Don't hear much discussion of these. Anybody shooting one?

How's barrel life, and how's velocity compared to a .264??

I almost posted on the 264 Win Mag thread but didn't want to derail it.

A buddy suggested I re-barrel my 270WSM to 6.5WSM rather than re-barreling my 308 to 260, both rifles are Extreme Weathers. I elected to stick with the 260 since the the *paper* ballistics of the 260 140gr was so close to the 270WSM 130gr and I am wanting to shoot mainly 120's and 45gr's +/-; so, I replaced the 270WSM with a 300WSM to spread the gap between the EW's.

I am still somewhat interested in the 6.5WSM but I read some information alluding to the 6.5WSM being a barrel burner. It seems possible but not probable the 6.5WSM would burn out a barrel any faster than a 270WSM.

I started thinking about this cartridge again due to the number of 264 Win Mag topics and now, Winchester chambering multiple rifles for it. I looked online and the 264 Win Mag capacity is 82 gr's and the 7WSM is 81 gr's. Seems to be a toss up, buy custom dies for the 6.5/7WSM or live with the belted case of the 264 Win Mag.

I would like to hear the responses as well;

Barrel life?

Velocity compared to the Win Mag?

WSM vs Belted Magnum

There is certainly an advantage to a factory rifle and off-the-shelf dies.

The 6.5 WSM is based on the 270/300 WSM case, not the 7 WSM case, right?

Called the 6.5 Rock.

Burns barrels as much as any overbore cartridge would/does.

The one I shot for a while was off the 270 case.

I wasn't overly impressed with it.

If I was in the market for a hot rod 6.5 it would be based off the 264 WM.

FYI I get 3000 +/- fps from the 6.5-06 (26" bbl) and a 142 smk, 140 berger.

most 6.5 pills like the 2900-3000 fps velocities as it is.

If I went with a WSM case I would start with the 7WSM, but I think you are correct, 6.5/270WSM.

Cocadori, is the 270WSM considered overbore?

Why the 264 WM?

264 wm because of the simplicity of it.

get the right twist bbl, chambered and throated for the bullets you want and rock on.

270 WSM overbore??? My personal feeling is that anything you can't get less than 1500-1800 rounds outta on a bbl it's overbore.

I understand that people want to hot rod stuff. But I like to shoot and shoot a lot.

I'm not into spending money on barrels/smithing just to have to re-barrel again.

Rock on??

Already have a 6.5-06 AI that shoots 140 Bergers at 3050 in a 24" barrel, but it's an 8 1/2 lb. rifle. I'm thinking a lightweight, in a rifle built around WSM cases i.e. a Kimber Montana.

Already have a .264 (or two) and likewise, tough to make it work in a true lightweight.

Already have a lightweight 7 WSM, just getting the barrel set back so sooner or later gonna have to re-barrel and looking at the options.

I have a 6.5 WSM on a Savage action. Sadly it has been in my safe for 4 months and I haven't had time to shoot it .
I also have a 264 WM. The 264 has a heavy 29.5" Lilja barrel on it. The 6.5 WSM has a lightweight 28" Pac-Nor barrel on it.
I think the barrel burner concept is over rated. Maybe in the 50's when metalurgy wasn't as advanced as it is now it was a problem. I have had people tell me that a 243 is a barrel burner. Yes I have seen 243, 264, 7STW and even 30-06 barrels shot out. I have the contour of my barrels set up to allow me to set them back 2" if I ever shoot them out. So far even my 6-284 is in good shape. If you shoot out a barrel - replace it - or get another rifle and divide your shooting time. I have 3, new to me, rifles that I haven't shot yet!! Where do ya get the time to shoot out a barrel ?
Lee makes dies for the 6.5 WSM based on the 300 WSM shoulder spec. I think around $35.
If it were a 6.5/300 Wby I would start to worry about barrel life. Other than that, get a 6.5 WSM or a 264 and shoot away.

I have one, and can't comment yet on the "barrel burner" aspect, only have a little over 100 rounds through it. But, if you don't rapid fire it, should be no worse than a 270WSM.
Mine started out as a 7RM Sendero II, but got blueprinted, rebarreled, rechambered and restocked. Shooting 140gr Berger VLD about 3150 fps w/H4831SC (I got more velocity & less accuracy from H1000, more vertical at long range (600-800).

Nice, thanks.

TBOW, how do you like that scope?

What is your charge weight?

I can get 3050 fps from my 6.5-06 and use around 54 grs of powder.

I guess one needs to decide if the extra 100 fps is worth it.

[/quote]

Nice, thanks.

TBOW, how do you like that scope? [/quote]

Love it, very nice.

Final testing this weekend, but will be between 60.5 - 61 grains H4831SC. Was getting over 3200 fps with H1000, but accuracy/consistency wasn't there. I didn't make it so much for the performance, just wanted something a little different than every one else has.

I've got a Savage 26" Lilja 1 in 9" twist barrel. I was running 140 gr Sierra SBT's at 3200 fps with H1000. Accuracy was excellent but penetration on deer was a little lacking. I've since started working with the 130 gr AB but haven't found the accuracy load yet. Will probably run it at 3200 fps to maximize brass life. The 6.5 WSM is just a 264 WM in a short action.

I've had one for about five years. It's on an MRC 1999 action with a stainless Lilja 1 in 8.5" twist 25 inch barrel. I had Lone Wolf stock it with their Summit stock and have a 4.5-14 Leupold LPS with a custom shop Varmint Hunter's reticle added. With my current load and a 200 yard zero, the VH reticle matches very closely out to 600 yards.

When I first got it, my goal was to be able to launch 130 TSX's at Mach IV. After a lot of playing around with it, I've settled on 130 grain Accubonds over 63.5 grains of Retumbo with a 210 primer at 3100 fps.

The difference in case capacity between the 6.5 WSM on the 270 WSM case and the .264 Win Mag is really minor. I would certainly not exceed the maximum .264 Win Mag loads for a given bullet/powder combination in the 6.5 WSM. The minimums are a good place to start.

Like all 6.5's, it's a good killer, especially at long range for deer-sized animals.

If I were to start the build again, I would have just gone with the .270 WSM. The difference between the two cartridges is negligible, and the 270 has the advantage of not needing to be neck turned.

Pete

Thanks. Neck turned? Is that mandatory? Are the rest of you guys loading for these neck turning?

Probably mandatory to neck turn, but really depends on the reamer used and the chamber neck diameter. I necked down Norma 270WSM brass, then neck turned, only had to take off a couple thou.

I just talked to my gunsmith, who's done a bunch of 6.5 WSMs. He said no need to neck turn in most cases and that most of the guys he knows just get a .270 WSM bushing die and use that with no problems.

ignorant here..whats the advantage over a 6.5 rem mag ?
noticeable ?

Jim Busha used to sell two lines of rifles based on the .348 Win case converted to rimless (the actual parent of the .300 WSM). His 40 degree shoulder .260 Heavy Express Mag delivered 3,300 fps with the 120 gr bullets; and 3,000 with the 140 gr. Jim said you could burn barrels with this one (capacity equal to the .264 Win) if you shot a lot with a hot barrel. The 6.5 WSM would be a ballistic twin.

jim

Not a lot. Case capacity and length are for practical purposes the same. No belt on the WSM, plus only Remington makes 6.5 Rem. brass and it's a seasonal run. Remington, Winchester, Norma, Federal, and Nosler carry 270 WSM brass. Some would say that having to neck down 270 WSM brass is a disadvantage but it's no big deal, I run new brass into the die to straighten the necks anyway.

As far as barrel life I don't know but it is directly correlated to the volume of powder and pressure. On my 270 wsm I load it like it is a 270 AI and suspect I will get at least 2,000 rounds. That's way more than a 6.5 x 284 but most are loaded really hot by the 1000 yd bench crowd.

Loads in the 63-65,000 psi range will generate more heat and wear and it increase with each step down in bore diameter.