Rifle Build / Wildcat Idea

Keebler750

Keebler750

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
8   0   0
Location
Alberta!!!
I was wondering what you all thought of a 6.5-270WSM and if it was possible/made sense? It hit me as a bit of a brainstorm, but then I realized I wasn't the first to think of it. DOH. I've since seen some discussion on the 'net about it.

Here's the background for what I'm trying to do:

I have been using my 270WSM for varmit hunting (coyote...ground hog (LOL) and porcupine :eek: ) due to a caliber limit here. This is the max. The rifle is a Win Model 70 Coyote Lite. I'm also using it for Precision shoots(Why? Because I'm crazy.....), as far back as 1000M with a 130 Nosler BT and 58.5gr of H4350. It chrony's at 3175 at 0c.

I'm getting about 1 MOA out of a medium fluted 22" stock barrel all the way back to 1000M, it appears. Not too shabby for an off the rack hunting rifle (bedded and bore-compounded) :D I think I had to put about 36 minutes on it to get to 1000.

I have been wanting to build a better rig, and I still want it to be all purpose. I am really getting to know this rifle and I want to keep it that way. I can pick it up any time, any distance and be confident with it.

So.....

There are not many useful .277 bullets out there BUT 6mm or 6.5 looks good while staying under my caliber limit.

How hard would it be to make a 270WSM case take a 6.5, and would this make any sense to do, in your opinion, considering what's out there for bullets?

I'd rebarrel and blue-print the beasty, and put a decent stock on it.

At this stage I'm just kind of musing about what to do. What say ye?
 
All it would take is sizing the case. There are a variety of fine bullets available in 6.5, with superior ballistic qualities. Why not wait until long range groups start to show vertical stringing with the .270, and it is time for a new barrel anyway? I've seen you shoot the rifle, and the .270WSM certainly doesn't seem to be a handicap.
 
Hi keebler take a look at this gun of the week:
http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek053.html
The 6.5x284 barrel life from guys where I shoot tell me max 1200 rounds and change them,$$$ your idea of 270wsm 6.5 might very well be a shooter but I would think barrel life would be short, lots of powder in wsm case.and recoil will be a factor. Note what Jerry says about the old but great staight .284win and lots of great bullet choices
 
I've shot numerous groups ( 3 shots) less than 6" at 1,000 meters with this rig.
264WSM.jpg

Sulljr borrowed my reamer and built a very nice ruger no.1 eith it with a Smith barrel also.

it's a good cartridge, but not the "ultimate wildcat" - there ain't one!:D
I'll build another as well, or maybe buy my other one from bronco Mudder, he has my 30" barreld 6.5WSM for sale.
Cat
 
Thanks for the comments guys. I want to eventually build a hunting/long-range tactical type of build. When I got the 270WSM, the recoil freaked my out. Now it's like nothing. I've actually considered moving up to a proper 300WM tactical rig, but I couldn't hunt with it here. I'll have to think about the content above. I've had fun learning so far with the 270.

The barrel on my WSM started out really rough, and it was shooting 2.5MOA. You could SEE the broach marks and boy, did it get dirty with residue easily. I was going to throw it away and rebarrel the rifle, but I figured, "what the heck, one last try," so I used VALVE GRINDING COMPOUND to lap it in, and then the normal bore compounds, because it was so bad. I figured I couldn't make it worse!

Now, it shoots!!! Crazy, huh? :D

I have 1000 rounds through it, and it truly is my all-purpose rifle.
 
Your valve grinding compound story is not crazy at all. I've done it with an old P-14 barrel, and it really improved things a great deal.

Personally, I think you'd be hard-pressed to do better than a 6.5-284. That's about as big a powerplant as I'd care to go with a 6.5mm bullet. It really is a matter of diminishing returns if you go any bigger. Sure a 6.5 built on a WSM will shoot, but you'll end up with a seriously overbore cartridge and have all of the barrel-life issues that have limited the .264 Winchester Magnum.

When all is said and done, the 6.5-284 is still the king of 1,000 yard competitive shooting, and with good reason.

Of course, you'd run into boltface issues trying to put a 6.5-284 on your current WSM action.

Let us know what you decide.
 
How does different barrel materials affect what type of load you put through it, in terms of accuracy and long life? I would expect the answer is higher quality, harder metals last longer, but.....?

I like the idea of a fast, high BC payload reaching out to longer ranges, and bore life is only in the middle of my list of priorities. I don't just want to put holes in paper, I want to have knockdown capability farther back. Here on the farm, for instance, a 'normal' coyote shot is 500yds, and we have the backdrop to support those shots safely. (Although I've taken one down at 10yds!)

30cal would be better if I was allowed it here.

Or 50.............:cool:

:rolleyes:




PS - I REALLY dislike coyotes. They took a dog off our back porch, and ever since then...... :sniper:
 
Last edited:
Let's put it this way, a decent bullet from a 6.5-.284 should have no problem knocking a coyote over in dramatic fashion at fully 1,000 yards. For example, a Hornady 140-grain AMAX launched at 3,000 fps will still be traveling at over 1,500 fps at 1,000 yards and hit with more than 700 foot-pounds of energy. This is why it dominates serious, world-class, 1,000-yard competitions, though other cartridges are now giving it a run for its money.

At a "measly" 500 yards, that same bullet is flying at nearly 2,200 fps and hitting with nearly 1,500 foot-pounds -- easily enough to drop even a large deer. In other words, you are seriously outclassing a .30-06 here.

If you want to go magnum, you should do so with all of our blessings because experimenting and fun is the name of the game.

However, in practical terms, I doubt you'd really notice a benefit over a 6.5-.284. Barrel life in a 6.5-.284 is pretty poor, as it is. I'd expect the magnum to burn out (which means lose peak accuracy) in 800 rounds or less. If that's no problem -- again, go for it with blessings.

FYI, Krieger barrels have a reputation to be among the longest-lasting ever made. You won't go wrong with one of those.
 
The 6.5-300WSM was first, it is called the Leopard, next came the 6.5-270WSM, called the Rock. It makes more sense to use the 270WSM case as you just have to neck down a little bit. The 6.5-300WSM dies are made by Lee, and can be used for either case as the dimensions for the 300WSM and 270 WSM are identical except for the neck.

I made one of these last summer, with the muzzle brake the recoil is less than my .223 and I can see impact of all my shots. I have used it in competition out to 1000 yards, where it easily shoots moa if I do my part.

I have also loaded it with Lapua Naturalis hunting bullets, and it shoots these easily at sub moa out to 300 yards (longest shot I have made with these).

Yes is uses a lot of powder, and you will need to use a Redding case forming die, or a Forster bump die if you do not full size, as the cases will grow too long to chamber after the second use if you do not bump the shoulder.

As long as bbl wear, I am sure that none of these rifles will hold match accuracy after 1200 or so rounds, now my rifle will regularly shoot .2 inches at 100 yards. But even after 1200 rounds I am sure that this will still perform as an excellent hunting rifle.





6.5x270WSM26.JPG


6.5x270WSM27.JPG
 
SOoo.....I'll just get three or four barrels made up :D

Damn....this is looking possible!!!

a) Could I get someone to walk me through a project budget from scratch (I have a 8.5 - 25 MkIV LRT)?

b) What is the life of brass reformed this way vs. using caliber-specific brass? How much different is it?
 
Last edited:
At 2,400 rounds my first .5WSM would stu=ill hit clays at 500 meters, not match accuracy by any streach, but more than adequete for stuff like 'yotes and deer.
It pushes the 140 at about the same as the 6.5/284 ( of which there also is one in da house) but it can also push the heavier bullets a bit better.

it's a toss up , but the 6.5/284 will definatley have a bit longer barrel life.
My 6.5 badcat ( that name was hung on ity before we heard of the Leopard!)
had a full 4" of throat gone when we rechambered it to.... 6.5WSSM:D
Cat
 
catnthehatt said:
My 6.5 badcat ( that name was hung on ity before we heard of the Leopard!)
had a full 4" of throat gone when we rechambered it to.... 6.5WSSM:D
Cat
Click to expand...


I like 6.5 badcat much more than 6.5 Leopard, perhaps we can start a movement to get it renamed! ;)

It is nice to see you can still get acceptable hunting accuracy, even after several thousand rounds!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom