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Help me decide on Rem 700 30-06 rebarrel cartridge.

46and2

Silver $$ Contributor
I have a Rem 700 30-06 factory barrel that is about to get pulled. This is going to stay a light weight hunting rifle with standard bolt face.
I would like to rebarrel to 6.5-06 Ackley Improved but I have exhausted my efforts to acquire dies.

I dont think Redding makes a Body Die in 6.5-06 ai? Could I possibly use a 25-06 AI bushing die with bigger bushings?

From what I've read 6.5- 284 and 6.5-06 have about the same capacity, 6.5-06 AI maybe three or four grains more .
My last two 6.5 284 barrels really didn't impress me.

I still have a couple of hundred of virgin Norma7×57 Mauser brass that has already been sized and neck turned from my last 6AI. I could make another 6mm AI but I'm not sure they'll feed good enough from a long action. ??

I could possibly do another 260Ackley. But I feel like it would be a waste of a long action.

If anyone has any leads on 6.5-06 Ackley dies let me know.

Thoughts or suggestions welcome.
Thanks.
 
Have you considered the 6.5-280 AI? I looked into that chambering a while back. Seems like people are using 280 AI bushing dies with satisfactory results, and you can get brass with the shoulder already blown out and in the right place. Just a simple neck down. It gets you slightly more capacity than the -06 version too.
 
CJ6 said:
Stuck on a 6.5 cal.?? Otherwise I'd look at either the 280 or 280 AI . Lots of good brass out there for the 280 AI and Norma 280 brass holds up well too.
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Yes I have considered it. Maybe I'll read up more on the cartridge.
I have a 7wsm and 28 nosler. Those are the only 284 caliber cartridges I have now. I have plenty of 7mm bullets sitting on my shelf.

What is your 280ai loads and velocities if you don't mind?

Thanks.
 
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My buddy had a 6.5ai and it was a hammer. I cannot remember the barrel length so his does of 3060 with a 140 is pretty worthless but it was a shooter. It was either 24 or 26” though. He still talks about that rifle but it was too heavy and that’s the only reason he got rid of it b
 
46and2 said:
Yes I have considered it. Maybe I'll read up more on the cartridge.
I have a 7wsm and 28 nosler. Those are the only 284 caliber cartridges I have now. I have plenty of 7mm bullets sitting on my shelf.

What is your 280ai loads and velocities if you don't mind?

Thanks.
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I don't have the 280 AI, but the 280.
I mentioned the AI version as that was the style you were considering in the 6.5 cal.
53.5grs. W 760, Nos 120 bt Fed 210
56.7 grs. IMR 4831 Nos 120 bt Fed 210
Either will shoot sub half MOA .
I'm using up older components I've had sitting around for years and these are what I have the most of and oldest also (4831 is from Dec 1988, 760 is from July 1985). Speed wise I have no idea as I don't have the newer dopler style cronos and I'd have to set mine up 20-25 yds down range to get it to work properly because of the shade and range setup.
 
260AI and never look back. It's actually a little better on a long action than a short. I shoot 153.5 Berger loaded at 3.110" overall, I cannot eject a live round from a short action. 140s at 2950-3000fps or 150+ around 2750-2800 with less than 50gr of powder. Typical Ackley chamber, it'll shoot 260 ammo into little tiny groups readily. Incredibly accurate chambering, an 8 twist will cover everything just fine. Easy to tune, too.

The inexpensive way to go about dies, a Redding body die and Lee collet neck die for standard 260 makes great ammo.
 
The 6.5-06 Ackley Dies have always been crazy expensive. I want to say my Redding die set was over $300 15 years ago. I had a 6.5-06 Ackley for years. I could get 140 Bergers over 3100fps with H-1000 and it shot really well. It was hard on brass at the high node though and I eventually backed it down over time to that 3050ish node. I still love the cartridge but at that speed all the case prep and fire forming became to labor intensive than just running a standard 6.5-06 or 6.5-284 just a bit slower. Everything I have ever shot with any of them could never tell the difference.
 
Fast14riot said:
260AI and never look back. It's actually a little better on a long action than a short. I shoot 153.5 Berger loaded at 3.110" overall, I cannot eject a live round from a short action. 140s at 2950-3000fps or 150+ around 2750-2800 with less than 50gr of powder. Typical Ackley chamber, it'll shoot 260 ammo into little tiny groups readily. Incredibly accurate chambering, an 8 twist will cover everything just fine. Easy to tune, too.

The inexpensive way to go about dies, a Redding body die and Lee collet neck die for standard 260 makes great ammo.
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Yeah, my throated target rifle 260ai is 2980 with 140s and n160 in a 26" barrel could get more with double based powders bt it shoots amazing and will probably get long barrel life. In a 24" I might get 2920.

I might read more on 6.5 RPM. Anyone load for 6.5 RPM?
 
That RPM is Bad@@s I am going to do a 30x6.5 RPM, Just because. It will out perform 30-06 pretty easy and will get real close to 300 Win mag. The feed rails may not work real well with a 30-06 based action though. I'm building mine on a magnum action.
 
The 6.5 Weatherby RPM is based on the .284 Win. case just longer so the body diameter is .500" and the shoulder angle is 35 degrees. In general. most of us find that the 35 degrees actually feeds more easily than the 40 degree shoulder. But yes the feed rails do need a little adjustment.

I've built several 6.5-06 AI rifles and made my own dies since the main line manufacturers don't see fit to stock these any more or charge egregious prices.

The 6.5 Weatherby RPM is a terrific cartridge and has a little more case capacity for those heavier, longer VLDs.

:)

1741532881274.jpeg
 
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What about a 284 win.? My brother in law built one and im very impressed with accuracy. About same ballistics as my 6.5 prc same weight bullet but his is 7mm. If i did not have my prc id look at building one
 
I have never understood the allure of wildcat cartridges for anything that might be used on a hunting trip somewhere. Try finding ammo at the local Walmart for a wiz bang AI non SAAMI whatever..

My vote is 280 REM using a modern reamer that allows you to take advantage of today’s heavy for caliber, high BC bullets.

Second choice being 25-06 of the same premise as above.
 
DR_2297 said:
Try finding ammo at the local Walmart for a wiz bang AI non SAAMI whatever..
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Preparedness!

I've hunted with wildcats and oddball cartridges my whole life around these United States and being prepared is the key ingredient. Never been to Walmart for ammunition of any kind and where I hunt there isn't a Walmart anyway! So I never had to give it any consideration. I've never left my ammunition at home or anywhere else matter. If I had to be absolutely sure and 'double knot' my plans, I simple made a second batch of ammunition and sent it on to a local contact 'just in case'. It always came back home unused.

If you can't or won't be prepared then stick with the .30-06 Springfield or .308 Win.!

:D
 
A good plan for dies would be using Redding 25-06A.I. dies as donors. If your brass has more than .001-.0015 thickness variation, I'd stick with a fixed neck dimension die over a bushing die. -Al
 
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