I am wanting to do a custom or semi custom (if possible) 6.5mm Mtn Rifle.
I have been researching a lot about the bullet seating depth for the Berger VLDs and the problems with the magazines not long enough to be feasible for repeaters.
This is the requirements for this 6.5mm build. 1. 24" barrel max 2. be able to shoot the Berger 130 gr and 140 gr and still be a repeater bolt action.
3. 140 gr VLD at 2700-2800 fps. This is where I get lost, can this be done with a standard .260 Rem action without custom machining on the magazine, mag well and throating? Same question for the 6.5x55 swede? Which action should I start with?

The Swede will require a long action.

For a "Mountain Rifle" I assume you want a short action -- that leaves the 260 Rem or a 6.5x284, or some exotic wildcat on a WSSM case. To keep any of these where they take max advantage of longe bullets you have to seat the longer bullet a little into the case.

If you are willing to work with a standard length action you could use the 6.5x284 deep throated or just go with a 6.5-06 or 6.5-06AI or 264 Win Mag.

Why pack a long action and limit your velocity to the Swede.

Barstooler

quote:

1. 24" barrel max 2. be able to shoot the Berger 130 gr and 140 gr and still be a repeater bolt action.
3. 140 gr VLD at 2700-2800 fps. This is where I get lost, can this be done with a standard .260 Rem action without custom machining on the magazine, mag well and throating? Same question for the 6.5x55 swede? Which action should I start with?

I have a .260 Rem and a 6.5 X 55 and will offer this opinion.....and that's all it is.....an opinion.

You will not achieve your goals with the .260 Rem in a short action.

However a 6.5 X 55 in a M-98 (VZ-24 length) action with a deep throat gives you a serious chance of achieving this. The longer action with a deep throat will allow bullets seated far out to avoid robbing powder capacity.

FWIW you might also want to look at the 6.5-06 as you might gain a bit of velocity with that cartridge.

I think you will be very HARD PRESSED to reach your velocity goal in a 260 in a normal short action.

If it were my $$ I would go with the longer action and then cut the barrle and inch if I was worried ab out OAL. Build it with a blind box and the longer action will not add much weight.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
I think you will be very HARD PRESSED to reach your velocity goal in a 260 in a normal short action.

If it were my $$ I would go with the longer action and then cut the barrle and inch if I was worried ab out OAL. Build it with a blind box and the longer action will not add much weight.

the more I look at this I must agree, so then the next question is which caliber would perform better w/ a 24" barrel
the 6.5-06 or the 6.5-284?

Flip a coin. To me too close to call. Calculations say the 6.5-284 might have a 25-35FPS advantage with the 140 maybe a touch more with the 130. I've never cared for the rebated rim. Others say it isn't an issue. The 06 case MIGHT give you one more in the mag maybe someone with a 6.5-284 could say.

quote:

so then the next question is which caliber would perform better w/ a 24" barrel
the 6.5-06 or the 6.5-284?

Personally, I wouldn't consider a .284 case in a long action as the likelyhood of feeding irregularities increases.

If you don't want to go the route of a .264 Mag then the 6.5-06 is a very close performer.

The only reason I own a 6.5 X 55 is that it's a standard and I'm not terribly into wildcats....but the 6.5-06 and 6.5-284 are both of that variety and to me it's a no brainer....the 6.5-06 wins....Why use a long action and not fill it?.....

BTW the weight difference between a LA and a SA is extremely small!

lookin' like the 6.5-06 is gonna be the build, now I need to learn about internal magazines and such as I do want to seat the long bullets like the 140 gr Berger VLD at the lands and still feed the rounds. Yes the long action isn't that heavy I handled Rem 280 with a compact Lupy scope it was lighter than my Tikka lite. Thanks for the info guys.

If you are using both 130s and 140s you might need to compromise a touch.

Hey vapodog. Not into wildcats?? To me if you load your own what difference does it make? I've been hunting for 40+ years both here and out of the country. Never found myself needing to purchase factory ammo.

quote:

Hey vapodog. Not into wildcats?? Eeker To me if you load your own what difference does it make? I've been hunting for 40+ years both here and out of the country. Never found myself needing to purchase factory ammo.

I have one now....a 6 X 45....nice machine.

I had a .243 Superrockchucker.....Great prairie dogger but had to rechamber it to 6mm Remington to sell it.....resale was non existent! Same thing with a .20-223.....had to rechamber it to .204 to sell it.....

It's not that I won't make another....I sure might.....a .30-375 Ruger is interesting and I still like some form of the .30-06 case pushing a .264 diameter bullet.....

If it was a factory round there'd be one in the rack right now.

About the time I'm ready to pick up the phone and order a chambering reamer I think....."Ya know, Ya really aren't going to have anything over a .270"

I still think the 6.5-06 is one of the last great wildcats.....just don't have one .....yet!

quote:

Originally posted by Michael b Freeman:
lookin' like the 6.5-06 is gonna be the build, now I need to learn about internal magazines and such as I do want to seat the long bullets like the 140 gr Berger VLD at the lands and still feed the rounds. Yes the long action isn't that heavy I handled Rem 280 with a compact Lupy scope it was lighter than my Tikka lite. Thanks for the info guys.

The "standard" listing for 30-06 Max overal cartridge length is often given as: 3.340.

My 6.5-06 is built on a 1903 Springfield and the max length my magazine can hold/feed is 3.428. My chamber is slightly long-throated anyway so this allows me seat 140-150gr bullets well off the powder space.

You will enjoy the 6.5-06. I have both a 25-06 and a 270 Win and the 6.5-06 has the best features of both these classic cartridges.

Barstooler

One option would be a 6.5 Remington Mag with the magazine extended to 3.0". I built mine with a 24" barrel and it makes a great mountain rifle.

Michael b Freeman : I a ran a 6.5x06 in LOAD FROM A DISK with 140gr VLD in 24" and 20" barrels and 48gr IMR 4831 (47.5K cup) and it came up with 2775 and 2680fps. This would be concidered a middle of the road loading. Going to 50.8grs give about 150fps more but the pressure jumps to 53.5K cups. The bullet will need a 1/8" twist as per Berger.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael b Freeman:
I am wanting to do a custom or semi custom (if possible) 6.5mm Mtn Rifle.
I have been researching a lot about the bullet seating depth for the Berger VLDs and the problems with the magazines not long enough to be feasible for repeaters.
This is the requirements for this 6.5mm build. 1. 24" barrel max 2. be able to shoot the Berger 130 gr and 140 gr and still be a repeater bolt action.
3. 140 gr VLD at 2700-2800 fps. This is where I get lost, can this be done with a standard .260 Rem action without custom machining on the magazine, mag well and throating? Same question for the 6.5x55 swede? Which action should I start with?

I've a 6.5x55 Swede Model 70 FWT (standard action length--22" barrel). I dropped the barreled action in a McMillan Hunter's Edge and topped it with 3x9 Leupold UL mounted in Conetrol bases & rings. The 140 Berger VLD will make 2800+ (RL 22) with ease. The rifle (fully loaded) weighs a couple ounces under 7 lbs. Some will argue for the longer '06 case in the same action, but you will have trouble with OAL due to throating for the VLDs if you plan to use the magazine--same problem for the 260 in a SA. The Swede in a standard length action is an exceptional choice with your goals in mind.