Okay, I have an idea.....the basic thought being a 6.5-376 Steyr. I don't have a program or the numbers to figure out case capacity, and what this round would compare to. I figured it to be similar to a 6.5WSM, am I close? The reasoning for this particular idea is that it is DIFFERENT, I like the ballistics of a 6.5mm, and I want one.
Has anyone heard of anything close to this, or this being done before?

This is something i've considered doing myself out of an XP pistol, and would like to know more about it myself. Hopefully somebody's done it already.

sounds like fun. the 376 case is a once or twice a year run from hornady.

jeffe

I drew one up a while ago, was thinking of the perfect short action round, and it was up there.
Basically a 6.5-284 with a bit more room. From what I hear folks are plenty happy with the velocities they get from the 284 case, so there should be no wanting with the Steyr, except maybe brass cost.
BTW, I ended up "deciding" on a .284" Steyr as the ultimate short-action round.
Somewhere around 70g of water.

ah, BB,
the 376 steyr itself is the ultimate short action round....

but the .284 would be a fine contender with the 7wsm

jeffe

CampX,

I don't know if I see the merit in this wildcat.

the 6.5-376 can't hold more than about a grain or two more than the factory 6.5-284 (if that).

Plus, any rifle that you convert to the Steyr cartridge will need to have the bolt face opened up, whereas the 6.5-284 won't require it (I am assuming that you are NOT going to convert a 376 Steyr rife to 6.5 caliber).

The 6.5-284 is such a great round by itself it doesn't need much improvement (sharp shoulder, minimum taper, etc).

If you want the largest case capacity for the 6.5 in a short action, I would just neck down the 270 WSM.

Garrett

CampX

Go for it. I think you're right comparing it to a 6.5 wsm. Comparing the 376 steyr (base dia. 0.502", shoulder dia. 0.471", shoulder/neck to base length 2.015" --unfired brass) to the 284 win case (base dia. 0.494", shoulder dia. 0.469" shoulder/neck to base 1.900"--unfired brass) shows the 376 has considerably more case capacity. After you neck them both down the steyr case gains more.

I have a 416 based on a 45-70 case (416VVCG, base dia. 0.504") and have shortened 376 steyr brass and it works very well. I have also tried 284 brass and decided 0.010" base expansion (after being fire formed) unexceptable.

One last thing, I don't consider the 376 steyr a short action cartridge, its case is 2.352" long.

[ 10-27-2003, 18:17: Message edited by: RAS 323 ]

Rick,
you are correct that the steyr will have a great capacity than the 284 case.. it's something like 7% more than a 30-06 case, if I remember the cpmaarision of the 375 whelan to the 376.

however, the 376 is, by definition, a short action cart. it's factory oal is .31 and change, and it fits just fine in a mexican short action mauser. The OAL defines this. I have argued before that the 7 mauser is the definitive short action, max length round, and it's what, 3.05?

jeffe

Thanks for the input! I have a Win70 in 30-06 that wants to be changed into a different animal. I like the idea of a 6.5-06AI or 6.5-284, but to have something completely different for the sake of experimenting or comparison sake would be fun! I would have to open up the bolt face but that isn't really a big deal. Also, something else I'm not sure on, is the possibility of getting rid of the magazine and welding/fixing a solid floor plate in to essentially turn it into a single shot, making the action more rigid. I want it to be a target-type rifle. So, 6.5-376 Steyr with 35 or 40 degree shoulders could be something sweet! If someone could put me onto a GOOD smith who could do up the reamer and reloading dies, that would be helpful. I think this is a good project for next spring.

[ 10-28-2003, 04:48: Message edited by: CampX ]

Camp,
have you done a cost on the one off stuff?
(us $)
250 reamer
50 headspace
250 dies

and it's all YOU if it dont work...

www.ch4d.com might have a lead for you... you will be right on the 264 mag with the 6.5x376, and right with a 6.5wsm.

me? heck, there's NOTHING wrong with a 6.5x06 AI

jeffe

Ya, I guess it could get pricey....my boss may have someting to say about it!!!
I got the dies for my 375 Taylor through ch4d, and while they are a little 'rougher' than RCBS or Redding, they do the job. (Although I did have to modify the seating die a little so the bullets were better aligned as they get pressed.)
In the end, I may have to 'settle' on the 6.5-06AI, but that won't break my heart anyways! It will be a 6.5mm calibre, that's all I know...

Give Dave Manson a call for reamer prices-- he only charged me $175 for mine. He may already have a reamer made up. www.mansonreamers.com

Dave Davison at CH&4D hasn't charged me over $70 for custom dies- the larger diameter die may cost more. I think Hornady is about the same price.

You got me thinking about a 257 Steyr--a long short action.

[ 10-28-2003, 18:47: Message edited by: RAS 323 ]

So how would this work....get a wildcat reamer made up to spec, and then have CH4D make the dies to match the reamer? With, say a 6.5-376 Steyr Improved (as we could call it) could you just neck 376 Steyr brass down to 6.5mm, load it up and fireform it? If it is only being reloaded for one specific gun, couldn't you get away with necksizing only, and maybe trimming if it stretches? Perhaps that is oversimplifying things, but that would do away with need for a special dies if that is the case.

Make the reamer to the case, not the case to the reamer. That is to say, get your sizing dies and make up a case. See how thick the neck ends up, for one, might be a bit on the thick side.
Industry standard seems to be right around .012" - .016", and anything greater may have an affect on bullet pull/ peak pressures. You may want to figure in some OD neck turning, not just for thickness, but for consistant thickness. I'd bet that going from .375" down to .264" would give less-than-perfect necks.
CH4D has bushing-type sizers, and with that you could make up your case, seat a favorite bullet to desired OAL, and send it, along with the specs (body taper, shoulder angle, etc., probably won't work out exact in the sizing die) to the reamer maker.
Cut your chamber, and set the barrel, fireform some cases, and go!
Now, if it were me, I'd make the neck about .285" instead of .35", and I'd want it to shoot bullets of a decent weight, so I'd put the neck around 1.2" from the COL, which would be 1.88" (3.08-1.2), then a 40 degree shoulder.

Oh, wait.
That's the 6.5-284W.
Nevermind.

So this is a medium length cat with more capacity than a 6.5-06 AI, am I correct? Also with the Steyr shoulder angle it'll make a nice slick hunting cart.

I want a 6.5-376 Steyr! It sounds like a winner!! The 6.5 bullet with that case it'll make a nice mountain rifle.

6.5 saum...

6.5 SAUM would be good for target shooting. But for picking up from a full magazine I prefer something tapered, like the 376 Steyr case.
It's one reason why my 300 WSM is not long for this world.

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
however, the 376 is, by definition, a short action cart. it's factory oal is .31 and change, and it fits just fine in a mexican short action mauser. The OAL defines this. I have argued before that the 7 mauser is the definitive short action, max length round, and it's what, 3.05?<br /><br />jeffe

Jeffe,

I might be wrong, but does not "short action" normally mean a type Rem700 short? Is not a Mexican Mauser more of a semi-short action? And how many other actions are there with this lenght? The Steyr is a full 9mm longer than the .308 Winchester, and should be a poor fit in a Rem700Short?

Cheers,

Bent,
according to MAUSER
intermediate/short is 3.1ish inches..

the 2.8inch is a "since they invented the 308" short length.

KURTZ is 2.5" or shorter

"standard" is 3.345

jeffe

to get the extra down and to use looooong 6.5 bullets there needs to be a 2" or 2.1" version of the 6.5x284 you could do a steyr based one but using avaliable dies and reamers of the 6.5-284 that is a nifty idea if you had to have a true short action and long bullets otherwise you would just do 260 rem and fughetaboutit. the 2.1" version of a 6.5-steyr/284 would have a 12% increase in capacity and a 3% increase in performance plus whatever part of the bullet you are getting out of the case. so you are looking at about a 100 fps increase over the 260 rem with the ability to use the long hunting or target bullets. this would split the diff between the 260 rem and 6.5x284 in capacity and performance but have the added advantage of longer bullets without the loss of an extra down with a little work.

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
Bent,
according to MAUSER
intermediate/short is 3.1ish inches..

the 2.8inch is a "since they invented the 308" short length.

KURTZ is 2.5" or shorter

"standard" is 3.345

jeffe

You are of course right, but we are still talking about ONE action, and should by so be spoken of as "short mauser". All other short actions today speak of the 2.8" action. It will be simpler that way, and not confuse as many people!

Bent,
I think we are agreeing and having fun.. ]

but I am not talking about "one" action..
all of the pre-98 mausers, the swede 96, for example, and the millions of m48s, are 3.1" actions.. though the m48 has a long enough mag, and can be modified easily to 3.34

the 2.8" is specifically for the 308 based rounds., and the 3.1 is for an x57 round..

and, until 1952, there was no 308...

I, personally, don't have a huge preference to a short action, other than "cool"factor,,

but, if we go back and look at the mauser, the "one" short action, the kurtz, has a huge collectors value

jeffe