Experience with 6.5-'06 and improved

[wildcat westerner]

Hello, I am seeking the insights with those who have practical experience with the 6.5-'06 and 6.5-'06 Improved for hunting purposes. After shooting 140-142 6.5 grain bullets at long range competitions,a hunting bullet in this caliber and weight, in a standard caliber with an extra cartridge or two in the magazine, seems like an excellent long range choice to me. My .35 Whelan Ackley ( Springfield) has 5 in the magazine and one in the chamber and twice when hunting Roosevelt Elk in Oregon I was glad of that capacity! The 6.5 will be used in the SW for deer and Antelope, Aoudad, ibex and Oryx.

 

[lee264]

6.5-06AI would pretty much be a 264 win mag without the belt. Probably not quite as fast but within 100fps or better. I'd say that's a winner. I have taken whitetails out to 663 yards with my 264win. 95 percent of them have been bang flops the other 5 percent went less than 50 yards.

 

[wildcat westerner]

Lee,

Thanks for your reply and Happy New Year. I do not mean to demean your choice of calibers, but I do remember shooting and testing a custom .264M/Sako/Douglas many years ago. It was summer and warm and the clear indications were that this was a quality made weapon. I did fire a 5/8" one hole group at 100 with it. That's true, but the barrel got so warm, it took 47 minutes to shoot that 5 shot group!
With my long actioned rifle with a standard boltface I figure that utilizing the .270 RWS brand ammo cases that substantial velocities can be attained and still retain accuracy with ELD-X and Berger bullets. I have two 6.5 x 284's. Quite simply they are much more accurate at long range at 2,825fps than they are at 2,900+ where the pressures are simply untenable for long lived brass.
Thanks a lot for real experience with your rifle.
Gene S.

 

[Plinker147]

I have two of 6.5-06 that I've hunted everything and killed everything you mentioned. nice all around cartridge. Your looking at 2800-2900 with 140s out of standard and 2900-3000 in the AI with 24 in barrel. You can get better FPS with long barrels but beats the point of a hunting rifle to me

To me 100 FPS isn't worth the trouble of fireforming the brass. But if you like to mess with that, the AI is slightly better.

If you already have 6.5-284 I would stick with that no ballistic difference between the two

 

[aebhunter]

I have a good friend who runs a 6.5-06 shooting the 147 ELD-M. He uses it for everything, including elk, with tremendous results. I think he is pushing it in the 2950ish range.

 

[lancetkenyon]

I have done load development for 2 different 6.5-06AI (one was actually a 6.5-.270AI). 140-142 SMK, HVLD or Hybrids can be shot at 3100-3150fps from a 24-26" barrel with relative ease, and not run so hot that brass life is severely effected. Acccuracy was fantastic in both the rifles I shot after development was complete. I think with proper bullet placement, it would make a fine mid-range elk rifle out to 700 or so. Deer and antelope should fall from the round easily out to 900-1000, again, with proper shot placement.

I have hadand shot a few different Ackley cartridges. Love them. .250AI, .25-06AI, 6.5-06AI, .270AI, .280AI, .30-06AI. Been thinking about building a fast twist .22-250AI for a while now.

 

[wildcat westerner]

I have two of 6.5-06 that I've hunted everything and killed everything you mentioned. nice all around cartridge. Your looking at 2800-2900 with 140s out of standard and 2900-3000 in the AI with 24 in barrel. You can get better FPS with long barrels but beats the point of a hunting rifle to me

To me 100 FPS isn't worth the trouble of fireforming the brass. But if you like to mess with that, the AI is slightly better.

If you already have 6.5-284 I would stick with that no ballistic difference between the two

Hello and thank you, I have been shooting a 6.5 x 284 in competition and hunting for 16 years now. it isa fine cartidge and easily more efficient than either the 6.5-'06 or .264 magnum. However, shooting on the 1,000 yard range at Whittington I definitely can see the difference between my 6.4 x 284 and the 6.5-'06 Improved I shot. Admittedly this distance is extreme for hunting for me, but if you can make shots at 1,000 it definitely helps the confidence level when attempting a closer distance shot for a clean kill, if the distance is known.
Gene S.

 

[wildcat westerner]

I have done load development for 2 different 6.5-06AI (one was actually a 6.5-.270AI). 140-142 SMK, HVLD or Hybrids can be shot at 3100-3150fps from a 24-26" barrel with relative ease, and not run so hot that brass life is severely effected. Acccuracy was fantastic in both the rifles I shot after development was complete. I think with proper bullet placement, it would make a fine mid-range elk rifle out to 700 or so. Deer and antelope should fall from the round easily out to 900-1000, again, with proper shot placement.

I have hadand shot a few different Ackley cartridges. Love them. .250AI, .25-06AI, 6.5-06AI, .270AI, .280AI, .30-06AI. Been thinking about building a fast twist .22-250AI for a while now.

Lance, Happy new Year to you and the 6.5-270 Improved was exactly the cartridge I was thinking of, with RWS .270 brass. With my long action, magazine capacity and standard bolt face, this cartridge, which I smiled about even five years ago, now seems sensible here with the elevations (6,500+) and damnable Rockies' wind! My, it seems to me you sure know how to keep gunsmiths' happy at their lathes!

Gene S.

 

[lancetkenyon]

I current have a 6.5 Sherman Short Mag that is really impressive too. Kind of like a slightly shortened 6.5 SAUM 40°.

6.5mm 150gr. SMK @ 3160fps is quite impressive. Especially when I shot a 2.7" 3 shot group at 926 yards. Can't wait to get a deer or pronghorn tag.

 

[wildcat westerner]

Hello Lance,
Thanks for your recent phone conversation, that was so enlightening. I now note there are 3 Hornady 140+ 6.5 bullets. So, with the 6.5-.270 Improved, which of these may be the best for long range hunting purposes, or this merely conjecture? Why would Hornady make three bullets with such close bullet weight? Using the RWS .270 brass for the cartridge, what would be the best neck diameter to have the throat cut to? In 6.5 diameter I have two barrels which were three groove, and both were relatively easy to clean and quite accurate. Have you experience with these?
2.7 inches at 900 is pretty awesome to me, and I have set two different worlds records in competition.
Happy New Year,
Gene S.

 

[Predator 22]

You may want to look into the 6.5 Sherman. Rich Sherman (elkaholic) can fill you in on the details. It is a very impressive round. I have a rem 700 that's going to get this treatment here soon.

 

[Rich Coyle]

tag

 

[wildcat westerner]

You may want to look into the 6.5 Sherman. Rich Sherman (elkaholic) can fill you in on the details. It is a very impressive round. I have a rem 700 that's going to get this treatment here soon.

Predator, Thanks for this information. I have had a conversation with Mr. Sherman, who has been very influential in the decision I have reached, both by comparison firing and also his ballistic information he has shared with me.

Gene S.