Is the wsm too much case for 6.5mm?

Cgdavid: I don't think so. Whenchester felt that it was too much for a 25, thats why they went with the 25WSSM. There was an article in one of the major gun rags some time back on it, Carmickle I think wrote about it, and he seemed to think it was the cat's paws. I am sure it would be more practical than a 264 Win Mag for a number of pretty good reasons...Rusty.

I thought so when I looked at it but really with the variety of powders available and not having to load to 62,000 psi it might not be. I also thought about going with the 6.5 SAUM but then I chickened out and went with the 6.5-284.

Well, it ought to have about the capacity of the Winchester Mag, no? That's overbore by most standards, but give it the right powder and load under 60k and it will scream. And throat erosion is supposedly more a function of temperature (from high pressure) than from amount of powder per se, so your 64k 30-06 load will eat the barrel quicker than this thing would.
If feeding isn't a problem (still haven't heard much about the CRPF action) then shooting 140g-class at 3100fps can be a good thing in some circumstances.
If you can take the abuse, a little fthrwt M70 throated to handle 3.05" rounds could be handy if painful on a far mountain shot.
If all you want is benchrest stuff, I hear that most bullets are doing great at the velocities the 6.5-06(or 284) can give with a decent barrel length.

Well, this all sounds encouraging. Part of me was hoping to hear this isn't a good idea. Now I'll have to build one


Does 26" sound about right for barrel length? It will be used for both paper and probably some hunting - depending on how pretty the thing ends up looking.

Thanks all...

My buddy and I both have one. Both are on Rem 700 actions, his right, mine left. Bansner stocks and Shilen barrels on both. Mine shoots extremely well. Case capacity is less than the .264 Win Mag, but more than the 6.5 Rem Mag and the 6.5/284. Recoil seems light. Have an extra barrel to swap with it in .338WSM. Aren't wildcats fun?

Being an 6.5 sort of guy, I was hot for a 6.5 WSM until I got a Remington 700 SPS in 270 WSM. I already have a couple of nice 6.5-284, so the availablility of good factory ammo sent me to the 270 WSM. Although I haven't shot it a lot, it shoot good groups and looks/handles a lot better now that it has been bedded into a McM Mountain Rifle stock.

Jeff

I wonder if a 6.5 x 25WSSM might not be a better 6.5 x 284 accuracy wise? Rusty.

a 6.5 wssm was another on my radar. roughly what is the wssm case capacity vs the wsm vs the 06 vs the 308? Another idea is neck up a 6br to 6.5 move the shoulder forward .125 and give it a 40deg shoulder call it the 6.5 bs

Cgdavid: The 25 WSSM produces 2506 ballistics on an inch shorter case. Its 1/2 inch shorter than the 308, or about equal in capacity to a 6.5 x 284 but would give you more bullet seating latitude in a short action. If you went with a WSSM length action, you would loose some bullet seating length but gain a shorter stiffer action with minimal feeding problems...Rusty.

Now I'm back to decision making....which is good..Forces me to put a little more thought into what I really want and what I want to use it for. Reallity...I don't need it but where's the fun in that!

Looked at some prices on new donor guns. can get a wssm for under $400. add 400 for a barrel, couple hundered for action tune, $200 for a good trigger.. .. now if you all would send me suggestion on how to get this by the house acountant I'd be grateful...

Thanks for all the suggestions...

Cgdavid: This is not a cheap fix for your problem, but it is a lot cheaper than a divorce: Give your wife a 1000 dollars to do with as she pleases, then she can say much about what you do with your thousand. A no guilt, no hassle rifle for two grand is a lot better than hearing about it for years or the other alternative...Rusty.

quote:

Originally posted by cgdavid:
.. now if you all would send me suggestion on how to get this by the house acountant I'd be grateful...

Thanks for all the suggestions...

too late....I think the wife is on to you....she is posting under the name Rusty Hook!

Try to help a guy out and look what happens. Rusty.

I just got back from the range today from my second session with the 6.5 WSM. The rifle is a MRC 1999 action, a 25 inch Lilja #3 barrel with a Lone Wolf Summit stock. It has a 4.5-14 LPS mounted in Talley Rings on it.

When I broke it in, I started with Hornady 129 gr SST's and 62 gr of RL22 in Winchester 270 WSM cases and Fed 210 primers with the bullet seated .1 off the lands. This load actually proved to be pretty hot; I had quite a bit of primer cratering and a fairly sticky bolt lift. I ran 24 rounds through the gun, cleaning between each shot. I turned the necks on all the cases, but this gun has a very tight neck, which may explain the higher pressure with what should have been an OK load.

Today, I went out with 130 gr TSX's, RL25 and charge weights from 62-65 gr. in .5 gr increments. All shots were fired at 200 yards. Accuracy was typically around 1 MOA. I didn't start to get pressure signs until I actually hit 65 gr. I didn't chronograph the loads, but I have a friend with the exact same rig and he chronographed that load at 3310 fps. He was able to get to 67 gr. before getting pressure signs.

All in all, I think it should be a good hunting rifle. I may try the Lost River Ballistics 120 gr J36 bullet. The BC is .687 compared to .479 for the 130 gr TSX. I would think I should be able to hit 3500 fps with that bullet no problem. With that BC and that velocity, it would be, to quote Dr. Evil, "a freaking laser." Since I'm on the soapbox, does anyone have any experience with the J36 on game?

Pete

Pete, what's the COL on that chamber? With the 1999 you should be able to fit around 3.1", right? If not, I'd consider having it rethroated, just to maximize the insanity.
I've given more than a couple passing thoughts to that same rig with the longer COL, burning slow powders at moderate pressures. I like what I see the 6.5-06 doing at its hottest. It would be nice ot dupe that in an easy-on-everything load. Not to mention the ability to handle everything from a big 160g RN to the longest VLD's.

Bwana-be:

My rifle actually has a shorter throat than I'd like; the furthest I can seat the bullets out to is 2.82 with the 130 TSX. When Lone Wolf bedded the stock, they *slightly* compressed the magazine box, which cost me a little bit of OAL. That being said, I would not hesitate to have them stock another rifle for me as I am really pleased with the results.

Pete

I shot a Dall Sheep this summer with .277 J36 out of a 270 WSM. The sheep was lying down and the bullet penetrated the neck and traveled full length of the body and lodged in the ham. Not a tremedous amount of expansion or shock-type tissue damage that I would expect at that range.

From my experience, the TSX expands faster and creates more tissue damage.

I will let you know more in a couple of weeks when I can compare the bullets in the 6.5 caliber. Melvin Forbes is building me a 6.5-300 WSM with a 28 inch barrel. I expect the gun next week. I will be loading up both the J36 and the TSX. Then it is a matter of testing it out on some crop damage deer.

Peakebrook-

When you say not a lot of expansion, how much are you talking about? Also, did it hit any major bones on the way through?

I've heard that the J36 is extremely accurate, but from a design standpoint it reminds me of the old Remington Bronze Points. If I remember right, they had a tendency to pencil through and not expand from time to time.

Pete

I did not do a complete necropsy on the mountain. But from the angle I was shooting, it appeared the bullet deflected off the base of the spine, through lung, liver, and intestines. No broken bones.

I would estimate 3/4 of the bullet was intact. Two of the petals were broken off.

I had a 6.5 -300wsm and shot it in 1000yd br comp. It shot good with a best of 3.2??'' in the 2002 1000yd nationals. my best powder was rl 19 in a 1-8.5 twist barrel. and clinch river 147. Overbore? I don't care. It is a laser.