6.5/6mm Remington?

[Chappy]

The another night I was messing around with some brass that I didn't have much use for. Needless to say, I got to messing around with some 6mm Remington brass and just did a basic neck-up withmy Sinclair Expander Die with the 6.5mm mandrel. Getting around to looking at it, It seems like it would be decently efficient with some decent barrel life. Can't find much on it via google search. Does anyone have any information or insight on this cartridge?

 

[bheadboy]

The AI version has been done, I cant remember where I saw the data but I do remember the results were very impressive with lots of room in the LA for seating bullets our and using all the case for powder, etc. very close to or equal to the 6.5-06 if I remember but more efficient and less powder.
try googleing for 6.5x57 AI as the 6mm is the 7mmx57 case necked down.

just found this:
"In recent years, it has been a popular practice to improve the 6.5x57 case to Ackley specifications, removing much of the body taper and blowing the shoulder forwards to form a steeper shoulder. The 6.5x57 Ackley Improved gives performance very similar to the 6.5-06, pushing 120 grain bullets in excess of 3100fps while 140 grain loads achieve over 2900fps. The 6.5x57 AI is also very similar to but not identical to the wildcat 6.5x257 Roberts Improved which is commonly known as the .260AAR (all around rifle). Case lengths are the same however the 6.5x57 AI has a shallower shoulder that sits further forwards creating a shorter neck. Both of these wildcats have enjoyed limited popularity with shooters since the mid 1960's."



Bob

 

[John from MN]

The unimproved version seems to have been a popular wildcat, too. I'm not finding much for velocity numbers, tho.

 

[ShootDots]

A 6mm Remington is a 7mm Mauser necked down. Both are excellent cartridges. Go betwixt them and you would have a nice "addition" to that family.. Having said that, you would need to use a long action (30-06 length) to take full advantage of it. Now you run into something interesting. Since you would be using the same action as a "standard length cartridge" uses, you COULD go to a 6.5-06. That cartridge and it's A.I. version surpasses anything in the 57mm Mauser case. That is most likely why the 7mm Mauser case, necked down to 6.5, has not caught on like the 6.5-06 OR a 6.5 x 284 has. It is neither "hair nor feathers" as it were. Does that make it unusable? Hardly! It is an excellent round. It's biggest drawback is that it's going to be used on the same action as other cartridges that are sufficiently more powerful that it negates the "need" for the 6.5 x 57 as it would be called..

 

[JimT]

P.O. Ackley's discussion of the 6.5 Spence Special (7x57 Mauser necked down to 6.5) in Volume 1/Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders (Copyright 1962, 4th printing 1967) states that the 6.5x57 "has been with us for 40 years or more." He also indicates that the 6.5 Spence Special was made popular by the "flood of 6.5 Jap Arisaka rifles brought into the country after World War II."

 

[Chappy]

Just comparing the piece of brass with a 6xc brass and they look very similar but I suppose that's what the 6.5-47 Lapua is suppose to be is just an up scale of the 6xc but I could be wrong.

 

[357Mag]

Chappy -

Howdy !

You can check out " Stevepages8D" on the net, to see a print of case specs for the 6.5 X 57.


With regards,
357Mag

 

[wboggs]

Biggest problem will be the cost of custom dies, reamer, etc. Doubt it would be much different than a 6.5-55 or improved, both of which are more widely used.

 

[AckleymanII]

I think that the 6.5/244 AI may be one of the better wild cats out there, make no mistake about it!

 

[bheadboy]

Seems to me the 120's @3100fps or the 140's @2900 make a very fine round. in the LA you can seat the bullets out and with a 6.5-06 the longer bullets may be back in the powder

Bob

 

[mshelton]

How close is it to a 6.5x284 or 6.5x284shaheen then.

 

[Changeling]

Seems to me the 120's @3100fps or the 140's @2900 make a very fine round. in the LA you can seat the bullets out and with a 6.5-06 the longer bullets may be back in the powder

Bob

Hi Bob, that was very well said. In fact the OP could probably even go to 160's if he chose to! The 6.5 is a fantastic bullet with sectional densities allowing it to really do some awesome penetration with the right bullet (s).

 

[bheadboy]

Changling,
Thank you for your comments, another thought, this chambering has been in use in Europe for years as the laws there require the rifle to have 1365fp energy at 100meters, this was accomplished with the 7mm round necked to 6.5 a preferred caliber for their purposes and in the std case not the AI . in this country the 6.5 Jap rifles were rechamber to this case and some AI version made, it is really an exceptional comparison to the 06 version unless you want to go hole hog.

Bob