I have Three 6.5 mm rifles two Ruger model 77s and a 6.5 Jap carbine.I think the 6.5 is becoming way more popular.Its way better than the .243 and a step ahead of the .257 calibers.I have seen alot of new 6.5 calibers coming out .The 6.5 mm has better bullets for longer range and is better for big game and new shooters than the 6mm calibers.The sectional density of the 140 ,155 and 160 gr 6.5 mm is very high insuring deep penetration.I wish the 260 rem would make a come back.In a rifle such as the Model 7 Remington,Ruger 77 or a Blr lever action its a good gun to start people into hunting.I started with the 264 win mag but was suprised how good my 6.5 Jap shot and its about 5 3/4 pounds with a scope loaded.I is as small as a Ruger 10 22 but has a good 200 yard killing range for game up to 350 pounds or so.I have had lots of fun with this little gun.I think i will take it on alot more hunts this year.I do wish it had a better safety.I am looking for a good used 260 rem .

I was thinking a good rifle would be a Ruger action, shortened LOP of the stock and an 18 inch barrel in a heavy magnum contour ( stiff and rigid).. chambered in 260..

Just put together the equivalent of Ruger's Tactical set up, on a Model 70 action, Hogue Rubber Stock and a 24 in heavy magnum contoured barrel, chambered in 260 with a one in 8 twist..

6.5 bore isn't the new kid on the block.. its just that more people are finally waking up to a good thing.. even if it is 110 year old concept..

quote:

Is the 6.5mm the new kid on the block?

In the last three years I have built a 6.5 X 55, a .260 Remington, and a .264 Win Mag......and now considering a 6.5 Gibbs.....It's the new kid on my block!!!!

Hmmm, the Swedes started w/ 6.5x55 in 1894. I've been really loving it for 7 years.

Here is a Blog written a couple of years back on the subject---

Calibre ahead of its time?....

Suddenly the 6.5 is "new" and hot. There's the 6.5 Creedmoor, the 6.5 Grendel, the .260 Remington, the 6.5-284 Norma, the 6.5x47 Lapua and even the . 264 Win Mag and 6.5 Remington Mag are staging a resurgence.

How long can it it be before a new WSM or RSAUM jumps into the mix.

It's as if the.264 calibre has been newly discovered and suddenly it is the answer to many and varied problems, from military effectiveness, to precise high power target competition, to light recoiling effective hunting rifles. Strange, I thought the 6.5 had been around since the 1890's, proving itself for the military of the Romanians, the Dutch , the Scandinavians, the Italians, the Greeks, the Japanese, the Portuguese, the Uruguayans ,etc, etc, etc.

And then, there are my two favorite sporting 6.5's; the .256 Mannlicher and the .256 Newton, both somewhat lost in obscurity, and yet they did everything the newer fodder can do (if not more).
(And yes, I do realize the 6.5x54 Greek Mannlicher-Schoenauer and the 6.5x53R Dutch are indeed the roughly one and the same as the Briitsh designated round.)

The litte Mannlicher has had a storied past (as recorded by numerous authors)and yet Norma has now ceased production of the loaded round(still making the brass though ,thank God).

My prized possession is a Vom Hoff prototype, that proudly wears the silver images of the game it has taken on its stock , placed there by its Jaegermeister ; now 106 years later continues to put 160 grains of of superbly penetrating projectiles into MOA groups.

The Newton came to life in 1913 the progeny of Charles Newton of 250-3000(Savage) fame and slipped largely into oblivion about 1938.

Basically a 6.5-06 and having been called "the Thinking Man's .270", it none-the-less succumbed to the Winchester brand name, Jack O' Connor's prolific .270 praise and catastrophic management of Newton Arms.
(Not to mention poor powder choice and availability, as well as bullet construction technology of the day.)

My 90+ year old example ,however, never fails to esthetically please or perform
quite practically.

Funny isn't it, how everything old is new again?

but was suprised how good my 6.5 Jap shot and its about 5 3/4 pounds with a scope loaded.I is as small as a Ruger 10 22 but has a good 200 yard killing range for game up to 350 pounds or so..[/QUOTE]
That cartridge in a light rifle is a great combination of weight , recoil ,distance and kiliing adequacy for the lower 48 and than some, and the ones that I had would handle longer bullets. Think how old that is and compare that to the .260. With the powders of today your combo is top shelf. roger

I'm having a 6.5 Grendel with a fast twist built on a mini-mauser action. Compared with the 6.5 Jap loads shown by Hornady, it's pretty close. The rifle will be rather small compared to full size centerfire deer rifles. I'm anxious to try it in January on some Texas hogs.

KB

Apparently the first common 6.5 cartridge was the Italian Carcano of 1891. This bullet diameter was popular in the 1890s, with the 6.5x53 Mannlicher, 6.5x55 Swede, 6.5x58 Portugese, 6.5x590 Jap, 6.5x54 Mannlicher, 6.5x53.5 Daudeteau and 6.5x57 Mauser being introduced. It is popular today because it makes up into a great rifle for long range, light-recoil shooting. And because we've just about filled up all the other calibers (who needs another 6mm, 7mm, .30, .35, .416 or .45?). This leaves the 6.5 for the experimenters to play with anew.

.

quote:

And because we've just about filled up all the other calibers (who needs another 6mm, 7mm, .30, .35, .416 or .45?). This leaves the 6.5 for the experimenters to play with anew.
.

Ya hear that VD? roger

quote:

Is the 6.5mm the new kid on the block?

Not necessarily new. Just the underveloped teenage girl who is growing into a woman; VA VA VA VOOM!

I bought two new CDL SF Limited's in 260 Rem two yeas back. Still have one.

Last December I took delivery of my 17 lb Tactical rifle in 6.5x47. LOVE IT!

Hopefully, next week I'll take possession of my new light weight hunter, again in 6.5x47. A Pierce action, Broughton barrel, McM Rem Sporter stock in edge fill, Farrell custom aluminum 2-pc bases and rings with a NF 2.5-10x32 scope on it. Should easily poke tight groups out to 1000+.

Alan

My 6.5's consist of one 260 Ack Imp built on a Savage s/shot 12 action using an 8 twist Pac Nor 27" barrel...glass is the new 6500 Bushnell Tactical 4-30x50....all nestled in a Choate Varminter stock...weighing in @ 18 pounds...
My outta the box 6.5's are Tikka T3's in 6.5x55..two of them...one isn't enough...
Lots to say about the 6.5mm...plenty of LR VLD target bullets to go well beyond 1K yds...lots of big game bullets to select from...all with very high BC's and SD....go 6.5mm......

The 6.5mm has been around for over 115 years. It has recently gained some popularity in the USA but has been used world wide for over a century.

With a 6.5mm the USA would never have created the 6mm's, .25's and .270.

6.5 is the old kid on the block, but because it wasnt used or developed in the USA Americans were slow to warm up to it.

I love my 6.5X55 in a 700 classic and will always have a 6.5 something. Accurate as anything i have ever owned, doesnt kick like a mule or make a lot of noise but it sure does drop em really well.

Two years ago i shot a nice 8 pointer with it, took off the top of the heart, the amount of blood was incredible, it was sprayed everywhere, and the deer dies very quick, whats not to like about that????

Need 6.5 RSAUM advice

here

http://forums.accuratereloadin...581053541#9581053541

I think new to America is the reason for the resurge. Back in the 264 mag days it just seem too "unamerican" like buying a Toyota. Now it's all that's left that's new to play with. Every other caliber has been stuffed in every other case and 6.5 is all that's left from 30 cal on down. It couldn't have hapened to a nicer diameter! The 6.5-06 or 6.5WSM may be the pinnicle of slow powder efficiency and lethallity...Except the 270 Wby might still be a touch better, IMHO.

I've been infatuated with the 7mm Mauser and 6.5 Swede for about 15 years now. I finally bought a CZ 550 FS in the Swede last month. Working up loads for it now.

There is just something about the short neck and long sexy bullets on the Swede that gets my blood going.

The 6.5s used to easy to get cheap bullets for because noone here in America had figured out just how good the calibre was. Really too bad when I used to be able to but Sierra 140s for 4.00 a box and 180 308s cost 9.00!! I started shooting a 6.5 in 1949 when my uncle [war correspondent]gave me a Jap 6.5. I had it rechambered to a 6.5/257 by a gunsmith in Hawaii named Darrell Davenport and still have it. It STILL shoots good with its chrome bore and all. In the mid 60s I got my first REAL 6.5 in the form of a Mod 70 FW 264. Still have it and it still shoots. In the late 60s built a 700 in 264 and still have IT! It has had two barrels- one a McGowen and the new one the same. I have had about everything thast shoots a 6.5 bullet from the 6.5/223 to the 264 Thor. I still get a kick out of taking my old Mannlicher Carbine 6.5/54 out for elk. Gets a lot of laughs but my freezer is full! I get the last laughs.
The 6.5s have been around in some form for over 110 years but just now the "Gurus" have awakened from their 270 Win haze and are figuring it out. I remember a noted gun writer at the Glock party at the shot show telling a bunch of us sitting around chatting about calibres etc " You gunsmiths are a bunch of turds. All you shoot are 6.5s and 410s"!!!! So what!
Aloha, Mark

From 95gr bullets for prairie dogs to 140gr A-frames for the big stuff, I am in love with the 6.5mm family. I have a Blaser K-95 Stutzen and R93 Semi-weight barrel in 6.5x55 and a 6.5x284 standard R93 barrel for a long range rig.

Years ago a guy from Austin Minnesota named Gene Daeth (sp?) shot his way into the recod books with a 200-23x at 500 yards and the top 25 high power shooters in the US with a 6.5x55 rig.

Gotta love the old Sweed...

Kabluewy--A 6.5 on hogs??? They'll just laugh at you. You need a .458 mag.

I think the reason fo rthe resurgence of 6.5 mm is:

1) sexy, high ballistic coefficiant bullets entering the market, especially in the 120-130 gr range.

2)The existence of good hunting bullets in the 120 - 130 gr range

3) near .270 performance from a short action

4) a good 120-140 gr bullet at ~2900- 2700 fps is fantastic on game

5) all of the above with low recoil even out of light rifles

In short, its the smallest bore diameter you can get a flat shooting, low recoiling, and deadly bullet out of, plus you can switch up to a sleek target bullet.

quote:

Originally posted by Code4:
The 6.5mm has been around for over 115 years. It has recently gained some popularity in the USA but has been used world wide for over a century.

With a 6.5mm the USA would never have created the 6mm's, .25's and .270.

Your underestimating our need to create!

The 6.5 is certainly not the new kid on the block but is glowing brighter today than in years past.