Looking for information, load data and experience with 6.5Gap 4s/6.5 x 300SAUM

[odie]

I am thinking of building a 6.5 Gap 4 s aka 6.5 x300 saum. I am interested in others experience, load data and set up using this cartridge.
I have an 8 twist 29".264 barrel I am thinking of using. The rifle will be used mostly for dinging steel at 400 yards out to ??. Shooting off a rest from a bench.

 

[Preacher]

I am thinking of building a 6.5 Gap 4 s aka 6.5 x300 saum. I am interested in others experience, load data and set up using this cartridge.
I have an 8 twist 29".264 barrel I am thinking of using. The rifle will be used mostly for dinging steel at 400 yards out to ??. Shooting off a rest from a bench.

If it's anything like the few 6.5 SAUM 35˚ imp's I work with, your best bet will be 58 to 64 grains of H-1000, and the 140 VLD Bergers....3000 FPS is easy, and accuracy is a big plus....
It will put fire forming loads into less than 1/4 MOA....

 

[Sheldon N]

30 pages of reading material here.... George Gardner of GAP is the thread starter and an active participant in the discussion.

http://www.scout.com/military/snipe...extreme-hunter-6-5-gap-saum-4s-brass-in-stock

 

[map-it]

I'm planning on getting a spare bolt and have one of my barrels in a 6.5x47 and the other in 6.5 SAUM near or far the target better be afraid.....

 

[Dans40X]

I've been shooting the 6.5 SAUM thru a 1:8.5" twist 30" tube since Remington commercialized the 300SAUM.
As Preached commented previously to powder loads/bullet,velocity& fire forming I'll attest to pushing moly'd Berger 140VLD's to 3475fps.
My projo of choice is a moly'd Sierra 155gr Match King @ 3300fps.

Noting that accuracy trumps velocity on any given day-the 6.5 SAUM chambering will run circles around a 6.5x284.

 

[kev77]

I've been shooting the 6.5 SAUM thru a 1:8.5" twist 30" tube since Remington commercialized the 300SAUM.
As Preached commented previously to powder loads/bullet,velocity& fire forming I'll attest to pushing moly'd Berger 140VLD's to 3475fps.
My projo of choice is a moly'd Sierra 155gr Match King @ 3300fps.

Noting that accuracy trumps velocity on any given day-the 6.5 SAUM chambering will run circles around a 6.5x284.

What free bore do you run to get 3300 with 155s. Sounds good. I cant get mine past 3100 with 142s

 

[kev77]

I have a 6.5 4sit's OK but I don't think I would do it again, only because I want to shoot the heavy 6.5 bullets

 

[Dans40X]

kev77-
The Barrel,Length,Powder Choice determines the velocity not the free bore.

Who's Bbl & what length are you running to only get 3100fps w/ 142MK's?

I've pushed moly'd Berger 140VLD's just under<3500fps.

 

[odie]

I have just put together a 6.5 SAUM with a Rem 40x xbr action and a k&p Remington sendero contour 1 and 8 twist 29 7/8 tube. When time allows I am going to try 140 berger hybrid vld and H1000 on Norma cases and see what she will do. Later just to see what kind of speed I can get some 95 Vmax.

 

[Phil]

Dan,

N-165?

Phil.

 

[Dans40X]

Phil,
No,I didn't load/test any VV N165

 

[wboggs]

kev77-
The Barrel,Length,Powder Choice determines the velocity not the free bore.

Who's Bbl & what length are you running to only get 3100fps w/ 142MK's?

I've pushed moly'd Berger 140VLD's just under<3500fps.

Dans40x Do I understand you can drive a 140 gr bullet almost 3500fps from a .300SAUM necked to 6.5mm? Thanks Bill

 

[Phil]

Phil,
No,I didn't load/test any VV N165

Dan,

Mind if i ask what you found to work best for you?

A P.M. is ok too, if you`d rather not openly say.

Phil.

 

[wildcat284]

I get my 6.5mm SAUM back this coming week from the gunsmith

It is built on a brand new stainless Remington 700 Short Action, which I had my gunsmith blueprint & true up the action. It is fitted with a Defensive Edge custom bolt release, PTG Oberndorf aluminium bottom metal and Wyatts extended magazine. The bolt is a PTG spiral fluted with M16 extractor and PTG aluminium bolt shroud / firing pin assembly.

I am running a Criterion 1:8 twist fluted barrel, 24 inches length. All the metal work has been Cerakoted black and bedded into a McMillan Remington 700 Mountain Rifle stock in their McWoody finish.

I have 75 pieces of Norma 300 SAUM brass that I FL sized down in a Hornady 7mm SAUM die, then switched to my Redding S Type 7mm SAUM die, with the neck first sized down with a Wilson 0.298 bushing, then a second pass through a Wilson 0.292 bushing. Doing this my runout has stayed a constant .001/.002. I did not neck turn my brass and I have not had a doughnut form in the neck area of any of my cases.

I put together some barrel run in loads using 58gr H1000 and a 140 Hornady SST. I use a 7mm SAUM Forster Ultra Micrometer seater die, with the 7mm stem replaced with a 6.5mm. Using this setup, I can keep my bullet runout to .002. As this is purely a hunting rifle, I am happy with the runout I am getting.

So, the most interesting thing. Well, I had a bag of unprimed Federal 300 WSM brass and I decided to see if it could be formed into 6.5mm SAUM, as both the WSM & SAUM case diameters that I miked were identical. So I ran some 300 WSM cases through my 7mm SAUM FL die ( I lost a couple through hydraulic denting of the shoulders), however after a little bit of trial and error I managed to successfully form 30 cases. These cases did however need to be outside neck turned as there were some inconsistencies in thickness on one side. Once this was done I then chamfered and deburred as per my normal case prep.

The 6.5mm SAUM Norma cases weigh on average 242.8 grains and water capacity measured to the case mouth is 68.4 grs h2o.

A Federal 6.5mm SAUM case weighs on average 234.0 grains and water capacity measured to the case mouth is 72.6 grs h2o.

My next bit of experimentation will be to use 270 WSM Winchester brass and form these to 6.5mm SAUM as I understand the brass is alot harder than Norma brass.

Michael.

 

[Danny1788]

Wildcat284 thats interesting.... was your WSM brass brand new? the case head of the WSM is .555" where as the RSAUM & RUM is .550"

 

[wildcat284]

Hi Weatherby,

Yes, brass is brand new. The Norma 300 SAUM case I have measures 0.547 at the head, while the Federal 300 WSM case measures 0.548 at the head.

I have just be talking to another guy in Canada who also has a 6.5mm SAUM and he has been using WSM brass to form his 6.5mm SAUM as 7mm SAUM brass is just about impossible to obtain.

 

[alf]

So, the most interesting thing. Well, I had a bag of unprimed Federal 300 WSM brass and I decided to see if it could be formed into 6.5mm SAUM, as both the WSM & SAUM case diameters that I miked were identical. So I ran some 300 WSM cases through my 7mm SAUM FL die ( I lost a couple through hydraulic denting of the shoulders), however after a little bit of trial and error I managed to successfully form 30 cases. These cases did however need to be outside neck turned as there were some inconsistencies in thickness on one side. Once this was done I then chamfered and deburred as per my normal case prep.

I tried this once making 7 SAUM from 7 WSM brass.

Managed to crack the die after a couple of pieces.......

 

[kev77]

kev77-
The Barrel,Length,Powder Choice determines the velocity not the free bore.

Who's Bbl & what length are you running to only get 3100fps w/ 142MK's?

I've pushed moly'd Berger 140VLD's just under<3500fps.

lilja barrel,28.5'' h-1000 powder, ccibr2,norma brass.. I'm not a big fan of the lilja 3 grove barrel buy its what i had on the shelf . oh and a sergon 591 target action. 142 matrix bullets . what else do i need to try?? i even lenghtened out the free bore 70-80tho

 

[kev77]

I tried this once making 7 SAUM from 7 WSM brass.

Managed to crack the die after a couple of pieces.......

same here

 

[wildcat284]

Wow Kev & Alf, I've not had that happen yet. I have been using a Hornady 7mm SAUM FL die and have formed 30 cases from WSM, plus I've used the same die when necking down 300 Norma SAUM (maybe Federal brass being softer makes a difference?)

It does take a lot of force to reshape the WSM cases into SAUMs.

Michael.