Begin quote

"I have a few from all the major players. They all use excellent barrel blanks with potential for excellent accuracy. My issues come directly from some of their customer service ...or lack there of.

For that reason I chose either MGM or OTT as Fred at Bullberry either doesn't own a calender or hasn't figured out how to use it, SSK doesn't have time for questions and answers and the rest I have dealt with are great 'smiths but they are not great communicators (failing to return calls, stalling, no email.....all not my problem). Its my $300-$500 and I don't let their lack of CS work for me."
End Quote

skb2706 wrote: "Hows that 6.5 shootin for ya Bobby ?"

Because a fondness for various 6.5s has afflicted me and made me buy more barrels than I need, I guess -- with a degree of embarassment -- I'll have to ask "which one"???

Bobby

ireload2 wrote: "Begin quote

"I have a few from all the major players. They all use excellent barrel blanks with potential for excellent accuracy. My issues come directly from some of their customer service ...or lack there of.

For that reason I chose either MGM or OTT as Fred at Bullberry either doesn't own a calender or hasn't figured out how to use it, SSK doesn't have time for questions and answers and the rest I have dealt with are great 'smiths but they are not great communicators (failing to return calls, stalling, no email.....all not my problem). Its my $300-$500 and I don't let their lack of CS work for me."
End Quote"

OK, I have to ask: what is the purpose of this post? It is pulled from another thread (and another site entirely) and has ZERO input from you.

quote:

OK, I have to ask: what is the purpose of this post?

I just thought it was interesting and informative.
I have read the description of OTTs chambering process. I think it probably a superior process to using a reamer.

You can search all over the internet and find lot of forums with nicer people than AR, but this is the only place you can find some gun info.

The keys are not banning someone for being too smart, and attract high roller hunters that attracts gold digger gun smiths and outfitters.

ZERMEL, if I may ask, how did you obtain the 6x47 barrel?

Did you start with a .223 Rem. barrel and have it bored and chambered to 6x47?

Don

Yes DaMan.
I started with a 24" H&R bull barrel in 223. Then I milled the the barrel octagon to get rid of some weight and stress.

At that point Ron Smith rebored the barrel to 6mm with a 1-12" twist cut rifling and chambered it for the standard 6x47 (222Rem Mag).

The 6x47 reamer did clean up the chamber of the 223. Final draw filing, finish and and bluing of the barrel came last.This barrel shoots under a 1/2" with three shots using 55gr
BT Moly plated bullets at 3500ft.

I also have some 58gr V-max but have not tried them yet since I got a big supply of the 55gr BT's.

The dies are custom full length bushing dies by
Jim Carstensen of Iowa. Dies were made from 5 fired cases. The fired brass is only sized down
one thou in the body.

Only 2/3 of the necks are sized with a proper sized bushing minus 2 thou of loaded size.
Brass is 75% neck turned

The bullet seating die is an in-line type. Both dies are BR quality. This is a very pleasent 300yard varmint rifle. I carries a Burris 6.5x20x50 BMD scope. Not the one in the picture.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobby Tomek:
ireload2 wrote: "Begin quote

"I have a few from all the major players. They all use excellent barrel blanks with potential for excellent accuracy. My issues come directly from some of their customer service ...or lack there of.

For that reason I chose either MGM or OTT as Fred at Bullberry either doesn't own a calender or hasn't figured out how to use it, SSK doesn't have time for questions and answers and the rest I have dealt with are great 'smiths but they are not great communicators (failing to return calls, stalling, no email.....all not my problem). Its my $300-$500 and I don't let their lack of CS work for me."
End Quote"

OK, I have to ask: what is the purpose of this post? It is pulled from another thread (and another site entirely) and has ZERO input from you.

bobby - it was originally my post from another site. I guess it made for relevant inclusion. Since I did not post it here I can only guess.

I was referring to your 6.5 30-30 AI as I am considering one for myself. Since you and I both seem to go with several wildcat TCs from different places I respect your input. Thanks and take care.

My 26", 1:8 Contender barrel in 6.5x30-30 AI is really impressing me. My original goal was to reach 2400 fps with 140 grain bullets as I intended this as a deer hunting barrel. It's done that and proven that safe, 2500 fps loads with 140s is easily attainable while still givng surgical accuracy.

When I decided to have my barrel built, I intended on getting CH4-D dies, but they were out of stock and I'd be looking at a very long wait. So I decided to get 6.5 Bullberry IMP dies instead as the two -- 6.5 BB Imp and 6.5x30-30 AI -- are birds of a feather.

I actually tried to get some specs from Bullberry as I wanted to know if the two were one and the same. I was already buying the dies from them, yet they couldn't or wouldn't tell me. Turns out they are virtually identical.

I've formed brass the old-fashioned way but found that using 6.5 BRM brass from eabco.com was the easiest route to take as it took minimal fireforming and thus induced less stress on the brass itself. Simply running it into the FL 6.5 BB Imp sets back the shoulder slightly and readies you for standard loading & fireforming procedures.

I've been using Re-22 to fireform. My hunting loads feature the 140 grain Sierra Gameking and the 140 grain Hornady A-Max, and both are propelled by 39 grains of N160. I've used everything from H335 to Re-22, and all seem to shoot very well. But N160 shoots GREAT and also gives the best velocities. 38 grains of N160 with the Nosler 140 grain Custom Competition bullets is a combo that I just started working with, but it has already shown mind-boggling accuracy.

Even the stubby 85 grain Sierra HP performs superbly in the 1:8 barrel. It's a thumper on coyotes at any sane range.

My first (or one of the first) kills with the barrel was a hog with the 130 grain Accubond. Performance was as good as it gets. But the Accubond is the one bullet that has given me fits as I try and tighten the groups to the level I know the barrel is capable of. The Accubonds shoot under MOA with ease; however, that pales in comparison to the other loads I've developed for the rifle.

But with these modest velocities, even the standard cup-and-core bullets perform like a premium...

As to the post from the other board, I remember it well, and it does serve a definite purpose in this thread. I just questioned why he dumped it without explanation or imput of his own. Doing so certainly would have validated its usage.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobby Tomek:
My 26", 1:8 Contender barrel in 6.5x30-30 AI is really impressing me. My original goal was to reach 2400 fps with 140 grain bullets as I intended this as a deer hunting barrel. It's done that and proven that safe, 2500 fps loads with 140s is easily attainable while still givng surgical accuracy.


But with these modest velocities, even the standard cup-and-core bullets perform like a premium...

I've always felt these wildcats based on the 30/30 case are ideal for contender rifle barrels. The 25/35 AI is another good one. The 30/30 AI is a very surprising cartridge too.

Good point on the bullet choice. Too many just use premium bullets with little attention to impact velocity. A lot of game is lost because bullets are too tough for the speed they are travelling in the slower calibers.

My 6mm30-30 AI is a VVCG carbine length that involves similar case forming issues. I actually made up my set of dies using a variety of cheap modified standard dies. Although it is marginal for large deer it gives up little to a .243 Win with the lighter bullets. It is a fine coyote and pd gun that will shoot with most any factory bolt gun.

I would not have spent the money on a barrel like that to put it on a Handy/NEF.

skb2706 wrote:

quote:

I would not have spent the money on a barrel like that to put it on a Handy/NEF.

brayhaven wrote-

quote:

Good point on the bullet choice. Too many just use premium bullets with little attention to impact velocity. A lot of game is lost because bullets are too tough for the speed they are travelling in the slower calibers.

Greg-You are right on the money with that statement. At 2500 fps MV, the 140 grain A-Max, which is quite frangible at higher velocities, becomes a legitimate game bullet for deer/pronghorn, etc. And the Sierra 140 grain GK, already one of the more stout 6.5 bullets, becomes virtually perfect for situations where deeper penetration is required, such as on hogs or for shoulder shots on deer.

speaking of these bullets at moderate velocity:

Well, I've taken 5 hogs between yesterday evening's hunt and this morning, and for the last one I used my 26" 6.5x30-30 IMP (aka 6.5 Bullberry Improved) with a 140 grain Sierra GK at 2500 fps (39 grains N160 & a Fed 210).

The range was app. 225 yards, and the bullet took the hog mid-shoulder, demolished the lungs and exited just behind the off-side shoulder. The exit was app. quarter-sized or slightly larger. The hog dropped on the spot.

The sow was not that impressive, perhaps 160 pounds; hence, the picture focuses more on the gun than the animal.

The scope is a Nikon Monarch 3.3-10x44 AO.

Please pardon the low-quality digital image. I didn't take any good gear with me as I certainly didn't want to sweat all over it. The humidity here lately has been horrible.

That is a good photo.
It draws in the eye, looking for more information.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobby Tomek:
skb2706 wrote:

quote:

I would not have spent the money on a barrel like that to put it on a Handy/NEF.

"Hello everyone, I'm sending out a quick note to let our customers know that we are having a pistol sale for the summer. We've collected quite a few 10"-13" blanks over the years. These are lengths that are seldom ordered, so they stack up on the shelves. We'd like to get rid of them. Because they are blanks left over from other barrels, we can sell them extremely cheap. They are all Shilen blanks of the same quality we normally sell."

I mentioned that you can get two TC pistol barrels from one blank. I thought it was a fair and reasonable comment.

Did you not see: "These are lengths that are seldom ordered, so they stack up on the shelves" ?

quote:

Originally posted by Bobby Tomek:
Did you not see: "These are lengths that are seldom ordered, so they stack up on the shelves" ?

So you get cheap pistol barrels that way.
If he offered those prices for pistol barrels all the time he might sell a few more.

BTW there is another small 6.5 that will work in an Encore. The 6.5X53.5R Dutch round can be loaded using 6.5X54 MS dies and .303 British brass.
It is older than the .30-30.

Virtually any 6.5 will work in the Encore. You must be thinking of the Contender.

While I haven't looked up the specs, I do believe -- if memory serves - that the case you refer to has a combination of a little too much capacity and a little too much taper for top performance in the Contender as backthrust quickly becomes an issue long before velocity potential is reached.

AR member Rich Jake did an experiment with the Contender and either the 6.5x50 or 6.5x52, and it suffered similar issues (mainly taper as the culprit w/ this one).

I mentioned the Dutch round because it would be similar in capacity and performance to the 6.5 Bullberry except 6.5 Manlicher-Schoenauer dies are a little more common. Other than that it has to be reloaded so you can control the pressure. I guess the rimmed version is not needed since the Encore can handle the standard Mannlicher-Schoenauer round. That eliminates some PIA case forming. I shoot the 6.5 Dutch in an M95 Dutch rifle.
I have read one article about the 6.5 MS being used without a problem in the Contender though I feel the Contender is a little light for my tastes.

Capacity-wise, you are absolutely right; but other factors come in to play with the Contender that prevent it from giving top performance. Thus, it couldn't quite match the 6.5x30-30 AI (6.5 Bullberry Imp) I referenced in an earlier post.