24hourcampfire.com
24hourcampfire.com
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Hop To
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 136
Campfire Member
OP Offline
Campfire Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 136
In the process of getting a 6.5mm - 300 Win Mag built. It will have a 1-8 twist barrel & be finished in the 24 1/4 - 24 3/8 range. Neck is throated to have a COL with a 140gr Accubond of 3.550.

Looking for powder suggestions & load charges.

Retumbo, RL25, H870, AA8700 & US869 are the slowest powders I have in the cabinet.

For those of you who shoot this cartridge I'm looking for a good baseline.

This will be a deer hunting rifle.

An accurate 3150 - 3200 FPS with a 140gr is my goal.

Thanks


Amanda. May 11/1984 - Mar 21/2011. Smile down & watch over me & the kids.
HR IC

Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 300
R
Campfire Member
Offline
Campfire Member
R
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 300
sounds like you wanna duplicate the 264 win mag with a wildcat whose parent is of the same maker. i believe the 264 win mag was right around 3100 at its tops, but anyway, you should have a real screamer there, good luck with it. i don't have anything valuable to put in, will be interesting to hear about.

Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 136
Campfire Member
OP Offline
Campfire Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 136
This project started life as a 264 WM. After finally coming to the conclusion that this rifle was only going to run the 140gr bullets in the 2950 - 3000 FPS range. I decided to have it opened up to the 6.5 - 300 WM.

My gunsmith pulled the barrel to confirm there was nothing wrong with the build which turned out to be the case. Being he had the 6.5 - 300 WM reamer & this wildcat is a simple neck size which doesn't require any major fire forming, I figured I'd open it up. Plus he cut me a great deal on the re - chamber job.

I owned a 264 WM before this one that would easily run 3200 FPS with 140's & a charge of H870. That was my goal with this one, such was not the case. Sold the old 264 rifle because it had a Magna Port & I hated the noise. To chop the barrel down on that one would have left me around 23"'s to boot. That barrel copper fouled something fierce but it did shoot good.

I am sure a 6.5 - 300 WM will be capable of more than 3200 FPS, but I will be very happy with an accurate 3150 - 3200 140gr & no pressure issues.

A guy who has one was what turned me on to the cartridge. He says he can go 3300 FPS with a 140gr, but his best accuracy is in the 3150 -3200 Range. Bingo, that's what I am looking for. Didn't like the 6.5mm STW because of the length & the fact I'd have to seat the bullet deeper than I like. With a 300 WM parent case I can seat the bullet out to 3.550 COL & still fit nice in my 3.600 Mag box.


Amanda. May 11/1984 - Mar 21/2011. Smile down & watch over me & the kids.
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 136
Campfire Member
OP Offline
Campfire Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 136
Here is how they stack up beside each other.

[Linked Image]

It's done! It finished at 24 1/2" barrel length. .298 neck. Simple neck size & trim to form brass from 300 Win Mag. My wife picks it up for me tomorrow. Now to find the magic load. A pressure free 3200 FPS with a 140gr should be easy now laugh

I hope she is good now. On his test fires he ran it up to 65gr IMR 4350 which is 9gr over max 264 WM data. Bolt lifted fine & primer was just starting to crater, so things look promising.


Amanda. May 11/1984 - Mar 21/2011. Smile down & watch over me & the kids.
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,107
I
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
I
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,107
What is max case capacity ?

IC B2

Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 136
Campfire Member
OP Offline
Campfire Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 136
I believe it is 86grs but I am not sure.


Amanda. May 11/1984 - Mar 21/2011. Smile down & watch over me & the kids.
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 136
Campfire Member
OP Offline
Campfire Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 136
Well it was -31 this morning when I put it to paper. Today was our last day of Whitetail season, so I wanted to load it with something accurate & fast enough so I could just put it to paper & continue on my day hunting.

Last night I pondered where to load this thing at. I decided on 79gr H870. Why? I figured this would be enough powder to get me some speed & not get me in trouble. I also sized & loaded the two test rounds after the build to see if I was going to have a once fired issue again. Bot rounds fired & extracted no problem. Here is what it did. Keep in mind it was -31 & the shooter may have rushed a bit. Mind you I do like what I see smile

[Linked Image]

Top shell was the 2nd shot after a horizontal & vertical adjustment. The first shot hit the target beside this one (not shown). The next 2 were fired after another correction & the last three were after another adjustment. I am not sure why the rifle wandered a bit back to the left? There was no wind it was just bloody cold. After the 3 shot group I made one more correction to the right & fired at the other target (not shown) & it was dead center of the top dot. Good enough to go hunting. Man what a muzzle flash though smile

The chrony did not work in the AM, but I did set it up when the sun poked out for 1 cold bore shot. 15 feet from the muzzle gave me 3274 FPS wink Judging by the group I think I may be pretty close. Some tweaking when it is warmer out & we should be in the ballpark.
I did neck size one round when I got home and put a primer in the case. Primer pocket still very nice & tight. Not like some reloads I have done over the years wink The re-sized shell goes back in the chamber like nothing smile

Here is the load details

Hornady 300 WM brass necked to 264 & trimmed to 2.610
Federal 215M Primer
79gr H870
140gr Accubond
COL 3.530. 20 thousandths off the lands.
.295 neck before firing & .298 neck after firing.
.514 at the expansion ring.

Nothing to shoot at today, not even a coyote frown Had one doe tag left, but in -31 weather it was going to have to be big to get my hands dirty. laugh

So far all looks good. laugh


Amanda. May 11/1984 - Mar 21/2011. Smile down & watch over me & the kids.
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,107
I
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
I
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,107
Originally Posted by Wookie316
I believe it is 86grs but I am not sure.


Let me see what I can do for you..... When I get home

Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,090
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,090
In the long run, I believe your going to wish you had a 26 inch barrel on that magnum rifle for getting the most of what you mix up in loads.

I once did a .277 (.270 cal) on a .300 Win mag using a 26 inch tube. It shot very tight groups with 160 grain Nolser Partition bullets, under .700-MOA off the bench.

I loaded it up with 150's to hunt spead goats with years ago and my bullets were going 3180fps and shooting into groups under .775-MOA. It was a fun rifle to shoot and hunt with and different than most hunters were packing in those days. Good Luck!


Thank Our Veterans!
GOD Bless Them All

UNIONS BUILDING AMERICA, SALUTE ALL THE UNION TRADESMAN

Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 136
Campfire Member
OP Offline
Campfire Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 136
For the type of hunting I do I'm glad I shortened it a bit. I do have other rifles with 26" barrels & like them too. I have already exceeded my goal with this rifle in speed, so it is even better than expected. Now for some fine tuning & I'll be set.


Amanda. May 11/1984 - Mar 21/2011. Smile down & watch over me & the kids.
IC B3

Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 136
Campfire Member
OP Offline
Campfire Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 136
Here are some updated photos of my 6.5mm-300 Win Mag. It now sports a 4.5x14x40mm 1" DPLX with CDS. The stock will be painted in a spiderweb paint finish in the new year. I may have the barreled action powder coated also.

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]


Amanda. May 11/1984 - Mar 21/2011. Smile down & watch over me & the kids.
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 45,730
S
Campfire 'Bwana
Offline
Campfire 'Bwana
S
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 45,730
I wanted to bump this to the top and ask, who makes dies for the 6.5-.300WM?

Couldn't find them in the Redding catalog.



A wise man is frequently humbled.


Moderated by  RickBin 

Link Copied to Clipboard
YB23

Who's Online Now
322 members (10gaugemag, 280shooter, 204guy, 29aholic, 308Palma, 1beaver_shooter, 44 invisible), 2,200 guests, and 1,049 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Forum Statistics
Forums81
Topics1,187,725
Posts18,400,614
Members73,822
Most Online11,491
Jul 7th, 2023


 







Fish & Game Departments | Solunar Tables | Mission Statement | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA
Hunting | Fishing | Camping | Backpacking | Reloading | Campfire Forums | Gear Shop
Copyright © 2000-2024 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5
(Release build 20201027)
Responsive Width:

PHP: 7.3.33 Page Time: 0.105s Queries: 14 (0.004s) Memory: 0.8507 MB (Peak: 0.9471 MB) Data Comp: Zlib Server Time: 2024-03-29 05:13:21 UTC
Valid HTML 5 and Valid CSS