Mine has a pretty tight bore, this is with .257 bullets. I'd use them but fear eroding the throat with the undersized bullets.
Have you slugged the bore? I've had several of those and they all slugged .264 groove to groove. The 6.5X52R always slugs @257.
My wife's 6.5X58R drilling is the most accurate drilling
we have, in spite of a less than perfect bore. Always under an inch, with a 2.5X post reticle Hensoldt. I would love to see just how accurate it is with a higher power optic.