I'm looking to build a 6.5-06 or AI using a Tikka. I know they are short for long action. If you have one or have had one, are you loading them all the way out to SAAMI? I'm probably going to shoot 130's and lighter, but am not ruling out 140-143's. It will be a hunting rifle with a 23" tube. I'm building an exact replica in a 338-06 and wonder what the recoil on that one might be boring out the factory bbl. Any constructive questions or answers welcome.

I ran a 6.5 ai for a few years, ran 140 Berger’s, killed several bucks, couple bulls and a couple bear with it. Love the chambering. The 140’s dug damn good and killed well. Think your in the right track with 130’s.

Crying Karen,

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Hint.

LAUGHING!..............

Yeah, I think pushing 130's at a pretty good clip will be my go to farm field rifle, but so would a lot of other calibers. I have lots of 6.5's and just enjoy the caliber. I have a 260, 6.5 Swede, 2 Creedmoors, and just figured I'd add another one to the stable. Im just trying to figure out the direction to go. I was hoping The Veil was going to be available this past June in 6.5 PRC, but I guess something happened and I know brass is hard to find currently. I've got some good advice on a few other 6.5's not to overlook. Any advice that's constructive will help. Thanks!

Awesome choice...Ackley would look cool, but wouldn't gain you much velocity, but would get longer brass life.. Think you would be better with a 24"-26" barrel as your getting over bore. Long action takes advantage of the 06 COAL 3.340 length.

I'm wondering about the COAL due to the short mags in Tikka rifles. Yeah, 24" might be a better choice.

You really don't need to take anything Stinky says seriously.

Take into consideration that all he does is interrupt somebody's thread. He brings absolutely nothing of value with his childish gibberish.

He will take a nice firearm and scope, butcher it with a hacksaw, place it in a creek and take pictures of it. Then he will take pictures of the rust and corrosion and post them and then tell everyone that the gun and scope are junk and the manufacturers are dummies for building such crap.

He has been called out many times to shoot competitive by fellow Alaskans, but will only slither away when he is actually challenged.

Fellow loggers have stated that he is a poacher known to Alaska and that alone is putting him in the scumbucket of society.

His cut and paste insults are so juvenile that like everyone pays little to no attention to the mutt.

He has such an inferiority complex created by trying to work around full-sized loggers that his mind is incapable of rational thinking.

You can get a lot of useful information around this campfire, just do yourself a favor and put this little mutt on ignore.

Now let's sit back and watch the mutt come back with a whole month full of spittle and drool drips.

Life and weather are so great in Alaska, you’d think she would have plenty to do besides biitch constantly... 😂😂

6.5-06, I have built (3) and killed animals with all three; Rem700, DuMoulin Mauer, FN/Husqvarna Mauser.

120 gr Nos bal tip moly 50,7 gr IMR-4166 3.34" 3100 ~3200 fps depending

I hit a little whitetail doe at 629 yards [hail Mary shot when only sighted in to 600 yards]

My choice was a 6.5-06AI, built on an Interarms Mark X action, trued, barreled and bedded by Krieger.

The choice of the 6.5-06AI was driven by several factors. The first was safety. I decided to neck up 25-06 brass, which is relatively inexpensive, rather than pay $2 each for properly headstamped brass. Going with the AI version meant no one could ever chamber one of my rounds in real 25-06 rifle. Ever.

The extra velocity and longer brass life offered by the AI version was just a plus. Using 7828SSC, I'm pushing 130g Scirocco IIs to 3161fps and 140g BTs to 3075fps using H100V with a 24" barrel.

Fireform loads are 49.0g H4838SC under a 140g bullet. That load hits 2760fps and has been. surprisingly, super accurate.

I dont see how you could chamber a 6.5 round in a 25 cal anyway.

Easy button......6.5 PRC......

What do y'all think the best cartridge out of the 6.5-06, 6.5-06AI, 6.5 PRC does the most from less bbl. I hunt all over, but this will be my farm field, light mtn carry, all-around gun. I will probably shoot the Scirocco II or Accubonds in 130 gr. It's more of a rifle I've wanted more than need. I'll work a load, zero it and shoot it to zero between hunts each year and hunt with it. Probably a lifetime of rounds being less than 200-300. I have other options, but I love the idea of a 6.5 going over 3000 without going to a magnum.

Currently I have:
25-06
257 Wby
260
6.5 CM
6.5 Swede
270
7mm-08
7mm Mag
308
30-06
I have a 338-06 in the works

Not really any gaps in your arsenal to fill, but.....

My last PRC ran 140 Bergers 3100 in a 24" tube. No reason you won't be well over 3K with 130's.

The very reason everyone brags on the 6.5 Crapmore because of all the factory ammo, carries over to the PRC as well.

If I was doing it again, this is how I’d roll. 👍

Since he's wanting a TIkka I'd just buy one in 6.5 Creedmoor and send it to Shaen for the PRC conversion.

Somewhat musing about doing that with my Tikka 260.

I'm actually probably going to go with a Bergara Ridge if I go 6.5 PRC and Tikka if I go 6.5-06 either.

6.5 PRC and 6.5-06 are about equal in velocity, but 6.5 PRC takes a short action with wide feed lips and a 0.5" bolt face.

https://ammoseek.com/reloading/brass/6.5mm-prc
https://www.gunbroker.com/All/search?Keywords=6.5%20prc%20brass&Sort=13
Current bid is over $2 a piece for used brass.

I have a 6.5-06, recoil isn’t much. It’s built on a Mauser action.

If I wanted an improved 6.5 it wouldn't be on a 30.06 case. I'd use the .280AI case because Nosler and Hornady both sell .280AI cases. Then it's a simple one pass through a sizing die and you rock on. I'd also use an 8" twist, no good reason not to. Then you'd have all the bullet weight bases covered. BTW, I do not own one, but I have "played" with a friend's M700 so chambered and it's awesome.

the 6.5 and 6.5 improved are both good cartridges, but i am considering 256 Newton ,its really almost a 6.5-06 has the same ballistics,case is almost the same and is a 6.5 bullet too . Charles Newton designed the 256 Newton before 1920 so its a old cartridge designed off a 30-06, the 256 Newton is not a 25 caliber its a 6.5 caliber as i learn from John / Mule Deer. sure would be kinda fun at deer camp to have an odd old cartridge that most people never heard of ? if i did build a 256 Newton i would use a Ruger #1 too.

If wildcats are supposed to be a big effort, then 6.5-06 is not. The dies are cheap and plentiful, and 30-06 brass is cheap and plentiful.

My notes from July 31, 2015:
So at the end of 3 days of struggling trying to make concentric dummy rounds, the process I settled on is:
Use once fired pressure tested FC 30-06 brass from St Marks [crod1972 on 24hcf].
Lube with imperial wax.
Size with RCBS 6.5-06 die
Sizer with RCBS 270 small base with shortened bottom
Size again with RCBS 6.5-06
Chamfer inside the mouth

And I never use expander balls, so my notes would not bother to mention that.

A die made of steel can be shortened by grinding with an ordinary grinder. Shortening a tapered Carbide ring in Lee pistol die, I do with a diamond wheel.

I have a 6.5-06 that I made the mistake of using a barrel I bought as a “good deal” on GB and it’s twisted way too slow. When I rebarrel it’ll be to an 8” twist 6.5-280AI. I’ll be able to use 06, 280, or 280 AI cases and thinking I’ll gain a couple FPS and even more case life, the latter being of greater concern to me than the former.

Good luck!

I have so many case options. I have a ton of 25-06, at least 200 30-06 cases, about a hundred 270 cases, I also have all my fireformed 280AI cases from years ago all cleaned up. I'd say about 90 of the 280 AI in all. I just have to find the right action now.

You can't use 06 brass for a 280AI its .130 to short probably even shorter after you fire formed it

I used .30-06 in my .280 AI with no problem. Mighta been a tiny bit short but never had an issue.

Ran em through a sizing die backed out a tiny hair to leave a false shoulder, fire formed, and VIOLA!

.270 would work well in 6.5-280AI it’s a little longer.

What will happen?

You'll put your eye out.

Oh I should have said you can, just wait till you get that massive carbon ring.