Cartridge / Reloading Question

[sjvcon]

Okay ... so now that I have a .300 RUM for my main .308 cal, I have been considering re-barreling a .30-06 to 6.5-06 Ackley Improved. This would make use of the great ballistics qualities of the 6.5/.264 bullets, and from what I've read, will give performance very similar to the .264 Win Mag with much less powder. My only issue is that the cases have to be fire formed, and I've never done this. Pretty inexperienced to the whole reloading thing really, though I have all of the equipment and should really be doing to save on $$ and have better performance. I could go 6.5x284 Norma and get similar ballistics (and ready made quality brass), but I think the bolt and feed rails would need to be opened up/modified, and I hear that feeding on those is less reliable due to the wider case and associated transition.

 

What are your opinions? Is fire forming a huge pain in the neck? Are there any safety issues? One guy (Kirby Allen) said just to seat the 6.5 bullet in a .25-06 case and shoot with a medium charge. Does that sound right? Is the 6.5x284 just a better option? Or even a .264 Win Mag? All opinions are welcome. Even suggestions for a different/better cartridge.

[roninflag]

my brother has a factory .264 sendero and really likes it. i have two 6.5-284's they feed fine and were 25-06s. no problem with my feed ramps. if you do get a 6.5-06 follow what kirby says.

[firstcoueswas80]

My main question is why another LR rig? Why not use that money to buy top notch scope and or stock?

[c-ne-elk]

I fire form for several cartridges, while it is a bit of a pain it's not any more dangerous than any reloading. Kirby is exactly correct on how you do it. I would suggest having the bullet out as long as possible, having the bullet up close or even touching the lands gives you the best case.

With some searching you will find that there are many ways of fire forming, using oatmeal in lieu of a bullets, using grits, etc. but I have found that using a lightweight inexpensive bullet is the way I feel most comfortable doing it.

 

Welcome to the world of wildcats! It fun and adventure filled!

[Benbrown]

re-barreling a .30-06 to 6.5-06 Ackley Improved. This would make use of the great ballistics qualities of the 6.5/.264 bullets, and from what I've read, will give performance very similar to the .264 Win Mag with much less powder.

 

You will not get the same performance "with much less powder" unless case capacities are approximately equal--at least not with equal pressures. The 6.5 AI doesn't gain that much case capacity over the standard 6.6-06. You will still be lagging 100-150 fps behind the .264 with most bullet weights and you will have to exceed the SAAMI pressure limits for the '06 case to do this. If you want .264 Mag ballistics, you will have to re-barrel your '06 with a barrel chambered for the .264 Mag, have the bolt face opened up to accept a Magnum cartridge rim, and the feed rails will have to be modified, as well. A 6.5-.284 will need a new barrel but the bolt face remains the same. However the feed rails will have to be modified to ensure reliable feeding.

 

That said, the he 6.5-06 AI does not require anything but a new barrel chambered for that cartridge. Cases can be made by necking up .25-06 cases or necking down .270 cases. Fire forming can be accomplished with small charges of relatively fast powders under filler loads of cereal (Cream of Wheat seems to be the cereal of choice) without having to push bullets down the barrel. You can do this in your garage or your basement (if you have one) or on the patio while you are waiting for the brisket to cook.

 

Unless you have an itchy hankering for a wildcat, I would suggest that you look for a used .264 Win Mag in good condition or think about a new Ruger Hawkeye in 6.5 Creedmore.

[sjvcon]

My main question is why another LR rig? Why not use that money to buy top notch scope and or stock?

Well...I have Zeiss glass on the 300 now. Kinda like the walnut stock on it. Also wanted a lighter kicking LR rifle...the boys are getting to the age where they could start appreciating it ... Maybe even as soon as it's done.

[308Nut]

The 6.5x284 and the 6.5-06 have the same bolt face.

 

As far as potential 'better' cartriges...Better can be subjective. My opinion is that the straight 284 can be better than the 6.5x284. The 162-168 7mm grain bullets have better BC's than the 140-142 grain 6.5mm bullets. The recoil is not that much more. Velocity is very close to the same with the added bore diameter of the .284. Barrel life is better to boot.

 

Hope that helps.

[#1huntinfool]

my dad is a gunsmith in Payson and he designed a round he had a 338 titan but the brass was junk so every time he shot he had to throw the brass away $2.00 bucks every time he shot his gun. So a friend told him that lapua brass was good but the round was smaller than his round so he loaded half of of what he normally did in it and fire formed it. So far he has 9 shots thru 1 piece of brass and it is far more accurate than it was it shoots 1 inch at 300 yards every time!

[#1huntinfool]

if yall want a lighter kick get a muzzle break

[sjvcon]

if yall want a lighter kick get a muzzle break

I guess I didn't state that correctly. I have no problem with the .300 mag. It did come with a brake, but I don't use it (too loud, and I don't need it). I want to build a good flat shooter that the boys will be able to handle without a brake. Also, a .300 is a pretty big stick on some animals. Just figured to build something smaller and in between .308 and some of the smaller stuff I have. Liked the idea of a wildcat.

 

I appreciate all of the suggestions so far.

[rcdinaz]

More guns is always fun, go for it!

 

Fire forming is no big deal if you follow directions from an expert. Necking the case down is easier in my opinion just because you dont have to stick a light load & throw away bullet in the case every time and put a round down the barrel. You are not making much of a move from the 270 brass as described above so necking down and trimming that case should be just about like reloading new brass in any other gun.

 

Warning, reloading usually gets very addictive and the number of tools, gauges, and gadgets is endless. That being said it is usually a good cure for the mad scientist in all of us and it adds a little more to the experience you get when taking a trophy!