Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .260 Rem. vs 6.5 Creedmore, some thoughts.

After much reading and talking with my gunsmith I decided to have Jon Beanland build a 6.5x47.
He used a Rem Mdl-7 SS action, Rem trigger, Rock bbl.4.5 taper 8 twist cut at 22.5" and HS stock. Scope is a Swaro. Nova 6x.
This rifle will shoot .2--5shot groups @100, using 39 grn of H4350 and 129 A-Max.

Coach

New to the board but interested in this topic. I have a Swede that shoots great and am a fan of 6.5s. I also have a Grendel in an AR which is one of the most accurate rifles out of the box I've ever owned.

On to my next project and thus a request for any opinions. I have another Swede but want something different in a 6.5. I've been thinking of a 6.5x284 but short barrel life seems to be an issue. I wouldn't mind a 6.5 Grendel but am also considering the 6.5X47.

So, which would be the easier modification using the Swede action and a custom barrel? What mods would be required to get my Swede action to feed a Grendel?

RowdyDan,

First off the Swede has a .480" rim diameter. The 6.5x47 Lapua has a .473" diameter. The 6.5 Grendel has a .44". The Grendel will be too small to fit the bolt face of your Swede's action. You'd have to either obtain a new bolt with a .44" bolt face or have 'smith work it so; if that's a possibility.

The 6.5x47 will provide better ballistics, great Lapua brass, small primer pocket to hold up to nuclear pressures.

I'm sure a good 'smith could work any issues that might have to do with putting a short round cartridge into a long action; such as blocking the mag.

Alan

Eeww, Eeww, Eeww! You are going to love that combination! And built by Jon! Oh yeah! He was on my short list of 'smith's to build my two -47's. Chris Matthews of Longshotrifles.com built mine and had a very fast turn around time; days, not weeks/months/years.

Alan

This is one of my 2 6.5X47 Lapua. I did most of the metal work, rebarrel front octagon sight, and scope bases. James Anderson did the rear iron sight, trigger guard, and cut the octagon barrel. He also did an excellent job on the wood.

The next one is the a Mod 7, Shilen barrel, Jewell trigger, Dan Armstrong bolt handle job. I did the metal work except the bolt handle. Charley Santoni did the metal coating and the stock paint on the Brown Precision FS stock.



I also did a 6X47 Lapua for one of my Grandsons on a 600 receiver. They are our go to deer rifles at this time.
Butch

I thought amax were in 120,123, and 140? Is that perhaps an SST?

Butch, what bullets are in your 'deer loads?'

Have you put this load over a chrono?

I use 130 TTSX Barnes with 39.5 of H4350. It shot around 5/8" and I didn't chrono it. 2 shots and 2 deer. One at 75yds and the other at 215 yds.
Butch

I have one too. I bought it new back in the 90s and was told [by Ruger at that time] they were meant mostly for the European market. I may bring it to NC this year again for a deer hunt.

Those Ruger Swedes are highly regarded, never seen a Ruger in Stainless - in the 77, but the blued ones sure seem to impress from all accounts, though as the 260, it too is no longer mfg. to my knowledge. Maybe a ltd. run down the road will be made.

For those wanting less expensive top quality brass, and throating w/o COL issues run thru the mag, it's hard to beat as it handles thru 160s w/o a hiccup.

Today's bullet technology OTOH gives high performance 6.5s in 120-130 which run fine in short actions.

Btw, Butch, always nice seeing your art in fine execution. On the 6x47, what is your current hunting bullet? 8 ROT?

Thanks.

Randy Robinett makes primarily BR type bullets, but he has acquaintances that cull a lot of deer. The use the 6X47 with 10 twist and his 95 grain flatbase hollowpoints. My Grandson has only shot it at the range.

This is his 600 receiver.

The other side with the G33/40 cut.

I told Pierce that he could have it painted any color he chose. What other color would an 8yr old boy that spends his time on the Military Channel want?
Charlie Santoni did this one also.
Butch

LOL, that is a beauty....hiding under that camo Thanks for the pics. 2 pos. or 3 safety?

A 3 pos by Dave Kiff.
Butch

Butch

That kind of reminds me of Charley's photo booth he's used to take pictures of two of my rifles in.

He's very good at what he does!!

Alan

Pierce's rifle was on his website, I haven't checked to see if its still there.
Butch

I found this piece to be very informative and entertaining. Just click the pic for the story . . .

I'm not up on the case dimensional differences between the 260 and Creedmore, but couldn't one run a creedmore reamer to about the depth of the 260? Use Lapua's .308 Palma brass for it's small primer pocket? Best of both worlds, nearly?

Call it the 260 Norton

Kaiser Norton

KN - yes.....but if you read this article, you might change your thoughts on a SR primer in a 308 case:

http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com/2010/01/cartridges-lapua-small-primer-308.html

Note - do read comments by Kevin Thomas - who works w/Lapua USA...

I think when one veers off the commercial path or round choice as the 260, Creed, and 47 there is one that to my thinking makes sense for a custom if a handloader likes to make their brass....

http://www.6mmar.com/65_SuperLR.php

Not knocking your idea, but the results of testing small rifle 308 brass may not support any benefit, and for a hunting round, POSSIBLY could have ignition trouble, something the smaller capacity 47 seems to not have much of unless bad primers are used.

Hornady put some great thought and research I am sure to 'TWEAK' their baby the best they could...IMHO, and I am confident they went LR primers for a reason. Lapua, chose 'small' for their smaller sized round...based on their test results.

I believe Powder and primer choice must work in unison for positive ignition under the worst of conditions, in a given size/designed case.

I can appreciate where this topic has come from and where it's gone. I wanted to add a little of my own experience of late.

I took possession of my 2nd 6.5x47 last October. It's a lighter (8 lb 10 oz) hunting rifle in 6.5x47 on a Pierce action and #3.1 Broughton barrel.




I started with Rel 17 and CCI 450's this past fall when the temps were in the 40's and continued through the winter when I had temps in the 20's. Both the Berger 140 VLD and 140 Partition did well in ladder's @ 360 yds. I focused first on the Partition as I had 500 of them on my bench. Ended up with this.


Just this past week I wanted to move over to the 140 VLD with it's .612 BC. The 140 Part has a .490 BC. My 140 VLD ladder looked like this. Several good nodes, then topping out at 3021 fps with 43.5 gr in 21 deg F temps. Their was just a hint of pressure via sticky bolt lift. This was fine as #9 and #10 is what I wanted to focus on.


I settled on 42.1 gr for 2965 fps and 8 SD (I jotted down the wrong powder charge, 2906 fps and 7 Sd on the target thus they are incorrect). This was at 70 deg F three days ago.


Yesterday I ran a 600 yd primer test having discovered several months back with the 140 Part that the Fed 205m primer gave lower ES/SD. In my big Surgeon/AICS sniper rifle (17+ lbs) I shoot the 130 VLD with 40.8 H4350 and CCI 450's. Great load giving 10-shot sub 1/2 moa single digit SD's all day, every day! But for Rel 17, the Fed 205m is tops.

Same results with the 140 VLD. A 10-shot string av 2975 fps gave a 16 ES/5 SD with the Fed 205match primer in 65 deg temps.

No pics of the 600 yd targets as the wind was switchy between 4 and 8 o'clock and the horizontal is not pretty but the vertical was 4-1/2". Not great but doable enough for me to persue a bullet seating depth test in the near future.

Hope I was able to add something to a fine cartridge.

Alan

Cliff,

Why, oh why did you have to go and post that link to the 6.5 SuperLR for?

I was perfectly happy in my ignorant bliss with the multitude of 6.5's that I now own. I was thinking just one more, a 6.5 Creedmor in a #1-A and I'll be set. Now you've gone and thrown a monkey-wrench in my plans....

I'm thinking Remington 40-X w/25" 1~8 twist, std 40-X contour, fluted and in an A-5 Mickey (Red/white/blue flame) that I just happen to have stashed away.

Do you realize what it's going to cost me?

OTOH, perhaps I'll just drive 5 mi over to Pierce Engineering, and Have John build be one on one of his actions... hmmmm...

Edw