cdself
Member
I'm building my first custom hunting rifle. I have ordered the following:
>Defiance Deviant Hunter Action - they're making some minor mods to fit to Wyatt's longer SA box
>Bartlein #4 contour (bull sporter) in 6.5mm
>McMillan Hunter stock (also opened up for the Wyatt's box)
>Jewell trigger
I have been back and forth on cartridge choice. I first was going to build a 260, and that's why Defiance is doing some minor mods to allow the longer loaded rounds to feed reliable from the longer Wyatt's box.
I can't get the 6.5 Creedmoor or the 6.5x47L out of my head though. I would go straight-up Creedmoor if I could get Lapua brass readily as I like the steeper shoulder design and the ballistics are almost identical to the 260. It also has some cheap factory stuff available for playing.
As most of you know, Lapua makes only the 260 and the 6.5x47 brass and I generally prefer the stronger brass that needs less prep to make high quality reloads. I am now tempted by the 6.5x47 as it seems to be making steady gains in some of the national competitions where these cartridges compete against one another and the small rifle primer *may* take a little more pressure before having issues allowing performance very near the other two even giving up a grain or two.
I'm having Bartlein chamber and fit the barrel and they're going to want to know how what chamber I want in the next few months. They have a match reamer and a standard reamer in 260. I'm concerned if I go match reamer, it will have a short throat and will defeat the Wyatt's mods of my stock and action and ultimately require me to load pretty much "normal" length 260 even with longer bullets. I've also heard some match reamers may not like Lapua brass - not sure if that's true as most real matches are won by those loading Lapua brass.
Right now, I'm thinking I might just go with the standard 260 chamber and fit my ammo to my new chamber. If it requires cartridges loaded a little long then my mods should allow me to cycle them without issue. This also will keep the 140's from intruding on my case capacity when I try to get them to 2900 out of my 26" tube. I do hate giving up any accuracy advantage the "more modern" designs might provide, but this isn't a bench rest gun and it won't shoot in 1's as much as I am hoping.
What would you guys do seeing as I already have parts moving in the above specs?
6.5 Creedmoor
6.5x47 Lapua
260 Rem Standard
260 Rem Match
Wildcard - 260 AI
>Defiance Deviant Hunter Action - they're making some minor mods to fit to Wyatt's longer SA box
>Bartlein #4 contour (bull sporter) in 6.5mm
>McMillan Hunter stock (also opened up for the Wyatt's box)
>Jewell trigger
I have been back and forth on cartridge choice. I first was going to build a 260, and that's why Defiance is doing some minor mods to allow the longer loaded rounds to feed reliable from the longer Wyatt's box.
I can't get the 6.5 Creedmoor or the 6.5x47L out of my head though. I would go straight-up Creedmoor if I could get Lapua brass readily as I like the steeper shoulder design and the ballistics are almost identical to the 260. It also has some cheap factory stuff available for playing.
As most of you know, Lapua makes only the 260 and the 6.5x47 brass and I generally prefer the stronger brass that needs less prep to make high quality reloads. I am now tempted by the 6.5x47 as it seems to be making steady gains in some of the national competitions where these cartridges compete against one another and the small rifle primer *may* take a little more pressure before having issues allowing performance very near the other two even giving up a grain or two.
I'm having Bartlein chamber and fit the barrel and they're going to want to know how what chamber I want in the next few months. They have a match reamer and a standard reamer in 260. I'm concerned if I go match reamer, it will have a short throat and will defeat the Wyatt's mods of my stock and action and ultimately require me to load pretty much "normal" length 260 even with longer bullets. I've also heard some match reamers may not like Lapua brass - not sure if that's true as most real matches are won by those loading Lapua brass.
Right now, I'm thinking I might just go with the standard 260 chamber and fit my ammo to my new chamber. If it requires cartridges loaded a little long then my mods should allow me to cycle them without issue. This also will keep the 140's from intruding on my case capacity when I try to get them to 2900 out of my 26" tube. I do hate giving up any accuracy advantage the "more modern" designs might provide, but this isn't a bench rest gun and it won't shoot in 1's as much as I am hoping.
What would you guys do seeing as I already have parts moving in the above specs?
6.5 Creedmoor
6.5x47 Lapua
260 Rem Standard
260 Rem Match
Wildcard - 260 AI