6.5-06 build

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bearhunter338-06

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I am seriously thinking more of building my 6.5-06 hunting rifle. I will be using 120gr to 140gr bullets. 24 inch Pacnor barrel or a Shillen barrel. Not sure on the twist rate maybe 1-10 or 1-9.

I would like to hear your ideas on such a build. Please keep in mind this will be a hunting rifle and not a "Safe Queen". Oh and I will possible be shooting 400-500 yards with it, as long as I am capable of that distance

Thanks for all the good ideas I know you all have.
Burke
 
BH338-06; First, you should opt for the 1-9" twist, even an 1-8" would not be out of place, depending on which 140 grain bullets you plan to use. Choose a medium-light barrel, and make sure it is on an action whose magazine will let you seat the 140 grain bullets out, since most 6.5-06 reamers are built with a reasonably long throat.
With the 140 grain pills, using RL22, RL25, IMR 7828, H4831, H1000, and powders in that area, expect 3000 fps, or perhaps slightly more in a 24" tube. Use 25-06 brass to make your 6.5-06 brass, and you will not need to turn necks. [some 30-06 brass necked down makes fairly thick necks that require turning] You will find this to be an accurate and versatile chambering that will reach right out there. I consider the 6.5-06 an easy 500 meter rifle. Regards, Eagleye.
 
Rem 700 SS, 24" SS light sporter contour, 1:8 twist, McMillan stock (in whatever pattern fits you best) with EDGE fill, topped off with a VX3 3.5-10x40, $2500 all in...:cheers:
 
helped a freind build one on a rem 721 action, that was in 30-06. turned out very very well. RKS sporter weight 22" bbl 1-9 twist. shoots 140 SMKs into 1/2" groups at 100. was fairly easy to get right up to the 3000 fps mark, but he has settled on a 2850 fps load. this is his first year hunting with it, and he has has lots of fun, so far.

eagle eye is right, dont try and use 30-06 brass, 25-06 or 270 brass.
ww brass seems to stand up the best in his so far
 
That will be a nice rig. Not much to offer on the technical side but would look at 140 grain as your standard loading as it is perfect for all size game you want to take in North America and it will give you the best BC for any of that long range shooting you want to do. If you build it, please post the finished result! Good luck.
 
A 6.5-06 really shines with the mid-weight bullets,125s and 130s,the higher velocity making up for the worse BC.These weights were most often recommended by long time users. Having said that I'm shooting 140s in mine.And I have slow barrel,so I'm maxing out at 2900.
 
Winchester 70 Extreme SS, buy one in 30-0 and swap out the barrel. You have a good trigger, good Safety, good stock and good action.
bigbull
 
I`m having one built and I`m going to try a Ron Smith gain twist barrel. I mentioned that I`d like to shoot the 140 bergers and he came back with a 1 in 8.5 twist.
 
500 metres .... hunting .... are you crazy !! A nice discussion but totally unrealistic ! One simply does not shoot at game at these distances. 100 metres is typcally MAX.
Come on guys, lets get real !
Matt
 
500 metres .... hunting .... are you crazy !! A nice discussion but totally unrealistic ! One simply does not shoot at game at these distances. 100 metres is typcally MAX.
Come on guys, lets get real !
Matt


Bet you have never been to northern Alberta or British Columbia, Grain fields can be 1 mile by .5 miles. Very flat, no cover. 400 and 500 yards is not an unreal distance.
Sorry to disappoint you Matt but it is real.
 
mbuist said:
500 metres .... hunting .... are you crazy !! A nice discussion but totally unrealistic ! One simply does not shoot at game at these distances. 100 metres is typcally MAX.
Come on guys, lets get real !
Matt
Click to expand...

Look beyond your own ignorant beliefs.

If your personal skills are good to a maximum effective range of under 100 meters by all means limit yourself to that. However don't presume you are the only one whose opinion means anything.
 
John Barness wrote an article in either Rifle or Handloader a while back on the 6.5-06. His choice was a 140VLD and H-1000. I found R-25 and a Hornady 140sp worked well for me. Newton's choice for 256 was 129gr. Nosler gives 3100 for a 130 and N-560, I topped out at 2950, so that might not be too realistic.

As for 400yards,on the interior plateau of B.C. the big pine beetle clearcuts can make for some long shots. My partner got his deer at 349 lasered.
 
I have had a 6.5-06, then a 6.5x55, then a 6.5-284 and now use a 260Rem Ackley.

All had accuracy loads between 2850 to 3000 fps with 140 and 142 bullets.

The advantage of a 6.5-284 or 260Rem Ackley is that with the chamber reamed with a deep throat the long action magazine will still hold the loaded round.
 
mbuist said:
500 metres .... hunting .... are you crazy !! A nice discussion but totally unrealistic ! One simply does not shoot at game at these distances. 100 metres is typcally MAX.
Come on guys, lets get real !
Matt
Click to expand...

This fall one hunting buddy popped a doe at a lasered 338yds and a buck at 241yds. I also shot a buck at around 75-80yds and a doe at 85yds. All in the same area in eastern Alberta. Just because shots are usually under 100yds doesn't mean longer shots don't come up with some regularity depending on where you hunt.

Mark
 
I would definitely suggest 1:8 if you want to shoot heavy bullets out of a shorter barrel. If you are going with a button-rifled barrel, consider a Ted Gaillard barrel too. As good as any Button rifled barrel and made in Canada.
 
downwindtracker2 said:
John Barness wrote an article in either Rifle or Handloader a while back on the 6.5-06. His choice was a 140VLD and H-1000. I found R-25 and a Hornady 140sp worked well for me. Newton's choice for 256 was 129gr. Nosler gives 3100 for a 130 and N-560, I topped out at 2950, so that might not be too realistic.

As for 400yards,on the interior plateau of B.C. the big pine beetle clearcuts can make for some long shots. My partner got his deer at 349 lasered.
Click to expand...

The article was on a 6.5-06 AI by Ron Spomer was it not? The rifle was built by Darrel Holland and the article was in Rifle.

I personally really have a hankering for a 6.5-06 AI. All you have to do is stick some Nosler 280 AI into the sizing die, and you have a wicked cartridge that is was more appealing than the 280 personally. 120gr pills at 3300fps with BC's in the 0.480 range sounds like a hotrod.
My take would be a Stiller Predator from Ian Robertson, a good quality barrel (Pac-nor, Krieger, Gaillard, etc), in #2 Sporter at 25", with Williams bottom metal, a McMillian HTG EDGE , and a Leupold VXIII 4.5-14x40 with a custom reticle.
In the end I would likely use a 120gr Ballistic Tip on deer, dogs and (gasp) rocks, and a 120gr TTSX on big boneded stuff. Hmmmmmm.....with the dollar where it is at you could do this with the scope under $3000.
 
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