moose being the one at 1100. The 225 AB will shoot over 2900 fps with a .55 bc and hits stuff way harder at long range than some of the smaller stuff. My Tikka T-3 light weighs 7 1/2 pounds with scope and bipod. I have no trouble at all killing anything I want with it out to the 800 yards you are looking at. You do not need a heavy nightforce at that range. think light weight. Mine is a 13.9 oz swaro with the BR reticle which is dead on hits without turning clicks to 850 yards. And when I hit something with it, It is Dead. Just showing you there are other things out there many people don't really think about if they are just focused on ballistic charts. From all my posts through the years you know I am more focused on kill charts than ballistic charts.
 
I've chased my tail for awhile trying to get the same thing from a 270 win case necked down, and I've done it with a 6.5 Gibbs, but case life is really dismal.
I've clocked 140 bergers in the 3340fps range but the cases don't last long, and I had the barrel setback at 700 rounds.
I've since backed off and run them 3250 fps and hope to get better brass life and accuracy, (though the accuracy has been quite good all along)
RR
 
I think the 140 VLD in 6.5mm is an excellent choice. But, I'll take a 7mm 168VLD or 180VLD any day/week/month/year over the 140.
 
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