Turnbolt53
Well-Known Member
Turnbolt53 –
Yup - $200-$300 die sets aren't part of any of my plans, but then I didn't pay anywhere near those prices when I got my Redding dies in 2009. RCBS has 6.5-06AI 40-degree for $151 and change, special order, which is still high but a one-time purchase compared to brass. The Weatherby 6.5-300 brass runs $1 more per piece than .25-06/.270 brass. I have a minimum of 200-500 pieces for each of the rifle cartridges I load (excluding .223/5.56 and .308/7.62 x51, for which I have many times that). The 6.5 RPM will likely be in the same range. You can of course, get brass by purchasing Weatherby loaded ammo for about $3 a round. Assuming that you can find it. I don't anticipate difficulty finding .25-06 or .270 Win brass in my lifetime.
Agreed that you can probably load the 6.5 RPM with any bullet – I just compared what WBY offers and I load. I suspect if I loaded the 127 LRX that velocities would be somewhat higher than what I get with the 130g Scirocco II. In any case, the velocities would be so close that the more expensive 6.5 RPM would be hard to justify on the basis of performance. Kind of like getting 125 apples per bushel for $125 or 120 apples of the same variety and quality for $60.
Not sure where the 6.5 RPM loads will use in terms of powder, but the 6.5-300 WBY uses 29% to 47% more than my 6.5-06 loads to get the same performance, based on Hodgdon's 6.5-300 data. Granted, you can burn even more in the 6.5-300 to get an extra 100-200fps over my 6.5-06AI. The 6.5 RPM will be more modest in its powder consumption but we don't yet know what those numbers will be. Given the 6.5 RPM's larger case, it will likely use more powder to achieve velocities similar to the 6.5-06AI. Probably around 10% more.
As I said before, the big advantage of the 6.5 RPM is you can get it in a 5.5 pound genuine Weatherby rifle – for a mere $2500 bucks.
Yes . . . downloading a big case to get the same performance as a smaller case will always use more powder.
And at equal pressures, to get more velocity you have to burn more powder. Disproportionately more.
But at equal pressures, the larger case will always be capable of greater velocity.
Those that want/need the extra velocity can choose the 6.5x300Wby, 26Nosler, 264WM, 6.5 Wby RPM, or choose lesser 6.5 SAAMI cartridges all of the way down to the 6.5 Creedmoor. It's nice to have options.
Brass cost will be surely be higher than the 6.5/06AI, but as a hunter, it wouldn't be the factor that drove me to choose one chamber versus another. And as a SAAMI cartridge, dies will be cheap.
And fireforming 6.5/06AI brass is a PITA, uses powder, primers, bullets, and wears out barrels.
For anybody wanting a cheap 6.5 Wby RPM, just get an old Savage 110, a Northland Criterion 6.5 Creedmoor barrel, and a 6.5 Wby RPM reamer and you're there.
Last edited: