The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Medium Bore Rifles Why a 6.5-06?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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I have a soft spot for 6.5 (.264) caliber rounds as I currently have two 6.5X55 built on Rem 700 actions. I want to do something else in 6.5 but really can't decide if I should do another 6.5X55 (which clearly I don't need) or a 6.5-06. I don't have a short action handy so that rules out a .260 Remington and I don’t' want to deal with the recoil of the big .264s. However when I look at the 6.5-06 on paper very little gain in fps over what I get with the 6.5X55 - 140 grain at 2800 and 130 at 2890 for the 6.5X55. I do see claims of 3000+ with the 130 grains but of course those are shot out of 26" or greater barrels. The question then for those of you that are familiar with the 6.5-06 is am I missing something or is it really that close to a 6.5X55 on a modern action and why do I need one instead of another 6.5X55? Thanks! it's a fresh wind that ... Blows Against the Empire | ||
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i don't have a 6.5 but i am thinking of making one.i can't decide between the 6.5x284 or a 6.5 on a ai 7x57 case.i know that the dies will cost more for the ai-ed case round but it would be different. it's hard to choose.Good Luck | |||
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IMO the 6.5-06 is a very slightly improved .270. Right now, it's the only wildcat I'd consider building....easy to make from .25-06 brass and nearly duplicating the .264 Magnum..... It should be a commercial round....but...alas! Prudently handloaded in a modern bolt rifle the 6.5-06 should get you 200 FPS over the 6.5 X 55 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." Winston Churchill | |||
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I would suggest going on to the 6.5/06 AI if you are going the wildcat route, anyway. It doesn't run far behind a .264 Winchester, and with a long action, properly seated bullets, and appropriately slow powders, it will stretch your effective yardage appreciably over your 6.5x55. As to velocities, lots of 24 inch standard .270's will do 3150 fps with a 130 grain bullet (I own one with an unusually "fast" barrel that does 3200 without any strain), so it is not unreasonable to expect velocity in the 3100 range or better with the same weight 6.5 bullet using the slightly more capacious case of the AI. | |||
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Man that is the same question that could be asked with just about any of the families. A 25-06 over a 257(full pressure) a 7x57 vs 280 vs 7mag. Etc. Loaded to the maximum same pressure you are only going to gain around 1% velocity for 4% capacity even much less as you get into the magnum cases. Look at the gain from a 6.5x55 to 6.5-06 to a 264wmag what you are shooting will never know the difference. I've loaded for a 6.5-06 in a 24" I could reach 3000 with no head expansion. It will depend on your barrel and brass. For me there is not that much difference in recoil between a 6.5-06 with 50gr of powder vs a 264Wmag and 59grs. With a 264 I would go with a 26 to wring out the extra velocity. As usual just my $.02 Paul K | |||
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Well A-Square has standardized it, and produces ammunition for it. I'd harly call it a commercial round yet. Only time will tell if other manufactures will pick it up. I kind of look at it like the .338-06 A-Square. If Federal, Winchester, or Remington would start producing it we might see some rifles being made in these calibers at for a reasonable price. | |||
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A 6.5-06 is the "Thinking Man's" .270 to use the title of a magazine article 20 years ago. I've been thru three of them, each one being bought off the shooting bench by someone that wanted it much more than me. The bullet selection is wonderful, and performance was wonderful. Cases were never a problem, although I did use a mixture of .25-06, .270, and .30-06 brass (lazy when it came to resizing.) I was just amazed by the ability of all three rifles to stabilize bullets in the 129-160 grain level, and I had one that would stabilize everything from 100 grains to 160 grains. There isn't so much difference between performance of a .264 Mag and a 6.5-06, and the 6.5-06 does it cheaper. I would be looking to do another 6.5-06 if I had not become so enamored of the low end 6.5s, like the 6.5x54, 6.5x55, and 6.5x57mm. LLS | |||
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It would be fun with a long barrel! | |||
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+1 for Stonecreek's post. | |||
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 Truely I like the 6.5s; had one of the first if not the first 6.5x .284s. Trying to look at it objectively lacking emotion, the 6.5-06 or 6.5x284 are not quite the cartridges that the .270 is. The recoil difference in a good fitting rifle is not that noticeable.But if you want it go for it.  rogerOld age is a high price to pay for maturity!!! Some never pay and some pay and never reap the reward. Wisdom comes with age! Sometimes age comes alone.. | |||
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I'd pick the 6.5-06 too. It gives up precious little to the 264 when using 140 grain bullets, and I'm of the opinion that 160 grain bullets with their long bearing surfaces can't be driven super fast anyway. In a nutshell that's why the 7m/m Remington magnum did, and the 264 Winchester didn't. | |||
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The 6,5-06 is an popular wildcat in northern Europe because of lots of 6,5mm bullets and 30-06 brass. It cant do much the .270 cant, but lots of lot more bullets available. | |||
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I have all three. Since you already have 6.5 bullets, the 270 makes no sense, but it never did to me.  I sort of went in a strange order, 6.5-06AI, then 6.5x55, then 6.5-284, then 264WM, then 260. I honestly can't tell the difference in recoil in any of them and neither could my daughter. I am just wierd about 6.5s. There is precious little the 264Wm can do that the 6.5-06 can not. I would go for the 6.5-06 (and not the AIas I did). Fun to shoot and little recoil. If you just have to push the speed envelope, go with the 264 and use the slowest powder you can.Larry "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history, when everybody stands around reloading" -- Thomas Jefferson | |||
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I'd like to hear more of your thoughts on this statement Roger! | |||
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My reasoning kinda goes like this: In truth the performances are so close with premium bullets it isn't going to make a great amount of differece which you use.  rogerOld age is a high price to pay for maturity!!! Some never pay and some pay and never reap the reward. Wisdom comes with age! Sometimes age comes alone.. | |||
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Thanks Roger, I love my .270 Win and it has stopped me from choosing similar cartridges as well. I do have a 6.5X55 that I'm waiting on being delivered. I can't wait to try this cartridge out but I'm not expecting it to replace my .270 any time soon. | |||
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You should also probably consider the 6.5x68 with 93 (?) or 127 RWS projectiles if you want a diffeerent 6.5 with lower recoil. | |||
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what code4 said, +1. It's slouch with heavier bullets either. Rich Buff Killer | |||
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That sums it up very well! Today, 6,5x.284 can also be had as factory loads, but is hardly as available as the .270 is. Only for long range plinking will the superior bullets for the 6,5 have an edge. 6,5-06 is very popular in scandinavia, du to the mutch cheaper bullets we have in 6,5. In the US, I would go .270 any day. Oh, and for all of them, barrels under 214" is wasted, 26" so mutch better. Bent Fossdal Reiso 5685 Uggdal Norway | |||
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Ned:
...the perfect reason for doing a 6.5-06. Moreover, you have a better range of bullet weights than the 25-06 and it's not as mundane as the old 270. However, in the real world there isn't much difference in performance between the three. Lou **************** NRA Life Benefactor Member | |||
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Don't forget the 6.5 rem mag. I have 2 rebarrels of 300 win mag guns into 6.5 rem mags. They will do 3100 fps with 140 gr bullets and 3200 fps with 130 gr bullets if you push them hard. Brass and dies are commercially made. Ammo is too but it is very anemic. If you rebarrel a long action you can have the chamber reamed to get those long 6.5 bullets way out there and not use up your powder room.    ____________________________________ There are those who would misteach us that to stick in a rut is consistency - and a virtue, and that to climb out of the rut is inconsistency - and a vice. - Mark Twain | Chinese Proverb: When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others. ___________________________________ | |||
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What is the case in the middle? Best Regards, Sid All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it. Alexis de Tocqueville The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money. Alexis de Tocqueville | |||
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That's the 6.5x284 Norma. I have some of that brass around here to build a long range deer/antelope/varmint gun around in a long action Savage but I keep going back and forth between it and the 6.5-270 with it's longer neck. The theory being that the longer neck might prolong throat life, any thoughts about that? | |||
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Thanks! Best Regards, Sid All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it. Alexis de Tocqueville The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money. Alexis de Tocqueville | |||
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O.K., Why go 6.5-06 when 6.5x65mm is a standard factory cartridge available "off the rack" in numerous European rifles? Brazos Jack | |||
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 ____________________________________ There are those who would misteach us that to stick in a rut is consistency - and a virtue, and that to climb out of the rut is inconsistency - and a vice. - Mark Twain | Chinese Proverb: When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others. ___________________________________ | |||
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I have a 6.5-06 on an 1903-A3 action with a 24" barrel. Here's the load I use, 54IMR4831/120 Sierra Spitzer/3115 fps/ES18. Groups are around .5-.75 @ 100yds. This load works very well an antelope.I have found, 54 grains of IMR4831 works well in reformed 06 cases. I use this load in several other "06" rounds, NOT 30 cal. However I would drop it a couple of grains, and work up,just to see how your setup handels this load. I find the 6.5-06 about as good and useful a cartridge as there is for game up to and including elk with a well placed shot. That said however, the 270 winchester is my all time favorite, still I can't find a reason not to own a 6.5-06. Jerry NRA Benefactor Life Member | |||
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 where's the neck?  rogerOld age is a high price to pay for maturity!!! Some never pay and some pay and never reap the reward. Wisdom comes with age! Sometimes age comes alone.. | |||
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"Something Different" for the sake of being different has always seemed kinda stupid to me. There is really nothing about the 6.5-06 that makes it a "better" cartridge than say... the 270Win with similar bullets. Most of the time "different" is only "different" and the reson that "different" is appealing is because an emotional choice, all logcal supporting arguments being irrelevant next to the original choice. Much as I enjoy reloading and shooting I doubt I will ever be so bored to spend my time making wildcat brass. AD If I provoke you into thinking then I've done my good deed for the day! Those who manage to provoke themselves into other activities have only themselves to blame. *We Band of 45-70er's* 35 year Life Member of the NRA NRA Life Member since 1984 | |||
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Allan: You make a point, however some of us consider this a hobby, and like to get involved with things that as you put it are "different" and fun. As to the 6.5-06, there are several ways to approach its brass. One would be simply running 25-06 into a 6.5 die, another might be simply to neck down 30-06 brass. Either of these options would only require the usual deburring and chamfering of the neck then load, no screwing around. Another approach could be the use of 270 Winchester brass, this is my soloution, as I shoot winchester brass in the 270, and 270 Remington brass in the 6.5-06, although this method requires trimming the cases. If you made one of those those Ford-Chevy arguments, I wouldn't even comment. Jerry NRA Benefactor Life Member | |||
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Allan!  Do you throw water on mateing dogs because you think there are too many Mongrels in the world?  rogerOld age is a high price to pay for maturity!!! Some never pay and some pay and never reap the reward. Wisdom comes with age! Sometimes age comes alone.. | |||
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I'm not a 6.5 fan, but the two 6.5-06 rifles I have seen are both one hole shooters (1/4minute or better). For what its worth both rifles are improved. Accuracy isn't everything, but it sure got my attention! | |||
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Good question. I would just get a .270, better premium bullet selection. | |||
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Being a hard core 6.5 with fan, some dozen rifles in various case sizes.I'd go 270 if I had to do factory rounds.... but my 6.5 Gibbs is truly amazing speed wise. A 27" super smooth Lilja barrel helps, but 3400 fps+ with 120's and R22, thats tested with a strain gauge at 270 pressure levels. | |||
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How long does a barrel last on a 6.5-06? I have talked to target shooters of 6.5-08's, and the accuracy life of one of those is less than 2000 rounds. I cannot imagine a 6.5-06 is going to last any better. | |||
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Go with the 6.5-06AI will it do anything the 270 cant? No but will the 270 do anything that the 280 cant or how about the grand old 30-06? You can go on and on and on, in reality all a shooter needs is three or four different cartridges for all hunting and shooting needs but how boring would that be??? | |||
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why not? | |||
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