With the weather this morning, I've got some free time and have been thinking about building a new rifle. I really like the high BC/SD of the 6.5's and want more powder capacity than the 260. I've been reading about the 6.5-06 and 6.5-270 and I like what I'm finding. I could easliy use the 30-06/270 brass for them. My problem with that is I shoot 30-06 and 270 and I'd have to worry about mixing the re-sized brass. Then I started thinking about the 6.5x55 Swede.....it would ease my mind with not worrying about mixing cases, but when handloaded, how does it compare in performance to the 6.5-06 and 6.5-270.

I think the 260 is an inherently more accurate cartridge that the
-06 based 6.5 wilcats. Unless perhaps if you go -06 Ackley
Improved. I'd take accuracy over fps, 260 is good way out there
anyway.

6.5-284 same case capacity as 6.5-06 but build it on a long action. The 260 matches the 6.5x55 in a short action.

I'm wanting around 2900+ fps with 140's and I don't believe that's possible with the 260, is it?

There are some that run 260 at 2900 but I think they are really pushing the pressure curve a lot.

My 6.5-284 gets to 2900 with good accuracy, the 6.5 Remington Magnum and 264 Win Mag will get the 2900 or beyond with the 140 gr pills. Have no experience with the 6.5-06 but it should not have trouble getting to 2900 with at least a 24 inch barrel

Also, I'm wanting this for a long range hunting/fun gun. 24" barrel with a 1-8 twist. 6.5x284 needs a longer tube and is hard on barrels. I doubt I'll ever want to shoot anything heavier than the 140/142 grain, but would like to be able to shoot 120's. What kind of velocity can you get from a handloaded 24" barrel 260 with the 140's?

Will let FiremanJG or DeiselGeek comment on their velocities with the 260 as they do shoot them at long range. In the 6.5-284 Cooper with a 24 inch barrel 2900 with 140gr Berger VLD or the Lapua bullets accuracy has been good, probably better than I can shoot it to be honest. Barrel life is one of those things that is what it is, there is a price to be paid for performance. Most of what I read from benchrest shooters with the 6.5-284 is around 1500 rounds accuracy will fall off, to what degree who knows but that is from folks that if accuracy is off by 1/10 inch then it is unacceptable.

If you shoot enough to shoot out a barrel then replace it and look at it as you got your money's worth from that barrel and had fun getting there. Most of the time if you do not overheat the barrel, the life of it can be greatly extended.

Did not see this till I had already posted above.

I like the idea of using either the 270 or 30/06 brass, cause I have quite a bit already. If I was to fire a 6.5-270 round through my 270... accuracy would be awful, but there shouldn't be any risk of injury or damage to my rifle, correct? And the 270 won't chamber in the 6.5-270 rifle, correct? This would also be the same if I go with the 260 instead of the 6.5-270 as I have a 243 and 308, correct?

Curious to hear their experiences as well. With this gonna be a hunting rifle with a max of 24" barrel, the 260 is sounding better. Even if I have to push them a little, with this not being a competition gun, barrel life should be good.

I got 2950 fps with H 4350 and a 130 Berger VLD. It was bad to the bome at that speed and a real wind cheater all the way out to 1k. But for the volume of shooting i do i was going to have the barrel pretty much done by 1500 rounds.

So I moved to 140 A-maxes, still using H4350 (it is "the" powder for. 260 and 6.5 Creed) and got sub 1/4 MOA at 2800 fps. The next powder charge shot sub 1/2 MOA at 2850 fps but I'll take accuracy over speed any day.

I was not showing pressure at 2850. I dont know if i could get 140's to 2900 without pressure, i never tried since it wont do me any good.

If I go with a 260, what barrel twist should I get to shoot 120-140's well? Will a 9 work with the 140's or do I need to get an 8 twist?

Have had no problems stabilizing 140gr VLDs from 2700fps to 2900fps in a 1:9 barreled 6.5-284

I've got a 26" Shilen 260 tube with a 1:8 twist. It'll usually get 140gr/142gr bullets moving in the 2750-2800 range.

I have a 6.5 Creedmoor that I pushed 140's to 2950 but was blowing primer pockets after 2 firings so I slowed it down to 2880 and haven't had the issue but I bought a 6BR and have shot it so much the Creedmoor is sitting. I have a 1:8 barrel and H4350 as mentioned.

If speed and accuracy is your deal it's hard to beat a 6.5-284. If speed isn't as important I would go with 260/Creedmoor/6.5x47. They are all +/- 100fps of each other. I personally like Lapua brass and the small primer pocket of the 6.5x47 and that will be my next 6.5. But I have to have a 6 dasher built first.

Who makes a 1-9 twist factory 260? Is the 1-8 a custom only?

Lilja says 1:9 will stabilize 140 gr. Shilen says you need 1:8 for 140 gr.

Mine is an Obermeyer 1:8.4 and it stabilized 130's and 140's beautifully.

Short answer, if you want to shoot light 120's and azz whoopin 140's my money is on the 1:9

Savage lists their twist rates. Dont know if Tikka or Remington do.

My savage lrp 260 is 1-8

I'm afraid the 1 in 8 won't shoot the 120's very good, but wanted to make sure the 1 in 9 would do well with the 130's and 140's.

Ruger hawkeye in .260 is a 1-8
Rem model seven in 260 is a 1-9

Thats most likely going to be the case. 1:8 would over stabilize the 120's and scatter them everywhere on the paper. Just out of curiosity, why do you want to shoot 120's?

I compete and hunt with the same 140 A-max load. Same zero, same DOPE, same experience shooting in the wind.

On the 6.5-284, I have played with at least 3 rifles with the 140 weight bullets (139 Scenar, and 2- 140 VLD's). I was getting right at 2850 fps with them. I could not get it any faster, even with R17, H4350, 4831, and a few others. You need a LONG barrel to get the high speeds the F-class guys are getting that you see on-line. In a standard 22"-24" barrel expect 2850 fps as a max.

260 Rem- 2760 to 2820 fps with a 140 is right about normal.

6.5-06 (or 6.5-270 same thing)- you should be able to push a 140 2950. I WILL be building a 6.5-06 in the near future. I have tons of 270 Win brass to use for it. It's a simple process to form the brass. As a handloader, you have to keep your normal brass seperated from your wildcat stuff. Or, you can get all Winchester brass for your wildcat ammo, and use Rem, FC, or any other brand for your normal ammo.

I have loads worked up for my 270 Win with many bullets. Each bullet uses a different brand of brass. So, when I am cleaning and sorting brass, I know that Win brass goes to my 130 grain load, Rem brass goes to my 100 grain load, and FC goes to my 140 grain loads. And each brand has different pressures with a given load. If I accidentally load Rem brass for my 130 grain load that uses Win brass (yes, I did it!), it will be a HOT load and give me sticky bolt lift and/or pierce a primer. It's not that hard to keep track of it, as long as you have a system in place.

...interesting thread, all kinds of 6.5x'06 & AI load info floating around, but I've not seen any 6.5 x270 data anywhere...??? have you looked at a 260 *40 shoulder ??? or a 260 Long Range ??? 6.5x300WSM is s'posed to be a screamer too I've thought about in passing as the "cure" for a recent-to-me NH WSM Fwt's possible/probable bad manners, but barrel life over 1k rounds is always a question.

Boolitz...1x8 barrels in a T3 Swede gave good results in 120's & 129/130's on WTails with RL19 in US trash to lapua brass...didn't spend much time with the 140's 'cause I dinnit need them. Got a M85 SAKO 260 I'm gonna work up sometime this year if it hairlips everbody in my house or not, I think is a 1x8 ...the linesider fish in the pond in front of me will just have to keep.
Cheers
Ron

The Fed premium 120gr Nosler BT ammo supposedly works great
out of a Ruger M77 260 with 1:8 twist. I have the rifle and
the ammo sitting here waiting to be tested. I just don't want
to waste a lot of the ammo fooling around.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/177483/...c-tip-box-of-20

For my daughter and wife