Looking for suggestions on a new caliber

[Floridagt500]

Theres more than a few people here that despise anything new or especially newer technology.

Any modern design to shoot longer longer heavier/slower bullets doesnt have many fans here.

I don’t get it. If you have something that works and don’t see a point in changing that, fine, but being upset and hating something new that is enhanced and is indeed better is just ridiculous.

260 was new at one time too (just over 30 years ago commercially) and is not a bad cartridge today and was a great cartridge in its day. Makes you wonder if the reason it didn’t catch on more was people hating it because it was new and unnecessary in their mind and it didn’t have a huge marketing machine behind it promoting it like the Creedmoor has.

If I had it my way the 6.5x47 would be what the Creedmoor is today.

 

[brymoore]

@brymoore,

People have taken elk with the 257 Roberts for years now.

People have also taken elk with 243 Win.

I’ve shot elk with a 257 Roberts. It’s not my first choice of elk rifles but I’d hunt confident I could kill whatever elk gave me an opportunity.

 

[Forkyfinder]

I don’t get it. If you have something that works and don’t see a point in changing that, fine, but being upset and hating something new that is enhanced and is indeed better is just ridiculous.

260 was new at one time too (just over 30 years ago commercially) and is not a bad cartridge today and was a great cartridge in its day. Makes you wonder if the reason it didn’t catch on more was people hating it because it was new and unnecessary in their mind and it didn’t have a huge marketing machine behind it promoting it like the Creedmoor has.

If I had it my way the 6.5x47 would be what the Creedmoor is today.

260 didnt have the bullets in its day, less twist rate (1 in 9 vs 1 in 8 saami spec) and has 18 percent less head height (.9023 vs .765), and the same powder capacity so imho its an unideal choice today. It didnt do enough differently than other available cartridges. I know someone will tell me you can throat a chamber longer and still get it in an aics/short mag box.

6.5x47 is cool - ahead of its time and basically copied in concept and marketed successfully by Hornady. I could be convinced its better than the copy.

 

[std7mag]

@Floridagt500,

I don't actually hate the 6.5 CM.
It's actually an excellent cartridge that works well within it's confines.

Let's look at it objectively, not emotionally.

We have both described it as being designed for match shooting.

Your statement of it being designed for a short action really holds no water.
The 260 Rem has been used in short action bolt rifles for years.

A match shooter doesn't give a hoot if it's longer than the SAAMI 2.80" COAL. They will typically spec reamers with specific freebore and neck diameter.

It is when you get to the MSR platform and PRS matches where issues with the 260 Rem showed up.
Remember, benchrest and F Class do single loading. Many with a loading port on the left side and the ejection port on the right side.
They don't have a magazine.

So now we have 2 platforms that use detachable magazines. (3 now with NRL Hunter matches)
With the long, heavy match bullets there is the issue with the 260 Rem that to fit it in the confines of a detachable magazine the bullet was pushed down into the powder column.

The answer, use a shorter case.
By "improving" the case, and steepening the shoulder angle, you can get almost the same case capacity as the 260 Rem.

In a bolt rifle, with the chamber throated for the heavy, long bullet, the 260 Rem does have a slightly greater case capacity.

My issue with the 6.5CM isn't with the cartridge itself, or the people that like it. It was one of the greatest advertising campaigns ever created.

My issue is with the rifle and ammo manufacturers that jumped whole hog into it.

Looking for a donor rifle in 7mm-08 the other year, you could buy any manufacturer and model you wanted. As long as you chose between 6.5 CM, or 350 Legend.

 

[Floridagt500]

2) I love to hate on the 6.5 Manbun!!!
It absolutely blows my mind that so many people fell for the advertising BS that it's any better than the 260 Rem.

@Floridagt500,

I don't actually hate the 6.5 CM.
It's actually an excellent cartridge that works well within it's confines.

Let's look at it objectively, not emotionally.

We have both described it as being designed for match shooting.

Your statement of it being designed for a short action really holds no water.
The 260 Rem has been used in short action bolt rifles for years.

A match shooter doesn't give a hoot if it's longer than the SAAMI 2.80" COAL. They will typically spec reamers with specific freebore and neck diameter.

It is when you get to the MSR platform and PRS matches where issues with the 260 Rem showed up.
Remember, benchrest and F Class do single loading. Many with a loading port on the left side and the ejection port on the right side.
They don't have a magazine.

So now we have 2 platforms that use detachable magazines. (3 now with NRL Hunter matches)
With the long, heavy match bullets there is the issue with the 260 Rem that to fit it in the confines of a detachable magazine the bullet was pushed down into the powder column.

The answer, use a shorter case.
By "improving" the case, and steepening the shoulder angle, you can get almost the same case capacity as the 260 Rem.

In a bolt rifle, with the chamber throated for the heavy, long bullet, the 260 Rem does have a slightly greater case capacity.

My issue with the 6.5CM isn't with the cartridge itself, or the people that like it. It was one of the greatest advertising campaigns ever created.

My issue is with the rifle and ammo manufacturers that jumped whole hog into it.

Looking for a donor rifle in 7mm-08 the other year, you could buy any manufacturer and model you wanted. As long as you chose between 6.5 CM, or 350 Legend.

Seems you have trouble making up your mind whether to hate it or not since you’ve now said you do and you don’t, and whether it has advantages over the 260 when you said it doesn’t but then you acknowledge it does at least when mag fed. Seems you don’t have a clue but you seem to suggest I’m being emotional.

You bring up BR like it’s popular there and has any relevance when it has never been popular for that discipline where 6.5-284 and 6.5x47L has reigned supreme for 6.5mm options. If anything it has seen more spotlight in F-class which you don’t seem to mention but even there has never been very popular. It had a brief popularity in long range field style matches in the early 2000’s when 308 was the main player and people figured out they could game the system a little bit with 243 and 260 but then the Creedmoors came along and they faded into history. Weird, huh? It’s almost like the Creedmoors are superior when it comes to accuracy.

The 260 and 6.5CM were designed to be SA bolt cartridges and both were adapted into other realms, the 6.5CM just does everything better. Yes it has higher case capacity and it gets less velocity with that higher case capacity because it’s less efficient burning it’s powder.

 

[Floridagt500]

260 didnt have the bullets in its day, less twist rate (1 in 9 vs 1 in 8 saami spec) and has 18 percent less head height (.9023 vs .765), and the same powder capacity so imho its an unideal choice today. It didnt do enough differently than other available cartridges. I know someone will tell me you can throat a chamber longer and still get it in an aics/short mag box.

6.5x47 is cool - ahead of its time and basically copied in concept and marketed successfully by Hornady. I could be convinced its better than the copy.

I like that it works so well with Varget on up to the heaviest bullets. It’s just such an easy and consistent powder to work with compared to H4350 and the other powders that work best with the creed. You can make Varget work with them but it’s not ideal. It’s 6.5x47 is also just such an easy cartridge to load for (part of that being the Varget aspect) and doesn’t require a lot of load development much like the 6BR.

 

[Redmt]

My 6.5 CM does everything I ask for. Good selection from 90gr. to 147gr. That being said, there's a Ruger #1 in .257 calling out to me.
BTW, I just had a stainless/laminate #1 rebored to 6.5 CM and the barrel fluted. I can't wait to get it back.

 

[yakimanoob]

Way to hijack a request for "something definitely bigger than the 25-06 that has more ammo available" with "it doesn't matter because I handload" and suggestions to just "throat the chamber appropriately" @std7mag . Real classy.

Do you have any actual suggestions for the OP or are you just bragging about how much money you spend on your hobby?

 

[std7mag]

Way to hijack a request for "something definitely bigger than the 25-06 that has more ammo available" with "it doesn't matter because I handload" and suggestions to just "throat the chamber appropriately" @std7mag . Real classy.

Do you have any actual suggestions for the OP or are you just bragging about how much money you spend on your hobby?

Apparently you suffer from not comprehending what you read also.

Try going back and rereading post #2.

And have a good day

 

[yakimanoob]

Apparently you suffer from not comprehending what you read also.

Try going back and rereading post #2.

And have a good day

The post where you bragged about hunting with 14 different cartridges and then recommended the pet cartridge of handloaders that has less availability than the 25-06? I think I'm comprehending just fine.

 

[Cammy]

you can eat right up to the hole.

I have coffee on my keyboard here! Love this!

 

[Cammy]

I am a .270 fan as well. I have a .270 Win and a .270WSM with the .270 Win being the latest addition (I LOVE shooting the .270 Win). As far as the 6.5 Creedmoor and associated calibers of 6.5 I will say this, there was a time when any of the WSM calibers was on everyone's mind. Try buying ammo for a WSM now. I bought reloading dies for mine on clearance and have only found a few boxes of factory ammo in the past couple years.

 

[rjthehunter]

My 2 main rifles are a 338 and a 270. I've spent a lot more time with the 338 and really, I reach for that one 9.5 out of 10 times. Even if it's just for deer, dead is dead. If you're comfortable with it, rock it!

 

[Forkyfinder]

I am a .270 fan as well. I have a .270 Win and a .270WSM with the .270 Win being the latest addition (I LOVE shooting the .270 Win). As far as the 6.5 Creedmoor and associated calibers of 6.5 I will say this, there was a time when any of the WSM calibers was on everyone's mind. Try buying ammo for a WSM now. I bought reloading dies for mine on clearance and have only found a few boxes of factory ammo in the past couple years.

Theres a reason that remington, nosler, winchester, and weatherby rifles come in a lot prc mags and all of them with manbun and derivatives. If that reason is all solely successful due to marketing BS - that doesnt really affect the results. Dont think a majority of the prc/manbun chamberings are going anywhere with the sheer number of rifles they sell with those chamberings and ammo companies making it.

 

[Cammy]

Theres a reason that remington, nosler, winchester, and weatherby rifles come in a lot prc mags and all of them with manbun and derivatives. If that reason is all solely successful due to marketing BS - that doesnt really affect the results. Dont think a majority of the prc/manbun chamberings are going anywhere with the sheer number of rifles they sell with those chamberings and ammo companies making it.

There was a time the same could be said for WSM cartridge's. Just my opinion that the 6.5 will run its course and we will be back at the 30 caliber, 27 caliber and 25 caliber debates.

 

[mtmuley]

For me the juice isn't worth the squeeze. I have other cartridges set up that are boringly reliable. mtmuley

 

[Schutzhund]

As others stated if you don't reload it's hard to beat a "classic" cartridge like .270.... ammo is loaded by virtually every manufacturer with awesome bullets to choose from, and usually something to find locally in a pinch.

I just built a 7x57 for deer around here. Love the history and mauser actions but you can't buy ammo anywhere but online...forced me to reload but boy she shoots fine.

To each there own.

Enjoy the hunt for your new chambering.

 

[Forkyfinder]

There was a time the same could be said for WSM cartridge's. Just my opinion that the 6.5 will run its course and we will be back at the 30 caliber, 27 caliber and 25 caliber debates.

WSM never had the support/popularty that 6.5 creedmoor/prc do for a ton of reasons. It came out 5 years before the 6.5 creedmoor did - its not like theyre way older.

Im not sold on every variant of every hornady anything lasting forever - i think the ARC series might dud, the 375 ruger wasnt commercially successful, and im not sure of 6GT or 22 creedmoor. I like 300 prc - but because of the action length im not sure itll stick around forever.

But you are crazy if you think 6.5 creedmoor isnt here to stay.

 

[GlockZ]

any of the OG work horses will work well for you, 308,270, and of course 30-06

 

[kiwi hunter]

Killed lots of animals with lots of different calibers, but the one that really impressed me is the 300 wsm, 110 gr to 220 gr, can't beat that.