I'm looking to get some input on barrel makers and twist rates And contour. I have been looking at schneider,hart,pacnor but have little experience with them. The rifle is a rem 700 la going to chamber in 6.5-06 Ackley imp. 40 deg. for hunting I plan on using 120-140gr pills and what are some good questions to ask a smith before handing over all the parts. Thank you all in advance.
new 6.5 barrel?
- Thread starter predator 22
- Start date
BigDMT
predator 22 said:
Can't go wrong with Hart or Pac-Nor, a couple of the best button rifle tubes out there. Not sure about schneider.
You will have to go with a 1 in 8" twist if you want the option to shoot the 140 class VLD's. That twist will work great with 120's as well.
Contour on a hunting rifle is personal preference IMO. If you want a packing rifle, lighter is easier. Mountain rifle, maybe a #2 or #3. Flat land, tree stand or truck hunting gun, a #4 or #5 would be perfect for any longer range shooting.
No not set in stone. I hunt mostly in the mountains of s.w. Colorado 6000 to around 11000 ft. I am planning a bighorn sheep hunt as soon as my father-in-law and I are lucky enough to draw a tag but elk and mulies usually every year. Most shots will be under 600-700 yards I'm wanting to use a 26 in tube if I go with the Ackley but I dont want the gun to be extremely heavy around 7.5 pounds finished
Erik Cortina
Team Lapua Brux Borden Captain
Why not just build a 6.5-284? There is no brass preparation needed and performance should be very similar.
+1 on Brux barrel.
A #4 fluted barrel gives you the same as a #3 non-fluted.
Sounds like you will be carrying this rifle a lot, so go with as light a barrel as possible. I would go with a #3 or #4 fluted.
I would get your action blueprinted to ensure consistency on those long shots.
Ask gunsmith how he will blueprint action, if he uses a tap, find another one. If he chases the threads single point, you are on the right track.
+1 on Brux barrel.
A #4 fluted barrel gives you the same as a #3 non-fluted.
Sounds like you will be carrying this rifle a lot, so go with as light a barrel as possible. I would go with a #3 or #4 fluted.
I would get your action blueprinted to ensure consistency on those long shots.
Ask gunsmith how he will blueprint action, if he uses a tap, find another one. If he chases the threads single point, you are on the right track.
I have a Rem 700 action with a 27 3/4" #4 Shilen barrel in 264 Win Mag. It is in a Hogue full aluminum bed stock with a Meopta 30MM tube 3-12X56 scope in Leupold mounts and rings. I have never weighed it but I would not want to carry much more weight all day at 6000 feet elevation. I did not have the rifle built but got it when it was almost new from a friend that owns a sporting goods store that a fellow traded him the action and barrel blank for a rifle. He had the rifle built and I traded him out of it. It has a 9 twist chrome molly barrel. I would have preferred a 8 twist SS barrel but this rifle really shoots with Retumbo and 130 gr Nosler Accubonds, 3350 fps. I have never elk hunted but from how this bullet and rifle works on deer I would feel perfectly comfortable using it on elk. I have a friend that used to live in CO and killed quite a few elk with his 26" barrel Win 70 in 264 Win mag with H870 and 125 Nosler partitions and he said that it hammered them.
armistemjim
Gold $$ Contributor
why not consider Shawn over at HAwk Hill Barrels? i am experimenting withone of his and so far it is shooting with my Krieger and Broughton barrels. his delivery time is quick right now and he has the equipment to do great work.
preacher Jim
preacher Jim
The reason I didn't want a 6. 5-284 is brass isn't cheap and I don't mind forming ai brass from what I've read the 6.5-06ai almost equals the 264 win mag with a few grains less powder. I plan on packing the rifle a lot I don't road hunt so weight is a concern. I looked at Brux and seemed to be good barrels.does anyone have experience with canted land or polygonal rifling.
Erik Cortina
Team Lapua Brux Borden Captain
100 pieces of brass should be all you need. I don't think there will be enough savings on brass alone to justify the 6.5-06 AI.
Performance between the two will be too close to tell.
Same with barrels, the 4 land conventional barrels will be hard to beat.
Performance between the two will be too close to tell.
Same with barrels, the 4 land conventional barrels will be hard to beat.
BigDMT
predator 22 said:
Correction:
"Hot loads" in a 6.5-06AI almost equal the performance of SAAMI spec 264 WM loads in reloading manuals.
If you load the 264 hot, it will leave the 6.5-06 laying in the dust.
The 6.5-284 will give similar performance as the 6.5-06 in a shorter package. This way you will have more seating room for heavy bullets to conserve case capacity. Where you save money on brass with the 6.5-06, you will quickly lose by paying more for the specialty dies. Might as well save money on dies and have better brass IMO.
It looks like bullets.com has Bartlien 6.5, 8 twist in #3 contour in stock.
There are pro's and cons both ways. I shoot a 6.5-06 with the Gibbs shoulder but the forming process is the same for either the Gibbs or the AI. Since you are building a hunting rifle some of the negatives of the 6.5-06 may not be a concern but here they are. Forming is a pain there are 7 separate steps to get a formed case. Barrel life if you load it anywhere close to its potential is right around 700 rounds maybe 800 if you are lucky. Brass life for me is 3 loadings and then the brass is junk.
The 6.5-06 is however a lazer and very accurate, don't know about the 6.5x284 as I never owned one and the folks who do swear by them. I doubt it is any more accurate than the 06 though.
As little as a hunting rifle gets shot as compared to a competition rifle maybe the forming and the short barrel and brass life is no big deal. Because I know the 6.5-06 so well it is certainly the one I would use.
RS
The 6.5-06 is however a lazer and very accurate, don't know about the 6.5x284 as I never owned one and the folks who do swear by them. I doubt it is any more accurate than the 06 though.
As little as a hunting rifle gets shot as compared to a competition rifle maybe the forming and the short barrel and brass life is no big deal. Because I know the 6.5-06 so well it is certainly the one I would use.
RS
Erik Cortina
Team Lapua Brux Borden Captain
The 6.5-284 reigned F-Class Open for a few years setting many records in the process.
The 6.5-06 AI does not require any necking up as in the Gibbs, just neck size 30-06 brass down and load and shoot. The Gibbs is a lot more work for a few FT/Sec. I do recommend annealing the brass when you neck any case down. I had 6.5-06 brass cases crack in the neck after only 2 firings when not annealed.
I would go with one of the top names in barrel makers, I like Krieger and Bartlien. The cost difference is about $150 between the cheap and the best, look at the equipment lists at long range matches. The 06 case will feed better out of the magazine than the 284 case. Lapua does make 30-06 brass and it necks down to 6.5 if you need quality brass. I have done it. The 270 Winchester brass is real easy to form, I like Winchester brass. Go with a 1-8 twist, the neck dia in the chamber should be .003" bigger than the loaded round. I would turn the necks to a thickeness of .013" to .014", that is just enough to clean-up the run-out. I have had two 6.5-06 barrels and getting ready to chamber a new one. Good luck you will like it.
wapiti25 said:
Don't know were you got that information, but it is wrong. There is no "Necking Up" with the Gibbs. I have formed hundreds of cases for the Gibbs and have not necked up yet.
RS
Thanks for all of the great advice ordered a bartlein barrel 8 twist #3 contour ss
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.