Differences between 6.5 SAUM & 6.5 Sherman Short

I'm sure Lance will chime in but in my 6.5 ss I run the 156 Berger at just over 3k with a 26 inch barrel it's very very easy on the brass as it's a mellow load. It's so accurate,I never chased anything higher. I had the 140's over 3200. And 147 Hornady at 3180 but they have a lot of bearing surface and the pressured out with rl 26 and didn't shoot as good as the 156 with n570.
 
You didn't say what Range you'd be shooting? Shorter Barrel usually requires a larger bore for similar performance. Keep the 260 and go 6.8 Western or 7 SAUM? Either will give you more options in the shorter tube.
0 to ????? Yards. I have opportunities over 500 where I hunt but I'm looking more toward doing some western hunts in the future. Wanting to put together something on a short action with some horsepower behind it.

I'm not interested in 7mm because I'm so heavily invested in 6.5mm components. My next step would be 30 caliber but I already have a 300 Win Mag.
 
Look at the cases…the saum is going to be faster. It's just data and numbers and it's got a bigger boiler room.

I typically pick a bullet and then build around it with velocity expectations.

I had a saum and will have another (a friend wanted it so he has it). My thoughts 3k is a magic'ish number for most rounds.

Saum 22-24" barrel you can get the 156's there, 18-20" you can get the 140's there and 16-18" you can get the 120's there.

You've got a 260ai and you'll likely not do much faster with a cut down saum, but that's not why you do it…you're going to end up with a much handier rifle and lose nothing to your long barreled 260.

My opinion, worth nothing…pick what you want, you're paying for it. I think a short barreled 6.5 saum is a perfect medium game rig. Also, mine was 16" running 123 scenars at 3060 and are nasty on everything they are run thru.
 
They hold almost same amount of powder(73 vs 74gr). From equal length barrel and proper freebore to position the bullet in same exact neck position, they will run very similar speeds at the same pressure. If you're getting the typical +75-100fps Sherman sauce, its all extra added pressure, nothing more. The case geometry and hard adg case heads will hold it. But there's no magic, just more psi.
 
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Look at the cases…the saum is going to be faster. It's just data and numbers and it's got a bigger boiler room.

I typically pick a bullet and then build around it with velocity expectations.

I had a saum and will have another (a friend wanted it so he has it). My thoughts 3k is a magic'ish number for most rounds.

Saum 22-24" barrel you can get the 156's there, 18-20" you can get the 140's there and 16-18" you can get the 120's there.

You've got a 260ai and you'll likely not do much faster with a cut down saum, but that's not why you do it…you're going to end up with a much handier rifle and lose nothing to your long barreled 260.

My opinion, worth nothing…pick what you want, you're paying for it. I think a short barreled 6.5 saum is a perfect medium game rig. Also, mine was 16" running 123 scenars at 3060 and are nasty on everything they are run thru.
Is agree with everything you said. I seated a bullet in both cases and with the bullet in the optimum position, the SS end up about .030 - .040" shorter overall. I can seat a 140 VLD at 2.950 with the Saum (which maxes out magazine length capacity) and 2.920-2.930 with the SS which allows some room for throat erosion.

3000fps would be my goal with 140 class bullets in a 20" barrel. I'm sure either will get there even is the Sherman runs at higher pressure than the SAUM and seem to be ther better case design for use in a short action.
 
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Look at the cases…the saum is going to be faster. It's just data and numbers and it's got a bigger boiler room.

I typically pick a bullet and then build around it with velocity expectations.

I had a saum and will have another (a friend wanted it so he has it). My thoughts 3k is a magic'ish number for most rounds.

Saum 22-24" barrel you can get the 156's there, 18-20" you can get the 140's there and 16-18" you can get the 120's there.

You've got a 260ai and you'll likely not do much faster with a cut down saum, but that's not why you do it…you're going to end up with a much handier rifle and lose nothing to your long barreled 260.

My opinion, worth nothing…pick what you want, you're paying for it. I think a short barreled 6.5 saum is a perfect medium game rig. Also, mine was 16" running 123 scenars at 3060 and are nasty on everything they are run thru.
The saum is NOT faster than the SS, and in fact, is slower in a short action for sure!
 

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