Which 6.5???

I have a .264 Win Mag that I enjoy shooting more than all of my others for an all around shooter. They aren't as hard on barrels as people think they are but you can load them screaming hot if you like. They have been used in some match and long/extreme long range capacities and have faired well.

This cartridge was a marketing failure of the greatest proportions for a round that is better than so many others and capable of so much.

BTW aside from sheep, there isn't much I haven't killed with this rifle.

Ivo
 
I have a 260 Ackley Improved (Virtually identical to Mysticplayers 6.5 Mystic) and a 6.5x55 Improved that I shoot long range with. They are very impressive at this game, giving up little to the 6.5-284 (had one of those, also) velocity wise, and less powder interprets to a bit more barrel life. The 264 Mag is a wonderful chambering, with plenty of oomph way out there for bigger critters than deer. I believe if I had to choose a standard chambering, though, it would be the 6.5x55. Classy and accurate, plenty of velocity for success at 1000 yards. Regards, Eagleye.
 
It will be for punching holes in things, paper, cans, deer, coyotes, pretty much anything i point it at and want to poke a hole in out to about 1000 yards or so, maybe farther on a calm day.
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Based on the criteria that Johnny Canuck has given, any short action commercially standardized chambering would be sufficient. Why some of you are recommending wildcats like the "Mystic" is beyond me. Fire forming and case preparation work would be a major pain in the ass for basically an all-around rifle.

For shear economy, practicality, and ease of use, I would choose a .260 Remington over all others for a load-n-go, no nonsense approach. Dies are cheap and Remington brass is of acceptable quality and can be bought in quantity without bankrupting you. Second choice would be 6.5x47 Lapua.

Here's a great article you should read before making your decision. It's slanted more on the lines of competition usage but is worthwhile none the less.

htt p://demigodllc.com/articles/6.5-shootout-260-6.5x47-6.5-creedmoor
 
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I'd go with the 6.5x55 because of Lapua brass, then the .260 and I'm seriously looking at the new 6.5x47 because the case head has the same dimensions as the .260 plus fine Lapua brass.
That's my choice for standard non-magnum factory cartridges. Wildcats are any body's choice and everyone has what they think is the best. You'll get a thousand opinions on that.
 
JP, the 6.5x47L is winning 600 yard BR matches, is easy to get to shoot well, stands a LOT of pressure, will have good brass life and it's neat.

Regards,

Peter
 
peterdobson said:
JP, the 6.5x47L is winning 600 yard BR matches, is easy to get to shoot well, stands a LOT of pressure, will have good brass life and it's neat.
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Designing a reamer as we speak Peter and will try and chamber it this year.

The only problem with the .260 Rem is having to prep brass and to be honest I'm not doing it anymore. The 6.5x47L is the equivalent of it IMO and the existing 6.5x55 is still hard to beat.
 
That is a very good article and should prove very helpful in your choice. Almost worth making a sticky the number of times this question comes up.

All of the previously mentioned cartridges and other related wildcats will do the same thing - within the variance of barrels.

All can be made to shoot. They just take different paths to get to the same destination.

Decide on what criteria matter most to you then choose your case. They all perform in a good rifle so there is no bad choice.

Do keep in mind, the more your rig is speced towards off the shelf mainstream factory components, the larger the case you should consider.

A factory Rem 700 will never handle the pressure loads of a BR quality action. A sloppy action will toast even the best brass. In this situation, performance is reached by burning more powder at lower pressures.

If going custom or a tighter lock up, the world is your oyster...

Jerry

PS wildcatting is another very enjoyable form of reloading/shooting. If you want simple, DON'T bother. However, with a little extra effort, you can have a cartridge that is different from factory offerings. Case life (trimming/stretching) is usually much better when the case has a sharp shoulder.

Today there is precious little offered through wildcatting that isn't duplicated in factory offerings. Wildcatting just let's you come up with your better mousetrap.

And for some, that's the whole point of the journey.
 
Brass longevity is effected more by chamber dimensions than action choice. That is why many accuracy shooters go for mimimim SAAMI/CIP specs or as JP mentioned, simply spec their own. Necks and leade are usualy the "adjusted" specs.

Regards,

Peter
 
I really like the 260, but any 6.5mm from the swede to the 264 has my approval. For me, its hard to beat the 260 for its mild recoil, and accuracy. Doesnt burn out barrels too quick, and is easy to load for, right up to 142 grainers
 
Thanks for the info so far. It really is true that there is a die-hard following for the 6.5 or .264 dia bullet in North America, something I only knew a bit about before I started this journey. I was initially turned onto this by my uncle who hunts everything from coyotes to elk with his 6.5x55 swede in the form of a CG-80 converted with a scope mount and sporterized. From articles I've read and opinions I've recieved so far i think my plan will go something like this. The more i read the more i think I'll go for a custom built rig with a 26 inch heavy contour barrel on a rem-700 action and a nice quick twist rate(think 1-8 or so). From the sounds of it, the factory specs I initially was ranking the swede behind the .264 and the .260 but after reading several articles written by devotees to the "swede" and reloaders in europe I realize the potential of this cartridge to outshine the .260 and still be kinder to the barrel than the .264. I'm also toying with the idea of getting it in the form of the Ackley improvement, which i need to read more into.

Keep the opinions coming though, I'm prone to mind changes and will be a while saving my shekels on this project.
 
6.5mm / .264 cal.

Johnny:
Go for the 260 Rem. That's my advise. Remington makes brass but you can also start with 243 win Lapuas and neck up to 264. I have a Broughton barrel in this cal. for my std Rem 700 and it shoots very fine. I like the 139 Lapua scenars with H4350 powder. 44.5 gr is my load but start much lower (42?) as one of my buddies (Leo D'Amour) had excessive pressure in his with 44.5. Last summer I did well in competition with it even if I didn't shoot as much as I wanted. At the Invitation Valcartier match I did 89/90 at the 600 yds final (see PQRA pics on the net) last shot was the 5. At connaught I won the SJ Perry match with 169/180 (2+15 at 800m and 900m) You can see the scores on the DCRA site. We had quite a wind at 900m. My friend Martin had 10.5 MOA windage on his 308 with the 155s and I only 6.5 MOA. I know the 6.5-284 has an edge over the 260 but I don't want to pay for the short barrel life. I figure my 260 should last 4000 rds. Krieger would be my second barrel choice. 140 gr Hornady Amax, Berger VLDs or 142 SMKs will also do fine in a 1-8 inch twist. Mine is a 30 inch for 2950 fps MV on the 139s. Good luck and take care. Serge
 
6.5X284. Barrels are way cheaper than the bullets you shoot downrange in one year, assuming you shoot more than the average gunnut. You have to consider them a consumable, just like tires in a motorcycle race. A good alternative is the 260AI. Right ONT0001?
 
I have two .260 Ackleys. One in a remington and one in a Sako 75. Decent velocity with a 139 grn bullet and yet barrel life is still great. Plus not having to trim brass is a bonus. Whether your punching paper at 1000 or shooting coyote's/deer, you won't be disapointed.
 
Johnny_Canuck said:
Thanks for the info so far. It really is true that there is a die-hard following for the 6.5 or .264 dia bullet in North America, something I only knew a bit about before I started this journey. I was initially turned onto this by my uncle who hunts everything from coyotes to elk with his 6.5x55 swede in the form of a CG-80 converted with a scope mount and sporterized. From articles I've read and opinions I've recieved so far i think my plan will go something like this. The more i read the more i think I'll go for a custom built rig with a 26 inch heavy contour barrel on a rem-700 action and a nice quick twist rate(think 1-8 or so). From the sounds of it, the factory specs I initially was ranking the swede behind the .264 and the .260 but after reading several articles written by devotees to the "swede" and reloaders in europe I realize the potential of this cartridge to outshine the .260 and still be kinder to the barrel than the .264. I'm also toying with the idea of getting it in the form of the Ackley improvement, which i need to read more into.

Keep the opinions coming though, I'm prone to mind changes and will be a while saving my shekels on this project.
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I owned and shot about 1,000 rounds through a 6.5Arch, a form of improved 6.5X55 - simply awesome case to work with.
Very good brass life, and from the factoy '96 barreled action ( speed lock and Timney trigger installed) it was a very good shooter at 300 meters .
I would recommend it to anyone.
Cat
 
Can anyone do a cost comparison of these cartriges for factory match ammo and for reloading components, that may be a deciding factor.
 
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