Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters is there a winner between the 6.5-300 and 26 Nosler?

Guess my "problem" with 6.5's is a different one. Right now I have eight, after having played with a few others during the past several years: a 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer; two 6.5x55's, one Norwegian Krag the other a custom FN Mauser with nice "California English" stock; a Tikka T3 Superlite .260 Remington; a Ruger American Predator 6.5 Creedmoor; a Sauer drilling with a 6.5x57R barrel under a pair of 16-gauges; a 26 Nosler Liberty; and the 6.5-.300 Weatherby Mark V Ultra Lightweight. Among the ones sold were a couple of .264 Winchesters, including a pre-'64 Model 70 "Westerner," and two other 6.5x55's.

The sights range from open (the Krag) to the aperture rear on the Mannlicher, to several "set-and-forget" scopes,"and two dialing scopes on the 6.5 Creedmoor and the other on the 26 Nosler. Also included is a 1-4x Leupold on the drilling, so if I flush a grouse or pheasant while big game hunting I can wingshoot with the scope on 1x. But if primarily bird hunting I take the claw-mounted scope off, and if I encounter a deer, elk or black bear use the open sights. The rear sight automatically flips up when the barrel selector is changed to "rifle."

So my problem is NOT deciding which 6.5 cartridge is absolutely perfect. My problem is I'm a rifle loony.

Guys, my pal Mule Deer is correct, I am constantly working to build “the perfect” 270 Win. Man have I tried. As I write this have three in the works. All have 1-9 twists. Am gravitating to shorter barrel lengths. Went like this...25-24-23-22.75-22-21. Now prefer 20.5 to 21”.

I handload and am primarily a big game hunter. I shoot jackrabbits to improve my skill.

I don’t get much interested in different cartridges. I have proven to myself that with modern bullets I don’t need anything more until a big gun is needed. Used to prefer 416 but with expanding monos am starting to think 375 H&H. I would much rather have a fine push feed than a common crf.

I am very picky about actions and am working on three 270’s now. One each with Surgeon, BAT, & Lone Peak. Those rejected are Defiance, Stiller, Borden, NULA, Win M 70 crf, anything with a M16 or Sako type extractor. I would never rely on anything with those two extractors. I “tolerate” the Lone Peak for the Ti receiver but it will likely hit the road before long.

Scopes...well haven’t figured that out.

Want to end up with two that are slightly different. The rest go to my pals who are not so obsessive.

Oh, in addition to the three new 270’s, there are 5 or 6 more laying around and about to leave.

Have used big 7’s and big 30’s and 338 Win. Those went away.

Currently getting interested in a really fast 22 or 24. I want one that with each shot one can see small chunks of rifling spewing out the muzzle. Think 22 Creedmoor or 6-284 or 6-280 AI.

I'd say the old 6.5x55 will out last them all.

a 21" 270 in a bodacious pushfeed does sound more nimble and handy than a 24" 6.5x284 at reasonable hunting ranges. I was handling a 22" M700 in the LGS today and wondering what I was thinking when I went with the 24" tube of my 280 CDL... and then remembered I wanted to maximize the V of the 280 to give it that little bit extra over a standard 270

doesn't a 6-284 ot 6-280 AI beg for a 24'-26" tube?

Dogger

Are you asking about the 6x284 —- or 6.5x284 ?

If it’s 6.5, I think 22” would be good.

Jerry

referring to RinB's 6-284 comment

Gotcha

I am and always have been a velocity junkie. The super hot 6mm will likely use a 1-8 Proof 22” barrel. I like the 6-284 because of the availability of Lapua brass. Considered a 22 Creedmoor but presently wanting more bore.

Yes, I will loose some velocity but if that was my only goal I would get a 28+”. But I don’t care...most all of this rifle silliness is the pursuit of vanity and the quest for something interesting.

Last time I fooled with something like this I had a 7STW assembled for a trophy pronghorn hunt. Got my goat at a measured 89 yards because I am a crawler and stalker.

I like sneaking up on animals myself. It’s fun!!

What about the "American Sniper" 1500 yard shots?

And, you're likely to get dirty or even scratched sneaking.

I like the 6.5X284

Jerry

I have an old JC Higgins Mod 50 in .270, which, so far is about a 1.5" 3 shot grouper with 150s and a couple 130s. I am going to try some Sierra 110s on a couple loads and the Federal 110 TTSX factory load ( I have almost 2 boxes on hand. Shot 3 in my old BAR into 3/4"!) It would seem "to me" that a fast 110 TTSX in the old .270 would give the 6.5 lighter bullets a run for their money! If this old barrel doesn't suit me, I will rebarrel it with something, "maybe" that 6.5/06 finally! But I can't help but think that the 125 Partition would be elk poison, especially cows and spikes!

lol, understand and appreciate the low crawl...80 more yards and do it with a spear!

I didn’t know this about you. I chase velocity (speed for our technical friends) & accuracy at the same time. Fast w/o accuracy is useless.
I take a 270 over a 308.... 7MRM over a 6.5x55..et.al.

I read a statement you made in hyperbole, « you’re looking to spit particles of steel out the end of the barrel »
lol, I’m close to that but not quite that extreme. grin

In prep for deer season — if I change loads or get a diff rifle ... I CHECK that 1st shot , cold bll. Regularly over the years I’m awed how well my rifles remain stable and the scopes don’t shift ZERO.

I have several rifles, diff cartridge, diff scopes and I’ve had to ADJUST the scope/s so SELDOM.

Good luck in your QUEST

Jerry

RinB : what 270 cal bullets are you using that require 9" twist, or are you anticipating ?

Jack O'C was a known shooter of the Hare for the same reason, maybe that's the true purpose for the .270 Win , ha

Start working with the .280 in the shorter barrels, or even the 280 AI for curiosity; and I'll swing by for a visit.
- What pressure are you running in those carbine barrels ?


My favourite 6.5 is the 6.5-280 AI or maybe a 6.5-280 RCBS;

Or maybe, the 256 Long CreedMoor Express :

- CM Neck with the .462" diam, 30 degree shoulder on a blown forward .270 or .280 case, throated to match the short CM, or the magazine, or ...

I think it wants a longer barrel to really perform ...

pure loonyism

The only advantage I can see with a 1/9 twist 270 is a bit of a faster spin may result in better penetration, but not much.

The reality is, a plain 30-06 shooting 150's will shoot just as well (and better in a shorter barreled rifle) as any 270 out there.

A velocity junkie going the route of 20" barreled 270's sounds like an oxymoron to me.

I have 700 Ti's in 270, 280 Ackley, and 30-06. I like results I see with the 28 and 30 more than the 27.

I only gained 50 fps by having a 22" bbl .280 reamed to the Ackley. I was sooooo disappointed! I would want at least a 24", 26" would be even better, IMHO. Same for the 6.5/280 AI, give me some barrel! ha Being tall, I never cottoned but to two carbines....the leverguns ( any caliber but no longer than 20", even 18 is OK with the 45-70. And the M4. For a bolt gun, it just seems "odd" to me, just doesn't "swing" right. But hey, I know several guys who just love the 18" 30-06s! Way too loud for me. Go figure... also, are the 6.5/06 and 6.5/280s as "loud" as the 25-06? That sucker "seemed" louder to me than the 257 Weatherby.

Agree about the need for longer barrel in a round that relies on High pressure for it's MV . improvement

Over the years, In my quest for the perfect .280 Improved for Mule Deer hunting, I went over and rejected several .280s that only had 22" barrels in my search for one that :

a ) had a 24 " barrel, and b ) was accurate enough to re-chamber to the AI

Only later did I learn that the .280 could reasonably be loaded up to .270 or the AI levels ( 65k psi) for much better performance.

Knowing what I know now, I just shake my head at the lost opportunities created by my artificial selection criterion.
I would have been much further ahead to have just re-barelled a suitable LA donor .

I could have started with 26.5" and worked back to 25.25"
and then started fooling around with Long Throating in suitable magazines

Don't know about loud, my 20" carbine is a .308, and I believe that a lot has to do with pressure levels again.
I don't recall Blength etc. on my 303Brit Jungle carbine, but it was nasty enough on the recoil side that I never noticed the blast, Ha

I hunt and have hunted a lot with a 270 W. I am good with close to 3000. Now that 2950+ can be reached with 145+ bullets I am shifting away from 130’s.

On twist, I prefer more than 1-10 for two reasons: First... Bullets are getting longer because of BC increases. Second... I am convinced terminal performance is better (e.g. degree of expansion & straight line penetration). Plus barrel makers today make 1-9’s.

For a hunting rifle I focus on bullets and worry about optics.

The rifle nut (I still prefer that term) part of me prefers more velocity but the hunter side much prefers lighter, shorter, and trimmer. Over the years I have been unable to observe any advantage to a barrel which is longer than needed and over those years have decreased the lengths of barrels on my hunting rifles which are mostly 270’s. With modern bullets and powders I can get what I need from a 270 with a 21” barrel. If I need more then I most likely will use a 416. If I was a brown bear hunter I would get a 375. Nothing is a substitute for marksmanship.

I am taken with the idea of a super fast, high BC, 22 or 24 for a “project” but confess I could load some 100-110 bullets I my 270’s and get the job done, pretty much.