I saw a box of these in a store the other day. As I recall, it had a 127gr (or thereabouts) bullet zipping along at over 3500 fps.

Anyone ever use on of these on deer-to-elk sized game?

BH63

Saw 6.5-300Wea in a magazine 2 months ago

I checked out 300 Weatherby GMX ammo in the store yesterday even though I don't own a 300 Weatherby. That case is huge!

If I was rich I would own a 6.5-300 Weatherby for prong horn antelope.

I believe that I would want a 26" barrel to remove most of the overbore muzzle blast. The factory Criterion(Krieger) barrel would probably only provide MOA for 2000 or less shots. Good choice for rams too.

I would go with a 30 " bbl AND a gigantic suppressor. Talk about a barrel eater!!!!

Good Hunting

I have heard it had a 400 round barrel life .I would rather have my 264 Win mag that that .I do have a 338-378 weatherby but I don't shoot any bullets lighter than 250 grain to save the barrel I only.shoot 155 grain lapua bullets out of my 264 win mag stainless Ruger .They shoot clover leafs and knock a whole coming out as big as your fist !

It comes in a Vanguard for $545 too.

24” barrel no thanks Burn a lot of powder and barrel steel.

Heck to me even a 264 Wmag needs a 26" or even longer.

My factory 7 STW didn't last much over 500 rds before grouping started to suffer.

The new vanguards have 26" barrels in .257 WBY, 6.5x300, 7mm Rem mag, 300 win and WBY mags.

Missed that. Still to much capacity for me.

Everyone should buy what makes them happy.

I have a buddy with a 6.5 Ultra Mag. He likes his 270 Ultra Mag better though. You can get overbored.

God Bless, Louis

I think I’d call it good with a 24” 264 but any cartridge that gets people interested is all good. To each their own.

I agree the .264 Win Mag is hard to beat for long range deer sized game.

BH63

400 rounds is a lifetime for some hunters.

quote:

400 rounds is a lifetime for some hunters.

Sure, but would they be the ones looking for a 6.5-300. Maybe. But, if you are buying a 6.5-300 you are probably looking at long range accuracy. So working up loads for several bullets and powder combination. Not to mention at least some break in. Reach 400 quicker than you think.

If someone wants one because he wants one or to be different. By all means go for it. I have done it a number of times.

I got to be around a bit of the prototype testing for the 6.5-300 Wby a couple years ago. I was stunned at how flat it shot - much flatter than an other cartridge I've been around.

I believe Weatherby is loading the Barnes 127gr LRX. As I recall they shot more accurately than the Swift bullets they were testing.

I am intrigued by that cartridge for some reason. Sure would want at least 26”.
The 400 round barrel life would not be a big deal, as I have a few other rifles that I would use.
Currently I use a custom 257 wby for long range deer and antelope. It gets the job done rather nicely.
I just may get one of these.

I gotta stick with the .264 Ripmoor, my me-too wildcat
of the .375 Ruger case.
I also have an MRC X2 in 26 Nosler, with the barrel stamped
at the factory: 26 Nolser (sic)
A collector piece!

Rip ...

Hey RIP

...WHERE did you get the sizer die for your "Ripmore"...I was thinking of doing the same with the 6.5 mm and/or 7mm on the Ruger case so I can use my 375 Ruger cases, seater, trimmer, etc...CH$D has bushing dies that will work with bushings for the larger cals but he's swamped so I keep putting it off.

The Ruger and Nosler cases are almost identical in case volume so it's a toss-up as to which would be "mo'cheap" and "fasta" in the long run...EXCEPT for the cost of the cases...NOSLER is just WAY HIGH...even COSTLIER than Norma or Lapua, although I have 100 ea 338 and 375 RUM cases I could press into service and the 338 RUM wouldn't require so much trimming.

I've been looking at the 26 and 28 Noslers and the stats for 28-32" barrels. Adds about 30 fs/inch I have 3 receivers that would make excellent swap barrel units for an additional barrel each. A full case of RL22 would make a 120 gr NozBT really rip.

It's getting warm out, cleaned half dozen rifles and pistols, loaded up 100 rounds of 17 FB, and 18 rounds of 338 Lapua test loads, set up my lead bullet casting toys and I'm DEEP into the "Lets get wildcatting or SOMETHING" zone...#$%^&* the winter yard work cleanup.!!!!! 3FSALUTE.

Thanks

Good Hunting

RIP...Didn't take my own advice about searching first THEN ask questions...

I found your 26 RIPMOOR case forming info in the wildcat forum...

A bit more work than I anticipated...I was just going to do the Caribbean way, just resize the neck only and to .284, but now maybe not even that..just do a 28 Nosler and call it good. Die Rental is only 34 skins. 5-6 gr more or less of case volume...Hummmm.

Good Hunting.

6.5-300 Weatherby
Old wildcat !
There was a old timer gunbuilder dude here in Town before my time who built many a rifle in this caliber and 18 years ago when I got here they were a popular feature at our Rod and gun club.... no longer the case as they all got shot out ! The one thing that was very apparent about this cartridge was that it cooked barrels in short order !

Right on ALF...I was helping with experiments back in the late 50's, early 60's with small calibers in/on huge cases...Weatherby, Gibbs, Jeffery, you name it...you could almost see the barrels melt on some.

We wildcatters seem to have lost sight of the fact that there aren't many newer cartridges that weren't wildcats at some time in the past....EVEN the newest 26 and 28 Noslers, 375/416 Ruger, RUM, WSM, etc. That Jeffery case has been messed about with for as long as I can remember, but it's the right time with the right time with the right combination of factors for them to take off.

Components are relatively cheap, rifles are the same and dies are on sale at Midway for 40 bucks...can't believe it...I just ordered a set of 28 Nosler...now if the case prices would get reasonable.

Good Hunting

Would nitriding extend barrel life?

I have no personal experience other than that the declassified Defence tech papers on the subject show that barrel liners/ coatings do mitigate erosion above bare steel barrels.

I should really be saying mitigating to some extent as eventually all wear.

I talked to some of the people at weatherby today about the 6'5-300 weatherby and the 338-378 weatherby .These cartridges need heavier bullets and longer barrels .The 6'5-300 need 155 and 30 inch barrel .The 338-378 weatherby needs 250-300 grain bullets and 30 inch barrel also .I don't know but weatherby use to replace the barrels for cheap or free don't know if they still do or not #

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
6.5-300 Weatherby
Old wildcat !
There was a old timer gunbuilder dude here in Town before my time who built many a rifle in this caliber and 18 years ago when I got here they were a popular feature at our Rod and gun club.... no longer the case as they all got shot out ! The one thing that was very apparent about this cartridge was that it cooked barrels in short order !

Well yeah, but even Weatherby chambered at least one rifle in what at the time was simply called the .264 Magnum by them. That rifle was owned by Herb Klein.

quote:

Originally posted by RMiller:
It comes in a Vanguard for $545 too.

Cheap 6.5-300

Hunt elk with a TTSX

I'll own one eventually.

Hard to do load development on a rifle like that.

We wore out a 7.82 Warbird with a 30 inch barrel in less than 600 rounds.

This would be the same. By the time you figure out what it likes it has enough throat wear to shift.

Beyond that it would be the best sheep, goat, antelope and deer rifle for long range in the world.

$500 Vanguard would be worth it. Just trade it off when you have fired your 100 cases 3 or 4 times.

So I just checked on that Vanguard...looks like you could do both the 26, 28 and 30 Nosler by just rechambering the Vanguard...IF you wanted to get away from the belted case...complete rifle for basically chump change and the cost of a 34 dollar reamer. The 26" Select 7mm RM is even cheaper at 469 bucks

Don't know if that would be considered economical or not but it seems pretty cheap to me considering I'm looking at barrels now in the 300 dollar range.

Good Hunting

My buddy bought one in a Accumark this year. He shot a big bodied bull with 130 Gr Swift Siroocos. The bull died, it was less than impressive overall. He hit him three times right in the pocket. The first shot was at about 300 yards. The second two were as he spun and trotted off to die about 200 yards later.

Pretty much a standard behind the shoulder elk kill.

Yeah...I've been working hard the past couple weeks trying to decide which way to jump...26/28 Nos or 6.5 Weatherby. Pretty much ALL the stories and comparisons are much of the same muchness...if it isn't a bang-flop then something is wrong with the rifle, bullet, or caliber...all the hunters were perfect in shot placement...AND way too much "bullet failure" bull shite....6.5 cal works but the 7mm is better and if you were a REAL elk hunter you would use a 338 WM, etc...ANYONE who's been at this game for any length of time knows what I'm talking about.

One thing I wish the rifle makers would do is put LONGER barrels on these newer HUGE volume cases...a 28" barrel would do so MUCH MORE for the 26/28 Noslers, and a 29-30" would do even MORE and if the salesmen/ad men couldn't sell that fact to the gullible shooting public they need to be fired or fed to the pigs.

I like the fact I can buy a 26" 500 dollar 6.5 Weatherby, all the YouTube and forum "COMPARISON's" bull pucky not withstanding, but it's STILL has a "short" barrel for such a large volume case, in my estimation...so I'm opting for a 32" 26/28 Nosler for not much more than $350 including reamer rental and BIG MB and screw it on my Savage Lapua receiver(that could change at anytime).

FORGET the "barrel life" garbage...I've been doing barrel burning calibers for 50 years(and motorcycles/cars/trucks) and the comparison between the velocity and dollar sign just doesn't compute. If you want to go fast...doesn't matter what you're running...you DON'T look at the chump change end...all the other simple arguments aside.

All the minor/major pieces and parts will be on order today sometime...except brass...that seems to be a bit scare and so is 338 RUM which would do in a pinch with a bit of reforming...so in 2-3 months time I should be "doing the tonne".

Good Hunting



2:45PM PST Well, it's done...now for the wait...and it's biscuits, bacon, beans for the rest of the month. hahahahahahah