6.5 wsm

[Terry Scott]

Have several(maybe too many) 6.5 projects but what the heck is one more.
I have a 270 WSM and am thinking of rebarreling to a 6.5 WSM
anyone have any experience shooting 140 bergers? What velocities were you getting? How was your barrel life?
Thanks

 

[4bycamper]

If you Google 6.5 WSM you will see stories going all the way back to 2003.

I think the 7mm wsm is a better long range round.

JM.02

 

[Terry Scott]

Thx
I agree with you the 7 is better
That said I have that base well covered.
So I am still interested in the feedback on the 6.5

 

[Terry Scott]

Anyone out there shoot a 6.5 WSM?

 

[bowhunter42]

I just finished my 6.5 wsm build and am in the process of load development. so far it is really fond of 65.5 h 1000 and a 250 primer, its pushing the 140 berger at 3297 fps out of a 26" pipe. ragged 1 hole 5shot group @100 , gave me a 3shot 1/2 group @ 200, and at 400 it put 5 shots into a 1 1/2" group with 15 mph winds. the Es is 10fps consistantly. very slight cratering of the primer, but I think the head space is just a little long.I have a set of go/no go gauges being delivered today so I will be checking that when I get home. I did shoot it at 825 and 1016 and I have to say that it is the flatest shooting thing I have EVER shot. It only took 17 moa to get to 1016 and 11 moa to 825! they say barrel life is a little short, so I sent mine out and had it melonited, it has 70 rounds thru it and we ran a bore scope down it just to see, It looks like its never had a round thru it, I know 70 isn't that many but we will be keeping a close eye on it to see how well the meloniting works.

 

[BrentM]

Sorry to sound so ignorant but why is a 7mm better? Is it the weight and speed? Sectional density?

For example the 7mm 168 Berger has a bc of .617 and the 6.5mm 140 Berger is .612. Pretty close. I assume the 168 is slower than the 140 but is it fast enough to make up the difference?

I have been considering 7mm once my 6.5 barrel is done. Was thinking a 7 LRM, but wow 3300 ft with 6.5 seems pretty awesome for LR.

Anyone, sorry to hijack, I am still learning about all this stuff and there is lot I don't understand yet.

 

[bowhunter42]

I dont think its better at all, the day I took the 6.5 out and stretched its legs, I also had one of our new 7 mags,it's pushing the 168 @3078 fps the two side by side the 6.5 won hands down! The 7 mag took16 moa to get to 825 and when I was shooting 1016 I held 1 moa left wind on the6.5 and 3 moa on the 7! The 7 does have better barrel life but if this meloniting does what I have heard it does, then that wont be the case anymore. I built the 6.5 for my wife but the more I play with it's the more I want one of my own!

 

[Terry Scott]

Thanks,
Great information. Where did you get the barrel treatment?
I have had a lot of luck with H1000, it would be my first powder for this chambering. Short barrel life is relative, with the sheer 3 of rifles I own 1000 rds of life would be plenty. This rifle would be a hunting rifle, not a target gun.
Please keep me in the loop, as far as your barrel and loads are doing.
Thanks

 

[Terry Scott]

When comparing the 2 they are very close. It is really difficult to beat a 140 gr @ 3300 FPS, However when shooting a 7mm I am inclined to use the 180. @ 3100 fps it carries well down range and gets there with quite authority.
That said I have one 7 LRM and going on 3 rifles in 6.5 unless I am after Elk I'll use the 6.5s on everything. Not to say the 6.5 is not enough, many elk and moose are killed quite dead with the 6.5 .

 

[BrentM]

Well, my 6.5x284 is 300 fps slower @ 2970 and I am very interested in building a 6.5wsm now. How is the recoil on this rifle? Man, that sounds like a great wolf rifle.

 

[joet]

I dont think its better at all, the day I took the 6.5 out and stretched its legs, I also had one of our new 7 mags,it's pushing the 168 @3078 fps the two side by side the 6.5 won hands down! The 7 mag took16 moa to get to 825 and when I was shooting 1016 I held 1 moa left wind on the6.5 and 3 moa on the 7! The 7 does have better barrel life but if this meloniting does what I have heard it does, then that wont be the case anymore. I built the 6.5 for my wife but the more I play with it's the more I want one of my own!

the 6.5 wins every time,

 

[bowhunter42]

Its sporting a break so the recoil is nil! -1000 is by far my favorite powder, I load for alot of calibers, from 243 up to 30/378 wby and I have found h-1000 suitable for all of them, with it I am able to get great velocity with no pressure signs, and more importantly low Es's and great accuracy its the Imr 4350 of its time.

 

[bowhunter42]

Terry Scott, I got the barrel treatment done at MMI-tru tec, out of arkansa. cost 60 for the barrel and break +20 return shipping. talk to Rodney Lainer. It looks so good we ceracoated everything black but left the barrel alone, it blends into the ceracoat but nicer!

 

[BrentM]

So I think this project is a go for my buddy who is an outfitter and it will be his long range set up. I will wait until my barrel is burned out and see what I want to do then.

Who can make a 6.5 WSM chamber and who do you get your dies from. I assume 270 WSM brass necked down to .264. Is that correct?