An Ultralite in 6.5X55.?? I know they do/did in the standard M77.. But the Ultralite would be a sweet thing to have..

I don't know if they ever made one,
But I agree it would be cool, So would a 260. I have an ultra light in .257 roberts and it is a great deer rifle.
I really would like one in .260 (my Roberts is on a long action). And while its as light and easy to carry as can be one in a true short action would be prety cool. Seen a couple in 7mm08 that would be great...tj3006

Yes, I think Ruger's missing the boat on that one.. I can understand from a marketing standpoint of not making a 6.5X55, but not doing it in the more comercialy accepted 260 Rem is a real mistake.. Most likely the cartridge label of "REM" not "Ruger" is a decision factor also..

I don't know,
Ruger makes the 260 in the standard 77MK2 or did till this year, and I don't think its a real good seller.
america is in a magnum craze. Don't know why but some people just love big powerfull rounds.
they have there place and I have a few myself but for deer hunting a nice acurate rifle is whay you need, one you can shoot and cary with out a wheelbarrow...tj3006

Hmm.. Tom I think your right..

Well get whatever action you like and rebarrel!

I wanted a 6.5 x 55 in a featherweight with a longer barrel than 22 inches...so I rebarreled a used Featherweight that came from the factory in 30/06...

and I am glad I have a couple of Ruger's stainless 77 Mk 2s, in 260.. added Laminate Stocks to them both tho.. and got rid of those boatpaddle Zytel stocks...

quote:

Originally posted by seafire/B17G:
Well get whatever action you like and rebarrel!

I wanted a 6.5 x 55 in a featherweight with a longer barrel than 22 inches...so I rebarreled a used Featherweight that came from the factory in 30/06...

and I am glad I have a couple of Ruger's stainless 77 Mk 2s, in 260.. added Laminate Stocks to them both tho.. and got rid of those boatpaddle Zytel stocks...

Of course Seafire you also are correct.. I would prefer the Ulta-lite platform of the Ruger for such a project, right down to Rugers Ulta-lite barrel dimensions.. But since I'm not a smith, I would have to contract somebody with much more talent than I could dream of having, and paying them + the rifle for conversion.. Too deep for my pockets..

I have a M38 Swedish Mauser Cavalry carbine I sporterized a number of years ago. I put a nice full length Mannlicher stock and Lyman 56 peep sight with a Merit adjustable aperture. It is GREAT on riverbottom whitetails and Rocky Mountan Elk that are hanging in black timber. I really love that 6.5x55. I was helping a guide buddy out on an elk hunt in Wyoming one year. A client made a bad shot on a big cow late in the day, and it headed into the nasty stuff. We left for the evening, returning the following morning. I went in with the little Swede and finished off the cow. My buddy promptly bought a CZ for himself and one for his wife. Great cartridge. I load Nosler 140 Gr Partitions over 43Gr of 4350.

Those Ultra Light Rugers are nice rifles in the 257 Roberts...

I also like the International RSI...

I have seen them in 250 Savage, 7 x 57 which were factory special run rifles...

A Ruger RSI in 6.5 x 55 or 260, 7/08 with a Mannlicher stock and 18 inch barrel...

Sako made a lot of rifles in the Mannlicher stocks back in the 1980s and early 1990s..

The CZ would also be a nice package..

I am real partial to Winchester Featherweights for a light rifle...

I have hunted a lot the last two seasons with my 7 x 57 Featherweight...

I second the motion on the Ruger Ultra-Light in 6.5x55. That would be a great combo.
My Ruger 77 MkII in 257 Roberts is not the Ultra-Light as the dealer only had a standard model on the shelf. I wish I had bought the light version.

Don

I like Ruger rifles, and I like the idea of a .260 (never owned a 260 but would like to).

What is appealing to me for a possible new gun, is a Remington Model 7 in .260......

not a ruger, but the little kimber in 260 is one honey of a lightweight

Ruger 77 Mk 2's in 260 Rem??

I have two Stainless ones, that I have put Boyd's Gray Laminate stock on one, and the other has a Stardard Ruger Stock that was cannibalized off another Ruger...

both are tack drivers! and with a one in 8 twist over Remington's one in 9...very Important!

AFAIK, Ruger has never cataloged the 6.5x55 in anything other than the standard 77R MK2.

You could restock a 77R with a 77RL stock.

You could cut the barrel back to 18.5" and installed the 77R barreled action into a 77RSI stock.

You could rebore an existing 77RL or 77RSI in 243 to .264" and have a 260. I have a tang safety Ruger 77 that has had this treatment.

The non-cataloged 77RSIs that I am aware of are the long action tang safety in 7x57, the short action tang safety in 7mm-08, and the long action 77 MK2 stainless in 257 Roberts.

If a wholesaler could get Ruger to build them a limited non-cataloged run of stainless 77RSIs in 257 Roberts, they would probably do the same in 6.5x55.

Jeff

260Rem...

I have also seen an RSI from the Factory in 250 Savage... it was back in the 1980s... some guy I met who was one of the guys that started Medtronics ( so he was loaded).. showed it to me at his home...

He collected Rugers and several other brands, particular rare or special run models..... It would be kinda cool if Ruger expanded the chamberings in their RSI line...

One forum member from up in Alaska mentioned a while ago, about having a 30/06 in the RSI platform rebored out to 338/06... which would be kinda cool..

Ruger cataloged the tang safety 77 RSI in 22-250, 243, 250-3000, 270, 308, and 30-06. The non-cataloged tang safety 77 RSIs that I know of were the 7mm-08 and 7x57.

Ruger cataloged the 77RSI MK2 in 243, 270, 308, and 30-06. The non-cataloged 77 RSI MK2 that I know of is the stainless 257 Roberts.

IIRC, there is a Sierra reloading manual which reported that they used a 77 RSI in 6.5x54MS to test their loading data. Ruger claims that they never have owned a 6.5x54MS reamer and the owners of Rody's Gun Shop, the shop that handles the special Ruger transfers, claim that they have never booked a Ruger in 6.5x54MS.

I would have bought a stainless 77RSI in 257 Roberts, but I already have a home-made 77 RSI in 257 Roberts, a shortened 77 RL barreled action installed in a 77 RSI stock.

Jeff

quote:

Originally posted by 260remguy:
I would have bought a stainless 77RSI in 257 Roberts, but I already have a home-made 77 RSI in 257 Roberts, a shortened 77 RL barreled action installed in a 77 RSI stock.

Jeff

That must be a very nice rifle!!!!
I'm a full stock fan, along with 25 caliber rifles. My son has an RSI 77 in 30-06, which he likes. They have the continental look.

Don

260remguy

quote:

The non-cataloged 77RSIs that I am aware of are the long action tang safety in 7x57

Now I would like to have one of those!!

Now a Ruger RSI or Ultralight especially in 6.5x54MS would be very, very nice and I would find the money for one. There seems to be rumors of one or a few out there. Maybe they were lunchbucket specials? Anyway would be really nice. Plateau Hunter

I have also heard stories about an RSI model in 6.5 x 54....special run.. I remember a guy who claimed to have one, but I never personally saw it..

I wonder if Ruger could verify if they ever chambered any???

I've talked to guys who work at Pinetree Casting, Ruger's plant in Guild, NH, and they told me that Ruger has never chambered a rifle in 6.5x54MS unless it was a special run for someone whose last name is, or was, Ruger. The guys at Rody's confirmed that they had never transferred a Ruger in 6.5x54MS and they would know, since any Ruger 77 that bypasses a wholesaler goes through them.

I've heard claims of factory production 77 RSIs in 257 Roberts prior to the recent run of stainless 77 RSIs, but none of them were original guns. Some were rechambered 250-3000s and some were parts guns like mine. I have the parts to make another 257 RSI, but I'm thinking that a parts 7x57 would be a good idea, since my "real" 77 RSI in 7x57 is NIB and will stay that way.

Jeff

I also think a Ruger Ultralite in 6.5x55 would be great idea, especially in stainless, but I would offer a surprising bit of info on availablity of factory ammo in my area. Three or four years ago when I was shopping for a light moutain gun for whitetail I surveyed sporting goods and gun store for the availability differendt factory loads in 6.5x55, .260, .257 and 7mm08. I check stores along the east coast from Richmond VA to Baltimore. I found more options in 6.5x55 than the other three. The order went 6.5 (six), 7mm08 (four) .257 and .260 only two. Of course if you reload or have time to wait for mail order ammo, store availability wouldn't matter much, but I've always preferred to hunt with the factory load my gun likes and I can find locally in a pinch.

P.S. I ended up choosing 7mm08 because at the time I could't get a stainless gun in 6.5x55.

What's frustrating to me is the Ruger has made the 16 1/2" barreled Compact for several years in both 260 and 7-08...both of which I think would sell like popcorn in a movie theatre in the RL series.
I wound buying a super scarce Tikka T3 in 6.5x55 in a Hunter Grade when I wanted a SS/syn couple months ago before even those dried up...but really wanted a Ruger RL or Hawkeye in either 260 or 6.5Swede and waited until the 'eye's came out to make double sure Ruger had dropped the 6.5x55 ...then even the MkII's were gone overnite as well.

Anybody got a handle what is costs to have a barrel drilled out? Might be the only way to get a 264 sumthin in a RL...like mebbe out of a 257Rbts....and just resize Rbt's brass and keep the .473 casehead. I like the slightly longer RL's in a LA as they seem to balance better for me. The Compact's also have a 12 1/2" LOP and look goofy to me with a 1" spacer especially on a wood/blue.
Ron

The current hot place to have a barrel rebored is www.cutrifle.com. A .243" to .264" rebore is in the $225+/- range the last time I checked.

Jeff