Does anyone know what the operating pressures of the military m2 ball, 30-06 ammo was? And can someone also tell me what the standard pressures for a 30-06 are? And finally the big one, the operating pressures of a 6.5mm-06? Thanks.

Std pressures for the `06 should be 50K CUP/60K psi as that`s SAAMIs working max for this cartridge. I would guess the military ball ammo runs real close to the same. The 6.5-06 has no set SAAMI or CIP std I know of. Pressure will be what ever one loads it to although keeping it within the parent cases pressure limits would be wise IMO.

Average operating pressures should be considerably lower as the 50K CUP max is a limit to approach and not go over for any of the individual rounds. The 30-06 was originally designed with a 48K CUP limit but has been upped at some point. Best-o-Luck

The M2 ball operating pressure is listed as 50,000 PSI in Army ammunition publications. But I am sure these pressures were determined using copper-crusher pressure guns back during WWII, so this would be C.U.P. in today's terminology....

I wouldn't use the .30-06 SAAMI specs as a guide to load the 6.5-06.

The case is as good as the .270 or .25-06 and will tolerate the same pressures as these rounds will in either the .30-06 or the 6.5-06.

IIRC the .30-06 is commercially loaded somewhat under this pressure...about 55,000 or so.

I load any round on the .30-06 (including the .30-06 itself) to (estimated) 63,000 PSI as I'm in the full belief that it's safe in modern bolt action rifles.