What 6.5 cartridge?
- Thread starter zr600
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Rock Knocker
Well-known member
Should get around 2000 rounds through a good barrel (for competition accuracy) is what I'm told, I lost count on mine around 750 and I'm maybe 1000 in now and haven't seen a change.
I'm not sure about the moose shooting... I'm not sure I would.
Otherwise, everything else is a go. Making brass is easy and as long as you anneal every 2-3 loadings mine have lasted 7+ loadings, have only lost 1 to split neck the rest to loose primer pockets, but I've got around 45 out of 100 cases that have made it to 9 or 10 loadings withough ever being put through a full length die. Not dealing with full length dies and case trimmers is a surprising bonus I have found.
I'm not sure about the moose shooting... I'm not sure I would.
Otherwise, everything else is a go. Making brass is easy and as long as you anneal every 2-3 loadings mine have lasted 7+ loadings, have only lost 1 to split neck the rest to loose primer pockets, but I've got around 45 out of 100 cases that have made it to 9 or 10 loadings withough ever being put through a full length die. Not dealing with full length dies and case trimmers is a surprising bonus I have found.
Rock Knocker
Well-known member
Not sure about barrel life of the other two you asked about. Just make sure you can find enough brass to be able to wear your barrel out. SAUM brass from what I hear is like trying to find diamonds. Everyone and their mother is buying a Creedmoore so there must be some cases around, but making the brass if you can't purchase would be tougher. 260 can be made with one of the most abundant cases around.
Someone else here hopefully has more info about this than me but I've heard the 40 degree shoulder of AI brass helps with throat life of your barrel... Something about the hot gasses not contacting the throat area quite the same and not degrading it the same way. (If that's complete BS, well I will hear about it.) So even though the 260AI is moving a bullet faster the 40* shoulder may be preserving the throat area a little better than creedmoore. Don't take that statement to the bank though... Someone here has had to have shot out a creedmoore barrel by now, I'm not sure what round count they are getting.
Someone else here hopefully has more info about this than me but I've heard the 40 degree shoulder of AI brass helps with throat life of your barrel... Something about the hot gasses not contacting the throat area quite the same and not degrading it the same way. (If that's complete BS, well I will hear about it.) So even though the 260AI is moving a bullet faster the 40* shoulder may be preserving the throat area a little better than creedmoore. Don't take that statement to the bank though... Someone here has had to have shot out a creedmoore barrel by now, I'm not sure what round count they are getting.
tripod3
New member
Originally Posted By: obaroThe Scandinavians shoot a lot of moose with the 6.5 Swede. Modern loads/rifles it will show itself pretty well. Good factory brass is pretty easy to come by. Maybe even AI it, too.
Many moose hunters I know tell me that moose are relatively easy to kill compered to elk which are known to be tough.
I have also put some thought to this 6.5 choice and would choose the .260 too.
Another thing I remember when my friend retired closing his gun store. Through all the feeding frenzy the one thing that didn't sell was 10 boxes of SAUM ammo. The last hour he even tried to give it away.
Many moose hunters I know tell me that moose are relatively easy to kill compered to elk which are known to be tough.
I have also put some thought to this 6.5 choice and would choose the .260 too.
Another thing I remember when my friend retired closing his gun store. Through all the feeding frenzy the one thing that didn't sell was 10 boxes of SAUM ammo. The last hour he even tried to give it away.
Rock Knocker
Well-known member
Originally Posted By: orkanWhy does everyone care about barrel life so much in recreational rifles?
It seems like a pretty rational thing when you're building you're first custom. I was too. When I was looking at building a custom 6.5-284(hahaha now that I think of that, does anyone shoot the 6.5-284 anymore?!?! Those used to be popular.) Ether way, I was scared off from the 284 variant by reports of poor barrel life. And even when I started shooting a 260AI I was keeping a freaking barrel log (partially because the guy that sold me the Criterion barrel hadn't seen one shot out yet and he asked me to keep some records.) It was like a diary for the gun barrel........ Fire forming, sighting in, getting drops yada yada I wrote it down.
The good news is that I pulled my head out of my barrel log long before I wore out my barrel.
It seems like a pretty rational thing when you're building you're first custom. I was too. When I was looking at building a custom 6.5-284(hahaha now that I think of that, does anyone shoot the 6.5-284 anymore?!?! Those used to be popular.) Ether way, I was scared off from the 284 variant by reports of poor barrel life. And even when I started shooting a 260AI I was keeping a freaking barrel log (partially because the guy that sold me the Criterion barrel hadn't seen one shot out yet and he asked me to keep some records.) It was like a diary for the gun barrel........ Fire forming, sighting in, getting drops yada yada I wrote it down.
The good news is that I pulled my head out of my barrel log long before I wore out my barrel.
Originally Posted By: zr600Would the 6.5 saum and prc have barrel life close to a 260 ai? Or should I just do a creedmoore? I do reload no factory ammo will be shot through this rifle.
I remember right I saw somewhere George from GA precision saying he had about 3k rounds through his competition rifle running H1000, I think the key is pressure and heat stays low. Brass is available from them and Norma and nosler still offer saum brass.
I remember right I saw somewhere George from GA precision saying he had about 3k rounds through his competition rifle running H1000, I think the key is pressure and heat stays low. Brass is available from them and Norma and nosler still offer saum brass.
Originally Posted By: brdeanopick a bullet first....then pick a speed you want to run it.....then look at the cases that get you there.
I keep ended up with a .264 Win Mag. I've heard about all the barrel burning but the two guys that sold me on the .264 both get 5-6000 rounds through a .264 before they go off. Not a round count I'll every approach in my lifetime, so I'm good to go; great speed, BC', accuracy, and with a brake it's pleasure to shoot.
I keep ended up with a .264 Win Mag. I've heard about all the barrel burning but the two guys that sold me on the .264 both get 5-6000 rounds through a .264 before they go off. Not a round count I'll every approach in my lifetime, so I'm good to go; great speed, BC', accuracy, and with a brake it's pleasure to shoot.
Winny Fan
New member
Originally Posted By: TiminatorOriginally Posted By: brdeanopick a bullet first....then pick a speed you want to run it.....then look at the cases that get you there.
I keep ended up with a .264 Win Mag. I've heard about all the barrel burning but the two guys that sold me on the .264 both get 5-6000 rounds through a .264 before they go off. Not a round count I'll every approach in my lifetime, so I'm good to go; great speed, BC', accuracy, and with a brake it's pleasure to shoot.
Get a good fitting stock and the cartridge is a pleasure to shoot that way too. In total, a stock is much quieter than what a brake will do to your 264 Win Wag.
I keep ended up with a .264 Win Mag. I've heard about all the barrel burning but the two guys that sold me on the .264 both get 5-6000 rounds through a .264 before they go off. Not a round count I'll every approach in my lifetime, so I'm good to go; great speed, BC', accuracy, and with a brake it's pleasure to shoot.
Get a good fitting stock and the cartridge is a pleasure to shoot that way too. In total, a stock is much quieter than what a brake will do to your 264 Win Wag.
Winny Fan
New member
Originally Posted By: catbegoneI shoot a 6.5-284 and wouldn't be without it for long range. 28" match grade shilen barrel
I've hunted with a 6.5-284 bolt gun for years. A custom rifle with a 22" sporter weight stainless Douglas barrel on an older tang safety Ruger 77 action. I've never shot at anything over 400 yards away with it.
The 6.5-284 is an excellent hunting cartridge for most NA game animals.
I've hunted with a 6.5-284 bolt gun for years. A custom rifle with a 22" sporter weight stainless Douglas barrel on an older tang safety Ruger 77 action. I've never shot at anything over 400 yards away with it.
The 6.5-284 is an excellent hunting cartridge for most NA game animals.
6.5 CM with 140 vld Bullets will fit in the mag better than the 260, and that is the only thing that would make me choose it over the 260. I have had a couple 260s and they are great but when your throat starts to go you don't have any room to chase it and stay in the mag. The CM is just enough shorter to help this problem and I have owned/own several of them. The 6.5x284 from what I am seeing doesn't get a lot more velocity than the CM or 260 so I would stay in the short action calibers. I just built a 6.5x284 and it shoots great and is very easy to get good Es and accuracy from with several bullets and powders but they all max out around 2950fps with 140s. Some of my friends shoot the 6.5 Saum and they are just magical in performance running 140s at 3150fps with great accuracy and Es. The 3000 rounds is pretty optimistic and George did get that out of his barrel but it was set back 3 times so did it really get that? My friends have been in the 1500-2000 rounds which is still good in my opinion for that performance. You can't really go wrong with any of these calibers just build what you think and shoot it a lot. Who cares about barell life anyway it's like tires on a race car, give them [beeep] and replace when needed.