quote:

Originally posted by lawndart:
1. If you want to shoot 140-142 grain bullets accurately, you will need a 1:8" twist barrel.
2. If you are using a C.I.P. chamber, have your gunsmith use a throater to get you to 130-grain land, or out to 140-143-grain land.
3. Get out a few load manuals and see how much of what burning rate powder each cartridge (e.g. 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x57mm, 6.5 PRC, 6.5x284, 6.5xo6, 6.5x03, 6.5 x55SM, 6.5x65mm RWS, 6.5 Rem Mag, 6.5MS, 6.5 x 68mm, .264 Win Mag, 6.5x300 Weatherby Magnum, etc.). You will end up with three main groups; moderate, snappy, distinctly overbore.
4. Pick what amount of powder suits your inclination/personality.
5. Pick Short Action, Medium Action, Long action, Long magnum action. For example, the PRC is on the border between Snappy, and overbore. Powder weights run 50-grains to say, 52.5 grains, You can run a 142, 143, or even 147 bullet at over 3,000 fps. Some of those bullets have high BCs. In a long action you can load .5-grain less powder in great RWS brass in the 6.5x65mmRWS/6.5-06, or 6.5x06AI. Use a 142 grain Nosler long range Accubond. BC of .720 at 3,000 to 3,100 fps. Either method will stretch that trajectory string pretty flat.
6. Look at the actual cartridge dimensions, angles, neck length,and so on. That would indicate, for instance, why the 6.5x284 Norma eats barrels twist as fast as the 6.5-06, or 6.5x65mm RWS.
7.See what makes of brass are available for a given cartridge. I like Lapua, RWS, Norma in no special order, especially with the AMP annealing machine. I like the PRC, but really hope for some quality brass. With Hornady, you have a large percentage of cases that will need to be culled.

quote:

Originally posted by Grenadier:
The 6.5-06 existed long before A-Square legitimized it. For many decades we were told the .30-06 case was "over capacity" with any bullets smaller in diameter than .270. oddly enough, some also figured .270 was the perfect bullet for the .30-06 case. But powders, rifles, and opinions have changed. Today, even large magnum sized cartridges are considered fine for 6.5mm bullets. Go figure.

quote:

Originally posted by surefire7:
I was perusing Midway's ammo offerings in .264 caliber (6.5mm). Currently for sale, there are (17) calibers:

6.5x52R
6.5 Grendel
6.5x50
6.5 Carcano
6.5x52 MC
6.5x54 MS
6.5 Creedmoor
6.5 PRC
260 Rem.
6.5x47
6.5x55
6.5x57R
6.5x284
6.5 Rem. Mag.
264 WM
26 Nosler
6.5-300 Weatherby

There are others of course, such as 6.5x53R, 6.5x57, 6.7 Lazzaroni Phanton, and more.

My question and amazement is, no 6.5-06!!

Is this because A-Square legitimized this cartridge? Do they have some patent on it that makes it too expensive for anyone to load this cartridge?

It seems unbelievable that with all of the above 6.5s available for sale today, that one of them is not the 6.5-06, a round based on the ubiquitous 30-06, America's darling. I could not even find this round in the latest issue of COTW (15th edition).

I have rifles in 25-06, 270, 280, 30-06, 338-06 and 35 Whelen, all of course based on the '06 case. All are offered with factory ammo. I guess I could have a 6.5-06 made, but I am waiting for a factory rifle and factory ammo.

Seems strange to have 20 or more cartridges in this caliber, most offerd for sale on Midway, but no 6.5-06 here in America.

What gives? A-Square?

quote:

Originally posted by Grenadier:
The 6.5-06 existed long before A-Square legitimized it. For many decades we were told the .30-06 case was "over capacity" with any bullets smaller in diameter than .270. Oddly enough, some also figured .270 was the perfect bullet for the .30-06 case. But powders, rifles, and opinions have changed. Today, even large magnum sized cartridges are considered fine for 6.5mm bullets. Go figure.