6.5-06 barrel life?

Barrel life predictions are hard to make as there are many factors that come into play besides the basic case design. Barrel, powder, bullets, rate of fire, and so on.

Both of the cartridges you mention are not noted for long barrel life.
So if you want the performance of either, then you have to decide to forgo the "barrel life" issue and monitor your throat erosion over time.
You can't have you're cake and eat it too as they say.
 
As Joel said; barrel life is a variable thing controlled by many factors.

Barrel life can be managed to some extent by Frequent cleaning, heaver bullets that reduce
velocity, Keeping heat to a minimum and barrel material.

Barrel life for a hunting rifle is really not a factor because it is hard to burn out a barrel under
hunting conditions.

I have only burnt out a few barrels and these were hot rods with velocities above 3500 ft/sec
and lots of powder.

Most of the barrels that people think are burned out just need to be set back to freshen the
leading edge of the rifling and the chamber.

Carbon sometimes builds up in the neck and the reamer will clean this out is solvent doesn't.

Build what you want and with care it should last a lifetime.

J E CUSTOM
 
My guess would be pretty close to the same but I have not shot a barrel out in either. I shoot the 6.5-06 AI, 264 Gibbs, 264 win mag and 264 STW. All four of these shoot more powder with more velocity than the two you mentioned. I have not shot a barrel out of either of mine and have shot several hundred rounds in each over the last 20+ years or so. I do not overheat my barrels at the range and keep my bores clean. If you do that either of the ones you choose should last you plenty long enough to make the investment worthwhile.
 
You guys must not shoot much.

6.5-06 would be easier on the barrel than say a 25-06. It's a powder amount ratio to the bore size. I sold my 30-378 when it was needing it's third barrel. But a day at the range I can go through 200 rounds. 30-378 have bad erosion in just 400 some rounds. I have 277 cal on their second and third barrel but that is thousands upon thousand of rounds. Like in three days of P-Dog hunting I shot @ 1000 rounds out of 4 rifles. Or when I was in the military sniper school. 5 of us shot 8000 .308 rounds in one day.
 
Last edited:
They are so close in case capisity that there will be no noticeable difference in barrel life or velocity.
 
I have a 6.5-06AI on a pac nor barrel that has north of 1500 rounds through it and still consistantly shoots .5 moa. I am wishing it would wear out so I can stuff something new together but she just keeps on shootin!!
 
The .25-06 Remington had been a wildcat cartridge for half a century before being standardized by Remington in 1969. It is based on the .30-06 Springfield cartridge necked-down (case opening made narrower) to .257 inch caliber with no other changes. Nominal bullet diameter is 0.257 in (6.53 mm) and bullet weights range from 75 to 120 grains (4.9 to 7.8 g).

What are you calling 6.5 mm?
 
The .25-06 Remington had been a wildcat cartridge for half a century before being standardized by Remington in 1969. It is based on the .30-06 Springfield cartridge necked-down (case opening made narrower) to .257 inch caliber with no other changes. Nominal bullet diameter is 0.257 in (6.53 mm) and bullet weights range from 75 to 120 grains (4.9 to 7.8 g).

What are you calling 6.5 mm?

.264 bullets
 
That's 6.8 mm. :)

I wondered but I couldn't find and info on it. I figured it must be a 260 with the bullet weights being used.
 
That's 6.8 mm. :)

I wondered but I couldn't find and info on it. I figured it must be a 260 with the bullet weights being used.

The 6,5 bullets have a diameter of .264.

The 6.8 spc bullets have a diameter of .277.

The 280 uses a .284 diameter bullet.

In actual inches the 7mm = .277 so the old 270 win was the first true 7mm.

So even though a bullet is called something like a 6mm or a 7mm it may not be a true 6mm or
7mm dimension.

So a 6.5/06 is a 3006 necked down to .264.

J E CUSTOM
 
I knew the others. I just couldn't find the data for the 6.5 and I knew it wasn't really a 6.5. I thought I'd have some fun with it. :)
 
Warning! This thread is more than 14 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.
Top