Depends on what bullets you plan to shoot. The kimber 84L action isn’t all that long, my 280ai rounds had to be seated to spec so they would run. 6.5-06 140 bullet would not be ideal, 6.5-284 and 6.5x55 would work good with enough room for the long 140s.
Middle of the road 6.5
- Thread starter Slimbo
- Start date
Hand Skills
CGN Regular
- Location
- In the 'heartland', southern SK
For kewl factor, improve the chamber and stamp the barrel;
6.5 Swedemoor
6.5 Swedemoor
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
The Swede don't need an improved chamber or renaming in my books. It be cool enough as is.
Sounds like a resounding vote for the Swede. When I get home in a couple weeks I’ll follow chucks advice and cycle some dummies through it. It’s currently a 280ai, so not sure if the narrow shoulders of the Swedish model will stay under the rails.
Send him some improved cases to try.
I have and like the 6.5x55. I also have a 256 Newton which is now, for all intents, a wildcat. Performance is actually pretty similar with the Newton having a slight edge (about 100 fps with 140's). I have had 6.5x55's with the standard European-style throat and with a more conventional match throat. I like the american throat better.
I can't find fault with the experiences written here supporting the 6.5x55, my personal experiences left me wanting for accuracy but I suspect the old barrels were simply worn out. I just haven't been overly excited by the cartridge since. If I was building a 6.5 with that action it would be 6.5-06, although a fast twist .270 would probably win out. I am sucker for having readily available factory ammo if I find myself in a jam.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Folks are fond of talking about cartridge efficiency, the Swede has it in spades, even though a lot of newer cartridges, for all intents and purposes, fill the same niche.
For a long time I thought about building a 6.5-06, but a 6.5-284 is arguably a better idea. A 6.5-284 in a long action would allow you to seat heavy bullets long enough that they don't intrude upon the powder capacity, but if you already have 6.5X55 brass and dies, I think the choice is obvious.
For a long time I thought about building a 6.5-06, but a 6.5-284 is arguably a better idea. A 6.5-284 in a long action would allow you to seat heavy bullets long enough that they don't intrude upon the powder capacity, but if you already have 6.5X55 brass and dies, I think the choice is obvious.
6.5x55 is the only option. The only question is wether to AI it or not imo. No other 6.5 is as capable and available. I went with a 6.5x55ai on a 84l. For two reasons.
1 my handloads for a 6.5x55 would have been way above safe pressures for a 96 or 94 Mauser action
2 it didn’t cost anymore to do. Sure dies cost more but I can still put non ackley ammo in the gun.
1 my handloads for a 6.5x55 would have been way above safe pressures for a 96 or 94 Mauser action
2 it didn’t cost anymore to do. Sure dies cost more but I can still put non ackley ammo in the gun.
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6.5x55 for me also. I had one built a few years back. I have target shot it out to 900 yards. And made a different load of the 160's for hunting.
(i guess i should add to this that i shot 140 partitions into cloverleafs until i got bored. i moved up to the 160's just to see what it could do and stayed with them.)
(i guess i should add to this that i shot 140 partitions into cloverleafs until i got bored. i moved up to the 160's just to see what it could do and stayed with them.)
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