Thread: What 6.5?

Couple years ago I bought two Thompson Center Icons in .30TC. I got them for a great price from one of the on-line wholesalers because the .30TC was a dismal failure and weren't selling. Thompson Center has discontinued the Icon too. I have another Icon in 7mm-08 and love it. I bought the 30TCs because I figure they would be great to re barrel into something else later. Later has arrived. These actions are dbm, triangle shaped, flat on the bottom, have a solid recoil lug and use a three locking lug bolt and a Sako type extractor. They also have to scope rails machined into the top of the receivers. The stocks are nice too with an aluminum bedding block. Trigger is adjustable with almost no creep. It's a good thing since there are almost no aftermarket parts for these rifles.

I've decided that I need (want) a long range coyote and target rifle in 6.5 of some sort. My local range is only 400 yards long but once in a while I coyote hunt some pastures that are around 600 yards wide. Anyway, let's say 600 yards is the max I'll be shooting. I don't want a barrel burner so 6.5X284 and .264 mag are out.

I've spent the last several days comparing .260 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5X47 Lapua. As far as I can tell, there is so little difference between the three that it's a toss up. Any input? Lapua makes brass for the 6.5X47 and .260, Hornady and Nosler make brass for the Creedmoor. As far as I have been able to research the bolt face on my Icon will work with any of them. .30TC is same as .308 family. Do any of these have an accuracy advantage over the others all things being equal? I'm less concerned with velocity, I won't be shooting at 1000 yards or anything.

Thanx Yall

Yep your right the bolt facing for those suggested are the same, as for what shoots better than the other we could spend all night going over the idiosyncrasies of each and achieve nothing.
I have spent allot of time this year going over the 3 cal's you speak of, quite a few hours of research opinions and wading though bullshit.
.260 and creedmoor are nearly the same but, now this is my opion based on research and a couple of test fires, creedmoor is better.
Creedmoor I believe, for the budget concerned, is cheaper to run than .260 hornady ammo off the shelf for creed is good stuff.

Now this is only my opionion and there are prob better educated ones out there, im willing to be schooled if you think im wrong

Here a link you may or may not have seen. 6.5mm Shootout: .260 Remington vs. 6.5x47 Lapua vs. 6.5 Creedmoor

And they're all very good I'm sure, but why overlook that old chestnut, the darling of the plains, the 6.5 x 55.

Norma brass, and all that 6.5 goodness.

B

6.5 Ai!

Go for the 6.5 Creedmore, being shorter you will be able to get a better COAL with a 140 to suit a magazine.

Hornady make great brass for it, Norma does as well.

As mentioned Hornady makes great factory ammo for the Creedmore.

Been doing the same myself, and it seems have got to the final decision and am now putting it all in place... Mine is based on a Ruger LA and the change will be from .270 to a .264Win Mag, about as good as it gets in 6.5, and being better metals these day should last me out, not doing 1000's of rounds, classic cal. capable of throwing 142g Nosler Accubonds down range at a little over 3000fps (maybe a bit more) with a BC .719... and 120g at over 3300fps...

Originally Posted by Double Shot

Been doing the same myself, and it seems have got to the final decision and am now putting it all in place... Mine is based on a Ruger LA and the change will be from .270 to a .264Win Mag, about as good as it gets in 6.5, and being better metals these day should last me out, not doing 1000's of rounds, classic cal. capable of throwing 142g Nosler Accubonds down range at a little over 3000fps (maybe a bit more) with a BC .719... and 120g at over 3300fps...

That's all very well but you still need to shoot something with it.

I have a 6.5AI, half way thru its barrel life @ 600 rounds and a 6.5x47L. Both are extremely accurate with the Lapua superior. If I had your options I would be tempted to give the nod towards the 260, an underrated cartridge. If you want something with the bling factor go the Creedmore. One of its advantages Kiwi Gregg has pointed out. I haven't read the 6.5 Shoot Out for a while but if I remember there was no utter winner. I presume you are State Side and your brass costs may differ to ours but the 6.5x47L Lapua brass is immensely expensive here in NZ and sometimes there are supply issues. I guess Creedmore should be easily obtainable for you and 260 very easy to get. My 6.5x47L is an F Class rifle so I just took the brass cost on the chin in order to achieve a desired outcome. Load development for the Lapua was one of the simplest I have ever experienced. I shoot mainly 130gr projectiles but have a supply of 123gr as well.

Yep, I would be going either the 6.5x47L or .260Rem based entirely on the availability of quality components i.e. Lapua cases.

Or if you don't mind a little more work get a 6.5SLR

If you're after raw accuracy and pretty much a guaranteed result with no shagging about, the Lapua version is hard to beat. Maybe not ideal if you want a slick feeding repeater but a single stack mag system would def work. No prob for the OP as it's a single shot.

My son has a .260 and its accuracy is pretty acceptable but def not in the same class as my 47 single shot.

from what I've read, that particular round is pretty tough on barrels. Also, I'm not sure it will work in short actions with heavy bullets. I'd like to shoot 140 gr VLDs.

Im shooting a remington model 7 in 260, great little round it is superbly accurate. My favourite loads are a 139gr Lapua scenar doing 2790fps, and 120gr Amax doing 2840 fps. Factory ammunition is very hard to come by (here in NZ) but brass is easy to find from Lapua, Hornady, and Remington.

Originally Posted by harveyspecter

from what I've read, that particular round is pretty tough on barrels. Also, I'm not sure it will work in short actions with heavy bullets. I'd like to shoot 140 gr VLDs.

6.5x47L?

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Im shooting a remington model 7 in 260, great little round it is superbly accurate. My favourite loads are a 139gr Lapua scenar doing 2790fps, and 120gr Amax doing 2840 fps. Factory ammunition is very hard to come by (here in NZ) but brass is easy to find from Lapua, Hornady, and Remington.

What powder have you found best in the .260

Originally Posted by harveyspecter

Couple years ago I bought two Thompson Center Icons in .30TC. I got them for a great price from one of the on-line wholesalers because the .30TC was a dismal failure and weren't selling. Thompson Center has discontinued the Icon too. I have another Icon in 7mm-08 and love it. I bought the 30TCs because I figure they would be great to re barrel into something else later. Later has arrived. These actions are dbm, triangle shaped, flat on the bottom, have a solid recoil lug and use a three locking lug bolt and a Sako type extractor. They also have to scope rails machined into the top of the receivers. The stocks are nice too with an aluminum bedding block. Trigger is adjustable with almost no creep. It's a good thing since there are almost no aftermarket parts for these rifles.

I've decided that I need (want) a long range coyote and target rifle in 6.5 of some sort. My local range is only 400 yards long but once in a while I coyote hunt some pastures that are around 600 yards wide. Anyway, let's say 600 yards is the max I'll be shooting. I don't want a barrel burner so 6.5X284 and .264 mag are out.

I've spent the last several days comparing .260 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5X47 Lapua. As far as I can tell, there is so little difference between the three that it's a toss up. Any input? Lapua makes brass for the 6.5X47 and .260, Hornady and Nosler make brass for the Creedmoor. As far as I have been able to research the bolt face on my Icon will work with any of them. .30TC is same as .308 family. Do any of these have an accuracy advantage over the others all things being equal? I'm less concerned with velocity, I won't be shooting at 1000 yards or anything.

Thanx Yall

there is only one to consider 6.5/06 also known as 6.5 A Square