25/06 to 6.5/06 What Barrel?

Hi Team. I bought a Sako 75 in 25/06 off Trade Me and thanks to some great fellas on the forum have worked up an awesome load for it, accurate and hard hitting.

It’s a lovely rifle but the caliber has some limitations eg in wind and I’m limited to about 300yards in terms of taking shots.

I want to keep the rifle and am thinking about rebarrelling to a 6.5/06. I was under the understanding that you could have a 6.5 barrel fitted and then develop your loads accordingly after sorting brass etc. However some barrel manufacturers list both 6.5 and 6.5/06 barrels for sale.

My question is which barrel do I purchase, are there any differences or are they one in the same?

Cheers

Gilly

so let me get this straight....... you believe by enlarging bore/projectile diameter by LESS THAN half a mm going from 6 n a tiny bit mm to 6.5mm you are going to get BIG INCREASE in preformance?????
going to 7mm will do so..either .277 or .284 or even better still .308/7.62mm
not knocking it just SUGGESTING you look hard at numbers before commiting funds to something that possibly WONT be much different to what you already have.

As said, you’re probably not going to gain anything. Sell the Rifle and it’s load details to @kawekakid and get what you really want.

http://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co.n...25-06-a-67726/

Yes good point. Had a look at the numbers and a 143 eldx at 2800 ish will outshoot a 117gr pro hunter in both wind, distance and energy hitting the target. . Having spoken to someone who had one, and from what I’ve read, the 6.5/06 is ballistically superior over 300 and has far more energy/hitting power etc.

I already have a 308 and have owned that caliber for 40 years. But I like rifles and am curious about that particular caliber.

I

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Originally Posted by ishoot10s

As said, you’re probably not going to gain anything. Sell the Rifle and it’s load details to @kawekakid and get what you really want.

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Saw that. But I don’t want to sell it at this point in time.

so compare apples with apples and go to heaviest,pointiest .257 projectile pushed as fast as you can..... lol.

you could just get a 270, which is better than either (I'll now go to the naughty corner . . . . )

I have got 6.5-06 dies of you want some, I've had 3 of them and wouldn't bother with one again.

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Originally Posted by Tentman

you could just get a 270, which is better than either (I'll now go to the naughty corner . . . . )

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Well good point. But I may not be able to look a few people in the eye if I go to the dark side.

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Originally Posted by Tentman

I have got 6.5-06 dies of you want some, I've had 3 of them and wouldn't bother with one again.

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That’s a good offer. Thanks. If you have had three and wouldn’t bother again might have answered my question.

Why wouldn’t you bother with one?

Other peoples experiences will be different but none of mine shot real well and it was always a "fight" to get "advertised" velocities. The last one I went all out and used a Kreiger cut rifled barrel (to be fair on a Mauser 98 action, which can be difficult to get to shoot really well) and it was both slow and never shot worth a damn. Much later I set the barrel back and fitted it out as a 6.5 CM on a different action and it shot beautifully. Dies $60 if you want them.

I have one in 26"barrel shoots the old amazes at 3k into single hole basically. Quite fun but not a huge gain on some easier to come by options (swede, creed, 260 etc), I have been guilty of accumulating a number of rifles with very similar performance in terms of external ballistics, if its more terminal performance you are after jump to 7mm or something to make a big enough difference, if it's trajectory yoy are focused on with less focus on terminal performance stick to the 6-6.5 mm range to get the bc with lighter recoil etc

Have to find some 143 elds first

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Originally Posted by gilly

Yes good point. Had a look at the numbers and a 143 eldx at 2800 ish will outshoot a 117gr pro hunter in both wind, distance and energy hitting the target. . Having spoken to someone who had one, and from what I’ve read, the 6.5/06 is ballistically superior over 300 and has far more energy/hitting power etc.

I already have a 308 and have owned that caliber for 40 years. But I like rifles and am curious about that particular caliber.

I

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How does a 110 gr AB at 3300 fps out of your 2506 compare for trajectory ?? I have found that they fully penetrate deer so I dont need more retained energy.

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Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

How does a 110 gr AB at 3300 fps out of your 2506 compare for trajectory ?? I have found that they fully penetrate deer so I dont need more retained energy.

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I have no idea. Have only used the pro hunters.

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Originally Posted by gilly

Hi Team. I bought a Sako 75 in 25/06 off Trade Me and thanks to some great fellas on the forum have worked up an awesome load for it, accurate and hard hitting.

It’s a lovely rifle but the caliber has some limitations eg in wind and I’m limited to about 300yards in terms of taking shots.

I want to keep the rifle and am thinking about rebarrelling to a 6.5/06. I was under the understanding that you could have a 6.5 barrel fitted and then develop your loads accordingly after sorting brass etc. However some barrel manufacturers list both 6.5 and 6.5/06 barrels for sale.

My question is which barrel do I purchase, are there any differences or are they one in the same?

Cheers

Gilly

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Fucks sake! killed any animals out to any decent ranges with the Prohunters yet? , maybe you should. Numbers say this, numbers say that, must believe only the numbers, not practical experience. If I can kill stone dead on the spot Tahr at 400yd with 117 Ph and account for wind doing it, so can you and deer are a damn sight easier to flatten than Tahr. If you really must have numbers that help you believe you can kill an animal out at and past 300, switch to the 115 Berger, outstanding killing bullet that just sacks them, or go hard pill like @Moa Hunter and his 110 AB, works for him and he knows the cartridge well, as do I. Save your money and the faffing about, just bloody shoot it.

Yesterday I killed a Fallow spiker at 295 with an 85 gn Sierra Sp and a porker 3 minutes later with the same pill at the same range, out of a 20" barrel .243, check the ballistics and compare against your 2506, you might decide to trust it and use it.

Mate uses 117gr Barnes triple shocks full copper 1s and he can punch both shoulders out of a bull tahr at 350m

To answer your question, a 6.5 barrel is a 6.5 barrel no matter what.
It is what you chamber it to, eg 6.5x55 ,6.5-06 etc that makes it into what 6.5 caliber you want you want.
So Buy a 6.5 Bartlein Barrel [Great barrels]off Alpine Precision that advertises here or any 6.5 barrel off any manufacturer you want, have it chambered for 6.5-06.

If it's going to be a hunter look at profile and length , to fat and long you'll regret, it but I'd advise min 24" for 6.5 06 after fitting .
Brass is easy to make from any 06 based brass just some need more work than others.
Run the numbers with Distant Stalkers 3k, even 2850- 2900fps and decide.

Like others I've had a 6.5/06 and the AI version and you gain very little over the standard .260 or Creedmoor and you need a much longer barrel.
My .260 with a 20" barrel will push the 143 ELDX at 2860 fps.
I've also had a 25/06 for many years and they are awesome push a 115 or 120 grain pill at over 3000fs and it will kill.
It depends on what you want.

Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

Thanks guys for the good and practical advice. As I said I was only thinking about a re barrel. The experience of you guys is telling me not to waste my time and money faffing around when the 25/06 is fine.

Cheers

Gilly

Not in good conditions at reasonable ranges. The slippery bullets make wind calling 'easier' when conditions are less than ideal. This can also be mitigated by stalking closer or practicing more.

A quarter bore will be a talking point of difference on the hill. Makes life interesting:thumbsup:

If it was me, I'd keep the 25-06, great calibre, capable of way more than 300 if you have the trigger time, plenty of projectiles that kill shit. And I would build a 6.5-06 to the specs I want for the distances I want to shoot, and go shoot shit with that as well - a man cant have too many guns!

a man cant have too many guns

Amen

Mark and Sam after work did a comparison between a 6.5 Saum and 6.5 06 AI. With the exact same powder charge and barrel the Saum produced 200 fps more velocity. So if I was changing barrels I wouldn't be going to an inefficient case design. The 2506 is an interesting cartridge, it doesnt kill as quickly as a 270 with a poor hit but it is so easy and pleasant to shoot accurately you dont get poor hits. It is like a 243 but with the failings / faults fixed

Both 2506 and 6.506 are good calibres, have owned and hunted both. My case I took a shot out Sako 75 2506 and rebarrelled to 6506ai. Job was done by Truflite. The ballistics offered by 6.5 do offer superior down range performance due to high bc’s. The old qtr bore does not have the same pill selection unfortunately. To get best out of 6506 you need the right powders 2217 is ok but RL25 or 26 get the old 140 AMAX going at 2950 fps out of 24in bbl. The accuracy has never been a problem with the rifle, easy to get 1/2 moa. The trick is to find the right powder. Bartlein bbl are superb, have several on other rifles. Nothing wrong with a 270 or 280 either

If going 6.5-06 id be doing faster twist. Mentioned it on another thread but some of the newer 6.5s tout better down range ballistics than a 264 win mag because whilst they are going slower, they utilize a faster twist which some of the longer high bc bullets require

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Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

Mark and Sam after work did a comparison between a 6.5 Saum and 6.5 06 AI. With the exact same powder charge and barrel the Saum produced 200 fps more velocity. So if I was changing barrels I wouldn't be going to an inefficient case design. The 2506 is an interesting cartridge, it doesnt kill as quickly as a 270 with a poor hit but it is so easy and pleasant to shoot accurately you dont get poor hits. It is like a 243 but with the failings / faults fixed

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gee, you're a hard man @Moa Hunter. They've fixed the 243 well up with higher bc bullets and fast twist barrels

Would 6.5-284 cases fit and feeds of your magazine? That might be a good alternative.

If it was me id do whatever the fuk i like its my money i earnt it and ill spend it how i want. I had a 6.5 06 built and i love it. Just one of the many rifles in the cupboard. You can make the 6.5 06 rounds by just seating your pills into your 25 06 brass. Mine is a heavy weight rig tru flite palma profile but i like heavy rifles. If you want to build one do it not what everyone else wants you to do....

Fuk, you're way out there. Next you'll be advocating for bring an authentic individual:cool:

If you can find a tikka 260rem or 6.5creed you could rechamber like I did and it will screw into your sako75 action
The performance increase is hardly eye watering but the 06 cases feel like a dream and are a joy to use in the field when things get exciting

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Originally Posted by northdude

If it was me id do whatever the fuk i like its my money i earnt it and ill spend it how i want. I had a 6.5 06 built and i love it. Just one of the many rifles in the cupboard. You can make the 6.5 06 rounds by just seating your pills into your 25 06 brass. Mine is a heavy weight rig tru flite palma profile but i like heavy rifles. If you want to build one do it not what everyone else wants you to do....

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Totally agree. A thousand different people will have a thousand different views so when it gets to confusing (and it will), just do what you want to. Nothing wrong with 6.5 06 at all, and there are a number of after-market barrels available. Keep all your 25 06 brass and neck size to 6.5, its that easy.
I've just had a 6.5 06 built, not because I love the calibre, but due to a few other factors. I can get the 143 gr pill travelling at 2900 fps roughly, which is heaps fast enough. If you can then get it shooting accurately then theres your long range rig out to 800 or so.
Dead is dead, and in my experience a deer (or whatever) wont like whatever you shoot at it with