The 6.5's

[BlackSS]

I'm looking very hard at a 6.5 for a semi custom build.

My reloading manual does not have too much in the way of the different cartridges available in this caliber.

If anyone would be so kind as to type out a list including the more common wildcats I would really appreciate. Order of mild to wild would be even better.

TIA

 

[liltank]

6.5 Grendal, 6.5x47, 260Rem./AI, 6.5x55 Swede/AI, 6.5-284, 6.5-06/AI, 6.5 Rem SAUM, 6.5WSM, 264 Win Mag, 264 Weatherby Mag, 264STW

Mild to wild in about that order.

Tank

 

[rscott5028]

http://www.6mmbr.com/SixFive284.html

 

[Ian B]

The 6.5x 284 is pretty much the king of the hill amid the 6.5s you regularly see in 1000 yard competition and LRH.

One wildcat I was looking at recently is called the 6.5 SLR.

other than that the above list seems pretty comprehensive its missing the 6.5 Creedmore.
Of course there is always more stuff out there i think someone here made a wild cat 6.5 out of 338 laupa brass now thats wild.

 

[WildRose]

I'm looking very hard at a 6.5 for a semi custom build.

My reloading manual does not have too much in the way of the different cartridges available in this caliber.

If anyone would be so kind as to type out a list including the more common wildcats I would really appreciate. Order of mild to wild would be even better.

TIA

My first thought would be , "what is your main goal for this rifle?".

Do you want to go for extreme velocity, extreme accuracy, does barrel life matter?

I thought for years about trying to build a 6.5 STW, but never got around to it.

Now that I'm all grown up, and understand that I have to live on a budget, I have instead opted to build a .260 rem.

Anything I own, I will shoot and shoot a lot so cost of ammo, availability of components, availability of good factory ammo, and barrel life matter a lot to me.

From the mild end you have the 6.5 Lapua, on the extreme end you have the .264 win mag or 6.5 STW.

Me I'm just going to spend my first thousand rounds of .260 trying to find the sweet spot between velocity and accuracy and I suspect for the build I'm putting together it'll end up being the 120-130gr's and shooting around 3000fps.

 

[liltank]

I forgot about the creedmore. I believe it fits between the 6.5x47 and the 260.

Tank

 

[OKIE2]

6.5 Grendal, 6.5x47, 260Rem./AI, 6.5x55 Swede/AI, 6.5-284, 6.5-06/AI, 6.5 Rem SAUM, 6.5WSM, 264 Win Mag, 264 Weatherby Mag, 264STW

Mild to wild in about that order.

Tank

You forgot the 6.5 rem mag very good round in a 26" barrel it will match the 264 mag.

 

[LRHWAL]

THere are some others, some you probably wouldn't go for! Doubt you would post on this site if it interested you, but 6.5TCU and 6.5BR and I think there is one in the Whisper range.

Here in South Africa the 6.5x57 has a following. Ballistically it's basically a Swede.

In Europe there is a 6.5x68 (off the 8x68s case) that seems to be real dynamite if you read the numbers. I've seen only one here and several for sale, but never shot one. It is a factory chambering.

Then there's all the antique stuff, 6.5x54 (Mannlicher), 6.5x58 (also called the 6.5x58 Portuguese plenty here), 6.5 Carcano, 6.5 Ariska.

A 6.5 Gibbs could be fun, but I don't know quite enough to comment more.

There has also been a 6.5-300 Weatherby Mag done (and probably a heap of others!).

What did I miss?

 

[rscott5028]

Take a look at the reamer Mfg's such as PTG, Manson, and Clymer. They usually have some strange ones listed along with a number of subtle variations of a given cartridge. 6.5x284 has a bunch of variations. ...not that they are different cartridges. But, more decisions to make when you get ready to build.

-- richard

 

[Weezer]

I chambered a 6.5xRoberts AI or a 6.5x57AI and it can be ran from mild to to pretty strong. 120's @ 3300, have pushed 140 Bergers @ 3000. For bug holes 130s @ 27 to 2800.
Down side forming cases. I neck size and bump the shoulders back on a 6.5x284 die. The cases seem to hold up pretty good if I anneal them after 5 or 6 firings.
I have heard this called 6.5 all around rifle and a few other names but Paul Mauser invented it 90 years or so ago. I don't know if he tried the 40 degree shoulder on it. Google 6.5 Roberts Improved and it should bring you up some more info if you want to. This is just another option that incompasses several of the rifles before going to the 6.5x284. Hope this helps a little. Good luck with what ever choice you make. Joe

 

[Aldon]

I have a Sendero customized 6.5-06 "beanfield" and my next is a 260 remington for stalking etc.

 

[orangeride]

I've got a 6.5 rum. Shoots a 130gr swift at 3500 FPS from a 26.5" barrel. Its very hard on barrels. It will go through a stainless shilian in about 750 rnds. It's Also pretty hard on brass. Shilians seem to shoot the best near the end of their life. .75moa new. .36" moa near the end. Also forget 5 shoot gropus. It gets hot real quick. If you go this direction let me know, Ive got years worth of load dev.

 

[Good]

A lot of people shoot the 6.5s nowadays. Can someone shed some light as to why? The BC of the 140 Berger is respectable with a g1 of over . 6 and g7 of .313. But the 180g 7mm Berger has a g1 of almost .7 and a g7 of .337 and it can be pushed just as fast. Even the 168 7mm has a gz of .316. That said, why the 6.5? Is it a cost/recoil thing or is it really more inherently accurate?

 

[Don Ward]

You get a really flat trajectory, with fairly low recoil, and they are effective on game. Makes for a pretty attractive combo.

Every cartridge is a trade-off in bullet choices, recoil, powder consumption, ballistics, energy, action type, component availability, barrel life, etc, etc.

6.5s just happen to fit what a lot of folks are after when weighing the choices. We do a bunch of 264 Win mags and they are fun to shoot.