TCLouis
Louis you said that you were having difficulties with the 6.5x50 on a Contender. What is the length of the barrel your working with ? Who was the manufacturer of the barrel? When you say you are not happy with performance are you talking accuracy or velocity?

I have looked into making one of these & would be interested in your first hand experiences. I would also like to know if you think that this cartridge is not worth persuing for the Contender?

Rich Jake

[ 11-06-2002, 13:57: Message edited by: Rich Jake ]

Trouble with a 6.5X50 barrel, not the 6.5X55.

Super 14 barrel!

Have set it aside till after season, the Herrett and 357 MAX do/will perform as expected so they get a nod for thisa year and like some plinking at 50-100 with the 45-70!! I'm shooting a mild 1500 fps load, but think the 300 grain HP at that velocity will stop most deer in theis part of the world!

May have a solution for the 6.5 barrel, but I have to get all of the details worked out after taking some time to play with the 6.5X50 Some time when I don't feel like I am trying to get it ready to hunt!

LouisB

Louis
I meant 6.5x50, but you figured out what I was asking anyway. Ok, I'm interested in what you think might be the trouble with that Cartridge on the contender.
Rich Jake

[ 11-06-2002, 13:58: Message edited by: Rich Jake ]

Rich Jake

Could be the cartridge case, could be my powder choices, could be lack of performance anything like expected and I quit WAY too soon!

I have had a 7mm TCU that I have had for way over 10 years, and just started shooting it this year (using up some cast bullets that are almost as old)! Some projects just have to ruminate til it is their time I guess!

I think the significant case taper compared most of the other Contender rounds may be a problem .

Each year I get it out about time to prepare for hunting season and NEVER spend the time it takes to fully discover the powder, load, or technique that may well solve my problems. I have that as my goal for late winter shooting project, and will then decide if it needs to become something else if the real effort to load for it fails!

I had a bunch of brass and dies and a least one article talking about how great the round was in the TC (case capacity is right there with the 6.5JDJ). The article was in one of the gunzines and one knows how accurate they are, but I will go back to the project in the spring to make a final decision on the chambering!!

LouisB

I guess the initial results of geting TCU velocities with most loads was kind of disappointing and I have yet to "get over it". At least it was pretty accurate . . . for me that is!

Oh well one more roundtuit in the gun stuff!

Louis
I have been seriously thinking about doing A barrel with the 6.5X50, but you results so far has got me a bit confused. The way that I see it you should easily get beyond TCU velocities. Was your barrel a T/C barrel rechambered or Custom? Do you remember any of the loads that you tried & got the poor performance from ? I think that if I could get a couple more details maybe I could help you figure it out & also help me to decide if I should go down this path or not.
Rich Jake

Rick Jake and TCLouis:
I'm shooting a 6.5x50R Bellm with no problems. I've tried a number of powders with a 120Gr bullet. I found my best load to be with IMR4895 or H4895. If I can help be glad to. My barrel is a 15" VVCG chambered by Mike Bellm. The last time I was out I shot a .385" group.

Outback

Outback
For me it has been something that I wanted to try. I feel that the 6.5X50 Japanese has the potential to work well out of a 14" Contender barrel. I did some research on it & found out that it in fact had been chambered in a contender before. I only know of two.

TCLouis has one of them. I was just about ready to go down that road when Louis started posting about it now & then. His results has pretty much doused the fire I had for doing it. His results has me questioning if I want to dump that kind of $ into a custom barrel that doesn't do any better than 6.5 TCU.

The reason that I thought it would be good, the cartridge pretty much operates at a pressure level compatible with the contender. I tought it would at least equal the 6.5 JDJ if not do better The Dies & brass are readily available. What more could you ask for?

I have contacted Mike Bellm about the 6.5X50R & I like the concept he uses for his cartridge. The only thing that stops me from getting one is the availability of brass. Mike also mentioned a couple of other ideas as well. I hope that he will do one of them, as I'm interested in something in that caliber. Just don't want to put money into something that might be short lived.

Hey Mike if you see this, What about the idea of the 6.5X50 Jap Ackley Improved? You think it would work????

Rich Jake

[ 11-14-2002, 16:23: Message edited by: Rich Jake ]

Rick Jake:
Getting brass for the 6.5x50R Bellm is a little bit of a problem, but it is available. I have some Hirtenberger, Sellier & Bellot and once fired RWS. Huntington sells once fired RWS for $50 per hundred. The Hirtenberger Brass has thinner necks than RWS. I had my resizing die converted to a bushing die. With the right size bushing you can use any of the three brands. The neck thickness of the three brands is different. Converting the dies to a bushing die eliminates that problem. If you have any more questions please be free to ask. The 6.5x50R Bellm is probably the most efficient cartridge in the 6.5mm line. It also has the highest velocity out of a Contender.

Outback

I have the article on the 6.5 MS in a Contender if anybody wants it e-mailed to them.

Regards

6.5 MS or 6.5 Jap, I'd like it mailed to me. parslowb@adelphia.net

TIA

Headstamp, If you've got the time, I'd be interested in the article, as well. Gary T.

Headstamp
Could you please email me a copy of the article? Thanks. richjake73@hotmail.com
Rich Jake

[ 11-15-2002, 03:16: Message edited by: Rich Jake ]

Headstamp
I would like a copy of the article also.

Somewhere out there, in one of the gunzines there is an article about 6.5X50 Japanese in the Contender. I' lke that too if someone has it! (another typical chance to start an electronic clipping service for/with the gunzines and all would be happy to pay for it)

I think there is an answer to all of our wishes out there in the near future, but then I guess we will all have to wait for any announcments form the producer(s).

LouisB

Let me say right now what I said before . . .It is possible that initial results were so disheartening that I may have NOT given the barrel a chance to perform! When I did dig it out after a couple of years it was a hunting season prep time and it got delegated too far back in the barrel shooting order to prove the ability to perform to expectations!

OK Boys,

Give me a day or so.

Regards

I could see something like the Bellm rounds just using a 260 Rem sizing die on the 444 case.

Louis
Please don't take my comments as negitive towards you because they are not!!! I still think the potential of 6.5X50 Japanese is there. I was just trying to ascertain where the possible problems could be. I also understand it isn't a priority for you at this time. Maybe once the hunting season is done, you'll have time to come back to it.

A big part of shooting some of these cartridges is trying to figure out why they aren't working as well as they should or as expected. That's part of the fun! I really enjoy the puzzle!!!
Rich Jake

OK,

E-mails are off.

TC, I'll need your e-mail.

headstamp@shootersinet.com

Regards