6.5 SLR Reamer Specs

[hunter686]

Hi Guys,

I'm having a custom 6.5 SLR reamer ground by Manson for my LR/Varmint/1k rifle build. My plans are to neck down .308 lap palma brass to utilise the smaller primers. I have made peace with the fact that I'm going to trim the necks.

Having looked at the reamer print the neck diameter is .296 as standard. I'm guessing to accommodate unturned domestic brass.

My question is: if I'm already turning the necks, is there a more desirable neck diameter that i should maybe consider for the 6.5?

thanks in advance
Geordie

 

[Auto-X Fil]

There are a dozen great 6.5 calibers. You just need to balance brass-forming effort, barrel life, velocity, OAL, etc.

I assume you want more velocity than 6.5x47, and are willing to live with the brass headaches and shorter barrel life in exchange. If OAL isn't a concern, how about 6.5x55 improved?

 

[Leeman]

Geordie,

I'm in a not dissimilar position but working with the 6.5 Creedmoor. The gunsmith I will use for the barrelling has a Creedmoor reamer but I want to get hold of some of the new Lapua brass, check out the neck evenness and skim turn (if necessary) then work out what chamber neck diameter is desirable, as the man is prepared to order a new reamer to suit. If I was you I'd get some brass, neck it down to 6.5 and go from there looking for .004 neck clearance, or whatever clearance you want to achieve.

Richard.

 

[clowdis]

Seems like all you're doing is reducing the powder capacity of the .260 Remington. Why bother to push the shoulder back to SLR design which is pushed back only to use the 115 Tubb bullet?

 

[hunter686]

There are a dozen great 6.5 calibers. You just need to balance brass-forming effort, barrel life, velocity, OAL, etc.

I assume you want more velocity than 6.5x47, and are willing to live with the brass headaches and shorter barrel life in exchange. If OAL isn't a concern, how about 6.5x55 improved?

The 6.5x47 is a solid choice but i do fancy a baw hair more boiler room for the 140grs "Why don't you go for a .260 or creedmoor then? The main reason i have gone for SLR imp (basically the IMP has the shoulder blown out so it's closer to a stretched out creedmoor as apposed to a stretched.6.5x47) is that i can run a better sized charge than a 260 and with my freebore change can run a 140 above the neck and shoulder junction from a mag length in a short action.

It's the best of all 3 in my option when you add to that the small primers. My action is being machined as we speak to the option of a LA caliber i moot now.

 

[hunter686]

Geordie,

I'm in a not dissimilar position but working with the 6.5 Creedmoor. The gunsmith I will use for the barrelling has a Creedmoor reamer but I want to get hold of some of the new Lapua brass, check out the neck evenness and skim turn (if necessary) then work out what chamber neck diameter is desirable, as the man is prepared to order a new reamer to suit. If I was you I'd get some brass, neck it down to 6.5 and go from there looking for .004 neck clearance, or whatever clearance you want to achieve.

Richard.

Thanks Richard,

As I'm turing down from from 30 cal im sure there will be enough to trim of whatever i like to get the desired results.

As it stands a neck wall thickness of 14 tho will get me .292 with 4thou clearance. Should be an easy number to achieve since there will be plenty of brass to trim. As I'm getting custom dies made i'd have to to get them made first before the chamber reamer. That will take months if i do one after the other instead of at the same time

 

[hunter686]

Seems like all you're doing is reducing the powder capacity of the .260 Remington. Why bother to push the shoulder back to SLR design which is pushed back only to use the 115 Tubb bullet?

The case design isn't a standard Slr (thanks rockfish dave) it has a blown out shoulder so if anything has more capacity than the 260 will all the desirable characteristics of just a better case design. And you can load at mag length with the bullet above the neck sholder junction. What's not to like?

 

[dave7mm]

I have two reamers for the 6.5 SLR. A .293 neck .160 fb... for the 140g Berger LRBT.
And a .293 neck .205 fb for the 140g Berger Hybrid.
I make cases out of 308 Lapua palma brass.
Its the exact same neck and shoulder thats on my 6.5x47 but .170 longer to the top of the shoulder.
I run mine as a 1000 BR rifle.
i use CCI 450 mag primers.
Very little trimming.
I posted some of my load data awhile ago.should turn up if you do a search..
You dont need custom dies to make 308 lapua palma cases into 6.5mm SLR cases.
I have a Redding 6.5 SLR s bushing FL die and a 6.5x47 Forster full length die.
I also have a replaceable bushing die I got years ago from Neil Jones.
Between the Jones die and the Redding die I get the neck sized down and then I put a .170 gage block on of the shell holder and set the 6.5x47 die.
One stoke and you have a net shape case that fitted to your chamber.You can put the shoulder just where it needs to be..
Neck turn and your off and running.
Im running my first set of cases on my second barrel.
Thats how good it is.
dave

 

[hunter686]

I have two reamers for the 6.5 SLR. A .293 neck .160 fb... for the 140g Berger LRBT.
And a .293 neck .205 fb for the 140g Berger Hybrid.
I make cases out of 308 Lapua palma brass.
Its the exact same neck and shoulder thats on my 6.5x47 but .170 longer to the top of the shoulder.
I run mine as a 1000 BR rifle.
i use CCI 450 mag primers.
Very little trimming.
I posted some of my load data awhile ago.should turn up if you do a search..
You dont need custom dies to make 308 lapua palma cases into 6.5mm SLR cases.
I have a Redding 6.5 SLR s bushing FL die and a 6.5x47 Forster full length die.
I also have a replaceable bushing die I got years ago from Neil Jones.
Between the Jones die and the Redding die I get the neck sized down and then I put a .170 gage block on of the shell holder and set the 6.5x47 die.
One stoke and you have a net shape case that fitted to your chamber.You can put the shoulder just where it needs to be..
Neck turn and your off and running.
Im running my first set of cases on my second barrel.
Thats how good it is.
dave

Ideal! I have a .140 free bore so its slightly longer than the S reamer but not as long as the .160 of the standard reamer. Unfortunately, i have to go the custom route as I'm not running the standard SLR - the taper has been blown out to nearer the Creedmoor shoulder. What was the motivation of the .293 neck as apposed to the .296? Also how does the the LAP PAL brass hold up with the SLR?

 

[dave7mm]

I wanted to keep it just like my -47...ie I have a Giraurd trimmer.I run the -47 and SLR cases with no changes... not that they need trimmed, but I clean with SS pins and it freshens up the chamfers.
Got the dies here.
http://www.6mmar.com/65_SuperLR.php
As long as you dont get a loose primer pocket from running to hot a load.
The cases will last a very very long time..
Its been a excellent 1000 yard round for me.
never had a issue.
dave