6.5 BRM??

[HEAD0001]

Any one shooting the 6.5BRM??  I am thinking about buying one, and I am looking for some opinions.  It will be used as a deer round with a 140 grain bullet at 2500-2600 fps.  I am looking for a low recoil round that has easy case extraction.  I also like the idea of the rimmed cartridge for the Encore.  I am hearing about alot of people having head space problems and extraction problems.  I have four Encore barrels.  Never had any problem's with three of them.  I did order an MGM 6.5X284, and had a few dented primer's without the shell going off.  IMO that means it had to be a head space problem!! 

I have not had any problem's with my 30-06.  I was about to start my second loading on my brass.  I do have a hard time pulling the fired case from the barrel.  It is not stuck, I just have fumble finger's.  It is a light 24 inch barrel.  I think I would like to have a heavier barrel, and less recoil. 

I do not wish to change firearms.  I have a couple of LH Thumbhole stock's for my Encore's, and they are the most comfortable rifle's I have ever shot.  Tom.

[swampthing]

Looks like a sweet little set-up. Ballistically similar to the 6.5X55. Even with a lighter tapered barrel, the recoil is going to be a whole lot less, and will feel more like a 30-30.

[sweetwyominghome]

I have a 6.5 Bullberry IMP (aka 6.5x30-30 AI) in a 26" MGM Contender barrel. Ballistically, it's virtually identical to the BRM, which has slightly more taper and the neck slightly more forward than the Bullberry.

The 6.5 BB IMP holds an insignificant amount more powder than the BRM .

Considering you have a good chamber to begin with, if you fireform properly and then pay attention to detail when loading, there should never be any problems with case head separation until the brass gets well into double digit uses. I have some 7mm Bullberry brass that has seen 20+ loadings and is still going strong with no evidence of incipient separation.

Re-15 is about as fast of a powder as you'll want to use in the 6.5 BRM. The expansion ratio is such that powders such as H4350 to Re-19 are prime candidates and give high load density to promote the best potential accuracy. The optimum powder for my barrel with 120-140 grainers is N160.

With a 140 grainer at better than 2500 fps, case life is superb, stretching of the brass is minimal and the recoil is quite pleasant. ANd a 120 grainer at 2700+ fps is a flat-shooter that works quite well on any deer-sized game, though I prefer the 140s -- particularly the A-Max and GameKing -- for everything.

[Graybeard]

With a 140 grainer at better than 2500 fps, case life is superb, stretching of the brass is minimal and the recoil is quite pleasant. ANd a 120 grainer at 2700+ fps is a flat-shooter that works quite well on any deer-sized game, though I prefer the 140s -- particularly the A-Max and GameKing -- for everything.

That level of performance might be safe in an Encore with it's higher pressure ratings but is NOT in a Contender even if you think so. The 7-30 Waters has basically the same case capacity and a larger bore and you can't get that even from a rifle at acceptable safe sane or SAAMI load pressures. I'd hazard a guess you're running at least 65,000 to get that velocity.

[sweetwyominghome]

The c.u.p. of the particular load I am using in the 26" barrel would never exceed 42500 c.u.p -- perfectly safe in the Contender. After all, it's more than pressure figures that come into play as case head size, body taper, etc. play prominent roles in backthrust & determining what is safe in the Contender.

I've been doing this a long time and NEVER red-line anything.

Done properly & by an experienced reloader, in a long-throated chamber and with a slow powder/long barrel (I am using N160 in the 26" MGM barrel),  2500 fps is perfectly safe. Try it with a faster powder and you'll get yourself in trouble in a hurry, though.

Eben Brown sells ammo for his 6.5 BRM that he indeed says is safe for both Contender and Encore, and it is rated around 2450 fps from 24" barrel. He wants to offer the round in the Contender but has not been able to strike up a deal with the TC Custom Shop as of yet.

[sweetwyominghome]

Graybeard wrote: "The 7-30 Waters has basically the same case capacity and a larger bore and you can't get that even from a rifle at acceptable safe sane or SAAMI load pressures. I'd hazard a guess you're running at least 65,000 to get that velocity."

---

Graybeard-The 7-30 Waters has less capacity than the 6.5x30-30 IMP.

And by the way, Hornady shows a 139 grainer in a 24" 7-30 at 2600 fps with 4 different powders.

Speer shows the 145 grainer at 2480.

Hodgdon's shows a 120 grainer at better than 2700 fps (4 loads) in a 24" barrel (actually up to 2757 fps).

Nosler shows a 120 grainer at 2700 fps.

Even the 120 grain factory load is right at the advertised figure of 2700 fps given a closed breech and at least 22" of barrel length.

And all of this is at "safe sane and SAAMI pressures."

So a 6.5mmx30-30 Imp with more capacity and a longer barrel can drive a 140 grainer at 2500 fps -- SAFELY -- in a Contender.

[skb2706]

I know that EABCO sells the brass but do you know what the parent brass is for the 6.5 BRM. I did not know that the 6.5 BRM was suitable for a Contender but sounds like a great project. Can anyone else cut a chamber besides EABCO ? What about loading data and dies ? Sounds like I might as well fill that gap between my 6mm30-30 Imp. and my 7-30 Waters.

shw - which would you do.....6.5/30-30 Imp or the 6.5 BRM ?

[swampthing]

The parent case is a 30-30.

[swampthing]

Forgot to add:
                     Not a 308win cut down like the "BR"[22, 6mm, 7mm, etc..}  whole different class all together.

[sweetwyominghome]

The 6.5 BRM was originally going to be a Contender feature from Brown, but when his deal with VVCG dissolved and Brown was left without a barrel maker, he was forced to only offer it in the Encore. He has tried to get the TC Custom Shop to tool up for it and chamber barrels for him, but that has not materialized.

OTT can cut a chamber for the BRM for you. I wanted to go with MGM, and they did not have the proper reamer or combinations thereof that could be made to work, so that's why I elected to go with the 6.5 Bullberry Imp (aka 6.5x30-30 IMP). Mine was chambered with the long 140 grain A-Max in mind.

Swampthing is right: 30-30 is the parent case, but you could also use .375 Win if you happened to have some on hand.

As to dies, for the BRM, it's pretty much eabco. What you get is a split set: Hornady seater and Lee sizer stuffed in a plastic box that's about two sizes too small.

The Bullberry dies, made by Redding, are much higher quality. Yes, I like Lee dies and have a number of them, but for the $50 plus shipping that eabco charges, I paid too much.

As they say, though, hindsight is 20-20.

[sweetwyominghome]

I forgot to add: If you are choosing, I'd recommend the Bullberry Imp version from MGM over the BRM. You can use BRM brass, run it through the BB Imp die to bump the shoulder back slightly and then simply fireform. The fireforming is minimal, and the ff loads show excellent accuracy. They don't give up much in velocity, either, and could even be used for hunting.

The one drawback is that the BB Imp dies are something like $97. CH-4D makes the 6.5x30-30 AI version (virtually the same) for $72.95 but as of late rarely has them in stock, and the last time I checked, I was told to expect a 14 week wait.

[skb2706]

I like the idea of the Imp version and I have a 6mm Imp from MGM (actually mine is VVCG) that is a excellent shooter. I made the dies for my 6mm and no doubt the process would be nearly identical for making a set for the 6.5. I just want max performance in a 6.5 from a Contender platform.