6.5 wsm

[ronlassit]

Currently looking at a 6.5 WSM barrel for my savage LRP. Performance is pretty incredible. 140gr bullets at around 3300fps. That should keep the bullet supersonic to just over 1800 yds. Go no go gauges, chamber reamers and reloading dies readily available. Talk about a flat shooting, wind bucking machine. A 500 yd shot would be incredibly easy. I am seriously considering dropping the coin on it.

[barnetmill]

Currently looking at a 6.5 WSM barrel for my savage LRP. Performance is pretty incredible. 140gr bullets at around 3300fps. That should keep the bullet supersonic to just over 1800 yds. Go no go gauges, chamber reamers and reloading dies readily available. Talk about a flat shooting, wind bucking machine. A 500 yd shot would be incredibly easy. I am seriously considering dropping the coin on it.

What is barrel life like at those velocities and powder charges?

[DogDoc]

What is barrel life like at those velocities and powder charges?

You read my mind Barnetmill. I'm guessing 1000 rounds maybe.
Looks like a fun round though.

[Hasher]

Most of the guys I listen to crying like little bitches on the internet will never shoot enough to worry about barre life and those who do shoot a rifle enough to worry about barre life can afford to replace it.

Im a huge fan of the 264 Win Mag which runs about 300fps slower than the 6.5 WSM. My best friend loves it more than I do. All three of His rifles are Well beyond the 2000 round mark and one is right at the 3000 round mark and all 3 still shoot sub MOA.

I have looked at the 6.5 WSM a bit and I am intrigued by the 6.5 Weatherby Magnum (not the 6.5 Weatherby RPM) which will push a 140gr at 3300fps as well. (I happen to have a spare magnum action lying around). I think if I barrel it at 26 or even 27” I can get it even faster.

Just about any 6.5 is incredibly accurate and over the years I have used a Swede, 260 Rem, 264 Win Mag, 6.5 TCU and a 6.5 Br and all were crazy accurate when there wasn’t a loose but behind the trigger.

Personally if you can afford to run it and you hand load for it and components aren’t an issue I think it’s a fantastic long range cartridge.

[paknheat]

If it is something that is what you want to try , I say go for it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[JimD]

You will get long barrel life if you run it around 3100 fps with H1000. The GAP variant has been around a long time and George and company have over 3500 rounds through theirs and they were still competitive. ADG makes super brass for it now as well. Research it, but that the route I'd go. Go PRC if you don't want to make, but I'm assuming your a reloader if your looking at 6.5 WSM.

[Yondering]

I've thought about a 6.5 WSM for a long time and always felt it'd be a great long range round. Only reason I haven't built one is just a drifting of my interest to the smaller rounds that still perform really well, like the 6mm Grendel variants. There are some interesting 6.5 bullets available now in the 145-150gr range that should do really well in that WSM.

Barrel life wouldn't be a big concern for me on something like this. If you can afford to shoot it out, you can afford to replace it. Of course it helps a lot if you have someone that can spin up a new barrel for you quickly and doesn't take a year+ to get it done.

[ronlassit]

If I get it done, Jeff Walker out around Culpeper way will be doing the work for me. I have shot some of his rifles before and they are superb, to say the least. I have to do a little more research on the round and have some questions as to how much leade is cut in the chamber to allow for the long bullets and if I will have to turn the necks if I use 300wsm brass. I really dislike turning case necks.

[Yondering]

If I get it done, Jeff Walker out around Culpeper way will be doing the work for me. I have shot some of his rifles before and they are superb, to say the least. I have to do a little more research on the round and have some questions as to how much leade is cut in the chamber to allow for the long bullets and if I will have to turn the necks if I use 300wsm brass. I really dislike turning case necks.

You should be able to specify a no-turn neck if that's what you want. Same goes for the throat - have it cut to match whatever round you want to shoot.

(You probably are aware - many of the long sleek VLD-style bullets can actually use a shorter throat than standard. It's the blunter SP hunting bullets that often need a longer throat. That drives factory throat geometry, but this isn't a factory cartridge.)

[LawDog]

it helps a lot if you have someone that can spin up a new barrel for you quickly and doesn't take a year+ to get it done.

I plan to drop a little coin soon on some barrels that I don't even need yet. That's primarily because of the long turn-around time, but also in part because I can envision the possibility of gun control laws extending to barrels. (All over Europe, any "pressure-bearing" component is regulated the same as a firearm.) I've also decided to settle on the Savage 110 action because of the relative ease of changing barrels. The 700 is the standard, and aftermarket support is much greater. But the support for the 110 is sufficient, and their mechanical design appeals to me. Going the "Remage" route would be an option for someone already invested in the 700 platform.

If you had a few barrels stuck in the back of the safe, a 1,000 round barrel life really wouldn't be that bad. The AK gravel-pit-shooter might blast through that much ammo in a weekend, but the precision rifleman shoots at a much slower pace. If you can remove and install your own barrel, then switching up becomes not such a big deal.