6.5 what?

[Cmrem700]

hello. I'm having a short action standard bolt face rifle built (for long range practice).
6.5x47 - want to use 140 bullets and don't think it has enough powder space
6.5 creedmor - I don't like hornady brass
260 rem- I like it but shoulder angles and short neck (bullet seats in powder space)
260 ackley- don't want to fire form (I don't think I'm ready for that)
6.5slr - I really like that but can it be just as accurate as the others listed above?
Win brass with a light neck turn, would that help? Do you know anyone that
Has one and likes / dislikes it and why?
I'm open to any suggestions.
Thanks for your help

 

[Phil]

260AI

Load them up as 260, shoot them and out comes 260AI, as long as the reamer is set up for what you are doing, i really don`t see the problem......

 

[ShootDots]

Well if you do not like fireforming (which is VERY easy) and you want a 6.5 with a steeper shoulder angle. After listing what you do NOT like, there is one real choice left, a 6.5 x 284. I had 2 / 6.5 x 284's and they are superbly accurate. It was, at one time, the KING of 1000 yard F-Open cartridges. It has a few drawbacks. They can be overcome to some degree. The BIGGEST drawback is it's "relatively" short barrel life. If you use H4350 or H4831, you will not exceed 1200 rounds of accurate barrel life. On the other hand, if you use VV N165 or H1000, which I believe are better powders to begin with, you can extend your barrel life to 1600 rounds. With a 140 grain Hybrid at 3030f.p.s. it is STILL a viable option for long-range competitive shooting.

 

[Cmrem700]

I thought a 6.5x284 was or should be a long action.
After Phil's suggestion, I started a search on the ackley. Seems like donuts could be a problem?

 

[Gabe22BR]

260 AI ----All depends on what your going to do with it.. plink, hunt, competitions...
My cousin hunts with his, today he hit a 18" plate twice (5 shot total) with his just plinking...

 

[ShootDots]

I thought a 6.5x284 was or should be a long action.
After Phil's suggestion, I started a search on the ackley. Seems like donuts could be a problem?

If you are going to use it as a repeater, a long action would be in order. But most long range competitive shooting is done single shot. F-Open, Benchrest and the like are single shot venues. Now steel plate shooting might be a different story>>>I have never shot it. I have had 2 / .260Ackleys and they would be my first choice. Fireforming does not seem to be the OP's (your) forte.

 

[Cmrem700]

Nevered fire formed, and don't no anyone that has done it. Would you use luapa brass or R.E.M.? How is barrel life? Not planning to use it hunting or in competition, just want to practice, practice, practice. My goal is try to get small groups consistently.

 

[Phil]

Get a reamer made with a little more room at the shoulder junction, tapering to the case mouth and enough freebore to seat above the doughnut, if one should appear.......

 

[ShootDots]

All you have to do to fireform is load up a .260 with the bullet seated to a good jam. This keeps the case head planted against the boltface. When fired, the case expands to fill the chamber, thus eliminating any possible headspace issues. Use a charge about 1 grain below a max load on a "regular" .260. Then simply fire it>>>voila! Fireformed .260A.I. brass! As a matter of fact, I have a load that shoots VERY accurately in 3 out of 3 rifles so far. It is taking your .260 brass, use a fairly tight bushing (3 thousandths under the size of a loaded round) in your sizing die, load up 37.0grs of VV N150 and seat a 123 Scenar 15 thousandths into the lands. It shoots well enough, even fireforming brass, to shoot "cleans" at 300 yards in F-Open competition!

 

[Gabe22BR]

Lapua 7mm-08 brass sized in Redding bushing die, with a tight bolt close. Load standard 260 load and shoot. Doughnuts will form, neck turning, or reamer will help with that. Like Phil said, a long free bore to get the 140's out further is best. Annealing seems to help as well.

 

[RonAKA]

hello. I'm having a short action standard bolt face rifle built (for long range practice).
6.5x47 - want to use 140 bullets and don't think it has enough powder space
6.5 creedmor - I don't like hornady brass
260 rem- I like it but shoulder angles and short neck (bullet seats in powder space)
260 ackley- don't want to fire form (I don't think I'm ready for that)
6.5slr - I really like that but can it be just as accurate as the others listed above?
Win brass with a light neck turn, would that help? Do you know anyone that
Has one and likes / dislikes it and why?

Your other choices are 6.5 RM, 6.5x284, .264 WM. I am currently rebarreling a .264 WM to a 6.5 RM. I think the Remington Magnum has close to the ideal case volume for a 6.5 at 68 grains. Yes, still hard on barrels, but not nearly so as the .264. And the 6.5 RM case volume seems to make much better use of the powder in producing velocity. But, and it is a big BUT, only Remington made the brass and it is not being made any more. Forming it from other cases is difficult. I'm doing it just because I like the cartridge ballistics, and I have the brass. I also have another gun in .264 as well.

The 6.5x284 has slightly less case than the 6.5 RM, but is very close. Lapua makes brass for it, so no brass issues.

The .264 WM, despite having two of them, I really can't recommend. Just burns too much powder without getting the extra performance, and the barrel pays the price. It is a long action as well.

And to be realistic you will want to shoot long 140 grain bullets for long distance. When you seat them in the neck (not down into the case) in the 6.5 RM or 6.5x284 they are not going to feed in a short action. Yes, you can single feed, but getting an unfired round out is a bit of a pain then.

If you are stuck on a short action, I think the obvious choice is the 260 AI. It is even going to press the limits of a short action, so you should check that out. Your concern about the donuts in forming a 260 AI may have been founded on this older article about 260 Ackley Case Forming. I think the problem then was that Lapua was not making the 260, and the donuts were in a necked up .243 case. Lapua now makes the 260 Remington and I suspect that issue is pretty much gone. I would agree the standard 260 is a little short on case capacity at 53 grains, but I believe the AI version is not much more at 56 grains?

If you really are serious about long range, you may want to consider the 6.5x284. You can buy one off the shelf from Savage. Just my thoughts.

 

[jimbo88mm]

Lapua is coming out with 6.5 creedmoor brass soon (announced in thread here a couple months ago).

I had no problem getting 2900fps with 140gr bullets (hornady eld-m) using imr 4451 from my plain Jane 260 (30 inch barrel) with a slightly compressed load.

Either one would work if you don't want to go the AI route.

 

[bruce moulds]

here in south Australia the 6.5 super lr is making a name for itself.
it seems to have the minimum case capacity to run h4350 and 140 gn bullets in this calibre at around 2900 fps, not much slower than the node in a 6.5/284 with the same powder, but less of it.
it has a long neck.
economical bras is made from win 243 brass with perfect headspace for you chamber unfired.
this brass can be neck shaved if you use the right reamer.
if you buy 200 cases you will get 4 pretty good batches of 50, and they lose nothing to lapua on the target.
and so easy to shoot.

 

[dkhunt14]

6.5x47 has good brass, just broke 1000 yard IBS heavy gun records in BR. They all seem to shoot great. Most are using the 130 Berger and not much difference between a 130 and 140 to 1000 yards. It will work great in a short action. Accuracy is great. Brass is great and lasts. Cheaper to shoot. Barrel life is better. Matt

 

[Preacher]

I like the 6.5 SAUM IMP with 140's @ 3100.........

 

[500Stroker]

Nosler has 6.5 Creedmoor brass.
I shoot 6.5 Creedmoor in a stock Savage rifle it will amaze you.

 

[Grimstod]

Lapuas 6.5x47 is very hard to beet. Its accurate and is the cheapest 6.5 to reload for. Brass costs 1.05 each and since you get about 25+ reloads on it that equalls about .042$ each reload. Creedmoor is a lot more expensive. .65$ Ea but your lucky to get five reloads out of it. We will say 10 even though thats really optamistic. And thats almost 50% more then the Lapua. Creedmoor ends up costing more then .06$ per reload.

 

[jr600yd]

I think your choice will depend more of what you want to do? How much into the reloading game you want to go? How much $$$ you want to spend?
You seem to be more into informal shooting, that's fine and a lot of fun.
Nothing wrong with a .260 Rem right out of the box. Plenty of factory ammo around, good brass (Lapua) and dies should you want to reload. It's a very accurate round. Same goes for the 6.5/47 Lapua. Both have good barrel life. If you want a little more "umph" then go 260 imp. Like they say just load and shoot to fireform.

 

[mikecr]

6.5x47L for 123-130s (easiest)
260AI for 139-142s
These cover the best bullets in 26cal,, no other capacities are better for them,, both using Lapua brass.

 

[Cmrem700]

Thanks for all the info. Already have a action. So it sounds like
6.5x47 - is great with 130 grain bullets and good brass
6.5 creedmoor- I can get better brass
260 R.E.M. - good brass
260 ackley - fastest but has the most prep
6.5slr - a little prep but easy (for me I think)
Decisions decisions sounds like they are all easy to load for accuracy and
Would all be a good choice. Does anyone think the 6.5slr is a bad choice?
The 6.5x47 and the 260 rem seem to be a solid choice (for me). I have to make a decision in about a month. I'm sure it will take me that long to choose. Thanks again to everyone