Why shoot a 6.5x284 or 6.5 PRC when they only have a 5% increase over the 6.5 Creedmoor or .260? An extra 100fps or 150fps makes a difference beyond 500 yards.
Weatherby 6.5 RPM?
- Thread starter Rich Coyle
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window licker
Well-Known Member
Right, a 5% difference.
Turnbolt53
Well-Known Member
Yep, there's a lot of 5% increases as we go up the cartridge ladder in any bore size.
Best plan is to pick your bullet weight, then pick how fast you want it to go, and based on that pick your cartridge.
Coyote_Hunter
Well-Known Member
Only you can determine if it makes sense for you. For myself, there are various reasons not to go 6.5-300WBY.
One is brass cost and down-the-road availability. My 6.5-06AI beats the 6.5RPM by 100fps with 140g bullets and fire-formed .25-06 brass, using a 24" barrel. It, too could be easily downloaded. The fire-form loads are very accurate out to 600 yards, with little recoil.
Another is, although I have several light to very light loads for my rifles (.308- and .30-06-level loads for my .300WM and a 300g bullet with a mere 13.5g HS6 in a .45-70 case, for example), as a rule I prefer near case-filling to slightly compressed powder charges. This helps avoid bullet setback and overcharges. Haven't shot the light loads in the ,300WM for years as I now have both .308 and .30-06 rifles. The .45-70 load is still very popular with my girls and myself - less than half the recoil of a .30-30 factory load, very accurate and pretty destructive, even if the range is limited by a .22 Short type trajectory,
A third is I already have rifles that reach as far as I'm willing to shoot at game, and if I was going for long range targets I'd go with a larger diameter and heavier bullet. Maybe a .300PRC or a .338 of some sort.
Barrel life with the full power loads is a concern. I like my rifles to last like the Energizer Bunny. My 7mm RM is still running strong after 37 years.
Lastly, I'm a slow adopter in most cases. A true stick in the mud, a "Show me" Missourian from Iowa. At this time I just don't see the benefit outweighs that offered by the alternatives.
YMMV.
Coyote Hunter, you can do all that for $469? I can & will download but it's like horsepower, you don't have to use it most of the time but it's nice when you need it. I like the 6.5x55, 45/70, 450 Marlin, 308 & have 3 338 Lapua mags I can load for $1 a rd. I shoot mainly 22lr, have a range here on the farm & shoot 10-20,000+ rds a year. Started for honing my ELR skills & got hooked. We're shooting golf balls at 300 yards & moving back to 400 yards. If you can master 22 rimfire ELR, CF is easy.
Turnbolt53
Well-Known Member
Comparing maxed out 6.5-06AI loads to the pre-release factory ammo specs is a bit misleading.
Given that the basic 6.5x284 case has pretty much the same capacity as the 6.5-06AI, the stretched long-action RPM case will surely allow a handloader to achieve a good bit more velocity than the 6.5-06AI round.
Yeah the Weatherby factory ammo numbers for the RPM are definitely underwhelming compared to what it will be capable of. In another thread, someone said the case capacity was within a couple grains of the 7mmRem Mag. If that is true, then the RPM will easily be able to push 140s to 3150-3200fps. It would be identical to the .264 Win Mags performance.
window licker
Well-Known Member
I would be willing to bet as soon as you load that Norma brass to 3200 with a 140, you will also be able to use 209 primers in it, on the second shot.
WoodPecker Hunter
Well-Known Member
I VERY much DOUBT the Weight ! BUT Hope it is ! WP
Rich Coyle
Well-Known Member
Very simple. Get a lighter rifle.
My Dad just bought a recent lot of Norma 7mmRM brass. He has 10 firings on some of it with a 162gr ELD at 3070fps. I wouldn't say it's that junk.
