I picked up a Lilja barrel in 6.5 cal with a 1 in 12 twist along with a nice F.N. mauser action. Anyone have an idea how heavy a bullet this barrel will stabilize? Would a 6.5-06 Ackley improved or a 264 Win mag be the better choice? Who makes a very good synthetic stock for this type rifle which I expect to make up with 26 inches of barrel.

Eww, bad barrel, bad twist, better send to Fresno, CA, care of me. :-)

Red

Rick,

The US standard twist for 6.5 mm barrels is 9", and the European twist standard is 7.87", at least from reports I have seen. My 6.5-'06 has a 9" twist Shilen barrel, and that was their standard when I got it.

I can shoot bullets up to 160 grain in round nose configuration, and somthing less for spitzers. 165 grain semi-spitzers don't work. All the 140 grainers work.

Stability depends on the length of the bullet, its velocity, diameter, shape (and hence weight). I would think a 12" twist might work for the 120 to 130 grain bullets.

jim dodd

I got the barrel and action in an estate sale. My friend planned on building a 6.5 on a 300 win mag case and pushing 120 grain bullets to the highest possible velocities. Skip Talbot,an Arizona gunsmith and case designer has said that the slowest twist possible allows for higher velocities and lower pressures. His planned use for the rifle once built was as an antelope and mule deer rifle and I expect the 120 class of bullets to work well enough on them. I know that the 6.5 is usually given fast twists but I am hoping to get some use out ot the 140 grain bullets. I had a 300 Savage that shot 180 grain bullets quite well and the SD numbers are similar to what the 6.5 gets with 140's.

[ 05-09-2003, 14:50: Message edited by: rickt300 ]

HunterJim,
The European twist is not different by American.
If you consider the old military twist, made for 160 grs bullets it was 1:7"/1.7.5", now the normal twist is for 120-140grs (9".)
1:12"? good for 95/100grs bullets? maybe
bye

You can definitely stabilize up to the 100's, maybe the 120's. Make a great barrel for a high-speed 6.5 varminter using 6.5/08 AI, 6.5x55 BJAI or 6.5/06 AI, depending on the action. Using the FN action you have already, probably the 6.5x55 BJAI or 6.5x57 AI would be best. At least this gives you some ideas.

Ol' John

I think you guys are influenced by the old low velocity and heavy bullet 6.5 rifles. A 1 turn in 12 twist gives acceptable accuracy in a 308 with bullets up to 200 grains. This bullet has a S,D. of 301 and a B.C. of 556 coming from the Speer manual. The same manual gives .289 for a S.D. and a .489 B.C. for a 140 grain spitzer. of .264 diameter. Even the 300 Savage with a 1 in 12 twist wil handle 200 grain bullets. The 120 grain 6.5 bullets have identical numbers to the 165 grain 308 bullets which have proven very accurate in many 308 rifles and I can see no reason they wouldn't prove just as good in any other 1 in 12 twist rifle.

[ 05-10-2003, 06:47: Message edited by: rickt300 ]