Ok folks I need some help, I have been told that if I go to a 6.5-284 I would not have to work the feedrails and all would work great? I don't have access to a 284 round and would really like to go this route, the action is a M48 Yugo and the 6.5-06 would be too long without doing some work and the 6.5x55AI Swede would cost me a small fourtune with dies so the 6.5-284 seems to be my best choice but I need to know from the guru's of the gun world about the feedrails? Hey thanks in advance for your help! Later,

Kirk

I think you are light years ahead by just using the 6.5x55. Cheap dies, capable of incredible accuracy. Have a reamer ground with a short throat not the usual mile long throat and you will see marked improvements.

Don't buy into that crap about not needing any feedrail work on the 6.5x284. Not only will you need feedrail work, you will need to widen the magazine. Unless of course you want a single shot.

The 6.5x284 with its wide body and rebated rim may prove to be difficult to get to feed properly out of your M48. And, if you chose to send it to a good gunsmith to smooth out the feeding, you may end up making up the difference in cost on the dies.

My other question is what is the COL of a 6.5-06? The COL of the 25-06 is short enough to fit the magazine box of a Yugo - is the 6.5 that much longer?

I don't want to steer you away from building a hot 6.5, but you may need to look at a different action for it. Could perhaps you trade your M48 for a VZ-24 or similar action? Just a thought...

Well the COL is the same as the 30-06 if I recall but seating the bullets out further would help with the powder capacity issue and those 6.5 bullets are LLLLOOOOOONNNNGGGG. I was looking for a VZ action but I didn't have much luck and the original plans were to build a 6.5x55 which I have at this time but I feel a longer heavier barrel is in my future and I'd like to have just a bit more horsepower for those long plates. I have a good understanding of most of the basic gunsmithing procedures but I'm new enough at it I like to ask first before I jump in on some things I'm not familiar with and I do like multiple opinions and you have a good point about the cost of reworking the feed rails over dies! thanks I hadn't thought about that. Later folks,

Kirk

Its not JUST a feed rail issue. The magazine geometry needs adjusting also.

As for COL I don't know why people worry about the bullet intruding on propellant space in a cartridge (6.5-06) when there are exactly NO loads where that is a serious issue.

Yes, Dies would be more expensive for a 6.5x55 A-I
but not enough more expensive to make up for
the obscene price of 6.5x284 brass

I'll presume that this is a "meat" rifle, because if it were a target rifle you wouldn't be building it on a M48 Yugo...

I think I like Poleax's suggestion, have it chambered as a 6.5x55 with a shorter than normal throat.

Or even seriously consider going with a SAAMI standars chambering in 260Rem which will also fit in the action...

AllanD

How many 6.5x284 rounds do you want it to hold in the magazine?
Timan

This rifle will spend more time killing steel plate than game but it will make the trip when meat gettin' needs be done.

I've built 3 rifles on the M48 action and sir these actions I would prefer over a Remington anyday! I have a 308 that will shoot very very well, it has shot a 2.5 5 shot @ 500 meters. The others will do a minimum of 1" 100 yard 5 shot groups. Your right this will not be a target rifle but I don't have the change to purchase a Panda and I don't have the patience to shoot BR but that's another story.

I have the rifle built in 6.5x55 now but am looking to get some more horsepower and also to be a little different than most folks around here, but shooting a 6.5x55 around here I am pretty much different.

I figure if I can fit 4 rounds I should be ok, most of our shooting is a 1 shot issue and you don't have much of a chance at getting another shot where I hunt.

Allan, I'm not slamming you but the Mauser actions can make some fine accurate rifles, some that will and can go against the high dollar BR standard actions. Later,

Kirk