Which 6.5mm for 1K deer?

[Hicks]

I have a Rem XR-100, which I'm going to change from a .22-250 to a 6.5-284 or something like it.

I saw the question asked about bbl life in this cartridge which never really got answered. The originator of this thread mentioned that he wanted to get at least 2000 rounds down the tube before he had to replace it. Is this a reasonable number to expect with this cartridge? All things being equal, what is the service life of a bbl chambered in this cartridge?

I just burned out a factory 7mmRUM, and I doubt that I had 500 rounds through it. Don't want to do that again with any bbl that I buy.

 

[Ernie]

I have a Rem XR-100, which I'm going to change from a .22-250 to a 6.5-284 or something like it.

I saw the question asked about bbl life in this cartridge which never really got answered. The originator of this thread mentioned that he wanted to get at least 2000 rounds down the tube before he had to replace it. Is this a reasonable number to expect with this cartridge? All things being equal, what is the service life of a bbl chambered in this cartridge?

I just burned out a factory 7mmRUM, and I doubt that I had 500 rounds through it. Don't want to do that again with any bbl that I buy.

I go over 1,200 rounds with my 6.5-284's, and sometimes more and they are still doing okay.
Part of the issue with throat life is the amount of back to back shooting you do.
If you are using this gun for practice and hunting, the barrel is going to last a real long time. But, if you are using it for a comp or pd shooting, it will not last as many rounds.

 

[Dano1]

I actually have a 6.5-06AI and right now I'm able to get 3125FPS out of a 26"bbl with a 140g Berger VLD and RL-22. I know that this bullet can be pushed faster out of my rifle and I'm thinking that Retumbo may actually be the ticket. I have shot the hottest loads I could find on the internet using Retumbo and a 140g bullet and they are showing no pressure signs at all. Infact they are milder than RL-22 loads

I am still in the testing phase, and trying to find the best powder for this rifle. I built this rifle this last spring and didn't have all the time I wanted to get the best loads for this rifle. I was able to take a respectable muley this fall with it, but I did shoot at some bucks at the 600-700yd mark and I kept shooting just over them. This is one flat shooting cartridge. I gotta get some time behind my rifle and do better this next fall.

As far as ease of loading, this one is easy, of course you gotta fire form brass, Mine has a match chamber, so I turn my necks as well.

Barrel life???, I'll probablly never wear out this rilfe. I won't shoot it that much.

I do like this cartridge alot!

Dan

 

[PAshooter]

Question to those with some more experience - what about the other 6.5 calibers, like the Creedmore or 6.5 x 47, or even 6.5 x 55 at higher pressures?

Do you think that with handloads, those are inadequate for the task? Or is it a small enough difference to be irrelevant?

thanks.

 

[Frog 7]

I am building a 6.5 Creedmoor right now for hunting. The factory load for the 140 AMAX comes out at i think 2,820 at a pressure below SAAMI~57,000psi. I am sure with handloading you can push it up, but i am not confident to the speed you want.

I have not found anyone talking about loads that get you the speed you are looking for from this case. May be out there, but i have not seen it. the 6.5 X 47 is ~150fps slower than the Creedmoor, so velocity wise you would start in an even deeper hole.

Here are two article about guys making some things happen with 284's that may get you closer to the performance you are looking for. It is 7mm, but that may be the compromise you will need to make:

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial]284 Win Tactical Hunter
.284 Win Tactical Hunter


Record-setting .284 Win F-Classer
Record-Setting .284 Win F-Classer[/FONT]

Good luck

 

[elkaholic]

I am going to be in the market for a 6.5 of some sort when my 25-06 shoots out. I've had a love affair with the 25-06 for 10 years, but it has its limits, which for me is around 600-700 yards with the 115g NBT. I have a rem 700 w/24" shilen right now that shoots great, but when the barrel is toast, I am going to rebarrel to a 6.5 of some sort. They just stomp the .25 cals due to the BC.

This rifle will be primarily used for deer, occasional antelope and coyotes, and gong shooting out to 1200.

I would like to shoot a 140g amax or vld at around 3200fps. This would give me 1800fps and 1000ft lbs remaining at 1K, which should fully do the job on any deer I will shoot. I dont want to get to much faster then I get into way overbore cartridges and shitti barrel life, dont want to much slower because the velocity at 1K is down to 1650fps when started at 3000fps.

Originally I always thought the 6.5-06 AI was the way to go w/28" bbl, **** near 264 WM performance and no belt, plus I wouldn't have to open my boltface. Is it possible to get 3200fps with a 6.5-06 AI w/28" tube and a case full of some slow powder??

I know I can pretty much build anything on a 700 LA, but I would like to keep the standard boltface and have a cartridge with no belt that will give me 3200fps comfortably, and more importantly, very accurate at 1K.

Here is some cartridges I was thinking of, standard 6.5-06, 6.5-06 AI, 6.5 Gibbs, 6.5 Dakota, 6.5 300 RUM (realize the last 2 would have to open the boltface) I would more en likely put a 28" on all of them.

Would just kinda like to have something different, dont know about to extreme though, the 6.5-300 RUM is kinda extreme IMO.

I am somewhat concerned about barrel life as well. I like to shoot and practice a lot, so I'd like to have a round that gives me at least 2000 rounds of barrel life. If this is possible while pushing a 140g at 3200fps...

Thanks for any and all feedback.

I don't know if you are interested, but I recently built EXACTLY what you are describing! I too shot a 25-06 for years and then a 6.5-06 A.I. for many more (same reason you gave for B.C.) I recently shot out that barrel and rebarreled with my own design. It has identical case capacity as the Gibbs and WSM, but with a much better neck and overall design. I can reach 3200 with a (26") barrel but case life and accuracy are better at 3100-3150. You could reach 3250 with a 28" and over 3300 with a 30" Parent case is a .270 W and case life and accuracy are great! It's called a 6.5-Sherman if you are interested...Rich

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Kirby has one heck of a nice 6.5WSM for sale for a great price. If I had he cash, I would be buying it myself.

Here's the link if it's not already gone...

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f25/christmas-sale-need-clean-out-safe-50089/

 

[azsugarbear]

I have a 6.5-06 AI that Kirby built for me a couple of years back. You can reach 3,200 fps with a 140 gr. bullet, but you are at the upper end of that caliber's capability. You are hoping that you will be lucky enough to have a good grouping or "node" at the upper end of that spectrum - which is seldom the case. Additionally, there may be other idiosyncracies with the barrel or rifle that will be beyond your control.

For example, my custom rifle wears a Lilja barrel with1 in 8 twist for the 140 grainers. While it has a .264 bore, it is a "tight" .264 bore. It just came that way from the factory. It simply does not do well with the thin-jacketed Berger VLD. It does group better with the 142 gr. SMK's or the 140 gr. A-Max's. But it really shines with the 130 gr. bullets - like the Accubond. My rifle was built and set-up for the 140's, but the barrel (call it harmonics, gremlins, whatever) simply likes 130 grain bullets better. What I give up in BC, I more than make up in accuracy.

If the higher BC and increased velocity is paramount for your shooting, then give a little on barrel life and go with a "magnum" 6.5 - meaning case capacity and not just a magnum moniker.

 

[6BR4ME2]

I go over 1,200 rounds with my 6.5-284's, and sometimes more and they are still doing okay.
Part of the issue with throat life is the amount of back to back shooting you do.
If you are using this gun for practice and hunting, the barrel is going to last a real long time. But, if you are using it for a comp or pd shooting, it will not last as many rounds.

+1

go for the 6.5x284

Also to consider the following
great brass (Lapua)

high sectional density bullets
as well as high BC bullets

Lots of options in weight and type of bullets

low recoil

Used it on a 824 meter Cow elk this last wednesday ....DRT