6.5-300WSM Case Prep ? What are you guys doing?

[GNERGY]

I am getting ready to build a 6.5-300 WSM and am wondering what you guys have done for case prep. I bought 300, of the 300 WSM brass all of the same lot to be necked down. I bought the Hornady dies in 7mm WSM to do the first necking down the 300WSM brass. Then I will use the Lee 6.5-300 WSM die to get my final neck dia. I also noticed that the neck OD after using the Lee die with no mandrel in it was .282 and the ID was .242 WTF.. That is WAAYY Too small. I know most dies size the neck more than it needs to be and then the expander button opens it up again, which if you do some measuring that is where you get your case stretching at. I have been honing the neck on my dies to give me .003 neck tension .003 Dia. smaller than bullet diameter. Then I sand the expander ball to be .004 smaller than bullet diameter. so if it touches on case extraction that the case necks need some attention.
There isn't a benchrest or inline seater die available for the 6.5 300. So I am going to make a sleeve to put in the 7mm inline seater die for the 264 Dia bullet to keep the bullets going in straight.
I noticed the necks started out at .013 thick and after sizing to 6.5 are .016 thick. Do you guys turn the necks and to what thickness and what is your chamber neck dia.?
I am also going to anneal them after forming.
Maybe I should of started out with 270WSM brass. From what I read and was told the 300's had longer necks but after necking down they are both the same.
Thanks for any tips.
Also what are your favorite loads.
Tarey

 

[glo]

I can’t help you specifically with the 6.5 x.300 WSM but as a wildcatter I might be able to shed a little light on you predicament.

I have experiences both the compression and extension of brass during forming. It sounds like you are experiencing compression of the neck. Your thoughts of starting with a smaller necked cartridge may resolve your problem. Otherwise you will have to turn the necks, which may not be a bad idea.

 

[BigDMT]

My father-in-law has a custom 1 in 8" twist Lilja barreled 6.5-300 WSM he built off of a Ruger M77 Tang safety action. We have tested it extensively with many different powders and messed with brass a ton.

You are dead on right about starting out with 270 WSM brass. saves you a ton of headache. He started with 300 WSM brass and quickly had enough of that song and dance. The 270 WSM brass is much quicker and doesn't require neck turning in his chamber. Though he turns the necks for uniformity anyhow.
But all you actually gotta do is run them through your FL sizer die and make sure they're trimmed to the right length.
Good idea to anneal after forming to avoid any neck or shoulder cracking. We did. Though I'm sure you could shoot the brass a few times before needing to anneal.

He exclusively tested the 140gr Berger VLD because the gun was built for long range hunting. Good speeds with RL-22, RL-25, Accurate MagPro, IMR 7828 and other like burning powders. Easily able to get 3150 fps and higher. Had the best accuracy with RL-17 at 3180 fps. Can easily top 3200 fps with the 140 gr VLD, but primer pockets loosened after a few firings with some powders or accuracy wasn't quite as good.

Though that speed is definitely good enough for long range hunting because he has dropped 2 bull elk in their tracks with 1 shot, 2 years in a row with that rifle. Hit both of them with a high shoulder shot and they hit the ground before their brain registered the impact. The first bull was at 598 yards. The second bull (shot this year) was at 544 yards.

I also had good luck with RL-17 in my 6.5 Rem mag and currently use that powder as well with 140 gr Berger VLD's running 3130 fps. Though I use CCI 250 primers and he uses Remington 9 1/2's.

I think if you were to buy one powder to test and have a really good chance of finding sub 1/2 MOA accuracy coupled with great speeds right off the bat, I'd buy a pound of RL-17 if you don't already have some.

So 270 WSM brass, RL-17, various primers for load tuning, and you should be shootin' the lights out in no time ; )

Let me know if you need some more detailed load data and I'll get the info from my Father-in-law.

Oh! Get yourself a normal Redding seater die, then you can go on "ebay" and search for "redding micrometer". You can buy the seating micrometer that will fit in a normal Redding seater die for only $36 + shipping. There's 2 different types though. One Micrometer seater is for standard type bullets, the other is for VLD style bullets. You also have to make sure the seater is for 6.5mm bullets. They'll give a cartridge list in the description. Pick one that lists a 6.5mm round and is either a "STD" for standard bullets or "VLD".
Just be careful and make sure you buy the right style if that's the route you decide to take.

Good luck!

 

[GNERGY]

I am going to get rid of the 300 brass because I picked up some 270 brass today. I figured I would get all the case prep done while I am waiting for the magnum faced bolt to get here.
I have a krieger heavy varmint barrel that will finish about 31 inches long. It has a 1 in 8 twist.
My friend has a 6.5x47 lapua that shoots 140gr.VLD's in under 1 1/4 inches at 500 yds. If his groups end up bigger than that he gets mad. He is the reason I am using a Krieger barrel, his gun is scarry accurate.
I plan on using the Bergers also.
Tarey

 

[Erik Cortina]

I don't shoot that cartridge but this is what I would do.

Get 270 WSM brass, then get you a 270 WSM redding FL neck bushing die and with the use of different bushings you can neck down in as many as 7 steps, but 1 or 2 steps should be enough.

I would also just buy a Wilson 270 WSM inline die and seat with it, I bet it will work good since it's only .007" difference.

 

[BigDMT]

GNERGY,
I'm in the middle of building a bench rifle on a 6.5X47 Lapua with a 30" Krieger barrel as well. I'd be tickled pink if I got 1 1/4" groups or less at 500 yards. Your friend's rifle gives me hope : )

Is he a member here? I'd like to PM him and maybe pick his brain a bit about what he is doing to pull that kind of accuracy from that round. Sure hope I can get the same results. Good luck with your WSM.

 

[GNERGY]

Eric, I have access to a machine shop at work, so I honed the inside of the neck on the Lee resizing die to give me .003 neck tension after I turn the necks to .013 thickness ( just to clean them up and get rid of the out of round ) It worked perfect to size the 270 WSM cases down in one step. They didn't all feel the same when I sized them so when I am done I will anneal them.
I like the Hornady new dimension dies because they have a moving sleeve that holds the bullet diameter within .001 straight and fits over the neck of the case and seats the bullet in the case straight like the benchrest dies. I made a sleeve to fit the .264 bullet and fit tight on the neck to get the bullet straight.
I appreciate all the help you guys are giving me. I have been reloading since I was 16 yrs old and that was 40 yrs ago and I learn something new every day. My first rifle was a 25-06 before it was a factory cartridge back in 1969 and 2yrs later I had a 7mm-300WBY built because it won a 1000yrd benchrest match in PA by a lady with a group a little over 7 inches and I wanted to try to kill a groundhog that far back in Ohio where I grew up. I made some inline seater dies that I saw in a benchrest shooters magazine that are almost the same as the Hornadys but mine had an aluminum body, because it was easier to machine. Who knew, I should of started making them and selling them back in the early 70's. I like the challenge of seeing something and making it myself.
Thank you
Tarey

 

[Erik Cortina]

Eric, I have access to a machine shop at work, so I honed the inside of the neck on the Lee resizing die to give me .003 neck tension after I turn the necks to .013 thickness ( just to clean them up and get rid of the out of round ) It worked perfect to size the 270 WSM cases down in one step. They didn't all feel the same when I sized them so when I am done I will anneal them.
I like the Hornady new dimension dies because they have a moving sleeve that holds the bullet diameter within .001 straight and fits over the neck of the case and seats the bullet in the case straight like the benchrest dies. I made a sleeve to fit the .264 bullet and fit tight on the neck to get the bullet straight.
I appreciate all the help you guys are giving me. I have been reloading since I was 16 yrs old and that was 40 yrs ago and I learn something new every day. My first rifle was a 25-06 before it was a factory cartridge back in 1969 and 2yrs later I had a 7mm-300WBY built because it won a 1000yrd benchrest match in PA by a lady with a group a little over 7 inches and I wanted to try to kill a groundhog that far back in Ohio where I grew up. I made some inline seater dies that I saw in a benchrest shooters magazine that are almost the same as the Hornadys but mine had an aluminum body, because it was easier to machine. Who knew, I should of started making them and selling them back in the early 70's. I like the challenge of seeing something and making it myself.
Thank you
Tarey

You should anneal before you resize, not after.

 

[dennisinaz]

Tarey, just read this thread- about the brass. I have been playing with a Savage custom shop 7WSM a lot this year. Biggest headache is crappy brass.

The 7WSM has a shorter neck and holds more powder than the 270 and 300 which are the same. To get great accuracy, I had to neck 300 WSM brass down (Norma) and then fireform with Cream of Wheat (COW) to blow the shoulder forward. I would never wish a 7WSM on anyone after this. If I were doing a 7mm again it would be a 7-300 WSM so the fireforming step would be eliminated.

When moving 300 brass down to 6.5, you need to ream the inside in addition to neck turning. You can eliminate this step if you only go from 270 though. I have made a lot of 260 brass from 308 and this is about the same amount of work.


I am anxious to see how this round works out for you. I know I talked to John Burns of Greybull Precision and he uses a 264 win mag with 140 Bergers @ 3200 fps. You might find an accuracy node there at 3200. With that 31" barrel, you might get up to 3300 - who knows!

 

[BigDMT]

3300 fps or more with a 140gr bullet from a 31" barrel will be a certain achievement. No doubt in my mind because we were easily getting 3200 fps from my father-in-law's rifle when only using a 26" barrel.
The speeds from that 31" barrel will make that cartridge shoot those high BC 140 gr pills flatter than a laser beam!

Bet you'd even be able to see 3500 fps with 130 gr bullets : ) WOW!

Good Luck!

 

[dennisinaz]

I was blowing the 130 Bergers up at 3200. I had two bullets never reach the target. I switched to Norma Diamonds because of that.

 

[BigDMT]

I was blowing the 130 Bergers up at 3200. I had two bullets never reach the target. I switched to Norma Diamonds because of that.

Oh yeah! Didn't consider bullet jacket integrity. So 3500 fps may never be a possibility with the thinner jacketed 130 gr VLD's. Good info : )

I like Berger VLD's for commercial bullets because I can go through a box of 100 130gr VLD's and only have .002" variance in ogive bearing surfaces and only .2gr in weight variance. They are the most boring bullet to measure and weigh : ) You could basically shoot them right out of the box. Which is what Don Nielson has been doing with his 6.5X47 Lapua.

How do you like the Norma Diamond bullets? I was considering them myself. Do they have good weight and ogive bearing surface consistency?

 

[dennisinaz]

They are right there with Scenars and Bergers. I shoot them right out of the box. They have much tougher jackets and aren't as good for hunting but with the blow-ups I had, I am afraid to go back to the 130 Bergers.