Which 6.5

[lancetkenyon]

I shoot two .264/6.5 cartridges.

A 6.5 SLR in a 15# LR rifle. Pushes a 140 HVLD @ 2960fps from a 27.5" barrel into .2s with boring regularity, mid .1s or less on occasion. With the brake, it recoils like my .223. In a little over a year, I have about 850 rounds on it. This is a hilltop glassing rifle for shots on deer out to 1000 or so. We shoot it out to 1700+ with good results. 1300 is easy.

A .260 Rem in a 10.5# rifle fully dressed. Pushing a 140 HVLD @ 2900 from a 26" barrel into .3s. This is my carry rifle for shots out to 800 if needed. It will hold its own with the 6.5 SLR on steel to 1370+. Haven't shot it to a mile...yet.

I have daydreams of building a third rifle in either 6.5 RSAUM or 6.5-06 AI.

Then maybe a 6.5 STW.....or 26 Nosler.....

 

[benchracer]

Thanks for all the replies.

Reloading will happen for any choice - I want to be able to find brass on the shelf without a lot of sizing work. Dies should be easy to come by also.

What are the faster velocity options?

What Barrel length and twist rules that I need to think about?

I have experience with 6.5x55, 6.5-284, and .264 Win Mag. Based on the fact that you seem to be leaning toward the faster end of things, I recommend the .264 Win Mag in a current production Winchester Model 70 Sporter. It has a 9 twist barrel, but you will have no problem shooting the 140 VLD's from it.

The Model 70's 26" barrel will give you 3150 accurately with the 140's and Retumbo. Dies are easy. Brass is easy to find, too. I recommend Nosler or Norma. If you have trouble finding .264 Win Mag brass, you can neck down and trim 7 Rem Mag brass and use it. The .264 also responds well to being loaded down to 6.5x55/6.5 Creedmoor velocities, using RL-22. This allows for good practice, while being easier on your barrel.

When you buy your rifle, go ahead and order a custom barrel with an 8 twist and at least a 26" finish length. If you shoot your rifle a lot, you should be ready for the custom barrel about the time Berger releases the 155 EOL Hybrid. My guess is that RL-33 will be just the ticket for that bullet. When you are ready to re-barrel, have the action trued up and the barrel treated with the melonite process, which will extend its useful life.

There are faster .264's available in factory rifles. There are also .264 wildcats that are more efficient and just as fast as the Win Mag. Overall, though, I don't believe there is any other .264 cartridge that offers the combination of simplicity, availability, and performance that the Win Mag does.

 

[wkevin98]

Good stuff guys - thanks

 

[TXAoudadKlr]

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When you buy your rifle, go ahead and order a custom barrel with an 8 twist and at least a 26" finish length. If you shoot your rifle a lot, you should be ready for the custom barrel about the time Berger releases the 155 EOL Hybrid.

Where'd you hear about the 155gr EOL 6.5? I knew it was in the works but didn't know it was rumored to be 155grs

 

[benchracer]

Where'd you hear about the 155gr EOL 6.5? I knew it was in the works but didn't know it was rumored to be 155grs

Elkaholic mentioned it in one of his posts a few weeks back. His source was fairly direct, IIRC.

 

[Rockfish Dave]

Thanks for all the replies.

Reloading will happen for any choice - I want to be able to find brass on the shelf without a lot of sizing work. Dies should be easy to come by also.

What are the faster velocity options?

What Barrel length and twist rules that I need to think about?

The 6.5 SLR-S would probably be a great fit. No crazy resizing, just pass 243 WIN brass through the sizer, and presto, 6.5 SLR-S cases. Easy peasy.

The Winchester 243WIN brass is easy to find and relatively cheap.

The velocities I and others are getting put it close to the magnums without sacrificing barrel life.

A 20" to 24" would be sufficient without giving up allot of velocity, but a 26" to 28" will come close to maximizing what the cartridge has to offer. Really depends on if you want to hunt or target shoot at ELR.

 

[benchracer]

The velocities I and others are getting put it close to the magnums without sacrificing barrel life.

Close to a .260 Rem (because that's what the SLR is), perhaps even a 6.5-284. Close to the magnums? No way. Not even in the same class.

 

[Rockfish Dave]

Close to a .260 Rem (because that's what the SLR is), perhaps even a 6.5-284. Close to the magnums? No way. Not even in the same class.

260 REMS are getting around 2800-2850 fps, from my personal experience, and having read others reports.

On my SLR-S improved I am getting 2925 fps with 139 Scenars and capacity to spare, and standard 6.5 SLR's are getting 2950-2975 fps.

Juxtapose that to the 3100-3200 fps and yes, in my opinion it is getting pretty close for a fraction of the case capacity, and much better barrel life. Not saying it will match a hot loaded 3400 fps monster... that is retarded to read that into my post.

Six of one and half dozen of another. If one wants to shoot allot, just the improved barrel life makes it worth while.

Given what the OP was looking for:

Hello All.

I am looking for a mid-sized game gun (no 12-15 lb. models) and to begin exploring into long range shooting. I have mixed feelings on getting into something that requires a lot of brass sizing work.

I am leaning towards a .264 win mag right now, but some of the belted case comments cause me to question that.

The 6.5-06 stuff looks interesting, as do the AI models.

The .260 & creedmoor look like good options that may be easier to start with as well.

The SLR seems to fit the bill quite well.

 

[benchracer]

260 REMS are getting around 2800-2850 fps, from my personal experience, and having read others reports.

On my SLR-S improved I am getting 2925 fps with 139 Scenars and capacity to spare, and standard 6.5 SLR's are getting 2950-2975 fps.

Juxtapose that to the 3100-3200 fps and yes, in my opinion it is getting pretty close for a fraction of the case capacity, and much better barrel life. Not saying it will match a hot loaded 3400 fps monster... that is retarded to read that into my post.

Six of one and half dozen of another. If one wants to shoot allot, just the improved barrel life makes it worth while.

Given what the OP was looking for:



The SLR seems to fit the bill quite well.

I certainly won't quibble with the efficiency or barrel life advantages of the .260 class cartridges over the larger cased 6.5's. There is no question those advantages are present in less overbore cases.



However, if you are going to argue that a 200 fps difference in muzzle velocity is "close", you are all wet. My 6.5x55 in a modern action will do anything your SLR will do, except fit in a short action. There is no comparison between it and my .264 Win Mag. Trying to claim otherwise is either ignorant or dishonest. Take your pick.

 

[Rockfish Dave]

I certainly won't quibble with the efficiency or barrel life advantages of the .260 class cartridges over the larger cased 6.5's. There is no question those advantages are present in less overbore cases.

However, if you are going to argue that a 200 fps difference in muzzle velocity is "close", you are all wet. There is no comparison between it and my .264 Win Mag. Trying to claim otherwise is either ignorant or dishonest. Take your pick.

I get what you are saying, but I went down a similar path before going with my wildcat.

For me it is 'close enough' and the incremental costs associated for the roughly extra 200 fps just didn't work out for me. That extra 200 fps would only gain me another 150-175 yards before it bled off the extra velocity to match the 6.5 SLR velocity at the barrel. Minimal impact on wind holds, etc...

Source: JBM - Calculations

Clearly it does for you, it's nice to have options.

 

[benchracer]

When I started playing with 6.5's, the 6.5x55 was the first one I tried. As an all around cartridge, it is still my first pick among the 6.5's. From there, I went looking for more speed with the 6.5-284. To my surprise, it offered very little over the 6.5x55. The .264 Win Mag turned out to be what I was after.

There are a lot of people who prefer the smaller cases for very practical reasons. For anything involving a higher round count, I agree that the bigger cases make less sense. I do not casually plink with my .264. Other than initial load development, it is reserved for field use only.

Where efficiency, barrel life, and cost are concerned, I find myself reaching for my .22 centerfires for anything inside 600 yards not involving game animals, but that is another discussion entirely.

 

[wkevin98]

There are some great options to say the least with 6.5.

I'm just having a hard time getting away from the .264 mag. Brass & dies on the shelf for it. You have to basically wild cat to match it for velocity and to get into a better situation for barrels. Sendero (rem. 700) or Winchester Extreme Weather SS (model 70) just look to me like great places to start. I could acquire brass and start loading and hunting with the gun very quickly - and start shooting some distance. By the time I burned the barrel out, I could get a better barrel on it, maybe nitride it, or look to wildcat with it at that point.

There is a lot of options out there - I think when my head quits spinning from looking at everything I'll make a choice and put it to work.

 

[Rockfish Dave]

There are some great options to say the least with 6.5.

You have to basically wild cat to match it for velocity and to get into a better situation for barrels. Sendero (rem. 700) or Winchester Extreme Weather SS (model 70) just look to me like great places to start.

Well, yes and no.

Mine is a wildcat since I blow the taper out on my SLR-S, the standard SLR-S technically is as well, but that said: It is nothing but running through the full length sizer before loading. Something I do with everything anyways with the exception of Lapua brass. Dies can be bought through the http://www.6mmar.com/Page_1.html website. There are allot of smiths that have the reamer on hand as well.

(Again just my opinion) It is just about maximizes the performance out of a short action without going overbore.

More reading from the creator of the cartridge: 6.5 Super LR

 

[Jerry M]

I built a 6.5 Remington Magnum on a Remington 40X action. Just like in Goldilocks: Not too big, not too small, it's just right...

Good luck

Jerry