6.5 WSM Getting Started Questions

[Chappy6mm]

I just bought a new project. It is a Rem 700 action with a XX Premium Air Gauged Douglas barrel with a brake chambered in 6.5 WSM. This unit is UNFIRED
I am fairly new to wildcats other than the 6-284 Ive recently been playing with.
In the 6-284 I just ran my 6.5-284 brass thru a new set of Hornady 6-284 dies I purchased online. That was EASY
With this 6.5 WSM I have some dies that came with the gun and some 270 WSM Brass
Dies are:
Redding Type S Bushing Style 270 WSM with a .293 bushing
Forster Bench Rest Seater That has 260 REM on the box marked out and someone wrote 6.5 WSM on the box.

Do I just run the brass thru the Redding Die and I am done?
Are these 2 dies all I need?
How do I know for sure the Seater is going to work?
Like I said I am new to the wildcat game but fairly knowledgeable when it comes to reloading and making everything precise.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Nomad47]

You could shoot a PM to GNERGY on this forum & ask him. He shoots that cartridge.

 

[Milo 2.0]

You should have what you need. Just lube the outside of the necks, and run them slowly into the die. .277 caliber to .264 should be almost painless.
As for your seat die, I would bet the original die was a 260, they just took the sliding sleeve out and had gunsmith ream it to 6.5 WSM, same reamer as the chamber, so the neck should be maybe just a little bigger, and the seating plug will be 6.5.
Just size one case, then hand feed one into the seater to check.

You never did mention, was the sizer FL or a neck die, you will need an FL die at some point.

The one thing I might question, is the bushing size, you'll need to measure a dummy, or loaded round, but it may be on the small side.

 

[Chappy6mm]

Thanks for the reply
Yes it is a FL die and the things loaded up good last night
The loaded round measured .294 probably closer to .2945
I think you are right about the Forster sleeve being reamed out to this cartridge. I really like the way that Forster works. It was the first time I had used one.

I have many powders to choose from and was told to try 4831sc and H1000 to start out.
Anyone have any good Loads for the 140 grain bullet?

 

[Milo 2.0]

Slower the better on these serious overbore's. Norma 217 works well with a 136gr scenar. Powder seems to available, why I mentioned it
Tone it down just a tad, for barrel life. I watched one put hits on steel out to 2000 yards, which I figured to be 7mm & up territory! Wind wasn't a factor that day, but get a grip on it, this case is impressive.

All loads I've been around, 66grs & up, but you really need to find your own

 

[jonbearman]

I think I would buy a standard full length die such as redding,rcbs etc to do the initial necking down.The bushing die will struggle to neck it down in one pass.This has been my experience.

 

[Milo 2.0]

I think I would buy a standard full length die such as redding,rcbs etc to do the initial necking down.The bushing die will struggle to neck it down in one pass.This has been my experience.

Jon's probably right on this, the bushing just might create a donut right from the start, and at some point will bite you if you're not set up to neck turn.
And the first you'll notice it is when loaded rounds wont chamber.

 

[wwbrown]

When I did my 6.5 WSM I did just what the OP is planning for sizing cases, I used the seating dies that came with the 270 Type S die. I thought about having a seating die cut but the barrel did not last enough for me to cut the die.

I found Retumbo worked great in the 6.5 WSM and the first 500 rounds provided great accuracy.

 

[djtjr]

You should have what you need. Just lube the outside of the necks, and run them slowly into the die. .277 caliber to .264 should be almost painless.
As for your seat die, I would bet the original die was a 260, they just took the sliding sleeve out and had gunsmith ream it to 6.5 WSM, same reamer as the chamber, so the neck should be maybe just a little bigger, and the seating plug will be 6.5.
Just size one case, then hand feed one into the seater to check.

You never did mention, was the sizer FL or a neck die, you will need an FL die at some point.

The one thing I might question, is the bushing size, you'll need to measure a dummy, or loaded round, but it may be on the small side.

+1 great round I have 3. You should be fine with I pass thought he sizing die. Seater is prob as stated above but if it's am260 you won't get a wsm case in there. He likely reamed a 260 but still had the orig box for shipping and storage as off the shelf 6.5 wsm isn't too common

 

[djtjr]

Alsomimhad a lot of luck w h1000 and 140 amaxs and 142 SMK great round short bbl life.