Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 6.5x06

Doc- I checked into it, and if the rest of the bore had not been fried, I was going to have it rechambered to 25-06 AI. I didn't want anything bigger than a 6.5 and .007 bigger wouldn't clean up the existing lands. If I wanted to to, I could have waited and had Lilja make me a 6.5 factory contoured barrel, but...:)
Bella- gorgeous wood on that thing!
Elkchsr- I was tempted...just "too much sugar for a dime" to go that route, ha.
Brainmac- I have my heart set on trying that 100TTSX first!
Bella- I'm certainly open to lapua brass, wixh they made it in 25-06! Around here, Nosler is very much in stock.
Mike- I'm wondering if the 127 LRX has any difference in killing over the 120TTSX out to 400yds? Most of my opportunites are average 250yds on elk though.

Jim - no experience with the 120 TTSX as the 127's shot so well I stopped looking. Only put that barrel on 2 years ago and 1 AZ bull (188 yards) so far. Hopefully will have another one to report on this October.

Bella- I'd very much appreciate the Lapua info when you get a chance!

Yes sir I'd be happy to! Just swamped

Jim,

You made a great long action choice as far as cartridges are concerned. You will not be disappointed.

I have shot a 6.5-06 for many years and love it. While having a 6.5-06 in the gun safe, I tried several other 6.5 rifles including 6.5 Creed, 6.5x55, 260, 6.5 Remington Mag and 6.5-284, but have to say the 6.5-06 is far and away my favorite.

I have shot primarily 120 grain BT's or 123 Scenars, but my son has been extremely happy with 143 ELD-Xs as of late in his 6.5-06. I was always going to give TTSX's a try but never got around to it. They are sitting on the shelf...

28lx- Sorry, I meant 'your rifle" has gorgeous wood, ha. I'm sure Bella would take it off your hands though...:)
Mike- care to share what damage that 127lrx did to your bull? Did you get an exit hole?
Gravy- I had a nice little Mod 7 in synthetic stock rebarreled to the 6.5 Creedmoor a couple years ago, but I got in a bind and had to sell it before I could even work up a load in it.It did shoot the factory loads swell. It seemed to me to be a "modern .257 Roberts", at least for what the Bob was used for back in the day. The problem I had in that SA Mod 700 in 6.5/284 was I could never get it to feed right ( well, my smith couldn't) it usually feed alright but it sometimes would/sometimes wouldn't...I'm way too anal for that! lol
Bella- I'm OK with either 25-06 or 30-06 headstamp, as mentioned to avoid mishap. I don't mess with neck turning, reaming or annealing, so it depends on how the reamer my smith has cuts the neck if I can use 30-06 brass. And did you have an issue with a donut? There wasn't enough brass to bother the 284 Win brass when I necked it down to 6.5, so I never had any issues with that. Going from .30 to .264 a big problem?

Jim- No exit hole, but the bull collapsed at the quartering on shot. I was aiming for the top of the heart and appeared to have hit it. It was a solo backpack hunt and I broke it down with the gutless method. Cutting out the rib meat there was a lot of lung damage apparent inside. Based on the shot angle I would have been surprised by an exit hole.

Sooo, along the lines of the 260 vs 6.5 C and 256N vs 6.5-06....with the 6.5x 284, is there room for a 6.5-06 creedmoor/256 Newton AI....concept for long action mimic of the 6.5 creedmoor purpose?....probably no need, but got me thinking about that....which is all probably just s 6.5x55 AI....LOL

Don't forget 26 N in your mental gymnastics!

I eliminated all 'magnums' from the mind games, lest I have a seizure.

Mine is a 700 with a 22" #2 douglas 8 twist. Found the magic with H4831, 127 LRX Barnes, Tula primers and WW 270 brass. Works perfect for me. I wont be taking game past 400 yds so I didn't get carried away with the High BC bullets. It has killed a Bull Moose, Wolf and a Pig. Works great and is fun to load for. Makes people think you are crazy when they ask what you are shooting. I just tell em its like a .270 and they shake there there head knowingly. Great choice for a hunting rig.

Hmmm .260AAR (6.5x57ai?)...looks like someone already did a creedmoor job for the long action side of things. That might be fun.

Mato- do you trim your necked down 270 brass or did you have the chamber neck lengthened? I'm thinking I will need to stay away from 270 brass as I don't want to get a mix-up with my 270 rifle's ammo.
Mike- sounds like that bull go thumped pretty well!
Whiskey- as I understand the 6.5 Creedmoor concept, the Leade/Throating dimensions are what make it more desirable over a 260/260AI "unless" it too had those same dimensions cut. So, no reason one could have it done with a 6.5/06; 6.5/280AI, etc. It will just take a custom reamer.

Well, I decided to wait on a 6.5 for now. I really didn't care for the Mod 70 as I am really a Remington 700/Ruger 77/Kimber fan. I found a trade... my Mod 70 for a Model 700 Classic in 7mm Mauser and some money from a guy upstate. I have wanted one of those for many years. I had a 7x57 in an older Mod 93 ( which was a real shooter) and a Mod 70 FWT Classic( really, the only Mod 70 Winchester I like!)which was a club, couldn't get better than 2.5" at 100 with anything I tried! I had it rebarreled to a 30-06. I love the Model 700 Classic, had had oodles of them since 1982 ( a 257 Bob reamed to the Ackley) I figure I'll make this trade and later on get back to a 6.5/06 ( OR 6.5/280 AI) heck, maybe by then that 26 Nosler will be more common around here.

I went with an Interarms Mark X action, Krieger and 6.5-06AI, 24", heavy/fluted. When I told my brother it was my "600 yard clay pigeon shooter" he replied he hoped it would be good for something else, too. Turns out we were both right. It is excellent for any long range work but heavier than i want for extended carry, especially in the mountains. As a result I've taken antelope with it but never had it with me when elk/deer hunting.

Bought a Savage .243 win last year for $295 thinking I would rebarrel to 6.5-06 and get a lightweight stock. Made the mistake of shooting the donor and for now it will remain a .243.

For brass I use WW .26-06 brass necked up. Fireform loads are a Hornady max 6.5-06/H4831SC load under a 140g A-MAX. The fireform loads are amazingly accurate but, as expected, lower velocity than even a standard 6.5-06. I settled on a 130g Swift Scirocco II (B.C. .577) for my hunting load but use 140's of various types for plinking/targets.

Neat...sounds like a great round. I would be tempted to have a 6.5 set up on necked down Nosler 280 AI brass, to be honest. Not sure right now as these newer powders keep showing up! We are miles away from what I started out with in 1977, ha. Same way with the new bullets...

As pointed out above, not much difference between the 6.5x06 and the .256 Newton. Certainly, the two deer I took last December with my Model 1916 Newton couldn't tell the difference. I have been shooting 6.5mm cartridges for almost 60 years now, including 6.5X54 M/S, 6.5X55, 6.5X57, .260 Remington and .264 WM. I also have a 6.5X54 Mauser on the way. I used to shoot a 6.5X.308 in competition before Remington legitimized it, so you might say that I'm a true believer.

One reason I went with the necked-up .25-06 brass was availability (multiple vendors vs. one, can also use .270, .280, etc.) and cost ($0.55 vs $1.60). My reason for going AI was more to prevent loaded rounds from ever being chambered in a real .25-06.

The 6.5-06 is a pretty mild cartridge (as measured at the shoulder), even in AI form. You will enjoy it.

I did the 6.5-06 route once. Waste of time and effort. A 6.5-284 does it all and with factory brass. I'd take a swede over another 6.5-06 too. There are no merits to the 30-06 class of cases.

I gather that you feel the 6.5 Swede can be loaded close enough to the 6.5/06 that it is indistinguishable in the field? if so, what load do you base your opinion on? Just curious?

I played with 139-142gr bullets in the '06. It certainly offers more speed than the swede, but the swede can be perked up with the right powder. I settled on 123's out of my swede @ 2980fps. The swede is a great length case to run in a long action because of ample magazine latitude with longer bullets. If you compare the '06 to the 6.5-284 the ballistics are essentially the same. No trimming and making cases, and the 6.5-284 is known for accuracy.

Another route is a 6.5 SLR. I currently have a 6 SLR in the works....My theory is if I want more than the swede, I'm going 264 win mag. That is also in the works.

I've stretched my swede to 1400yds on steel with the the 123s, and hammered a big mulie at 400 with the same load. .