I've had a sporter type 38 Arisaka 6.5 rifle about 4 months now. Whoever did the sporterizing well over 30 years ago, did a good job, nice Bishop stock, turned bolt, D&T for scope, good blue, a cleverly mounted thumb safety and it had been rechambered to 6.5X257R. Rifleings in bore of original barrel are decent, but lands are heavily frosted with minor pitting. Only thing missed by the person who did the work was modifying the extractor (which I corrected) for the larger rim of the 257R brass I use for reloading its ammo. I bought it from a seller who described it as a 257 Roberts, with no mention of it still having a 6.5 barrel. I cleaned and carelessly inspected the rifle and then took it to range shortly after I mounted a spare scope on it. I fired a few rounds of 257R (25 cal) down the 6.5 (264 cal) barrel. LOL, I did hit the target (50 yards away) when trying to sight in the scope I had put on it. But after three shots, with a strange swooshing sound of the bullet going down the barrel and a little too much powder blow back on the neck of the brass, I finally went DUH and stopped shooting. Yea, not one of my brighter moments. Anyway, figured out how to use either 257R or 7mm mauser brass to make my 6.5 ammo for the rifle. Just use a 6.5 Swede sizing die to neck size either the 257 or 7mm mauser brass and the 6.5 Swede die for setting the bullet. I've taken the rifle to the range a number of times since having it to shoot at 100 yard targets, using various powder, bullet and load combinations. Sad to say, about the best 3 shot group I have gotten with the rifle is about a 2 inch one. It would probably be OK for deer hunting if the distance was not too far, but I only shoot paper. So, I'll probably have the rifle rebarreled to another caliber. Nice thing about the Arisaka action, pretty darn strong and suitable for many calibers.
