Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Which short 6.5 to choose

+2 on the 6.5x47Lapua. I rebarreled my 260 Rem to a 6.5x47L and then rebarreled it after 3300 rounds to 6.5x47Lapua again.
First round hit Sunday at 700 yards on a 10"x10" plate in 100 degree weather, nasty mirage and switchy winds. Got it done with a 123MK at 3050fps.
6.5 in the foreground, 338 L in back.

I took a few shots from Jim's 6.5x47 that day too - at 600 yards or so. Little to no recoil, and very accurate. Impressive cartridge!

I have 2 .260s. I'd go 1:8 and 22" a bit stouter. I honestly believe a shorter stiffer barrel is more accurate without significant velocity loss. If you are munching moose those 140s will be the cat's pajamas. For the deer I am pumped about the 100 gr. TTSXs. The 1:8 will do em both.

I own a 260 Rem and love it. I also own a 6.5x47 and love it.

Waiting on my McMillian Rem Sporter with Edge fill and Broughton #3.1 barrel in 6.5. Both due late next month. Already have the Pierce short action. Once I get all three, their off to Chris Matthews of Longshot rifles in MO so he can work his magic, again, for a light wt 6.5x47. Deer, Antelope and even elk are starting to quiver in fear. This time, I'm pushing a 140 Berger VLD or 140 Accubond to 2900+ with Rel 17.

Alan

I wish this would've been a 6.5 SAUM instead of the 6.5 WSM it is now. Probably gonna get it rebarrelled eventually to that cartridge. For a rig that shoots less than 20 times a day i'll take the extra capacity--

No 6.5 Creedmore advocates?

That sure is a short bbl on that rifle

Alan, I thought 2700, maybe 2800 was the ceiling on most 260's with 22-24" tubes. How long will your 47 be? 2900 seems pretty high with 47 but most loads I have seen run RL15 and Varget.

Sure you will have a nice hunting rifle.

David, had the Creedmoor been out first and was based off a 308 round as to make your own brass in a pinch, the 260 would never have caught it. It's a better taper, length neck, and shoulder angle, as well as easier OAL for short actions, yet I believe it's splitting hairs between it, the 47 and 260.

I am doing a 260 soon, and later MAY do a 47, but if my upcoming heavy bbl project shoots as well as I hope, I will later do a sporter custom in 260. There are a few new loads coming to market soon and ones out now are not bad in 260. Hornady is to be commended for offering affordable VERY accurate ammo for it's round, no doubt, FAR better than anything Rem ever did with their round.

Launching the 260 in '97 with an initial production that was SUB spec'd (not 2700-2750 as advertised, but more like 2550) that put a VERY Iffy hit/miss ratio on rifle accuracy with their 9 twist and SLOWER than spec loads w/140s. I truly believe had they loaded a QUALITY 120-130 gr, OR used 8 twists, and put a bullet MORE accurate than the corelokts, they'd had MUCH higher acceptance of accuracy and downrange performance.

Many articles compared the 260 long ago, to the 270, but with the few loads out, it was not a contest.

If Rem wanted to put a load that would be accurate in BOTH 8 and 9 twist guns, they'd start with something like the Accubond, in 130gr IMHO. That bullet put the first 2 of 3, TWICE into ONE HOLE at 200 yds from my boy's out the box Sako 75 Greywolf using a 6.5-20x. Oh, and Federal 308 and 7/08 brass, one group each.

The RP brass load, grouped 3 ok, but NOT 2 in one hole as the Fed brass did. I am VERY convinced with good brass, and appropriate bullets for the twist rate, IN a good rifle, the 260 is HIGHLY capable. One look at Snipershide and MOST guys are using 260s, followed by 47, and a sprinkling of the Creed.

Nothing wrong with performance or accuracy with Creed at all. I just like knowing that in worst case scenario, I am not ltd. to a proprietary brass case, not readily mfg. from say 308 brass, hence my staying with the 260 at this time.

If one stocks up on brass, and cost is no issue, the 47 and Creed BOTH offer benefits over the 260, small but there, yet still lack a little bit on as much 'displacement' so the 47 has sometimes been pushed very hard to equal 260 speeds. RL17 helps, but it helps the 260 also, so there is always a little gap. That said, all three can do about the same job whether paper or field, the indian is the key, not the arrow in this race.

No doubt, Alan will have a fine 6.5 hunting rifle. No magnums needed IMHO for 6.5mm rifles, for most hunting at typical ranges. If longrange is the norm for a hunter, a 6.5/284 or 264, as well as say 6.5/06 all have an advantage, at the price of bbl life. As would the WSM and SAUM. 800-1500 rounds might be it. Fine for hunting, but not many range sessions

Cliff,

The reason I decided the 6.5x47 over the 260 Rem is 1) great brass, 2) great brass that holds higher pressure and a gent named Eric Cortina of Texas who shoots a -47 in 600 yd F-class with Rel 17, 139 Scenar's and get incredible accuracy.

So, I took some Rel 17 my 26" 1:8.5 Kriger barreled Surgeon in -47 and went to the range with some 140 VDL's and Accubonds. Was able to top over 2900 fps. I'd be worried about barrel life with a tactical rifle but a hunting rifle that won't be shot as much, in comparison. No brainer for me.

Barrel and stock in by late August. Those and action off to Chris and then...........who know's how long. Back in December, he got my barrel on a Saturday (last part to arrive) and emailed me Tuesday morning, saying the rifle was done. OMG!

It arrived Christmas Eve!!!!! Oh yeah!


Alan

The 6.5 Rem Mag is an under-rated humdinger. I am happy I have two. Check out the new Nosler data. I am very happy with mine for big game. Too much capacity for varmints though.

Alan, bbl life is a non issue for me and the 260, 47 and Creed class rounds. The Magnums, 284 and '06 based rounds would break my pocketbook and make me want to buy a lathe and turn my own

26" does help, about 100 fps more than a 22" I'd guess. Not bad at all considering you are getting more or less 270/140 speeds or right at it, and higher bc bullets.

You will do very well. Looking fwd to my 260 project to wring out what it will do. Running a 23" for handling, not worried about a little loss in potential, should be fine. I may try RL17 in the 260 since others are getting good results in various small bore rounds.

Keep us posted.

6.5 RM is a nice round, more balanced I'd say than a WSM and better bore life. North, I'd guess they are very close to say the 284 and '06 rounds in capacity? Given the 350 RM is about equal of the Whelen.

I have a 284 as well and the 6.5 has more capacity. It's flatter shooting and hits as hard as far as I can determine.

In fact the 6.5 Rem has a bit more capacity than a 270. Unlike the 350 it's bullets don't take up much powder capacity when deep seated.

Very nicely balanced round. 100 grain bullets at 3500fps are pretty great on deer size game.

Thanks for the info.

Any other updates on this subject,cause i"m still undecided between the 6.5x47 and/or .260.....i am thinking go for medium light 8lbs al purpose rifle, be able to shoot up to 130 grns::
borden alpine, broughton 3.1 fluted 5c 26" 1/9 twist,put togheter by borden people....,then sent the barelled action to manners for their mcs-t,with seekins dbm((like the button mag release)) or surgeon dbm .... need advise about this from the ones that are using any of this calibers.......tnx

I shoot the 260, the 6.5 x 55 and 6.5 x 57...

for a short action, I see no reason to reinvent the wheel...

if 260 brass isn't available.. you can simply neck down 308 and 7/08 brass or new up 243 brass...

another reason I built the 6.5 x 57... for brass I can neck up 6mm Rem and 257 Roberts brass or neck down 7mm Mauser brass...

or it can be formed out of 270, 280 or 06 brass without a lot of work...

the key is if ya build one... one in 8 twist is the ONLY way to fly...

A 260 will equal a 25/06 for all practical tense and purpose.. in a short action and with less powder... however hard core 25/06 advocates will argue that until the cows come home..

007, flip a coin, the 260, 6.5x47, and Creedmoor are ballistic Triplets. If shooting no heavier than 130s, the 47 will get you close to 260 speeds when running same pressures.

Agree w/John, if building a 6.5, personally, I will ONLY use an 8 twist. That way it will ALWAYS handle any weight. I won't argue a 9 will handle 130s fine, but an 8 won't hurt either, and should you WANT later to use heavier bullets, there will be NO doubt they stabilize.

Brass choice, availability, and 'options' are perhaps the biggest variable. Lapua makes great brass, but I shot a .196 Four Shot group (my last 4 rounds that day on hand) w/NOSLER 260 brass, that was new and unfired, so don't worry about not having high quality brass for that round, unfired RP brass shot .5 to .6" three shot groups, though powder charges were NOT weighed, and the bullet was a different one, so not sure how much it affected things.

All three will shoot well, and please the owner when good loads are shot in a good rifle, and Jim Borden is a great guy to work with, and makes very nice actions.

For the ones that are looking for '47 i just find this http://www.6mmhot.com/6.html looks like reamers can be had for over/under 130 grns kind of custom made by PTG...
Need to find out if any rifle builder have .125/inch or less free bore that works better for under <130.grns bullets or buy it from them myself...