Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Tell us about your 6.5-06

My 24" 6.5 X 284 shows pressure above 2800 FPS with 140 gr bullets. 2800-2830 is about my safe working max in my rifle.

Similar case capacity to the 6.5 X 06.

My rifle is reamed for 6.5 X 284 (Winchester brass). Which has less case capacity than 6.5 X 284 Norma.

In comparing my LH LW 22" 270 to my heavy 6.5 X 284 the .270 is faster, a little more accurate and
not nearly as fussy to reload for. And about 3# lighter.

Although I am an avid .270 fan, having taken several Dall rams at over 400 yards with them (lousy stalker), the 6.5 holds my interest to the point that I am about done putting together a 700 with Douglas 22" fluted bbl, H-S Pro stock, Leupold 6x42 with turrets to go with my Husqvarna 4100 that began life as a 6.5x55 and was re-chambered to 6.5/06. Just something to play with.

I've been around a passel of 6.5/06 barrels from 23"-26".

Personally I found the round a bit easy to have pressure issues rather quickly. Especially when it gets a bit warm out, or the barrel gets heated and if one's running 140's (out of the shorter tubes 23-24) over 2900.

From my time with the round, with barrels which I'm willing to carry (23") 2850 with a 140 is pretty much top end. No go longer say 25-26" and one can get to 3K. But, I choose not to carry a rig much more than 23" for the most part anymore.

Good round, easy to form cases, but by my way of thinking and from a practical side of me (which rarely comes out) I feel that a 25/06 or .270 will do pretty much the same thing. Especially if ones doing the sub 500 yd range thing. Which if people are honest most all are pretty much doing that.

Dober

labdad-what contour you going with?

Dober

Rem 004

I really like the cartridge and have built three of them with barrels 24 or 26" in length, 1-8 and 1-9 twist. Even though I have settled on using the 120BT for deer and antelope, I would opt for a 1-8 barrel with this cartridge to take advantage of all bullet weights.

My 6.5-06 Ackley gets 3,050 with the 140 Bergers without issues. 60 grains H-1000. 24" Pacnor 8-twist barrel.

My single 6.5-06 is on a Husqvarna 1600. I bought as a 6.5-06 and had greydog work on it. With a 24' barrel 2900 is Max. RL-25 works well for me,so it's no where near as spikey as my normal throated 264.

Ooo, 6.5-06 Ackley. That even sounds looney. Bet that draws some looks at the range. That's the value of wildcats anyway, isn't it?

True, it does draw some looks at the range, but the problem is, there are very few good-looking women at the range.....

I have one made up as a sheep rifle with a minimum barrel contour on a LH 700 action, at the recommendation of Harry McGowan, who said he could shave the weight without affecting point of impact in multiple shots. (With my ability, it may not make a difference.)

I am surprised that no one has mentioned the outstanding ballistic coefficient of the 6.5 bullets for reaching way out there.

Big Redhead,

A friend of mine really liked an even loonier version of the 6.5-06 Ackley, the 6.5/.280 Ackley Improved. It has that 2 extra grains of powder essential to truly improved performance.

He calls it the 6.5 Blowhole Express.

That sounds interesting, John, and I'm sure that extra 2 grains of powder increases the velocity at least 25%. But I'm afraid I just could not buy into that name, even if it does blow holes in things.

Ever heard of the 6.5x64 Brenneke?

Yeah, I've even known somebody who had one.

It's always seemed rather odd to me that people would go to all the trouble to get every little foot-per-second out of a 6.5 on the .30-06 case, when they could just do a .264 Winchester Magnum--or a 6.5x68S, if they wanted something different. Or AI the .264, or build a 6.5 RUM, or....

JB +1, if one wants to put alot of gas under a 6.5 a 264WM is the 6.5 that sets the bar IMHO.

I know at least one former wildcatter who has seen the pendulum swing and new powders/bullets begged the question - why fiddle w/forming and turning necks, etc.

If one has the time, they are fun. If not, a non belted small bore interest can often be well satisfied w/a non-sexy common 270 or even 280. The latter perhaps having better bc bullet options w/faster spun 9 twist.

The day 270s come with faster twists, and bullets become avail in similar 'same-same' bc/sd as 6.5s, the 270 may become all the more attractive to Loony's.

I wonder what the simple 260 and 270s would do in a 26" bbl w/120-140 gr vs a 6.5-06 using same in a 26" tube.

I know my 29.1" 1896 spit 120s ALOT faster than a couple of chopped ones I had...

As much as adding powder by a larger case, one can often add speed by putting adding a 'muffler' acting few inches of bbl, it OAL is not an issue for their hunting style.

No matter what round is used, at the point a speed differential of say 150-200 fps or so will come to play, those ranges ALL bullets at all speeds must be compensated for in trajectory POA so to get correct POI, one needs to dial/twist.

If under 600 yds on deer sized game, I'd just as soon run a 260 as a larger 6.5, as either one, the injun must get the dope, and if that is done, a bullet thru vitals of either will satisfy.

One only needs to ascertain the elk kill at 600+ by WVZ by a Creedmoor......

I had a friend who had a 98 done by Womack, he often seen pressures soar using various brass, as turning or at least checking neck thickness, esp. LOADED OD, as well as various capacities of different brand brass, and 25-06, 270, '06, etc. I don't like hassles so IF/WHEN a good supply of factory stamped quality affordable brass, ammo, and rifles hit the shelves in 6.5-06 I'd have no qualms running one.

If the industry/several major arms/ammo mfg. would support a 6.5-06, I think it would surpass the sales of 260s and Creedmoor's.

Shoot good bullets THRU vitals.....all else will be ok

Now, that is funny.

The more I read about loading and shooting 6.5mm wildcats, the more appealing a 270 becomes.

And the more I shot my 6.5 I'm glad I dumped the 270.

SU - 'different strokes...' and that's not to say one is RIGHT or the other is WRONG.

As long as the shooting public is happy, the more 'catridges' the better. It would be a SHAME if we were ALL limited to one or two rounds.

Even the name 6.5-06 sounds cool when you say it.