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Suggestions for new barrel twist rate for 6.5mm: UPDATE now 6MM

logandiana

Silver $$ Contributor
I built myself a Palma rifle last fall with a 30" Bartlein 5R barrel chambered in 30-06. I was shooting 230 Bergers out to just beyond 1000. Not the lightest recoiling rifle as you can imagine.

Fast-foward to yesterday where I got the news that 2020 just keeps on giving! I get to have shoulder surgery in a few weeks due to some damage from a previous muscle/ligament injury. Doc says I'll be down for 3-4 months, and when I am back up and running, might be best to lay off the heavy recoiling stuff if I can.

I am going to change the barrel out with something in 6.5mm. Since I can choose the twist I was hoping that's some of y'all can help suggest what I would need in order to get out to 1000 yards accurately.

I was thinking Id probably stick to something in the 140-150 weight, but I am not tied to it.
Also haven't decided yet on a chambering either. Was leaning towards the 6.5x55 Swede, or 6.5CM, but only because I already have the dies and plenty of brass, but I am not necessarily tied to that either. I would expect whatever twist and bullet weight I use to get a mv of arount 2750-2800fps for a 30 inch barrel.

Seems like most barrels that I see are 1:8, but do see some faster and slower.
 
for the bullet weight you want I wouldn't go slower than 1:8 twist, my testing with the 147ELDM showed a slight improvement with a 1:7.75
 
For a big reduction in recoil, drop down to a 6mm. 7.5 twist. 6xc, 6creed will do real well at 1000.
I have to agree. I can't say that my 6.5x47, 17# BR rifle shooting 153 hybrids at 2800fps is significantly better than my 30-06, 9# hunting rifle in the recoil department. The 6.5x47 still has plenty of snap to it. If you're looking to soften up the blow to your shoulder, there's a bigger difference between the 6.5mm and the 6mm class than there is between the 30s and the 6.5mm in my opinion.

My 6.5x47 is an 8 twist with 0.166 freebore and 0.293 neck and it works very nicely.
 
I have to agree. I can't say that my 6.5x47, 17# BR rifle shooting 153 hybrids at 2800fps is significantly better than my 30-06, 9# hunting rifle in the recoil department. The 6.5x47 still has plenty of snap to it. If you're looking to soften up the blow to your shoulder, there's a bigger difference between the 6.5mm and the 6mm class than there is between the 30s and the 6.5mm in my opinion.

My 6.5x47 is an 8 twist with 0.166 freebore and 0.293 neck and it works very nicely.
Me too. I have a 6 Creed that weighs about 15 pounds and I shoot suppressed. Basically no recoil and no muzzle blast.
 
I have had shoulder surgery twice. Better think 6mm with a muzzle break. You do not want to screw up the surgery, and if the recoil does hurt you, you will have many sleepless nights. This issue is not something you can Macho your way through by being tough enough. Give yourself 9-12 monts to be totally healed.
Doc said 3-4, I was planning on at least 6 months. Probably better to be safe though.
 
People vary in healing time and also most of the time, they don't know what they are working with till they get in there.

Diet, physical T., smoker or non smoker, your current physical condition all come into play.

As I mentioned, I had two surgeries, and I saw people that has shoulder replacements do better than me in physical T. I was in great condition at the time, also. non smoker.

Muscle and tendon damage is easier to get over than a rotator cusp repair.

Best of luck!
 
Okay, so maybe I’ll start looking at 6mm stuff too. Here I have absolutely no clue of what’s even out there. I’ve never shot or even looked at anything 6mm before.
The 243 AI is great if you are into the heavy taper barrel w/brake. Hardly any felt recoil and with the 7.5 Twist u can shoot most all the heavy for caliber bullets. And that will get u out there as far as range goes too.
 
I have to agree. I can't say that my 6.5x47, 17# BR rifle shooting 153 hybrids at 2800fps is significantly better than my 30-06, 9# hunting rifle in the recoil department. The 6.5x47 still has plenty of snap to it. If you're looking to soften up the blow to your shoulder, there's a bigger difference between the 6.5mm and the 6mm class than there is between the 30s and the 6.5mm in my opinion.

My 6.5x47 is an 8 twist with 0.166 freebore and 0.293 neck and it works very nicely.
Almost the same as mine.
I’m running 140 hybrids out of a 5R 30.5” at 3110fps.
 
I think you guys have convinced me. I plugged in all my current and projected specs in to a recoil calculator.
My current 30-06 is clocking in at almost 19lbs of recoil energy. The same gun with a 6.5mm drops it to 11, and a 6mm drops it further to 7lbs of recoil energy. Sign me up. I am going with the 6mm Creedmoor. Barrel will be 30inch and I'll likely be shooting the 109 Bergers. So back to the original question, what twist would be best? 7.5?
 
I built myself a Palma rifle last fall with a 30" Bartlein 5R barrel chambered in 30-06. I was shooting 230 Bergers out to just beyond 1000. Not the lightest recoiling rifle as you can imagine.

Fast-foward to yesterday where I got the news that 2020 just keeps on giving! I get to have shoulder surgery in a few weeks due to some damage from a previous muscle/ligament injury. Doc says I'll be down for 3-4 months, and when I am back up and running, might be best to lay off the heavy recoiling stuff if I can.

I am going to change the barrel out with something in 6.5mm. Since I can choose the twist I was hoping that's some of y'all can help suggest what I would need in order to get out to 1000 yards accurately.

I was thinking Id probably stick to something in the 140-150 weight, but I am not tied to it.
Also haven't decided yet on a chambering either. Was leaning towards the 6.5x55 Swede, or 6.5CM, but only because I already have the dies and plenty of brass, but I am not necessarily tied to that either. I would expect whatever twist and bullet weight I use to get a mv of arount 2750-2800fps for a 30 inch barrel.

Seems like most barrels that I see are 1:8, but do see some faster and slower.
8
 
I messaged the guys at the shop and they don't have any 7.5 or 8 twist barrels in stock. They'll have to special order what I need directly from Bartlein. With that being said since it is a 'special order' I am not bound by the configurations that they usually stock. So if a 7.5 twist or a 8 twist is good but not ideal. Then what would be the ideal twist for 6mm with 109 Bergers? Should I go 7.7? Also thought doing a left hand twist, any downsides to that? What about an extra 2 inches, for a 32 inch finished length?
 
I messaged the guys at the shop and they don't have any 7.5 or 8 twist barrels in stock.
I don't know who you use, but you might look at the inventory at SPR. Greg has a lot of barrels on hand.

Don't know what elevation you shoot at. I shoot exclusively above 5K, and got my first 2 6 CM's in 8T. Adding another and going with a 7.5T.
 
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I don't know who you use, but you might look at the inventory at SPR. Greg has a lot of barrels on hand.

Don't know what elevation you shoot at. I shoot exclusively above 5K, and got my first 2 6 CM's in 8T. Adding another and going with a 7.5T.
SPR is who I use and they have several barrels that are close, but not quite what I need in the way of length and contour. So I am having them special order from Bartlein. And since it's special order, I can choose to alter some of the other stuff too if I want since they'd be building the rifle especially for me. That's why in my previous post I asked about some other stuff that I could do. Like left twist, or extra length.

My home and surrounding areas are fairly flat and low at at around 800-900 feet. I've done my longer range shooting mostly in NM at round 6800 feet. Unfortunately I don't have many wide open or 1000 yard ranges around where I live.
 
Gain twist?
Gain twist is one of the things I've gone back an fourth on. I read one place that its the bees knees, and the best improvement you could do, etc. Then I go read another article that says its not worth it and may end up causing more trouble than its worth. I am not sure what to think about it. I would be using a heavier bullet (109) with a slower burning powder probably 4831SC or Reloader22, so it seems like it might make sense, but I just don't know.
 
I think you are doing the right thing. I have had my shoulder cut on twice. Do not rush the recovery, it took about 6-8 months before it was where I could shoot much at all without pain. I rushed the first time and I thought I had messed myself up but good, did not make that mistake the 2nd time.
Best of luck with your new gun and your surgery
 

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