Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Which 6.5 to build?

I know that this has been asked a lot but thought I'd propose it again.

I've got a SA and a light contour 6.5 Bartlein sitting around. I've got a 6.5-284 on a long action. I was thinking something lightweight with an Edge stock that will work mostly for whitetails and muleys and possibly sheep/goat or light plains game for my daughter. I'm thinking I'd like something that the kids can handle well but still have plenty of punch for whatever they need. I have 3 kids. My oldest is a girl and I'm thinking that once the boys get old enough to handle full size stuff, this will become her rifle for a lifetime. Of course, I'll be using it plenty as well during the meantime.

I do reload all my stuff and I have plenty of 6.5 bullets.

.260
.260AI
6.5 Creedmore
6.5 SAUM
6.5 Rem
Something else?

Of course I also have a Long Action and I could just scrap the SA thing and use the barrel for a 6.5-06, 264 WM, or new 26 Nosler.

Opinions?

Lee

It's an interesting question. I think I'd go with the 260AI, which would give a bit more grunt to an already good round.

I've been leaning that way as well. Plus I can get Lapua brass.

Lee

Considering the things you mention, I would go Creedmoore. Who is to say that your daughter will always reload? The Creedmoore fits a short action magazine box pretty well and factory loads are getting plentiful.

I'd go either 6.5 Creed. Or plain Jane 260.

+ 1 for 6.5 creedmoor - it will kill all of the animals you listed "whitetails and muleys and possibly sheep/goat or light plains game"

upside - gun will be usable if the reloader retires, and the apprentices are busy/uninterested/ or the powder scare returns...and factory ammo in 6.5 CM is dandy!

6.5 creedmoors in short actions, with light contour barrels are fun, fun, fun. You will find many reasons to shoot this gun every time to go out to the range.

The 6.5x47 is hard to beat...

dave

Though I suggested the 260AI, lately I've gotten interested in the 6.5 Rem Mag. Only issue is brass availability. Great round, though it would only be good for a handloader. Shoot a case once, then resize to headspace on the shoulder and not the belt. But I have a 260 and just don't need another rifle. Got too many to shoot already.

6.5x47 Lapua


John

6.5-47 Lapua. It is predictably accurate. Great brass. Available dies (Forster-Bonanza). Well established reamer dimensions. Gives about the same performance at the Creedmor or 260, but better brass and a sharper shoulder.
Anything bigger is just another 6.5-284.

I'd have said that too (just had one built) but the notion that the kids would inherit it made me lean toward the Creedmoor because of the factory ammo situation. For a dedicated handloader, I think the Lapua might be the better choice, especially inside a 2.82" mag box.

+1 for sure.

Given your parameters I'd go this way.

Of course if the whole kid thing is the rationale you're communicating to your wife to justify a lighter build that your kids can and will use but will be primarily yours ( not pointing fingers here lest several be pointed back at me!!!) I'd consider 260 AI for additional cool factor.

AIs are nice cuz factory can be run through them... Of course there isn't much out there for 260 factory, but not much more of anything else either besides maybe Creedmoor?

Kids rifles = KISS IMHO

Ps- sorry just re-read daughters for lifetime = straight 260 or Creedmoor.

http://www.6mmar.com/65_SuperLR.php

dave

I am a scrub ,neophyte 6.5 buyer/builder. My buddy RinB sold me a barreled action chambered 6.5 Creedmoor.

I don't doubt the guys who seem to be saying the 6.5x47 provides certain competitive or other advantages. But I have visited 3-4 major LGS's in the past few days. In every one there was an abundance of either brass or loaded factory ammo for the 6.5 Creedmoor....no brass at all anywhere for a 260;sparse factory ammo. A box or two of 6.5/284.

The Creedmoor has exploded on the scene like mushrooms after a spring rain.It seems to be everywhere.

The differences between the Creedmoor and the other short 6.5's are a bit nuanced for me. I'd rather have easy access to components and factory ammo.I'm not a competitive shooter.

The Creedmoor is the way to go. 2.80" magazine offers great flexibility in reloading over the 260. I own both the 260 and 6.5 Creedmoor, both are accurate the Creedmoor is my favorite of the two cartridges hands down.
In a 2.80" magazine if you decide to go with the 260, shooting the hard hitting 140s is pretty difficult. The Creedmoor...no problemo!

If a guy was fully setup for a 260, but also 6x47, would you choose a 260 and use your current dies and brass or chamber for a 6.5x47 and add a set of dies?

Creedmoor or Lapua for me....

I'd love to hear how your Creed kicked your .260's ass with 140s loaded to 2.8".....

I've run'em side by side, in a couple different rifles.... more than once... and there is no discernible difference between the two at 2.8". I think the Creed guys get a little more performance, because they push it a little harder, visa vis the Ackley guys.... they need to convince themselves they've got a better mouse trap.

The x47 is a cool little round, and mine was the single most accurate rifle I've ever owned..... until the temps were single digits or less.... then it was roughly minute of tennis ball. Small rifle primers, super cold weather, and 40+ grains of powder didn't go together well for me. Rumor has it that CCI 250s will remedy that.... but I'm not interested in a gun that requires one specific primer to run well.

If I recall, 260 case capacity is still greater with a 140 Amax seated at 2.700 compared to 140 Amax seated with the heel of the bullet at the bottom of the neck in the '47.

26 Nosler if you want to burn a bunch of powder and make a lot of noise...

DF