The "other" 6.5mm....

1899

1899

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I've seen a few threads on the .264 Win Mag, the 6.5-06, 6.5x55 and of course the .260 Rem., but I haven't seen any on one of the original "short magnums", the 6.5mm Rem Mag.

Remington chambered it again a few years ago. Does anyone have one? What kind of experiences have you had with it? What kind of velocities are you getting out of carbine length barrels? The Nosler web site is showing +3300fps with 120gr bullets and +3100 fps with 130gr pills. Not too shabby!
 
I had an original 600 and with that short barrel it had a nasty crack that could clear a firing line in a hurray.

I hunted with it for a few years and it was okay as a hunting rifle but I would not go looking for another one.
 
I have two. This caliber was killed by gun writers who didn't understand the concept of a pocket .270, and wanted to appear smarter than the team at Remington.

Deep seating of the slim little 6.5's robs very little powder space. The case capacity is a bit greater than an 06 case necked to the same caliber so right up to 160 grain bullets with the correct ogive are usable.. Short barrels do reduce speed somewhat but ballistics are still very, very good in my 20" 660 and excellent in my 22" Ruger 77.

Look at Noslers new data for the 6.5 Rem Mag and tell me why a 257 Weatherby is better! If I go Sheep hunting next year I know what I'll be taking!
 
Takujualuk - the more I look into it the more appealing it becomes. The numbers from Nosler look very good. A 125gr Partition at +3000 fps from a 20" barrel in a handy little Model 7 based rifle would be quite nice. Too bad it didn't catch on as it seems like a great little number.
 
1899 said:
Takujualuk - the more I look into it the more appealing it becomes. The numbers from Nosler look very good. A 125gr Partition at +3000 fps from a 20" barrel in a handy little Model 7 based rifle would be quite nice. Too bad it didn't catch on as it seems like a great little number.
Click to expand...

Agreed, it's quite a competent round for deer, antelope, caribou, etc. Plenty of reach and power in a compact package. Similar to the larger .350, which brought some serious horsepower to the table for timber elk, moose, and big bears. Then there's the 8mm mag - another beast ideal for long range heavy game. 3 good Remington rounds that just never caught on. I think a lightweight 6.5mm would be an ideal mixed terrain rifle, light and handy with good ballistics.
 
Lad's, I agree.

My Rem 660 has quite a record on caribou. The 6.5 Rem Mag with fast expanding 120 grain Sierra's at nearly 3100ft/sec absolutely explode lungs on side shots and create very fast kills. Better in fact than 225 grain bullets in my 660 in 350 Rem Mag at more sedate velocities. That bugs people but it's true.

The Nosler book has 100 grain bullets at 3500fps from a 24" barrel. I have hit 3350 with my 22" Ruger and 100 grain partitions. This load hits hard, and shoots flat. I could get a bit faster but the 3350 load is accurate. RL 19 seems a good fit for this cartridge.

I have used the 140's and 160's as well but at present have settled on the 125 Nosler Partition as the best all-round weight. Not much kick but some blast in a 20" barrel.

I once shot a 2.5" 12 shot group with the Ruger with multiple loads bullets from 100-140 grains. In other words different bullet weights shoot close to the same POI. Nice to know for a tinkerer like myself who always plays with different bullets.
 
The 6.5 Rem Mag has more capacity than the 6.5-284 but they are pretty close. I have a 284 in a Savage 99 and appreciate this case as well.

I can get to 3100 with 125 Noslers and my 20" 660 barrel. Haven't tried to go further than this. 22" barrel of the Ruger gets about 80-90FPS more.
 
It offers no advantages over the 6.5-284 whose adoption is on the upswing. Those who own a 6.5 Rem Mag like it, but it doesn't fill any holes in the cartridge lineup, so pretty much scores 100% on the obsolete scale.
 
Ultimate 6.5's?

Hey, how about the 6.5x54 M-S? :cool:

2007-10-27_091302_1aCoffee.gif

NAA.
 
6.5 Rem mag

I like this caliber BUT, the 6.5X284 is a better choice for the target shooter, more popular, much more information available & better choices of brass. In 6.5 caliber the 6.5X284 is one of the top rated chamberings.
Hunting, either caliber works fine. Sales, in the US meteric calibers do NOT sell rifles.
Bill
 
Meh. First 6.5-284 I saw was in the sixties. It never went anywhere then, it's only recently that it's been revived because of the current LR shooting fad. This too will pass, sadly. Ballistically (all else being equal, which it never is, but we'll pretend that it is for the thread) the 6.5 Rem Mag will be slightly faster then the 6.5-284. Not enough to matter. Until Lapua or Norma start making brass for the 6.5RM that advantage goes to the 6.5-284. It (the 6.5 RM) is still a cool cartridge, and a great lightweight hunting rig round. If cartridges just had to make logical sense, we'd all shoot the 308 Win, period. FWIW - dan
 
I have a Remington 673 Guide Gun in the 6.5 Rem mag. I happen to be very fond of it in spite of the naysayers! Also very interested in the 6.5-284. Can tell you more about that once my Cooper gets here in a few months!
 
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