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Ok I definately am going with the .264 cal just wondering on any advantages of the 6.5x55. Slightly more powder space but just how much more velocity could I expect with a 142 gr SMK? Yes I do reload though I am relatively new at it. For arguments sake lets say this will be a 26" barrel. I'm just trying to make a final decision before I start this build and I would really appreciate input on this one. | ||
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I'm biased, but the 260 will fit a short action, has better brass availability, the shoulder angle is better and was born in the benchrest/target world. If you're planning to shoot 142 matchkings, you should look a the 6.5-284. I guess it depends on your mission. How far do you want to shoot? Targets only or game as well? | |||
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Mostly I will be shooting targets though it would be a great deer rifle. For deer I doubt I'd shoot SMK's though probably an Amax instead. | |||
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Oh yes the longest range I have access to is 600 yards so for the moment that is my limit. | |||
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| One of Us |
actually, both were more or less born out of the target world. the swede was developed as sweeden's "national" cartridge. to be used in the military and as a cartridge that would represent sweeden in national competition and the olympics as ,at the time, olympic competition was totally supported by the government/military in sweeden. so it's roots were born out the need to build a cartridge that would be extrememly accurate as well as completely reliable and leathal. needless to say, it fullfilled both well!. it's history as a target cartridge is as old as it's exhistance. | |||
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The swede is a great cartridge, but I unless I just wanted a cool old mauser so that you can run the bullets way out I would just keep life simple and go for the 260. (When I was a kid my father used to tell me that God hated a coward, I finally realized he has even less use for a fool.) | |||
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Neither you nor your targets will ever see a difference attributable to the shape of the chamber. | |||
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+1 115 years after its introduction, its still the rifle competition cartridge. | |||
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if you can find a modern 6.5x55 go that way(tikka makes them). they are similar but the 260 with the same powder charge as the 6.5x55 will have a much higher pressure(12000CUP) and will have the same velocity. Don't waste your time on a 6.5-284 unless you want 3200+fps with your 142gr bullet and a much shorter barrel life. 6.5x55 is the best bange for the buck. tonnes of brass options(lapua, norma, hornady, winchester, federal, remington etc) for the 260 you have 1 choice for brass i believe. unless you want to fireform (308 brass)and neck turn. | |||
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| one of us |
Rebarreled my Ruger 77MkII from 270 with a PAC-NOR 6.5 Swede barrel... couldn't be happier... well except that my son now reckons it's 'his' rifle... Lethal and very, very, very accurate. Contemplatig rebarreling my son's rifle to the same to eliminate arguments. ******************************** A gun is a tool. A moron is a moron. A moron with a hammer who busts something is still just a moron, it's not a hammer problem. Daniel77 | |||
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******************************** A gun is a tool. A moron is a moron. A moron with a hammer who busts something is still just a moron, it's not a hammer problem. Daniel77 | |||
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Before buying a .260 Remington, read this thread Why would Remington do this? Apparently, some folks think that Remington is ready to abandon building rifles in this caliber. The question is whether anyone else will keep making them. If not, the 260 will die a slow death. Right now Remington does build the model seven rifle in .260 Rem. I also find that Ruger, Sako and Kimber makes rifles in .260 Rem. You might check out Chuck Hawks take on your decision at Choosing a 6.5mm Hunting Rifle ******************************************************* For every action, there is an equal and opposite malfunction. | |||
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bighatnocattle Gotta tell you I love that handle! When we used to see someone with cityslicker cowboy boots we would say "all boots no cattle". Anyways nobody here is steering you wrong there is no right answer. 6.5x55 Swede brass is easy to get and plentiful, I see more of it than .260 brass. Same for loaded ammo. I have a few 6.5's and I really like the Swede, wish I had a M70 Featherweight in 6.5x55 that would be the daddy! Get whichever one turns your crank you won't tell any difference in the field or cutting paper holes. Good luck with yours. | |||
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I would consider throat length on the 6.5x55 because of the 160 gr factory loading. If you handload and plan to shoot lighter bullets then you might not be able to seat close to the lands. | |||
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as buliwyf said... that's about it's only detractor....the large difference in bullet lengths from light to heavy in the 6.5mm. bore causes many to build 2 guns with different twists, 1 throated for the light stuff and 1 throated for the heavier stuff. an option would be to throat it for up to 140gr., which will still be ok with the 100-130gr. stuff and step up in bore diameter if you think you need more bullet weight. or throat it for the heavy stuff and step down to .25 caliber if you want to shoot p-dogs or something where you don't need a heavy bullet. it's a catch-22... the 6.5 generally shoots all weights good enough for hunting, even with the same twist barrel, but it definately show if you go and spend big bucks on a good barrel and then expect to see better than "good enough" out of only that one gun. | |||
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I think a bias toward the 260 could be basd purely on case dimensions. Brass for 6.5X55 is limited, the .473 head diameter of the 260 Remington means many cases could be used to make brass if need be, from the simple (308 Win) the the difficult (30-06). JUST A BIASED OPINION ON MY PART OF COURSE! Don't limit your challenges . . . Challenge your limits | |||
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When did brass for the 6.5X55 become limited? -------------------------------------------- Well, other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? | |||
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I've never had any trouble getting good quality 6.5x55 brass, honestly I haven't been looking for .260 but I've never seen it. My local Walmart had 6.5 ammo but none in .260 if you can believe it. Same store though has 10+ boxes of 7mm STW and not much more than that in 7mm Rem mag. | |||
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The difference is about like that of the 7mm/08 vs the 7X57mm Mauser. The 6.5X55 and the 6.5X57 are nearly identical in performance. The 260. Rem is not far behind them. For ranges of over 500 meters, I would prefer the 6.5X284 myself....... "Bitte, trinks du nicht das Wasser. Dahin haben die Kuhen gesheissen." | |||
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I have been considering the throat on this one and at the moment I am leaning towards going long enough for the 140 gr and not worry about the lighter weight bullets. What the heck if I want to go shoot P-dogs I can always get a 22/250  | |||
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if you play your cards right, you can throat just slightly long for the 140 range and still be able to shoot the 160's just slightly deep seated without loosing too much on the heavy side using all the magbox length. just make sure you make it clear to whoever barrels your gun that you want it a good compromise in throat length between a bit long for the 140's and just a bit tight for the heavy stuff. then, don't let the skip get away on you. just go a little long seated with the lighter stuff and a bit deep with the heavy stuff to maintain roughly the same skip for both. of all the cartridges i loaded for, i noticed that the 6.5's seem to be bit more critical than other calibers in that respect. i've had a sweede, a 6.5x57, a 6.5x57ackley, and a 6.5x.270 ackley, and they all were finickey about skip and liked to show pressure if you closed it up with a long bullet trying to keep out of the case. maybe it was just my guns, i dunno, but that's my story....... | |||
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IMO the difference in velocity might be 50 feet/sec I own one of each.......and for hunting they are identical.....difference is length of action! /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." Winston Churchill | |||
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TCLouis, I wouldn't worry about the case head dia difference, European ammo is generally the correct dia (.480) US stuff that I have is standard '06 head dia (.473)... I shoot both in my CIP chambered rifle, and haven't noticed any difference in accuracy, although case life might be slightly less... haven't owned mine long enough. In fact, Lee and RCBS dies are, to my knowledge, made with SAAMI spec head dia... If I got stuck, I'd happily reform Swede cases from '06 if I had to. ******************************** A gun is a tool. A moron is a moron. A moron with a hammer who busts something is still just a moron, it's not a hammer problem. Daniel77 | |||
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owning 3 rifles in each chambering... all I can tell you is that they give the exact same performance potential, just in a different box is all... you can get into discussions of short action vs long action, or tradition vs something new... but in reality they are all strictly academic discussions... out in the game fields on performance or the target shooting line... they are the same end result.... Life Member: The American Vast Right Wing Conspiracy Jan 20, 2009.. Prisoner in Dumocrat 'Occupied America', Partisan in the 'Save America' Underground Beavis..... James Beavis..... Of Her Majesty's Secret Service..... Spell Check Division "Posterity — you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it." John Quincy Adams A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him "Why do you carry a 45?" The Ranger responded, "Because they don't make a 46." Duhboy....Nuttier than Squirrel Poop... | |||
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I have a Rem 700 classic in 6.5X55 it has a long throat but shoots lighter bullets very well. If you want to squeek that last little bit of velocity from both cartridges the swede wins. As far as brass there is tons of swede brass from very reputable manufacturers, and i usually see quite a bit of factory loads in most stores around here, even though i hand load. They are two peas in a pod but i really like the swede if i was going to do a 260 it would be an AI | |||
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I doubt Hornady will take on the 260 Rem as they are pushing their new baby the 6.5 Creedmore which is damn close to the 260 Rem. I think the accuracy between the two falls right in line with the on going long debate of which is more accurate the 308 Win or the 30-06. The 260, from what I've read and heard, is starting to make a little come back. Whether it is too little too late remains to be seen. I built a 260 on a Jap Type 38 action and I throated it out longer for the 140 grain bullets. The action is long enough for that as I can load the 140's without their bases being past the neck/shoulder junction. | |||
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I don't own a .260 and probably own at least a dozen 6.5x55s along with thousands of rounds of surplus 6.5 ammo. That said, if I was going to build a rifle, of the two, I'd choose the .260. Shorter actions, lighter wt, and will be more accurate, althought the differences are so slight as to be academic. Someone above made a negative comment on the 6.5x284 regarding barrel life.......not an accurate statement if you load them to the same levels. OTOH, you can make the 6.5x284 into a real hot round, which you can't do with the other two. It certainly gives one more options.
There isn't any knowledgeable debate, the .308 wins that issue hands down. The army had to reduce competition target size when they started using the .308, too many "possibles" being shot on the older and larger .30-06 target. Does it make any real difference in the field? Of course not. xxxxxxxxxx When considering US based operations of guides/outfitters, check and see if they are NRA members. If not, why support someone who doesn't support us? Consider spending your money elsewhere. NEVER, EVER book a hunt with BLAIR WORLDWIDE HUNTING or JEFF BLAIR. I have come to understand that in hunting, the goal is not the goal but the process. | |||
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What about the 6X47? Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!! Blair. | |||
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Aah... but you see ... It's not the cartridge that is or isn't more accurate - it's the geometry of the chamber and throat! What would happen if a 30-06 were chambered to 308 specs? But why would the 260 be more accurate than a 6.5 Swede? Regards 303Guy | |||
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Wrong: The 6,5x55 is not a swedish round. It was made by a joint committee of norwegians and swedes for the military forces of The United Kingdom of Norway and Sweden (1814-1905). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U...en_Sweden_and_Norway | |||
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Last fall I bought two 24" barreled, Rem 700 CDL SF. 1. They were both lighter than Rem specs say they should have weighed. One 16 oz, the other by 12 oz lighter. 2. I use Nosler brand brass. Love it. 3. In mine, the lighter one, I worked up around 16 different sub MOA loads from 120 to 140 gr, using 9 different bullets and about 5-6 different powders. 4. I got all my best loads from you folks here on the AR buy researching "this" small caliber section. 5. I'm going elk hunting next October, here in Utah with it. Taking my 19 yr old daughter on her first hunt too with her 260 rem too. Alan  | |||
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Tell that to people the invented the PPC cartridges and to the ones that developed the benchrest cartridges. Has lot to do with how efficiently the cartridge burns the powder, the size of the flash cone, the angle of the shoulder and more. The 308 is a little more efficient then the 30-06. | |||
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No argument there, but why aren't these chamberings used in hunting rifles ? ******************************** A gun is a tool. A moron is a moron. A moron with a hammer who busts something is still just a moron, it's not a hammer problem. Daniel77 | |||
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I have a Rem 700 titatium in 260 and shoot 100 and 107 grain sierras and 100 and 120 grain noslers in to one hole At 100 paces. They all shoot under 2" to 300 if the wind isn't blowin too bad. 1 in 9". I don't suppose bullets this light would do that well at 600, but I don't have that much room to shoot. My range only goes to 358 yards. | |||
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