Thread: . 260 or 6.5 Creedmoor for a Model 7 build

Ive just recently done exactly this, i had an old model 7 in 260 rem with a slow twist barrel, it wouldnt shoot anything heavier than 123gr bullets. I picked up a rem 700 takeoff barrel in 6.5CM (8 twist) off the forum for bugger all.

I unscrewed the old 260 barrel and screwed on the new 6.5CM barrel and it headspaced perfectly. If you want to mag fit your rounds in the short 2.8 inch model 7 mag and run 140/143 gr bullets, then the 6.5CM case fits the model 7 action much better than the 260 with the same weight bullet. Ie the bullet can be seated out longer in the neck in the CM case and still fit the mag. Whereas with the 260 case the 140/143 gr bullets are seated right back into the case taking up that extra powder capacity.

So the 6.5CM works well in the Model 7 action. With the minimal load development ive done thus far using Re26 the 6.5CM case can get the 143's really humming, I really doubt that the 260 when hamstrung with a 143gr bullet seated deep into the powder capacity (to fit the M7 mag) would actually perform any better.