Middle of the road 6.5

Slimbo

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Say for hypothetical reasons one had an 84L kimber that needed a barrel.

Will be in sheep blasting form. Half arsed decided on a 6.5 bore size.

6.5x55?

6.5x55ai?

6.5-284?

Not sure if I want to step into the 6.5-06/6.5-280ai world.

Will probably have a benchmark #2 @24”

YES I RELOAD

What do you guys think
 
6.5x55 or 6.5-284 if it was me. Id be back and forth on those two. I like them both. I have a 6.5x55 one day i plan to build a rifle in 6.5-284
 
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Wrong bolt face and way too short for a long action.


Leaning towards 6.5x55.

Have a 280 ackley and could use it without the ackley part for sure. Jury seems to be out with the 284 case in a 84L Some people say it’s too fat and some people say it’s fine. Brass is fairly available too.

I do have a pile of 6.5x55 brass

Hmmmmm
 
6.5 X 55 if you are looking for something in a factory round and you do have the brass.
As you are a re-loader the 6.5-06 has always intrigued me, and it would use up all that 84L action.

Nice to be in that situation.
Let us know what you decide.
 
Since you are saying "middle of the road," I would cast my vote for the 6.5X55... but if you just gotta have more, you could improve it with the Ackley or BJ... PTG carries them. I did an improved version years ago and picked up more than was reported, but of course, as in most cases, in the end "improving" was largely a waste of time and money... although, I did not regret it, as it gave me an excuse to mess around at the loading bench and range... I don't think I ever hunted with it, which is what I did it for in the first place, but something shiny caught my eye before it hit the field. I'm waiting on a .280 AI reamer to bump up my M77 MKII RMEF rifle, knowing full well it will pull a significant wad of cash out of my wallet... but, wht the heck, it is all fun and games.
 
6.5 RM uses a magnum bolt face... requires more work... or I might have suggested it, as I love the cartridge.
 
I’m a big fan of the 6.5x55, it was my first big game rifle and shot my first deer with it. But... if you’re using a long action anyway, I’d go 6.5-06.
 
For middle of the road 6.5, I'd look at the 260 or 260ai (if you don't mind fireforming). Lapua brass and a ton of reloading support online. Having the long action enables you to seat the heavies longer. I built a 260 improved 30* on a short action and realized very soon that my lighweight sheep hunting rifle would have to be single loaded if I wanted to be within 0.1" of the lands. I had the gunsmith rechamber in 6.5x47Lapua and I'm more than happy with it.
 
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