6.5 wsm

[parshal]

I've had a 264 win mag for about 12 years and decided I want a heavier barreled rifle to use with a suppressor. I was going to build a new 264 but have since decided to try the 6.5 Leopard/6.5 WSM/6.5-300, depending on what you call it. This will be a hunting rifle only once a load is developed.

I've got 500 pieces of new Norma 270 WSM brass and 1000's of CCI 200's and 250's (found the 200's best in all the 264 loads). I've got lots of Retumbo, R33, 7828 and 7828 SSC. I see a number of people use Magnum and H1000 in their 264's which, I'd guess, translate well to the 6.5. I've searched and found people using R22 and Retumbo with 140's in the 6.5. I plan to use Matrix 150's, Berger Hybrid 140's or Scirocco 130's. I had planned to find accurate loads for all three bullets and choose the one with best velocity but I'm thinking my barrel might be toast by the time I figure it out!

Can any of you 6.5 shooters share some of your loads?

 

[65WSM]

If you look at my handle you might think I was partial to the 6.5 WSM. I have two and one is on its second barrel. In 2014 I had seven barrels treated with the Melonite nitrocarburizing treatment. I would not recommend any long range rifle barrel with out nitrocarburizing treatment. If for no other reason it makes the barrel smooth and quick.

My best load with the pictured 28 inch nitrocarburized Krieger is VhitaVuori N-570 67.7gr for 3256 with 140 gr Berger Hunting VLD bullets that have been treated with HBN to make them slippery. I use CCI 250s for primers in Norma cases.

Because N-570 sold out the initial run, I use Retumbo to fill in 66.6gr gives me the same barrel time as the VV N-570 but about 100 fps less.

I am now just playing with Reloader 26. It will be good maybe great with 130 bullets.

My Model 70 has a 9 twist so I have focused on the Nosler 130 or Scirocco 130 in that barrel. Still Retumbo will outperform R-22 (too fast), R-25 (accurate, fast but a lot of powder fouling), Magnum (just as fast as Retumbo with 130 gr but it is not as accurate), MagPro (the fastest velocity in the .270 WSM but not in the 6.5 WSM) Norma 217 (way too slow) H-1000 (not top velocity until you drop to the 120 gr Ballistic tips or 120 Sierras).

I just got my hands on 142 Nosler Accubonds. .715 BC G1 wow!!! I could be at 2500 fps at 500 yards and a ton of energy.

 

[parshal]

Thanks for that data.

I'm putting a Proof Concepts barrel on this build. I'd like to nitride the barrel. Can a carbon wrapped barrel be nitrocarburized?

 

[65WSM]

I don't see why the barrel cannot be chambered before it is carbon wrapped. I would like to know how light it turns out. How long of a barrel do you intend to burn 66 or more grains of slow powder in?

 

[parshal]

It's a 26" barrel. Mine is already on its way to me so it's too late to nitride before wrapping.

It's a Sendero taper and should weigh around 3 lbs. 6 oz. That's nearly the same as my Bartlein #3.

 

[parshal]

The barrel should be here on Monday. I'll weigh it and post it up.

I found a few pounds of N570. I'll try that along with R26, Retumbo, H1000 and, maybe, R33. I'm going to start with the Matrix 150's and Berger Hybrids.

 

[65WSM]

I have not tried the Matrix bullets. I have developed a load with the 160 Woodleigh Aussie bullet. I tried Retumbo (up to 62 gr for 2899), Norma 217 (up to 64.2 gr for 2933) and VV N-570 (63.0 for 2959)

Where did you find the VV N-570? I want some more.

 

[parshal]

Selway had 5 lbs. in stock. I think I just got lucky.

 

[parshal]

I would like to know how light it turns out.

I got the Proof Research barrel today. 26" and with no chamber cut it weighs 3 lbs. 5 oz.

 

[Deleted member 46119]

I got the Proof Research barrel today. 26" and with no chamber cut it weighs 3 lbs. 5 oz.

Very nice since.

Lilja lists the Sendero profile at over 5 lb. Savings of 2lb.

I have 30 cal and 7mm Proof barrels to go on Mark V actions. I did not weigh them.

 

[djtjr]

I have 3 6.5 wsms 2 in an xp one in a rifle. I find h-1000 best with all of them each shoots a different bullet from 142 SMK 140 vld and 140 amal all with 215Ms great round.

 

[LeddSlinger]

RL-17 works very well in the 6.5-300wsm also

 

[rbrowne]

Im using 59.0grns of RL-22 w/Fed 210M primers... 140 JLK's

 

[65WSM]

I own 6.5 WSMs to go fast. I have other 6.5s for close range or to go less fast. What Long Range Hunting Forum is about is long range performance. Note that proponents of H-1000, R-22 or R-17 (which is a modern Swiss powder but is just too fast for this case capacity) do not list the charge weights or velocities they are getting. I suspect that they have a lot of rattle room in the case and have not tried the newer tech powders like the VV N series (N-570), the Swiss NitroChemie (R-26) or Hodgdons Enduron (IMR -7977). These powders provide more velocity at lower pressures and that is why these distributors are trying to help us. We are fortunate that new technology is still being brought into a shrinking market of handloading. There is only one small arms powder plant left in the US and they make ball powder. Olin basically sold the plant to the employees. St Marks in Florida. We are the beneficiaries of Alliant (owned by Blackhawk) and Hodgdon. VihtaVuori sold last year to Lapua for a song and Hodgdon is now distributing IMR from Canada, Norma and VihtaVuori powders.
I started handloading with only surplus H-4831 and H-870 to work with in the .264 Win Mag. I did back flips when Reloader 22 was imported from Bufors. H-1000 was the next available. H-1000 got me to 3150 fps reliably and with great accuracy with 140 gr bullets in the .264 Win Mag. By the time Retumbo and R-25 became available, I was handloading the 6.5 WSM instead of the .264 Win Mag. Now the best performance is possible from R-26, N-570 or IMR 7977 in the WSM case. I am puzzled why MagPro does not go faster, it is the fastest powder I have found with 140 gr bullets in the .270 WSM. Ramshot Magnum seems to get as high a velocity as Retumbo but does not provide the same accuracy and I suspect that is because it is a ball powder.