Thanks for all the ideas. Now I'm thinking 6.5 something or other. I'd like to get to 3,000 fps or so with a 140 grain bullet.

6.5x68 or .264 Win Mag fits the bill.
I've been thinking of the 6.5x68 build for awhile.

If you want English oddball, you can borrow my 375/400 belted nitro reamer. The first belted case!
Use 240 wthby brass, or use my belting die to make up a batch.

an 8 twist 6.5 would be nice for 139 gr Scenars out of a 6.5x47 Lapua, but imho what I see as a gap in your lineup is the quintessential .243 Winnie. Something light and fast in .243 belongs in every collection.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Thanks for all the ideas. Now I'm thinking 6.5 something or other. I'd like to get to 3,000 fps or so with a 140 grain bullet.

The 6.5-06 doesn't quite do that so you are looking for something with a larger case than the -06.

6.5x68 and .264 WinMag were alrready mentioned. What about 26 Nosler? - https://load-data.nosler.com/load-data/26-nosler/

Thanks, all.

Grenadier, the 26 Nosler is very interesting. A standard, 3.34 inch long cartridge, but with a modern, non-belted, large diameter case. Terrific speed and power. Faster than anything out there (other than the 6.5 Weatherby, which doesn't interest me).

It seems that it could be made to fit and function very well in a 1909.

I realize that I'm see-sawing here between classics and ultra-moderns, but who cares!

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Thanks for all the ideas. Now I'm thinking 6.5 something or other. I'd like to get to 3,000 fps or so with a 140 grain bullet.

You can do that with a 6.5x65 RWS.

No wildcats yet?
How about a wildcat 7mm by 53 using the 7.65 Argy case? Cool although not a regular cartridge and it would probably add $1,000 to your bill. Shouldn't be tough to get the right bullet approaching 3,000 fps. 140's maybe.

What about a wildcat 6mm-284. Your 1909 Mauser box is for a 57mm case length cartridge. With the 6-284 (51mm case) you could seat those long Berger 108/115gr Hybrids with the bullet base even with the neck/shoulder junction.