Killim said:
I'm not familiar with the inherent problems of the belted magnum cases. Please enlighten me. Also, I'm aware of the short action problems. All things considered such as length of action, is the 6.5 Mag comparable to the others in performance and accuracy?
Killim,
Your comments got me to thinking and finding out, at least in part, the answer to your questions. Personally, I have shot some friend's 6.5 X 284, 6.5 X 55's and 6.5 X 47 (as well as a Savage 260 Target action) and was blown away by how accurately they shoot. In fact, I just had a conversion done by my Gunsmith to a 6.5 X 55 Swedish Mauser on a Ruger M77 Target Rifle (short action) based upon a close friend's rifle that we both use for target shooting, not hunting. Though extremely accurate at the 100 - 200 yd range available to me, I now kinda wish I'd considered going to the 6.5 X 284 which, after having done some extensive reading on the 6.5 calibers (waiting for my Match Grade barrel and stock work being done), I too found absolutely nothing written about 6.5 mm Rem Mag. That wish was based upon the information that a 6.5 X 284 and the others, have a longer barrel life. But after reading what you wrote, I went to my Sierra manual and found the following..."Introduced in 1966, the 6.5 mm Remington Magnum is a necked-down version of the 350 Remington Magnum. The original concept, according to several authoritative sources, was to provide 270 Winchester performance in a light, short action carbine. Based on this criteria alone, the cartridge is a success. The gun-buying public, however, never saw things that way. Today the 6.5 Magnum is all but obsolete."
Given that I don't hunt and haven't for years now (mostly due to age), I do pursue and follow "precision shooting" and ultimate accuracy. Based on that alone, I have never seen the 6.5 Magnum used by any shooters who compete. Now admittedly, I'm assuming part of that reason is that mostly serious competitors like to use Lapua brass in their rifles and I frankly cannot find that 6.5 Magnum brass being made by Lapua. Now I know that is a weak reason not to shoot a 6.5 mag, but Sierra's earlier statement kinda supports why they don't make it...the general public won't buy it and "today the 6.5 Magnum is obsolete." I kinda wonder if the expense of reloading a 6.5 magnum and accuracy compared to a 6.5 X 284, 6.5 X 55 or 6.5 X 47 isn't yet another reason why the 6.5 Mag isn't used.
In short, it might just be that the 6.5 Mag is a great hunting caliber, but even the hunting public has found cheaper and more effective alternatives to the 6.5 Mag which is a major reason why not many apparently shoot that caliber of Magnum. I will say that for as big as that casing appear to be, it would suggest it to be a very powerful round, yet it has been suggested is not capable of shooting the heavier bullets accurately beyond 120 grs. BTW, though I've just started testing loads in my 6.5, I'm using Berger bullets at 140 gr and have yet to try the 142 gr Sierra that have a reputation (among the more serious shooter in competition) to be extremely accurate on a smaller casing.
Just some info to consider that might answer some of your questions.