Weatherby's New 6.5 RPM

[Milepost]

I have no doubt the Weatherby name has some clout with consumers. But, I will be surprised if this project is a profitable one for the company.

I think a 6.5 Weatherby Magnum based on the belted 257/270/7mm case would have been a better project.

No one wants the belt nowadays and they plan to add a couple more RPM calibers in the near future.
I bet in a year or so they will add them to available calibers for their Vanguard line.

 

[CVCOBRA1]

They had better move as fast as Hornady did plus get the magazine backing behind them. Not sure if I would wait too long to release this in the Vanguard line either. Not everyone has $2600 for a Mark V just to get the latest and "greatest".

 

[skipglo]

https://www.americanhunter.org/arti...kcountry-rifles-and-new-65-wby-rpm-cartridge/

Any body have any thoughts on this new cartridge for hunting or just in general? Pros, cons, comparisons.

I believe it is a long action, so I think ill just stay with my 6.5-300 for hunting purposes

If I had a 6.5/300 I certainly wouldn't want the RPM!

 

[Edd]

I will get one of the six lug Ti, but would not buy one of the 6.5 based on the 7 case.

I wouldn't buy either one but if I won a raffle and had a choice of two identical rifles, one chambered in a 6.5-284 Norma Long and the other in a 6.5-257 Weatherby Mag, I would take the 6.5-257 Weatherby.

 

[swe123]

OH BOY! Another 6.5.

 

[Aussie Hunter Steve]

I'm going to stick with my 6.5-300. What does the RPM offer that I can't have fixed?

 

[bigngreen]

I have no doubt the Weatherby name has some clout with consumers. But, I will be surprised if this project is a profitable one for the company.

I think a 6.5 Weatherby Magnum based on the belted 257/270/7mm case would have been a better project.

They will do well with it, a 6.5 based on the smaller belted Weatherby would have been lame IMO.

 

[Milepost]

I'm going to stick with my 6.5-300. What does the RPM offer that I can't have fixed?

If I had already had a 6.5-300 I wouldn't change a thing...
But, if I didn't have one.....?

 

[Rich Coyle]

I'm going to stick with my 6.5-300. What does the RPM offer that I can't have fixed?

Weight!

 

[bigngreen]

I think Weatherby is brilliant in this, they chamber the 6.5 Creedmore, the 6.5-300 WBY then they design a chamberings to slide in between, a 6.5 guy can cover the spectrum from mild to wild and stay in the Weatherby line!

 

[djm670]

Have to admit that Rich is right....

It's kind of an apples and oranges comparison when you compare Weatherby's Mark V to other American actions, such as the Remington and Winchester.
Weatherby roots started with european actions. In Europe they have always had real medium actions. Remember that Roy was never into the short cartridge thing. The 6 lug was born out of the necessity to have a smaller, lighter rifle platform that could shoot 30-06 size cartridges and such will never be able to handle the standard 2.85" HH cartridges like the long magnum versions of a Winchester and Remington can. Roy designed the famous overbuilt Mark V 9 lug to handle the Big boys.

Decades ago, I remember most hunters talked of short, medium and long action rifles and cartridges. This was probably because of the large influx of cheap war surplus firearms and ammunition that flooded the US market and these rifles were "sporterized" by local gunsmiths. Many of these old rifles fell into the true medium action category.

So, in reality, a Weatherby Mark V 6 lug is a true medium action. Definitely not a short action but it can't handle the big magnum calibers either. I believe a Tikka is very much like this too...

Learn something new every day! Thanks! Maybe you can tell I don't have any Weatherby Mark V's! Kind of wish they put this new 6.5 in a (more affordable?) Vanguard..

 

[yorke-1]

I'm going to stick with my 6.5-300. What does the RPM offer that I can't have fixed?

You can't have your 6.5x300 Wby in a 5.3# steel gun or a sub 5# titanium factory gun.

I think a lot of folks are missing the whole reason the RPM was designed. There are lots of other cartridges which offer identical or very similar performance, but those aren't an appropriate fit for the 6 lug Mk V action.

The only Weatherby rifles I've ever been interested in are their ultra light models. I had one of the old ultra lights in 338-06 and loved it but sold it when somebody made the right offer. The new Backcountry looks even better and should be a great seller. I'm not terribly excited by the 6.5 RPM, but I love the case itself. Neck it up to 338 and I think it will be a real winner!

 

[Aussie Hunter Steve]

Weight!

My 6.5-300 is built on a Rem 700 KS mountain rifle platform.

 

[Rich Coyle]

The bolt lift is too long! I mean 90 degrees for the Remington compared to only 54 degrees for the Weatherby. That's an insurmountable problem.