6.5 x .308?

[matt2032]

Looking at a "modified" Schultz and Larsen M54 re-barreled with S&L barrel marked 6.5 x .308. Its on Gunbroker today, (12/3/2025). Anyone have a clue to this Frankenstein? One-off wildcat? S&L short-run? Plenty of other gunsmithing questions - including the barrel markings where it meets the receiver. And WHO added "system" to the Schultz and Larsen stamp?

 

[BRGUY]

Caliber wise, it's basically a 260 Remington but could headspace differently since it was a wildcat at the time...

 

[10XSHOOTER]

Check with .308 head space gauges

 

[GWY]

Most 6.5-08 wildcats have a little longer throat than the 260 Remington. Otherwise, not a lot of difference in my experience. My gunsmith back in the early 2000s had only a 6.5-08 reamer for a build he did for me. I used factory 260 Remington brass and dies. It shot fine.

 

[DShortt]

Interesting that it would be marked like that.

Basically contradictory bore dimensions.

But, assuming it's an early '.260Rem' wildcat, not sure how else to mark it.

Hope it's cheap. Might be a can 'o' worms and no telling what the bore looks like or twist rate is.

I'd just base the value off the action alone if it were me.

 

[CJ6]

Cast the chamber.
It also sounds like S&Ls version of the 6.5 Panther.

 

[6MMsteve]

shoot a fireform case,, measure then shoot same case 2x then compare to a 260 or measure also check your throat with a split nk case see how long throat is, it's what I would do, or cast, all will come out close to same

 

[Fast14riot]

Interesting that it would be marked like that.

Basically contradictory bore dimensions.

But, assuming it's an early '.260Rem' wildcat, not sure how else to mark it.

Hope it's cheap. Might be a can 'o' worms and no telling what the bore looks like or twist rate is.

I'd just base the value off the action alone if it were me.

Following suit of the 7-08. But Ken Waters was playing with a 6.5x308 and called it "263 Express" even though it was just necked down 308win. You can find it in Ackley's book, vol II i believe.

 

[Walt Schmidlin]

I believe the neck of the 6.5x308 reamers were .295” for the commercially available R-P and W-W brass with.0125”-.013” neck thickness.

Necked down .308W brass and expanded up .243” brass worked, at least for me w/o neck turning.

Lapua brass generally required neck turning and certainly Alpha, Peterson brass does.

Not sure of freebore dimensions.

 

[10XSHOOTER]

I can't remember who did the write up in Shooting Times Waaaay back when.
But it was touted as a 6.5X308 that was before Remington came out with the .260

 

[Rat Rifle]

I can't remember who did the write up in Shooting Times Waaaay back when.
But it was touted as a 6.5X308 that was before Remington came out with the .260

Norma applied for it under the name 6.5x08 Norma before Remington stole it out from under them and called it the 260 Remington.

 

[358WCF]

Be aware & take nothing for granted. I bought a rifle marked 7-308 a few years back. Using 7-08 brass was having some weird stuff happen at the case mouths. Eyeballed the chambered brass with a borescope to find less than no clearance at the case mouth giving a it slight crimp on chambering. The rifle was apparently built before 7-08 was standardized (c. 1980) & used 308 max case length (2.015") rather than 7-08 max length (2.035"). Trimming .020" from the brass solved the case problems. It's the little things that drive us wild...