Poll: 6.5 rifle choice

[snarlingdog]

So I am in search of a new rifle that I can play with and hunt. I first thought about a 243 and is I find the right deal I may get one. But I have been reading up on 6.5 bullets and what they can do. I do reload which is one of the reasons why choose the Swede but everyone is on the creedmoor bandwagon so I thought I would see what everyone's thoughts are.
I know there is a long and short action difference but how would that play into the rifle? Is there more accuracy in one over the other?
So please share your thoughts.

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[Max713]

Tikka T3X CTR 260 Remington

Most accurate and easiest to load for rifle I've ever owned. Makes my new manufacture Remington 700's feel like complete turds.

This rifle shoots 1/3" groups, pretty consistently, with several loads. I highly recommend it.

 

[snarlingdog]

What grain of bullets have you tried

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I like the 6.5 Swede.
I have hunted deer with a Husqvarna rifle chambered in that caliber and it sure worked fine.
'Course there also is the old rifle and cartridge factor ... And everyone knows how I love those...
( So I might not be the most impartial judge )
Andy

 

[No_Regerts]

The 6.5 CM isn't anything revolutionary. Its the toyota camry of rifle cartridges. Yes, its efficient. It gets a bullet from point A to point B and doesn't use a lot of powder to do it. BUT, its not magic. You can do more with more case capacity if needed.

Both cartridges allow for lots of OAL lattitude. The 6.5 CM is short for a short action and the 6.5x55 is short for a standard long action. The 6.5 CM may be more inherently accurate due to case design, but your rifle and the shooter may not be precise enough to realize those gains.

If it were me, I would ask myself if I'm more interested in this as a hunting rifle or a paper puncher that I could kill something with. The 6.5x55 in a modern rifle has more oomph and it would be my pick for a hunting rifle. No, you wont find loads in a book that show its full potential due to 100+ year old rifles. For instance, 7x57 comes up looking inferior to the 7mm-08 in reload manuals for the same reason. It has 6mm more case length, use it. All of the sudden, you are outpacing 7mm-08 loads without any problems.

 

[DirectDrive]

Forget those weaner cartridges.
Let's roll out the Big Dawgs....

 

[Ura-Ki]

I have used the 6.5 bullets in a lot of different loadings from the Grand ol Swede to more modern rounds like 6.5/284, 6.5/06 and a newer wildcat 6.5/300wsm! All three will burn a barrel pretty quickly, but if you wanna see what the 6.5 bullets are capable of, one of those will surely take you to 6.5 nirvana! That said, I would go with the 6.5 Swede, A long proven round with over 100 years of proven performance and tones of good working load data to build from. In a modern rifle capable of allowing you to push on it, the Swede will out shine many contempories and give you a pretty serious hunting tool, you can down load it quite a bit and use it for wackin Varmints, or work your way up to Bull Elk, and for L.......O........N......G range shooting in high winds up hill, not much can match its performance!

 

[No_Regerts]

Forget those weaner cartridges.
Let's roll out the Big Dawgs....

View attachment 356671

The way Winchester introduced the 264 Win Mag was a shame. Its easily an effective elk cartridge, but they marketed it as a high powered varmint/predator/antelope/deer cartridge and then chambered it is some strange rifle setups like a 22 inch barreled featherweight. With that barrel length, it was just a really loud, harder kicking 270 with less magazine capacity. The 7mm Rem Mag is nearly identical in all aspects, but with better marketing and better barrel choices and look what it did for Remington.

 

[snarlingdog]

I have used the 6.5 bullets in a lot of different loadings from the Grand ol Swede to more modern rounds like 6.5/284, 6.5/06 and a newer wildcat 6.5/300wsm! All three will burn a barrel pretty quickly, but if you wanna see what the 6.5 bullets are capable of, one of those will surely take you to 6.5 nirvana! That said, I would go with the 6.5 Swede, A long proven round with over 100 years of proven performance and tones of good working load data to build from. In a modern rifle capable of allowing you to push on it, the Swede will out shine many contempories and give you a pretty serious hunting tool, you can down load it quite a bit and use it for wackin Varmints, or work your way up to Bull Elk, and for L.......O........N......G range shooting in high winds up hill, not much can match its performance!

I like the versatility the Swede has from the 100gn bullets to the 160gn that's why I'm looking at it. My range is only good for 100 yards so really I'd only be testing loads to hunt with but I can hunt alot of animals with it

 

[Max713]

What grain of bullets have you tried

85, 95, 120, 123 and 140. 123 and 140 being the best, granted they were Lapua and Berger... regardless, this rifle is ridiculous. Would post proof, but I'm on my phone

 

[nehalemguy]

I've been working on a 6.5x284 Norma build for a couple years now. I started with a Bi Mart special 700 ADL for a donor action. I then installed new stock, trigger, firing pin, bottom metal, and stock.

The bolt was sent to Red Hawk Rifles to be fluted and skeletonized. The rifle currently awaits a Pac Nor barrel.

......and I voted for the Swede.

 

[DirectDrive]

I've been working on a 6.5x284 Norma build for a couple years now. I started with a Bi Mart special 700 ADL for a donor action. I then installed new stock, trigger, firing pin, bottom metal, and stock.

The bolt was sent to Red Hawk Rifles to be fluted and skeletonized. The rifle currently awaits a Pac Nor barrel.

View attachment 356767

Very nice !

1) What stock is that ?

2) Is that the fluting service that Pharmie uses ?

 

[nehalemguy]

Very nice !

1) What stock is that ?

2) Is that the fluting service that Pharmie uses ?

The stock is a Bell and Carlson Alaskan Ti.
I'm not sure who Pharm used. ???

My intent for the rifle is for it to be hunted, not just a paper puncher.

E

 

[aflineman]

I like my Swede. Still getting stuff readjusted with it, (loads, scope and such) as I have not had it out of the safe in years. Slowly setting it up to use this fall for deer. Need some nicer days to work on load development. Really looking to use the 160 grain pills (which I remember the rifle really liking), but may see what the 140s do.

 

[DirectDrive]

The stock is a Bell and Carlson Alaskan Ti.
I'm not sure who Pharm used. ???

My intent for the rifle is for it to be hunted, not just a paper puncher.

E

Thanks.
Coming along nicely.

 

[erslll]

What 160 grain 6.5mm bullets are you guys using? I searched Midway and they had a couple but most were round nose or protected point which had pretty poor BC's. I understand for hunting at closer distances they would be fine but kind of defeats the purpose of getting a 6.5 for it efficiency.

I voted CM but it really depends on what you want to do and how many rounds you are going to shoot through it. Yes, there are lots of bigger cases that will push the same bullet a lot faster but if you plan on shooting a lot, you will go through barrels. I am guessing by the OP comments that probably won't be an issue.

 

[aflineman]

What 160 grain 6.5mm bullets are you guys using? I searched Midway and they had a couple but most were round nose or protected point which had pretty poor BC's. I understand for hunting at closer distances they would be fine but kind of defeats the purpose of getting a 6.5 for it efficiency.

I voted CM but it really depends on what you want to do and how many rounds you are going to shoot through it. Yes, there are lots of bigger cases that will push the same bullet a lot faster but if you plan on shooting a lot, you will go through barrels. I am guessing by the OP comments that probably won't be an issue.

I like the Hornady round point 160. Do some research on them, they are very surprising for the long shots.

 

[snarlingdog]

I found a used howa 6.5x55 for a good price but I see alot of people say they are pick on bullet weights and only liking 140gn bullets. Anyone have experience with one?

 

[U8395279]

Forget those weaner cartridges.
Let's roll out the Big Dawgs....

View attachment 356671

Weatherby also made the old 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum wildcat cartridge legitimate last year. They are offering formed brass and 3 different loadings for it. Here is a photo of it on the far right of this lineup. The 26 Nosler is just to the left of it.





The New 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum and Mark V Rifle


Both the 26 Nosler and the 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum offer incredible ballistics, and are extremely flat shooting. Downsides would be the high cost of the ammo, and a shortened barrel life.

.

 

[3MTA3]

Swede - Varmints to moose in one rifle.