I am looking to build a 6.5 with 264 win mag performance without the belt. Does anyone have any experience with the 6.5WSM?

Quintus, I have one built on an XP-100. It shoots 120 gr. BTs at 3005 fps which is not bad for a handgun length barrel. I am very satisfied with this round even though it may have a short barrel life.

Should be a fun cartridge! Try it and let us know!

quote:

Originally posted by Quintus:
I am looking to build a 6.5 with 264 win mag performance without the belt. Does anyone have any experience with the 6.5WSM?

I asked this very question a year ago....seems like a lot of folks are doing it....ask again on the wildcat forum. Someone there will send you to a place where this wildcat flourishes.....

Personally, I'm sticking to the 6.5-06....

Its awesome

I built mine back in 2005. If I were to do it all over again, I'd just go with a .270 WSM or 6.5/284. No need to neck turn brass!

I have my load workup data on my website. I'm actually planning on revisiting it again with RL 17. It's been one of the more finicky cartridges I've played with. Pressure seems to spike quite quickly.

Pete

Thanks talentrec. That's what I was wondering. I hate turning case necks. I don't mind playing with finicky cases, but I hate allot of extra case prep. 6.5-06 is the next choice. I guess I am just tired of the 06 case. It is perfect for 6.5mm though. I am a bit of a light bullet guy so maybe a 8.5 twist from a 25 inch barrel to shoot 120 grains and down. 100 grain partitions from the 264 and 260 rem are absolute deer crushers and trajectories to 350yards makes for pretty easy shooting.

If you are tired of the '06 case, I believe that Nosler is now making 6.5-284 brass. that would be an interesting cartridge!

If you don't like turning brass, use .270WSM cases. A buddy and I each had made switch-barrel 6.5WSMs/.338WSMs on Rem 700 short actions. Mine is a left, his right-handed.
Despite most use with the 6.5, have not had to turn necks yet.
We took the .338s to Namibia last year in June. Both, with Nosler partitions, did an excellent job on plains game. The brass we use for the .338s now is the .325. The guns were built before the .270 and .325s were out. In fact, my buddy has a set of original, but wrong dimensioned, RCBS .338WSM dies!

Not only is Nosler (and Norma and Lapua I think) making brass but there are like 8 or 9 commercial loads for sale at midway. Its no longer a wildcat, with commercial loads and Savage chambering it.

It doesn't match 264 Win but its pretty close. But the 6.5wsm is popular. However, with the long 6.5mm bullets I would suggest a 6.5 SAUM, the rem case is a bit shorter and has a longer neck, better bet for a 6.5mm cat in a short action.

If the short action isn't a requirement, how about a 6.5/375 Ruger? With a proper barrel you will exceed the 264 and still have no belt.

quote:

Not only is Nosler (and Norma and Lapua I think) making brass but there are like 8 or 9 commercial loads for sale at midway. Its no longer a wildcat, with commercial loads and Savage chambering it.

I just checked Midway and did not find 6.5 WSM rounds....can you clarify....I think it's among the best of the WSMs!

Vdog, I think he was refering to makers of 6.5/284 brass.

quote:

Originally posted by Antelope Sniper:
Vdog, I think he was refering to makers of 6.5/284 brass.

I think you're right! The 6.5 WSM is a bit much to ask for!

oops! sorry about that, yes I did mean the 6.5-284

I have a couple of 6.5 WSMs. Not much of a small bore sorta chap, but it is without doubt my favorite in it's class, and about the only one that can hold the least bit of interest for me. In fact, I must confess, I had three of them, first one I blew all to hell! OK, you know you never talk on the phone and Hand Load right? Well, lesson learned! Upon investigation of my incident, I had a test load up, was on the telephone, and used the wrong powder! Not good! Blew the action out by a few 1000s, now it sits were I can see it in the lab as a reminder.

Second rifle I had built by SSK Industries was a Winchester M70 FeatherWeight. Nice little gun. In 2008 my boys used it in South Africa for warthogs, impala, hartebeast, and I even shot a wildebeast with it. We were shooting one load, 120 gr Barnes TSX at 3300 fps. I was very seriously impressed with it's performance on game. The only animal that took a step was the wildebeast, and he went about 10-15 yds and piled up stone cold! Everything else dropped on the spot as if it had been struck down by the gods that be.

I built the 3rd rifle with a little heavier barrel for monkey shooting! Still of course a Winchester M70.

In the beginning I used 300WSM brass, step it down with a 270WSM size die, then down to 6.5 from there. I never ever did any sort of neck reaming, was never needed. Later I just bought 270WSM brass and sized down to perfect in the 6.5 size die. Easy.

Something magic it seems about 6.5 or .264. I need to work with these a bit more.

Michael