- Location
- Halifax, NS
Because I'll be using it more for a target rifle than a hunting one.
Anyone familiar with the 6.5 Super LR Calibre?
- Thread starter Haagen_Dazs
- Start date
Northman999
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Yukon
6.5x55 has a proven track record for both hunting and target shooting, unless you're all set on something more fancy. And ammunition and components are easily available.
Or just AI the 6.5 Swede. - dan
I had many discussions with folks when I was deciding which cartridge to use in a 6.5mm rifle I was building. I ended up with the 260 Remington for the following reasons:
1. Brass is easily available, without any fire forming. Now that Lapua makes brass, the
quality of brass is even better.
2. Using Winchester 7mm-08 brass necked down to 6.5mm, I get 2940 fps out of a 27 inch Obermeyer barrel with a 140 grain Sierra bullet.
3. The improved rounds, like the mystic, or 6.5-08 Ackley improved, will get me only about another 150-200 meters of usable distance. The 260 bullet I'm using doesn't go transonic until around 1500 meters. I rarely shoot over 1500 meters, so all the extra work of fire forming brass to get another 200 meters would be lots of work for something that is rarely (if ever) used.
4. I couldn't justify the reduction in barrel life for extra distance that I don't even use. I have had the new 260 Rifle for about a year so far, and the greatest distance I have shot it was 1425 meters.
I figured it just wasn't worth the extra time and effort to fire form brass, just so I could get another 200 meters of distance that I don't use. And, all the extra work, shortening barrel life, extra powder cost, just wasn't necessary. In hindsight, I made the right decision.
However, I love to tinker with things, so I understand the entertainment value of doing things like getting the hottest cartridge you can, just to do it. It would be interesting to have a 300 RUM cartridge necked down to 6.5mm, but the barrel life would probably only be around 800 rounds...and I can't figure out what I would need it to do other than launch a 143 grain bullet at around 3500FPS.
1. Brass is easily available, without any fire forming. Now that Lapua makes brass, the
quality of brass is even better.
2. Using Winchester 7mm-08 brass necked down to 6.5mm, I get 2940 fps out of a 27 inch Obermeyer barrel with a 140 grain Sierra bullet.
3. The improved rounds, like the mystic, or 6.5-08 Ackley improved, will get me only about another 150-200 meters of usable distance. The 260 bullet I'm using doesn't go transonic until around 1500 meters. I rarely shoot over 1500 meters, so all the extra work of fire forming brass to get another 200 meters would be lots of work for something that is rarely (if ever) used.
4. I couldn't justify the reduction in barrel life for extra distance that I don't even use. I have had the new 260 Rifle for about a year so far, and the greatest distance I have shot it was 1425 meters.
I figured it just wasn't worth the extra time and effort to fire form brass, just so I could get another 200 meters of distance that I don't use. And, all the extra work, shortening barrel life, extra powder cost, just wasn't necessary. In hindsight, I made the right decision.
However, I love to tinker with things, so I understand the entertainment value of doing things like getting the hottest cartridge you can, just to do it. It would be interesting to have a 300 RUM cartridge necked down to 6.5mm, but the barrel life would probably only be around 800 rounds...and I can't figure out what I would need it to do other than launch a 143 grain bullet at around 3500FPS.
- Location
- Halifax, NS
Why not the 6.5 Swede?
- Location
- Whitehorse, Yukon
I'll take the 6.5x55 any day!
Easy on barrels, easy to obtain good components and extremely accurate.
A no brainer in my books.
Easy on barrels, easy to obtain good components and extremely accurate.
A no brainer in my books.
I guess it comes down to what length of action you (assuming a Rem M700) want to use. I'm a stickler (really biased?) for the short action versions so the .260 Rem fits my needs. No doubt the 6.5 x 55 is a proven platform and it's hard to argue with that.
I happen to use WC735 powder for all my shooting (.223, .22-250, .260, and .308) so it's very straightforward to use this faster burning and efficient powder for these ctgs.
I ordered 21 lbs from Higginson Powders in Hawkesbury, ON, so the WC735 is super well priced! Go with what you are comfortable with!
Cheers,
Barney
Bolivar
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I would say what Barney said. 260 vs 6.5x55 is basically action length. The 260 is a higher pressure cartridge so load data should provide a bit more velocity? No sure.
If I was looking at a mag fed version, doing it on a long action so you could really seat the bullets out to be near the lands might be worth considering. Not sure if that matters or if there are other drawbacks to that idea.
If I was looking at a mag fed version, doing it on a long action so you could really seat the bullets out to be near the lands might be worth considering. Not sure if that matters or if there are other drawbacks to that idea.
With Lapua making 260 brass I am not sure why anyone would consider any of the previously discussed options?? Load and shoot! I may be a little biased, as my 260 target rifle has been very good to me. The 6.5mm bullets have excellent BC and seem to work very well in the 2850fps range, looking for a noade at higher speed may be a trying experience?? In a short action I cannot eject a target round, but I'm sure for hunting purposes a hunting bullet could be seated for ejection. my02
Marc
Marc
