Opinions on a 6.5 STW

[6.5 Bandit]

I seen this on accuratereloading.com and was wandering what you fellows think.
How do you think this would work? Think it would be a waste of time and money? Thanks

6.5 Bandit

 

[Steve Shelp]

6.5 Bandit,
If you review all the posts on this site about the 6.5-300 Weatherby (6.5 WWH), the 6.5 STW and the 6.5-300 WWH are bascially 1 for 1 comparison. The only difference being it's cheaper to grind a reamer with the standard shoulder angles of the STW over the double radius shoulders of the weatherby case. But loads and balisitics are for all intents and purposes the same.

I own a 6.5-300 WWH and it's a very good long range hunting caliber. You won't win a BR match with it and it is a hot rod so barrel life isn't like a 6.5-284, but I've seen a lot of exaggerated claims of barrels shooting out in a couple of hundreds of rounds that I don't beleive are true. (If it is true something else is wrong.... i.e. bad barrel steel, continuous high pressure loads producing a HOT barrel, etc ,etc)
I've had several barrels on my rifle and have buddies that have 6.5 WWHs also and I've never seen that much throat erosion. Those opinions usually come from people who have never shot this caliber. I keep it backed off from the high velocities during the summer and only stoke it up when the extra power is needed.

I just need to get the dust blown off the ol' girl and shoot it. It's been idle for too long. Need to look at some brown fur through that Unertl scope.

Steve

 

[Mysticplayer]

Depends on what you want to do. For taking a 142gr MK to extreme vel, it would be the ticket. Barrel life would be very short. Only powders are in the 872, 50BMG range. Longer barrels would be a necessity.

Wouldn't bother for hunting at LR. Bullet weight too light for 1000+ ranges.

Sort of the 220Swift for a hunting cartridge. I like the 6.5WSM/RSAUM design better for a barrel burner. Of course, the 6.5-284/Swede AI have a proven track record. The 6.5WSSM should make a nice BR case.

Lots of fun...Wretched excess

Jerry

 

[6.5 Bandit]

Thanks for the replies's.. I owned a few 6.5/300 WWH's and as we speak i'm having my last 6.5/300 rebarreled with the same but only difference is this one will have a 40 degree shoulder. I was thinking they would be similer but wasnt positive.. Again thanks for your imput.

6.5 Bandit

 

[RMulhern]

It would be best if you own a barrel company akin to Krieger!!

 

[7stw]

I seen this on accuratereloading.com and was wandering what you fellows think.
How do you think this would work? Think it would be a waste of time and money? Thanks

6.5 Bandit

When Layne Simpson invented the 7STW, shortly afterward, he modified it and created the 6.5 STW. I think he even experimented with 6mm, but anyway, he did have a fondness for the 6.5' a little more than the 7STW. Eventually, Remington legitimized the 7 stw. I don't now if there were any plans to make the 6.5 stw a factory round, but I wish some one would have. I saw one in a custom shop a few years ago that was put together right, and I know it would shoot, but it was a timing issue that kept me from buying it. Man, I would love to put some 140 VLD's through it. Look out deer, way over yonder. ( P/S, at one time, Layne also created the 257 STW).

AIM SMALL, MISS SMALL. 7 STW. lightbulb

 

[stokesrj]

Hi, I had Ross Spagrud build me a 6.5 STW back in 1999 when Layne Simpson was building his at Prairie Gun Works in Winnepeg Manitoba. Mine is the second 6.5 STW built on a Prairie Gun Works Ti18 action which is a Remington 700 clone machined from Titanium with a Pacific Tool and Gauge bolt. It is set in a McMillan Ultralight Edge stock and fitted with a PacNor 26" #3 fluted barrel with a brake for 28" total barrel length. I had it throated for the Nosler 140 grain Partition which I used at the time.

It has been a very good gun, light, accurate, and very flat shooting. I used it to complete my Grand Slam of North American Wild sheep two of which made Boone And Crocket.

I now have 551 rounds down range, I don't shoot it much as it is a hunting gun and I have plenty of other match rifles that I go through barrels on regularly. This one shows only minor throat wear and still shoots sub .5 MOA groups at 300 yards.

Just today, I took it to a local range, only 100 yards (I know that isn't far enough to tell me much) to update my loads using Retumbo and Berger 140 VLD hunting bullets. I assembled a 20 shot ladder from 74.8 grains to 77.8 grains in .2 grain increments. It seems to really like this combination with the bullets seated to just touch the lands. The 77.8 turned out to be max with brass starting to flow into the ejectors, it has dual ejectors and a Sako extractor.

My son shot the first ten to get it warmed up and stable and I shot the second ten with 9 of the 10 went into a group measuring less than .6"
and the last five went in one hole about .28". So now I'll do some fine tuning at 77.5 grains with different seating depths and do some Chrono work.

I realize this is an old thread, but I really like the 6.5 STW and thought others might find this interesting.

 

[yobuck]

congratulations on your slam.
as you may be aware the 7mm stw is a clone to the 7x300 weatherby.
and before there was a 7x300 weatherby there was a 6.5x300 weatherby.
that due to bullet availibility at the time.
in the early 50s norma introduced a 139 gr match bullet.
very soon after a man named wright from new mexico developed the 6.5x300 weatherby cartridge by necking down the 300 weatherby case.
wright was a target shooter and had no interest in developing it as a long range hunting round.
but alex hoyer of lewistown pa. a gunsmith and hunter saw the potential.
in an agreement with wright he developed the cartridge into a long range hunting cartridge. it was dubbed the 6.5x300 wwh. weatherby, wright, hoyer.
it was very popular in pa untill hornady introduced the 162 gr match bt bullet.
from that point the 6.5x300 began losing its popularity there.

today however there is a resurgance of interest in the 6.5 cartridge.
but on the short mag cases rather than the longer versions.
you didnt mention your velocity.
but similar velocities can be obtained with short mag cases using the same
bullet and considerably less powder.

 

[stokesrj]

I didn't chronograph these loads because I've swithched over to a magneto speed chronograph that attaches to the barrel. I pick an accuracy node and then load duplicates to chronograph. I'll get a chance to do that and take the load out to 600 yards next month at Malabar.
I'm well aware of the short mags, but I still like the long ones, I also have a 300 H&H which is ancient but still out performs the 300 WSM.

Bob