Does anybody have one? if so, what velocities are you getting with the 160's? any info would be much appreciated.

Rock

I've got one - a custom job on a 700 action. Haven't bothered with the 160s though, the 6.5x57 was never a military number so I had little cause for nostalgia (which is why I still stuff my 7x57 with 173-175s).

The 6.5 140s have always proved to be PLENTY of bullet. I've witnessed NON-premium 140s in this velocity bracket shoot completely through mature whitetail bucks - the long way.

Anyway, I know this is not what you asked, but us 6.5x57 shooters are a rare breed so I thought I'd pipe up. You'll be able to launch 160s at 2600+ fps with a normal barrel length (22-24") given a nice sound rifle (mauser 66, 70, 700, etc.)

Rock,

Since my buddy 9.3 x 62 has responded to this post, and now so am I, and it is your post,
You now have covered the entire population of 6.5 x 57 shooters in the USA. All 3 of us.

However, I do shoot 160s in mine. Mine is a heavy sporter barrel ( 28 inches) on a Winchester Model 70 with the later claw extractor. It carries a 3 x 9 Leupold with a dot on it.

For brass I neck up Winchester 257 Roberts. I also use Hornady's 160 ( 264 bore, not the 268) Round Nose, not the Sierra. ( I use the Sierra in my 6.5 x 55 Military Mauser target rifle). I seat to the cannelure. It is late, and my load record books are in the garage by the reload bench. If you are interested, post here, and I will look them up then.

However with RL 22, IMR 7828, IMR 4831, and H1000 I have managed to chrony loads in the 2800+ fps range. However if you look at your trajectory charts, you will see that this is really not a lot of footpounds with much range.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Round Noses! they are my favorite bullets.

I really think you are best served leaving where it was intended, 200 yds at most, at 2500 fps which is easily obtainable with the mid range powders. I have a foundness in this order:
RL 15, IMR 4064, IMR 4895, H 380, W 748
For the best with Velocity, accuracy etc, H 380 is the powder of choice. This is all based on a long of rounds down the barrel on this gal!

She weights 10+ pounds with the scope, but I do haul her deer hunting and elk hunting just like she was a Featherweight Winch! This rifle kicks like a 22/250, and the bullet goes where ever the dot on the scope was pointing.

There are actually 5 of us if you count the two guys who cannot tell the difference between the 6.5-257 and the 6.5x57.

I, too, am generally more accepting of the round nose design than most modern day shooters. For a while Hornady made a 140 roundnose (perhaps they still do?) that I used, usually at 2500 fps or so. But then I started hunting in more open areas, so I switch to the pointed bullets, though I've yet to hop on the premium bullet bandwagon in this caliber. That's one of the perks of using non-magnums, standard bullets usually perform wonderfully. The 154 gr. 284 RN is another great bullet...

My 6.5x57 is quite the opposite of Seafire's - mine sports a 22.5" 1-8" Douglas XX featherweight barrel on a 700 LA, sits in a nicely figured piece of claro walnut, and sports a Japan-made 2-7x Nikon. Field ready it weighs a bit under 8 lbs. Its throat is so long that I pretty much only shoot 129s and 140s. Some 120s work pretty well (like Speer), I usually expect 2800 for 140s, 2900 for 129s and 3000 for 120s. However, I generally prefer to leave the 125 gr. and lighter 6.5 bullets to my 260. My 7x57 and 7mm-08 have the same relationship.

Seafire: what kind of numbers do you get using 129s and 140s? I've got an old 721 action sitting around here - maybe it's time to build a nice "bean field" rifle. What barrel/twist/contour do you have?

Oh, as a follow up to some of our previous exchanges - I may not have talked you into 250-3000ening one of your 243s, but I've talked myself into it. I bumped a 284 project to build another 250-3000. 722 action (from 1949), 1-10" Remington standard contour with straight flutes, crowned at 22". Chrome-moly of course in a nice matte blue. I like the juxtaposition of modern flutes and old actions and calibers. If flutes were around back in 1915, you can bet the new 250-3000s would have sported them.

Make that 6,i have a custom Type 38 in 6.5x257.
One of these i may get around to working up some loads for it.So many calibers,so little time.
Z

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 9.3x62:
[QB]There are actually 5 of us if you count the two guys who cannot tell the difference between the 6.5-257 and the 6.5x57.

I

6 heck, there are 7 of us!
I have never even considered 160s but they sure should penetrate!
Proud owner of 2 converted type 38s and it is my FAVORITE rifle.
Now if the person who walked off with one of them would just return it!
LouisB

I have a 6.5X257AI(260AAR) My barrel is 23ins. long and a 1-9 twist. I played with the 160s and they shot ok, but to me I was defeating the purpose of the cartridge. The velocity was just over 2600fps.
As said befor, a 140gr. bullet is pleanty heavy. I found the Speer 140s almost always exited deer at 2850-2900fps. That enough for me. Pete

9.3 x 62:

No I have not built one of my 243's into a 250 Savage. However I am seriously playing with instead of doing one in another action, with a heavy bull target barrel on it. Definitely on my to do list.

Really wish I could run into a nice priced Ruger RSI in the limited run they did of 250s, and also on on the limited run of 6.5 x 54s they did in the same rifle. Maybe that Hornady is coming out with ammo for it, Ruger might do it again.

In my 6.5 x 57, the barrel is 28 inches, a heavy sporter contour, with a 1 in 8 twist. 140s I load a lot with 40 grains of RL 15 chrony at 3,000 and the recoil is like a 22/250, probably due to the rifle weight. This is a mild load in this rifle.

129s chronograph at about 3200, but I have to check my data on the powder I use again, but I use a lot of mid range powders, faster than 4350.
( 4064, IMR 4895, RL 15, W748) H 414 does a good job also. This rifle also shoots a lot of 107 grain Sierras out of its barrel. VERy VERY accurate bullet. also very flat shooting for long range, 600 yrds and out. It is almost as long as the 140 grainers.

If I was stuck with shooting just one hunting bullet, I would go with the 125 Nosler first and the 129 Hornady second. I do wish Hornady did still make the 129 and 140 grain round noses. They were before the time I owned a 6.5 mm, but I sure would be a customer of them.

I almost panicked last year, thinkiing they will drop their 154 grain 7 mm Round Nose. I am slowly stock piling a few boxes and rationing them strictly for hunting loads. Evidently they are, like Sierra, slowly phasing out the Round Noses, because so few of us buy them any more.
One of my " elk " in the timber, and have to Walk all day, rifles is a Featherweight in 7 x 57, and she is loaded with Sierra 170 grain Round Noses, loaded to about 2650 to 2700 fps.

I have only two boxes, but I look at 200 of them ought to last a Hunting life time, not a shooting life time. I will shoot 175s but i will hunt with the Round Noses.

Also shoot a 338/06 and of course as soon as I like something, that is the kiss of death to it.
Speer quite making their 275 grain Semi Spitzer.
Scrapped up about 200 of those also. ( hoarding them).

Although they are not on the Endangered Bullet Species list yet, my two Nosler partitions of choice are the 160 grain in 270 and the 220 grain in 30 caliber.

The final favorite hoarded bullet you can't even get stateside, although it is made here. Nosler makes a 105 grain Semi Spitzer in 6.5 mm for some company in Europe. I have picked up about 300 of them at the Nosler factory seconds store.

These things are the most tear ass bullet I have ever seen. At 3350 in the 260, and in excess of 3500 in the 6.5 x 57, I hope to see how fast it can drop an elk one season. This thing went thru over 12 inches of green manzanita wood here in Oregon. The bullet path looked like a chain saw blade went thru, and it splintered the wood, about 8 to 12 inches above and below the path it took thru the wood. My favorite bullet for performance is a Semi Spitzer. Qualities of a Round Nose and a Spitzer. Just plain works.!!

I once had a 6.5X57, in which I used RWS 93-grain ammo. Never reloaded for it, but had it rechambered to 6.5 Gibbs, which of course changed its' character completely!!

I haven't reloaded the 160gr RN yet, though I wanted to added to the list of 6.5x57 owners. Mine is an old Guild rifle (I beleive) with a Germania Waffenwerk,AG Zella Mehlis inscription on the barrel. Never been D&T. Only load 140 gr Partitions with 48 grs, H4831SC. I'd like to get some 160RN for it, so I am interested in the responses.

Anybody have any idea about the origion of this rifle?

Does this bring the total number of owners to over 10?

BigBullet

More than 10 6.5 x 57 owners in the USA!!! It is an infestation. Maybe it will be factory loaded!!! Maybe, dare I see, even factory chambered? Naw... never happen.

While I love the round noses, and the sectional density on the 160, do check out the trajectory charts before getting too high on this, if you are not limiting your shooting distance. If you want any range with this, stay with the 140s.

Although limit the range, even Elmer Keith, complimented the 6.5 x 54 by acknowledge seeing it do a spectacular job on elephant and brown bears in Alaska. Not bad for a guy who would not wasting his time to piss on anything smaller than a 270. If he did not evidently like sparring so much with Jack O'Connor, I am sure he would not have even muttered the word 270 twice in his life. Of course he was speaking of the old 160 gr Round Nose, loaded to about 2000 fps. Not a lot of footpounds, but goes thru animal like a drill thru wood.

6.5-257 roberts improved (ackley didn't do it), AKA 6.5-7x57 improved, AKA 6.5x57 improved. 120 gr w/26" barrel IMR4831 @3000fps. same w/20" barrle@2800fps. exelent deer load. 140 gr bullets will take you up to moose with careful placement. 160's are pretty heavy but with range consideration do just fine up to elk and too heavy for deer.

The 6.5-257 and the 6.5-7x57 are the same thing. However, they are not the same as the 6.5x57. Slightly different shoulder angle, and the shoulder is a bit more forward on the true 6.5x57.

9.3