6.5-06

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Plank Road Farm

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I've read several recent threads that mention this caliber.
Is this a wildcat reloader or benchrest thing only?
When would you choose this caliber?
Can you convert a 30-06 by just switching barrels?
Interested in hearning more about the 6.5-06 from those who use it.
Is it hard on barrel rifling life?
Don't quite understand the advantages of these close calibers:
260 - short action
6.5x55 - medium action
6.5-06 - long action
TIA
 
I have also become interested in the 6.5-06. I have a buddy up in Wyoming who uses one exclusively and claims it to be a devastating deer and pronghorn rig. My one major hold back on it is that I can't see where it really offers much over a standard and much easier to feed .270 Win.
 
Don't quite understand the advantages of these close calibers:
260 - short action
6.5x55 - medium action
6.5-06 - long action
Click to expand...

the original cartridge was the 6.5x55mm which was chambered in the Swedish Mauser. it is to the Nordic countries what the 30'06 is to America.

the 6.5x55mm is an excellent long range target round and is used on big game up to the size of moose.

the .260 Rem is the 6.5x55mm round sized down to fit into a short action and shines in the 1000+ yard accuracy game. it used to be a wildcat cartridge called the 6.5-308.

the 2 "big" cartridges in 6.5mm are the 6.5-06 and the 6.5-284. they both give you the case capacity of the 30'06 behind the superior 6.5 bullet. the 6.5-284 is currently produced by Norma and factory chambered by Savage for F-class competition.

i don't think the 6.5-06 offers anything the others don't except additional recoil
 
I have a 6.5-06 and its a great long range rifle for Deer & Antelope. My rifle was built from a 98 VZ mauser action and with a stainless douglas barrel .It has the ballistics of a 6 .5-284.But one difference you have to reload for this round . The brass can be made from 25-06 and 270 brass. I use 25-06 brass one pass thru a full size die and thats it.You can convert any long action for a 30-06 to 6.5-06 by changing the barrel .Also this can round can come close to a 264 magnum if you load it hot which could possibly burn up a barrel in a couple of thousand rounds fired thru it.I load mine about hundred feet per sec below hot loads and I fired a couple hundred rounds thru mine with no problems with burning up a barrel.My rifle is very accurate and with the right bullet could take any game on the american continent.
 
there is also the 6.5 creedmoor, 6.5 x45, 6.5 x 47, or lapua, and of course the 6.5 japanese(wish this was a new rifle chambering) and the 6.5 Carcano or 6.5x 52., 264 winchester, 6.5 remmy mag., both which surpass the 7mag at distance. The bigger boys can be hard on your rifle throat , if you shoot a lot and fast; but for a hunting rig, I suppose it would last you a lifetime.
Or you could just stay real close factory-wise, and get a 25.06 or a 270.

check here;
http://www.6mmbr.com/index.html
 
All I know is that I absolutely love my .25-06 and I was thinking how great it would be if necked up to 6.5 for the better BC bullets. I would do it in a heartbeat if I could find a rifle chambered for it.
 
My one major hold back on it is that I can't see where it really offers much over a standard and much easier to feed .270 Win.
Click to expand...
There are tons more VLD bullets in .264 than in .277. Folk that shoot at extended distances find this appealing. If you tend to shoot Sierra GameKings or similar, however, you'll probably not notice much difference between the two.
 
Love the 6.5-06

Had a ER Shaw barrel installed 15 years ago, throated for 140 Sierras. I've gotten 3160, 3070, and 2935 with 120s, 129s, and 140s respectively at the chrony. 270 brass is too long. I use '06 brass because it's cheaper than 25-06. In deference to other posts, a 6.5-06 eliminates the need for a 25-06 and a 270. Be sure to use a 24" for hunting use. Because of the throating, my H4831 loads are over book. I'm going to test RL19 next.

Unless you're going to shoot long sessions with max loads, don't worry about your barrel. A 25-06 is more "over bore".
 
6.5-06 has some loads that will exceed the old .264 Win mag, and you can gt quality brass anywhere in the form of 30-06 brass, so the cost is much lower than the Norma cartridge.
 
While not for everyone and if wanting something different.....had this Wiseman built over 15 years now, it's a 6.5 Gibbs which is essentially a maximumly improved versionop the 6.5-06. While the down side is case forming, it easily out run the regular 6.5-06 and ackley version.

700 action, jewel trigger, mc millan stock and 30 inch hart bbl.

IMG_9368.jpg

IMG_0268.jpg


6.5Gibbsforming.jpg
 
I picked 260 over the other options because my 6.5 is primarily a hunting rig, and even though I reload, it is nice to have the option of over the counter ammo in an emergency (like forgetting your ammo). I do have a match chamber and 1:8 Lilja in case I want to shoot heavy match bullets, and it does quite well with Lapua Scenars. The faster twist also works well with copper bullets like the TSX.


260.jpg
 
Don't quite understand the advantages of these close calibers:
260 - short action
6.5x55 - medium action
6.5-06 - long action
Click to expand...

The 6.5x55 and the 6.5-06 would both be chambered in a STANDARD action. Different terms for the same thing, really. What ever you want to call it, they would take the same action length. A long action would be a Magnum action (I suppose). Not need for the 6.5-06.
 
How interesting! This caliber just came up in dinner conversation Sunday! I Love all my 6.5's and think this one has been bumped to the "I'm actively searching" list. GREY that is a BAD looking rig you have there. :eek:
 
The term "medium" action

I am aware that commercially the 6.5x55 is made with the long action.

I said "medium" (or intermediate) action referring to the Yugo 24/47 and M48 Mauser actions (and others) sometimes used to make a sporterized custom hunting rifle.

I have a Savage 110 (single trigger) in 30-06 (long action).
Would a simple barrel change make the conversion without any custom gunsmith work?
 
I have a Savage 110 (single trigger) in 30-06 (long action).
Would a simple barrel change make the conversion without any custom gunsmith work?

Since the tools needed to change/head space barrels on the Savage 110/10 series of rifles are available and not all that expensive, this would be the least expensive way to build one, if one could master the task.
 
The gun gods must be smiling.:) I have a couple of VZ 24 actions that I've been wanting to build upon. Last night I had a very enlightening conversation with a gun smith friend of mine. He corrected my impure thoughts about the 6.5 vs the .270 and alas....

Work has begun on one of those VZ-24 actions as of today. It is going to be a 26" barreled 6.5-06AI. I am going with a number three or four tapper medium weight a three position safety and a gorgeous chunk of claro which I found several years ago that I am going to whack into the rough shape and dimensions of a stock. I can't wait.:evil:

Double A.

What kind of numbers are you getting with a 140gr bullet in your 6.5 gibbs? My project might just take another turn here.
 
Personally, I have definitely settled upon a 6.5-'06 as the cartridge of choice for my yet-to-be-built "ultimate long range rig" which will be similar to dubble-a's there, except in this caliber, not the gibbs one. Despite some CV to the contrary, the manuals show that it bests the 6.5-.284 Norma by a good little bit.
 
H&Hhunter. Using R-22 and IMR-7828 I get 3100 with 142gr SMK's.
I dont recall the power charges off hand so I wont guess at them. 120's at 3300fps.
 
Double A

Wow....

I'm thinking the Gibbs may be the way to go. Thanks.

Greg
 
WEll

People choose things like this because
-It's a hobby...more toys...better toys...
-Some people like to have something different

However, there's nothing really magical about 6.5mm, it just happens to have mo better bullets than 270. If you're concerned with hunting only, then 270 is just fine. The deer are just as dead. You just don't get to say you did it with some exotic uber caliber. If you can make the shot with the 6.5-06, you could have made it with a 270.

280 Ackley Improved is often overlooked and also worth considering. Some nice bullets in 7mm. Maybe a little better choice if you're hunting things bigger than deer.

6.5-284 is nice because brass can be had "premade" from Lapua. Still plenty of cartridge for wacking deer at longer ranges.
 
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