Author Topic: 6.5 wildcats? (Read 7860 times)

hillbill · « **on:** November 28, 2003, 04:37:04 PM »

hey guys! whats the hottest 6.5 wildcat out there? im in the market for a new deer rifle, maybe a custom. would love a 6.5 that would throw that 140 grn bullet at roun 3300 to 3500 fps. does such a beast exist? if so, what twist it need and how long a barrel to be effecient?

jamie · « **Reply #1 on:** November 29, 2003, 06:15:23 AM »

I would think that a 6.5-06 JDJ would get you there. It has more capacity than the AI version. He advertises 3200 fps for his 30-06 JDJ out of a 24" barrel with 165's so 3300 fps should be easy. Yes, I am right now in the process of trying to save up to order an encore barrel in this caliber.

hillbill · « **Reply #2 on:** November 29, 2003, 03:05:47 PM »

hey jamie! i like that 6.5-06 idea! i got a ton of 06 brass already. ive been looking at the 264 win mag but dont really care for the belted case or the barrel length it takes to get the most out of it. i found some info on the 6.5x06 wildcat but nothing really specific on the jdj version. yu got any website addresses for info on the jdj version? it looks like it shouldnt be hard to get over 3000fps with the 140. the 129 grn might be the ticket for speed and power.

jdt48653 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 29, 2003, 05:13:16 PM »

try the 6.71 blackbird! 140gr/3,550fps

jamie · « **Reply #4 on:** November 29, 2003, 07:11:08 PM »

Try www.sskindustries.com, they are one of Gb's favorite places.
jdt is right about the 6.71 Blackbird they do scream, only problem with them is $40 per 20 empty brass and you will need a true magnum length action for it. I had thought about that one but the prices for dies and brass kept turning me away.

I just checked his site and he doesn't have it listed but if you send him an email I'm sure he could hook you up.

drags · « **Reply #5 on:** December 04, 2003, 06:23:59 AM »

The 6.5x300 weatherby shoud do it but you would Proably have to use a 30 inch barrel. This caliber was the favorite at the 1000 original benchrest club at Williamsport in Pa years ago. Some 1000 yd. shooters still consider the 6.5x 300 the best caliber for hunting.
Joe

onesonek · « **Reply #6 on:** December 04, 2003, 12:56:59 PM »

I have to agree with jamie. For the most part a round base on the 30-06 case, is all one would need for deer. Speed is nice for somethings, but not needed for deer under 99% of most hunting situations.

drags · « **Reply #7 on:** December 04, 2003, 04:04:40 PM »

The 6.5x300WWH that stands for Weatherby Wright Hoyer It was developed by Al Hoyer in north central penn. many years ago. If you can get an old sierra loading they have an article in the competive section, and I think the velocities they are showing are 3400fps. You can get good 300wby brass from norma and weatherby which is much better than rem. brass. I Know Two shooters that have 6.5 gibbs rifles And they were cllaming 3200fps for the 140gr. bullet, But they said they were throwing the cases away after one shot. I personaly have a 6.5x06 30inch barrel that I get 3050fps with good case life. Buy what you want if you want a rifle for what you need to kill a deer a 260rem. is great. But you wanted a hot rod 6.5 and the 6.5x300wwh is a hot rod. Youv'e heard the saying I have more guns than I need but I don't have all the guns that I want
Joe

hillbill · « **Reply #8 on:** December 05, 2003, 12:39:13 AM »

that 6.5x06 sounds the best to me so far, and yes the .260 would probably do anything i neeed. as would some of the other rifles i have already. but hey, never hurts to dream! that 6.5x300 sounds good also but i like the availability of the 06 cases, etc. happy hunting!

jamie · « **Reply #9 on:** December 05, 2003, 11:39:19 AM »

Kepp us posted as to what you end up with and how it works out. A 6.5 mm (well maybe a .257) will be my spring goal and I hope to get JD to do it.

Ladobe · « **Reply #10 on:** December 05, 2003, 01:48:13 PM »

Love my 6.5 Super Bower, 6.5JDJ and (for jamie) 257JDJ. All 3 will probably go to the grave with me, along with several other handcannons. :wink:

Ladobe :bye:

hillbill · « **Reply #11 on:** December 05, 2003, 02:39:45 PM »

ok here is something i hadnt yet thought of. i have 6.5x55 swede mauser that i have been thinkin of sporterizeing for a long time. will it with stand the 6.5x06 round? the bore is first rate. would it be possible to just have the chamber reamed and bolt modified for the o6 case head? it already has a scope mount on it so that is taken care of. cut the barrel, taper it a bit and then install a nice dark walnut stock. maybe a butterknife bolt handle? glass bedding? any ideas or info would be appreciated. also, anyone one know a smith here in southron mo. that is capable of this kind of stuff? thanks guys and happy hunting!

jdt48653 · « **Reply #12 on:** December 05, 2003, 03:05:35 PM »

my 264 win mag,is cranking 3,200 with cpc custom 140sp loads.
with no case problems

jamie · « **Reply #13 on:** December 06, 2003, 10:32:03 AM »

Sorry Ladobe, I appreciate you thinking about me but I was thinking something more on the lines of a 25-06 JDJ. Please don't be disappointed, I love all catridges the same but I can only afford to feed a few of them.

kirkwhitaker · « **Reply #14 on:** December 10, 2003, 06:04:39 PM »

let me give you some advice on the swed...the swed mauser military rifle is designed to work at 45000 psi or so...not the 55000 the 6.5-06 standard round is designed for. I have a 6.5 swed..i customized it...and it will shoot 1/2 groups at 100yds...sighted 1 1/2 inches high at 100 it is good to 300 with no problem...my load is a 120gr ballistic tip at 2700fps or a 140gr sierra/hornady/barnesX at 2550fps....killed a nice 7 pt two weeks ago with it...advice...get another rifle and don't change the 6.5 swed from 6.5 swed...customize...but leave the bore as is...i can make some recommendations on what to feed it...easy...imr4350 and a 120gr sierra/nosler or 140gr hornady/sierra...
now...on to the wildcat ?? ....the 6.5-06 is a great round....but if you want more speed the 6.5 stw wildcat has a good bit...still a belted case...full lenght action....and is way overbore....be prepared to clean and not get more than 3000 full power rounds outta a barrel...
my opinion....now...take it with .02 of salt...
the 6.5 is at it's best at 2500 to 3100fps...
you want a screamer...get a tiny bore rifle...ie 257 or smaller....the 6mm mach iv (7mm mag necked to 6mm) screams 4000+fps....257 weatherby is the same way
or get a monster 7mm/30 cal....

the 6.5 is a stately bore....it kills way out of perportion to its size and power due to the accuracey of most of the rifles and the sectional density of the bullets....a 140gr 6.5 is like a 165 270cal or 175 cal 7mm or 185gr 30cal...it just rocks....combine moderate velocity and great accuracy and it is super in a light rifle ...
the 6.5 -06 jdj is a great round....it pushes the limit...but does reinvent the 264 win mag....which does 3100fps...you can get a little more with the stw and other wildcats..but you loose barrel life fast..

choice is yours...but i like the swed..i hunt in sw georgia..most shots are under 150yds....and dead drop like flies when hit with my 6 pound swed 1913 carl gustoff m96 mauser....customized by terry cliffton of cliffton gunsmithing in grande ridge fla....great guy...
have a great one...
ps ....i have a 6.5 tcu in a tc that is killer too.....fun round...120gr at 2100fps outta a 10" handgun....fun ....LOUD...do not attempt to shoot it without plugs....it will make your ears hurt bigtime...
fav powers to feed it...rel7 and win 748.
I want a 264 or 6.5 rem mag for grins....but only because i think the old model 70 and 600/660 rem rifles look good..and because i have a thing for 6.5 mm rifles/pistols..

John Terpstra · « **Reply #15 on:** December 18, 2003, 06:29:05 AM »

If you want over 3300 fps with a 140 grain bullet, you will have to go with a 6.5-300 or 6.5 STW. I have a variety of 6.5's and have quit trying for the super speeds in the hunting rifles. I even got rid of my last 264 Win mag just last summer! My 6.5 Gibbs carries a 26" barrel and averages 3060 fps with 140's. I could get more, but at a price. My standard 24" 6.5-06 send 140's out in the 2930 fps range. I know 3300 fps is possible with a 26" 6.5-300 Wby, but the speed just doesn't make it worth the cost in powder and barrel life.

Look at it this way: Once you get over 400yards, you have to know the distance to your target to get the elevation correct. What's the difference if you adjust an extra 6 clicks or so for a cartridge that is 200 fps slower?

John

grizz · « **Reply #16 on:** December 18, 2003, 06:50:13 AM »

I will second the 6.5x300WWH.. I have owned serval of them.. With a 30" tube it will push a 142gr 3500 with ease!!! Bbl life is around 1500 for any kind of comp.. But for doggin you could easily get 3000... Have taken pigs to 1500yds with it as well.. @ 1000yds you would still have over 1100fpe..

Thats my current 6.5x300WWH

6.5 Bandit

Hoss1951 · « **Reply #17 on:** September 04, 2005, 04:57:44 AM »

I have a Japanese type 38 that has be customized and rechambered to 6.5X257 roberts. I shoot 140 spitzers at 2900 fps. It is a very good round. As someone else has stated the .264 140 grain bullet has a very good record. I talked to an old gentleman from Cailf. who was a retired gunsmith. he and his son shot the 6.5X257 for years hunting elk. He told me he had shot all the way through several bulls with this cartridge. I have killed several deer with my rifle. I have shot through from front to back(lengthwise) a small 4 point buck.

one eye joe · « **Reply #18 on:** September 12, 2005, 03:40:54 PM »

If you want something a little different, look at the 6.5x284. You could use a short action to get roughly the same velocities as a 6.5x06. a lot of long range pistol shooters are using it..

riddleofsteel · « **Reply #19 on:** September 14, 2005, 04:10:54 PM »

I could second the 6.5-.284. Long before the WSM cartridges we knew that the short, fat .284 case offered 30-06 capacity with bench rest accuracy.
I built my son a Model Seven in 6.5-284 just before he was born. It has a 20" match grade barrel in light contour. We can safely push a 120 grain Sierra Game King to 2900 FPS with MOA accuracy. We shot two deer with this load last season and both fell on the spot like they were struck by a hammer. Recently we worked up load using the fine Hornady 129 grain SP bullet over H4831. Accuracy has been in the .5 MOA range at 100 yards. This load should be good for almost any game animal in the lower 48 states given a reasonable distance.
The 6.5-284 has it all in my opinion. In a short action rifle it will surpass the .260 Rem and 6.5x55 in velocity and in some cases, accuracy. In a long action rifle it will match the 6.5-06 and the .270 as you can seat your bullets further out to take better advantage of the case capacity for that little extra in bullet speed. Add to all this most 6.5-284's are a little more accurate than the average skinny cartridge of similar bore diameter. Maybe it is the short, fat case and powder column. It is similar to the concept of the PPC, WSM and Benchrest cartridges in this respect.
Finally it has recently gotten some new respect as several companies are now producing brass for the standardized version of this fine cartridge. Brass forming is straight forward and can be accomplished in two basic steps if you want to cobble your own brass from .284. Most brass lots that I have used have not required turning the necks but keep a careful eye on case length when you neck the .284 down to 6.5. I tend to neck the .284 brass to 6.5 and then end trim it a touch shorter than it needs to be for my son's chamber. After simple benchrest brass prep like uniforming primer holes and primer pockets we prime them, load, and shoot them to fireform the brass to our chamber. Generally the fireforming can take place with full power loads and we often use them to hunt ground hogs and crows. It is not unusual to get sub MOA accuracy while fireforming cases. After fireforming the next loads go deer hunting with us.
:grin:

RangerRiz · « **Reply #20 on:** January 30, 2006, 12:59:20 PM »

I know it is not the hotest 6.5 but i just found a set of unused 6.5 roberts improved dies. I have read alot of books and magazines that say that this is the perfect case for geting everything out of the 6.5 without any of the drawbacks. Dont know if this is a fact or not just thought somone here might know.

Cowboybart · « **Reply #21 on:** May 06, 2006, 05:47:05 PM »

I have a 6.5 TCU, 6.5x55, 6.5x57, 6.5-06 and a 264. That's not enough for me so I am having a 6.5 WSM built. It will have a 24" barrel so I am expecting velocities the same as a normal 264 (mine is a 30" barrel) w/ light bullets and slightly slower than a 264 w/ heavy bullets. If you don't like the feeding problems you might get with a WSM repeater, go the 6.5-284 route.

260 AAR · « **Reply #22 on:** August 20, 2006, 10:44:41 AM »

Check out the 264 Thor in Handloader #17 or online a www.kailuacustomguns.com/articles.

MP

hillbill · « **Reply #23 on:** October 21, 2006, 04:17:00 PM »

hoss1951, where are yu from? you sound like a gentleman i know that has the same rifle in my area of sw mo.

wadebrown · « **Reply #24 on:** October 29, 2006, 10:12:14 AM »

I just finished up my 6.5 WSM and can easily acheive 3200 fps with 149 g SMKs with no pressure signs, the accuracy is great at 3150 fps so that is were I will be hunting this year for whitetails, I am thinking a 140g 6.5mm bullet at over 3000 fps will impress most whitetails. The accuracy I have acheived off-the-bench averages out to about .5" for five shot groups at 100 yards with Match Kings. I topped off the loads with some Hornady interlocks and the group size went up to about 0.8" same conditions. I ran out of time to further tune it, I am huniting in Minnesota and the Upper Penisula of Michigan so a long shot for me is 300 yards and the accuracy demonstrated is great for that type of shooting. I have only shot about 70 rounds through it so I do not know how the barrel will last, which is a question any of the fast 6.5mm's should be asking. I think the only drawback to the 6.5 mm is the limited selection of hunting bullets, I would like to see a 6.5 Accubond and I was unable to find any 6.5 mm 130 grain Srirocco in stock anywhere as I think these bullets would make for outstanding longrange performance.

Here is a breakdown of the gun,

Savage SA repeater with large shank barrel, controlled feed bolthead, accutrigger.
26" Heavy magnum contour 5 land 1-8" twist Stainless super match Pac-Nor, ordered as a prefit from Pac-Nor, it is a no-turn neck.
The dies are Redding full-length Type S with the neck bushings sized for the 6.5 mm instead of .277, the brass is as easy to produce as any Wildcat you can think of. I use the .270 WSM seating die that came with the Redding but will probably switch over to one of my Hornady 6.5 mm seaters as I like the Hornady seater, although the runout does not seem to be a problem with the redding.

Those of you who have not tried the Savages out lately should build a rifle off of one before they start laughing as this is the third I have built and I am very happy with the accuracy.

Doesniper · « **Reply #25 on:** December 15, 2006, 04:47:14 PM »

If it is going to be used for hunting and not a drag race, I would reccomend the .260 AI. I get 2950 fps with a 147 Clinch River and have shot under an inch at 400yrds. For long range (1000+) the 6.5-284 holds the record and gives 200+fps over the .260AI. Both would make a great hunting cartridge.

darkroomdan · « **Reply #26 on:** January 12, 2007, 04:00:37 AM »

Hello,
I know you are talking hot 6.5s but I was wondering about a milder one - maybe a 6.5 -30 on a necked down 7-30 Waters or 30-30 case. Looking for a rimmed lower pressure load that would work well in break-open rifles (NEF/H&R) and TC Contender. In the rifle should be able to get 2600-2700 fps or so with the 100-120 grain bullets and 2400-2500 with the 140s - also, would not rip your arm off to shoot it

Someone has probably already been there done that and I'm bringing up old stuff....

Cowboybart · « **Reply #27 on:** January 14, 2007, 02:12:27 PM »

There are several versions of a rimmed 6.5. The most famous is a 6.5 JDJ, from SSK industries. The other is the 6.5 BRM (Bench Rest Mag) from E.A. Brown in Minnisota. Then the plain ol' 6.5/30-30. The 6.5/7-30 is a little better.