The 6.5-06 is possibly what the 270 should have been. But in most 6.5s the case capacity of the x54, x55 or Creedmoor is more than enough for a sweet shooting little cartridge. The likes of the 264 Win Mag was just a lot of noise / powder etc for not a lot more. The 6.5 PRC is the same. When we want more out of cartridge or calibre it’s usually a step up in killing power that is what we really want and a bigger diameter bullet that is a bit heavier will always have the edge. You want a step up from the 6.5x55 / Creedmoor you want the 7x57, 7x64 or 280, or indeed the 30-06.

While I love my 6.5X54 M/S, I am equally enamoured by my 7X57. Both fantastic calibres.

I really enjoyed building and shooting my 6.5-06. I certainly like building and owning cartridges on the 2.5" case. I fail to see how the 6.5X284, while a fine cartridge is a superior platform to the 6.5-06. As far as the 6.5'S go the 6.5-06 is as good or Superior to most of them, but that's what I wanted to build. I know I don't need one, just ask a lot of the experts here, cause I have a 270 and 280 also. So What! Oh lets see how this one goes, I also have a 6mm-06 with a 28" Pac Nor stainless match barrel. Why? Cause I wanted one. I don't shoot game at long range, just varmints, and both of these "06" rounds are prefect for that.

Jerry

craig48 nailed it. When the 6.5/06 first saw the light of day not one in 100 hunters/shooters had any faith in such a foreign sounding caliber as 6.5mm. I had a 264 Win. Mag and I bet not one in 50 knew that was 6.5mm. Today you'd think Americans discovered the caliber.

There are factory Germany cartridges in both rimmed and standard version of a 6.5x06.

The 6.5x65 and the 6.5x65R were introduced by RWS in the 1980's (1986, I think). The 6.5x65R is moderately popular in single shots and rarely combination guns in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

The 6.5x65 rimless is dead as a Dodo bird.

RWS still manufactures one load for the rimmed version.

Like a lot of cartridges it kind of needs a champion.

A 120 Grain Sierra out of my 6.5-06 @3150 fps is about as good as it gets. Much experimentation, which I really enjoy only results in superior performance for any cartridge. Oh, did I say "they are all good". I shoot from 22 Hornet to 375 H&H, and I don't put any cartridge down.

Jerry

Jerry, what is the barrel length on your 6.5-06?
3150 with a 120 sounds a little slow, unless it's an accuracy load?

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
Jerry, what is the barrel length on your 6.5-06?
3150 with a 120 sounds a little slow, unless it's an accuracy load?

it's a 24" Pac Nor Barrel. I'm running 54 grains of IMR4831 and that's ABOUT ALL I can get with that powder. Funny my 6-06 likes the same load with an 87 grain bullet. Must be the 06 case.

Jerry

I am somewhat amused at how little some people reaserch a subject. No the 6.5-06 has not made it to commercial status in the US.Even the couple US 6.5 that made it never flourished. ^.5 Rem and 264 Win. 260 is a little more popular and the 6.5 Creedmore enjoys some popularity.The 6.5 PRC isnt setting many sales records. There is also the 6.5-284 which is a ballistic twin of the 6.5-06 but in a shorter case may be the most popular of the US 6.5s. In Europe there is the 6.5x54 6.5x55 6.5x57 in the smaller cases .There is the 6.5x64 Brenneke which is pretty much a 6.5-06. In the 1990s another 6.5 hit the market. The 6.5x65 RWS which is kind of an improved 6.5x64.Most of the European cartridges are also avail in eimmed versions for combination guns. There is also the 6.5x68 which is everything the 264 Win is. I think the 6.5s have done quite well world wide

I think the 6.5-06 did make it to commercial status. Never did flourish however.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6.5-06_A-Square

quote:

Originally posted by TexasJohn:
I think the 6.5-06 did make it to commercial status. Never did flourish however.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6.5-06_A-Square

Yup. I remember reading of it in Art's manuals. I sure like mine. - dan

Just another caliber, not magic because it killed 1300 elephants with brain shots by Bell, the size hole in the brain is deadly with about any calber and don't expect a DRT with any caliber..that claim comes from a lack of experience...I love my 6.5x54, MS, not the caliber but the gun itself but it requires accurate shooting like any other caliber..My complaint with all wildcats is the are duplications of factory rounds and improve nothing in the real world...