6.5 x '06

[What Map]

Ben Lamb's thread about his 7X57 drifted some into 6.5 caliber rifles. I started working yesterday on a 6.5X'06 I had built by Ed Hoadley, who took up gun building when he retired from auto repair work in Bozeman, MT. He did excellent work until his body failed him a few years ago. His mind and spirit are still strong but his coordination will not allow him to safely run machinery anymore.

Here is the rifle he built me:


It weighs too much to carry all day, but it will make a great truck gun. I think the barrel is a Bison Barrel from Wyoming. I don't know the twist. It was built from a left hand Savage. Ed did some work on the trigger and it is very crisp.

Here the barrel stamp with Ed Hoadley's signature:



Yesterday I shot this three shot group at 110 yards. 130 gr Nosler Accubond over 50.7 grs of R22.

 

[sbhooper]

It doesn't get any better than that! Have you chrono'd it? That looks like it will be your go-to load.

 

[canvsbk]

I've always wanted a 6.5-06. Backed out on my last build and went with .280AI instead. Now that I think about it, I do have a long action Ruger that really isn't doing anything important any more.....

 

[What Map]

sbhooper, I don't own a chronograph. Always wanted one, but................
I have a friend that own one and when I get down to one or two loads, I'll run over to his home and check things out.

canvsbk, note that my gun smith did NOT use the Savage locking ring to headspace. He headspaced like a "normal" gun. Also the three shot group I posted was the best out of this gun, of course. Others are more in the 1 moa range.

 

[sbhooper]

A one inch average is all you need. That is a great rifle. I just had a Savage 7mm mag rebarreled by a friend that likes to do that stuff. I burned it out shooting hot loads at lots of deer on a damage permit. It now wears a Criterion 26-inch medium heavy barrel and is a real good shooter. There is nothing wrong with Savage actions for sure. I have had a couple of them.

I load RL22 behind a Hornady 139 grain Interlock at 3100 fps and it performs real well. That load is lighter than the one that burned the other barrel for me. I backed off a little and it performs perfectly with the interlock.

I also like the 160 Partition real well and I push it right at 3000 fps with RL25. I shoot that load out of a Remington SPS.

 

[257 Wby Mag]

Cool... I just got my Rem 700 back from pac-nor. Really happy with their work, I went with a super match 3 groove1-8 twist, fluted sendero contour barrell, ss of course, chambered in 6.5-06 AI. Installed a jewell trigger, bedded it in a Mcmmilan A-5 stock. Been fireforming brass/breaking in the barrell today, man it shoots. Gonna run 139 scenars or 140 bergers whichever shoots better, followed up by 59-60 grains of Retumbo. Later

 

[sbhooper]

That sounds like a super nice rifle.