• If you are being asked to change your password, and unsure how to do it, follow these instructions. Click here

6.5-06?

In 1964 I bought a new Rem 700 in 264mag. Have taken ton's of game with it. Will still shoot an inch or slightly under. Took my best bull ever in 2014 with it.. NEVER shoot more than two rounds thru it without a complete cool down. Those who pour round after round thru a hot barrel ruin their bore in short order. Since I have my own range I have the luxury of taking my time & keep my barrels cool. I have several 6.5's & a 6.5-06 with a 24" E.R. Shaw stainless Bbl 1/8 twist. Deadly accurate. A Barnes 120gr TSX or Hammer 121gr using IMR-4350 gives me 3277 fps. No pressure problems of any kind. Easily puts elk down. Using Nosler 100gr partition or Barnes 100gr TTSX will take the largest muley buck, no sweat., I use only once fired 25-06 or 30-06 brass. One pass thru the 6.5 FL sizer, load & shoot. No neck turning, no cases to blow out. Simple, simple ,simple. Very reasonable recoil , fast & flat. What's not to like??
 
oneeyejohn said:
I am in the process of re-barreling a Remington 270 to 6.5-06. Finding out all the process I have learned the following. Barrel twist ranges from 8 to 12. The heaver the bullet the tighter the twist. I have two 6.6X55 rifles. One 8 and one 9 twist. I load 85 gr to 120 gr in the 9 twist and find that up to 3000 feet per second muzzle velocity with no problem. I don't load much over 3000 FPS. The one in 8 inches twist I load 140 gr to o 147 grain ( I don't hunt with the need of a heaver bullet) but other hunters use up to 160 grain in Europe for moose with this twist.
I have also found that .270 Winchester brass of about any major brand is the best to resize for 6.5-06. I have not found a supplier yet for 26-06 brass. You have to cut about .040 off the neck but I have had the 30-06 brass wrinkle the solder when resize.
Click to expand...

.25-06 brass isn't that hard to come by. Graf and Sons has several different brands. Prvi Partizan/PPU, Norma Nosler, etc. I've gotten all 3. Depending upon how much prep work you do, Nosler has some that has the flash holes deburred. Really all one need do is prime add powder and seat a bullet. I wouldn't even worry about neck tension on the bullets.

Also if you want to spend a bit more you can get 6.5mm-06 brass. I got some from Graf and it's nice in spite of the reviews.
Midway has it also, but it's even more expensive than Graf. Midway has free shipping for now and that and sales tax may make it a wash.
https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/category/categoryId/695?

I'm in the beginning stages of doing a 6.5-06 AI that I don't really need.
 
I own a 6.5 -06 built on a Mauser.
1 thing you should consider is magazine length on Mauser. It is limited to about 3.3 inches. If you still want one, I will give you a good deal on one. Built by Ron Nichols out of Holbrook AZ
 
My first 1000 yard target rifle was chambered for the 264 Win Mag. It tested sub MOA at 1000 for over 600 rounds. Then opened up to 3 MOA at 640 rounds.

A friend tried a 6.5-06 for long range matches. It lasted 750 rounds. Others shooting the 6.5x284 get about 850 round barrel lives.

The more powder burned for a given bore diameter means shorter barrel lives.
 
Highvoltage said:
Reading all the info on the 6.5/06 sounds very interesting to me. If you had a tikka action to start with would . I have a 24" creedmoor that does 2900 with rl26 with a 143 eldx. Problem is no rl26"

H. Superformance will get you the same velocities at RL26. At least it did in my two 6.5CMs, 22 and 26" with 120s-147s. Its USA made therfore always available which is a plus.
But yeah a bigger but not huge 6.5 would be sweet!
Click to expand...
 
A 26" barrel works very nicely on a 6.5/06. That 8 twist barrel will be sufficient for any of the 140g to 147g bullets out there. I haven't tried the 156 berger in any of mine yet, however others report that it is fine with an 8 twist.
There is a bit of a bump in performance going to an ackley chamber. Regardless of whatever you decide to do it will be a great hunting rifle for you. All but one of my 6.5/06 rifles have been built on Winchester model 70 actions for Hunting. Pacific tool and Gauge makes bottom metal that utilizes a detachable box magazine that uses AICS magazines I've used on the last two rifles I've had built. I believe that they make bottom metal suitable for the Mauser actions as well. Great choice
 
Trnelson said:
A 26" barrel works very nicely on a 6.5/06. That 8 twist barrel will be sufficient for any of the 140g to 147g bullets out there. I haven't tried the 156 berger in any of mine yet, however others report that it is fine with an 8 twist.
There is a bit of a bump in performance going to an ackley chamber. Regardless of whatever you decide to do it will be a great hunting rifle for you. All but one of my 6.5/06 rifles have been built on Winchester model 70 actions for Hunting. Pacific tool and Gauge makes bottom metal that utilizes a detachable box magazine that uses AICS magazines I've used on the last two rifles I've had built. I believe that they make bottom metal suitable for the Mauser actions as well. Great choice
Click to expand...

"There is a bit of a bump in performance going to an Ackley chamber." Would you tell me where you got the information from in reference to a bump in performance. Just curious because I am about to send a rifle out to build a 6.5-06 or a 6.5-06 Ackley Improved. I'm kind of liking the Ackley version due to the 40 degree shoulder and barrel life opposed to the standard 6.5-06. My gunsmith doesn't have a 6.5-06 Ackley reamer, but he does have the standard 6.5-06 reamer. He stated that he thinks that the 6.5-06 is already overbored and that going with anything more than the standard 6.5-06 is not worth doing. Just not sure as I've been looking at the load data for the standard round, but there's just nothing to compare to. Because of this dilemma I'm just thinking of going .280 Ackley Improved, but.....would like a cartridge that is flat shooting and light on the recoil; and..................please do not suggest the Creedmoor not interested.
 
Txhillbilly said:
I built my 6.5-06 off one of my old Savage 110 FLP actions several years ago with a McGowen 26" stainless 1-8 twist 5.5 contour barrels. I had several boxes of the discontinued Sierra 160 gr bullets setting on the shelf,and this rifle loves to shoot them. I've taken several deer and hogs with it.


Click to expand...

And a lefty to boot.
 
Alibiiv said:
"There is a bit of a bump in performance going to an Ackley chamber." Would you tell me where you got the information from in reference to a bump in performance. Just curious because I am about to send a rifle out to build a 6.5-06 or a 6.5-06 Ackley Improved. I'm kind of liking the Ackley version due to the 40 degree shoulder and barrel life opposed to the standard 6.5-06. My gunsmith doesn't have a 6.5-06 Ackley reamer, but he does have the standard 6.5-06 reamer. He stated that he thinks that the 6.5-06 is already overbored and that going with anything more than the standard 6.5-06 is not worth doing. Just not sure as I've been looking at the load data for the standard round, but there's just nothing to compare to. Because of this dilemma I'm just thinking of going .280 Ackley Improved, but.....would like a cartridge that is flat shooting and light on the recoil; and..................please do not suggest the Creedmoor not interested.
Click to expand...

Then the .25-06 must be really overbore.

The 6.5 PRC and 6.5-300WSM are barrel burners too.
 
Alibiiv said:
"... I'm kind of liking the Ackley version due to the 40 degree shoulder and barrel life opposed to the standard 6.5-06...He stated that he thinks that the 6.5-06 is already overbored ....please do not suggest the Creedmoor not interested.
Click to expand...

I think you meant to say case life?
And I think if you want more than the Creed than do go with the AI, or even 260AI, or 6.5-284, the 6.5 Sherman? and push em all. I say this cause my 26" creed will push 147s (two diff pills, 1 lead free) to just under 2900 shooting tight groups and from using 143s I'm certain I'm all over 3000 with a 140. If your not beating that solidly than ur basically shootin Creedmoor performance levels.
I think something pushing a 140ish bullet at 3100 or so would be ideal for a all around rifle. I'd twist it 7 so itd handle all the heavies and monos.
 
Last edited:
Alibiiv said:
"There is a bit of a bump in performance going to an Ackley chamber." Would you tell me where you got the information from in reference to a bump in performance. Just curious because I am about to send a rifle out to build a 6.5-06 or a 6.5-06 Ackley Improved. I'm kind of liking the Ackley version due to the 40 degree shoulder and barrel life opposed to the standard 6.5-06. My gunsmith doesn't have a 6.5-06 Ackley reamer, but he does have the standard 6.5-06 reamer. He stated that he thinks that the 6.5-06 is already overbored and that going with anything more than the standard 6.5-06 is not worth doing. Just not sure as I've been looking at the load data for the standard round, but there's just nothing to compare to. Because of this dilemma I'm just thinking of going .280 Ackley Improved, but.....would like a cartridge that is flat shooting and light on the recoil; and..................please do not suggest the Creedmoor not interested.
Click to expand...

You won't hear any of the Creedmoor kookaid from me personally. Not going to bash it, it just does not trip my fancy. I've watched numerous friends try to squeeze that round for all they can to try to get to 2,950 FPS and eventually go to something else with more muscle. 6.5/06 in a 26" barrel can easily and most importantly safely get to 3,050 to 3,100 FPS with several different powders and all of the popular 140g class bullets suitable for long range hunting.

I have direct experience with 6.5/06 and 6.5/06ai. I've had some variation of 6.5/06 in my safe since 1993 when I had the first one put together. The last 6.5/06AI that I had used a 26" 8 twist and pushed 140 berger hybrids right at 3,100 FPS with Retumbo or Norma 217. I found the first signs of a bolt hitch at around 3,250fps, if I remember correctly. I had a bit of freebore added in that reamer to take better advantage of the additional powder space the ackley provided. The ackley chamber isn't magic, nor is it a 264WIN. It does all of the things that you site in your reply, but it isn't going to safely get you to much more than 3,100 FPS with 140g bullets without SD really starting to suffer. IDK precisely why SD started to really open up around 3,100 in both of the 6.5/06ai barrels that I worked with. I got a frustrated that I had to leave around 100fps of safe velocity on the table to keep SD at an acceptable, (to me), level suitable for long range hunting. I re-barreled that rig to build the most current 264WIN I'm playing with.
 
Same as My situation with my SAMI spec 6.5 A-square...

I'm running 53.3 gr's of H1000 in size down 30/06 Lapua cases with 140/ 147 gr bullets... I'm about 100 ft-per seconds in the safe zone...

2880 ft-per seconds,,, I have tried a few other powders but never the RL Powders since its very rare up in our parts...

There would be no reason for me to go AI since I've been battling case neck donuts on every 3rd reload,,, the hotter the charge the more it flows...

Keeping the necks in the 0.013 is a full time job since I'm fussy about neck tension,,, I'll let it build up to 0.015 max,,, but thats it in my books...

Don't get me right or wrong,,, I absolutely love the 6.5 A-square /06,,, but the brass prep thing is getting old for me... Ha

The soft recoil and flat shooting is another plus,,, but I'll go back to a standard cartridge when this pipe is gone...

Just me that is...

I always wanted to try a 65 since the Internet was full of CM threads,,, it to is good for those that choose it...

The time has come for me to return to the 30 caliber something world,,, I'm pretty sure that the 30's will finish up my hunting days...

Cheers from the North
 
Last edited:
Warning! This thread is more than 5 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.

Similar threads

Len Backus
6.5-06 or 6.5-06 A.I.
Replies
1
Views
2K
PrimeTime
P
C
6.5-06
Replies
0
Views
1K
codyjoe1128
C
A
6.5/06
Replies
3
Views
3K
agusta
A
O
6.5/06
Replies
4
Views
2K
Mysticplayer
M
D
6.5-06 vs 6.5-06 Improved? (CONFUSED)
Replies
9
Views
5K
Steve Shelp
S

Recent Posts

Top