Jumping on the 6.5 band wagon, help me decide

[BigDad]

I've decided to jump on the 6.5 mm bandwagon and need to decide which cartridge I should go with. I will be re-barreling my Stevens 200 Long Action, center feed, blind magazine with a Criterion barrel 1:8 twist. I want to shoot heavy for caliber bullets. Its is currently chambered for 257 Roberts and was originally a 270 WIN.

Things to consider:

Must feed reliably through the existing magazine with minimal modification to the mag
Brass availability
Reasonable barrel life


I suppose the easiest thing to do is to simply go with a Creedmoor. Will the 6.5 CM feed reliably through the long action mag?

Other cartridges I'm considering are 6.5-06 or 6.5-284. Will the 6.5-284 feed reliably? Will I have to modify the mag?

Any other cartridge suggestions?

[lonestardiver]

6.5x55 Swedish should fit and feed as is. I have a long action in .270 I plan to convert to 6.5x55 with only needing to do a barrel swap as I understand it. Brass is available from many sources. You’d have more room for powder in the swed chambering to better deal with the heavier bullets. Going with a CM you may need to add a different baffle to the bolt as well as magazine mods to match a .308 in a long action mag as far as I know.

[BB68]

x2 lonestardiver

[wbm]

Of the choices you listed, reasonable barrel life would eliminate the 6.5x284. If I were going with a 6.5 CM, I would go with a short action.I put a heavy CM barrel on my Savage long action and it would cycle but not nearly as well as on a short action. I just used a single shot follower. The 6.5-06 will feed reliably on a long action but I don't know about barrel life. All-in all, if you hand load I would go with the Swede. Lapua brass and high BC bullets make it a good choice. I recently went with a Criterion 270 barrel on my long action. The new Hornady 145gr ELD-X bullet gives the old 270 some added potential that did not previously exist. IMO.

[BigDad]

The Swede look like a good option, I'm a hand loader so I can take advantage of the extra case capacity. Can I load Swede brass to the same pressure as the CM?

[lonestardiver]

In a modern action, it is much stronger than the old Mauser actions of the 1890’s. So modern load data for modern firearms should allow you to exceed 6.5CM velocities on the heavier bullets. Load data will be different than the CM... Think of the difference in the .308 and the .30-06, the ‘06 runs at lower pressures than the .308 if I recall correctly, but is still better for the heavier bullets. The .308 does better for the lighter end of the spectrum. Same thing holds true for the CM vs. the 6.5x55.

[lonestardiver]

What weight bullets are you planning to use ?

[BigDad]

Heavy, 140 gr +/-

[BigDad]

You folks have provided the exact feedback I was hoping for. It looks the 6.5x55 Swede is the perfect fit for my intended use.

Many thanks!

[Evlshnngns]

If you could get Criterion an Ackley reamer for the Swede, I would really appreciate it. There 7.5 twist barrel needs it.

[BigDad]

How much case capacity/velocity is gained with the Ackley? Are there other advantages?

[J.Baker]

Nothing against the Swede, but why burn a lot more powder to get the same thing the Creedmoor or 6.5x47 Lapua will get you? Over the lifespan of a barrel those couple of grains of powder per load will add up.

All the below are with a 140-143gr bullet.

6.5x55 Swede = 44.1gr IMR 4831 @ 2600 fps (Hornady 10th Ed.)
6.5x55 Swede = 44.1gr Accurate 4350 @ 2700 fps (Sierra 5th Ed.)
6.5x55 Swede = 43.5gr H4350 @ 2620 fps (Berger 1st Ed.)
.260 Remington = 41.7gr Accurate 4350 @ 2700 fps (Hornady 10th Ed.)
.260 Remington = 44.5gr RE-19 @ 2700 fps (Sierra 5th Ed.)
.260 Remington = 41.1gr H4350 @ 2700 fps (Berger 1st Ed.)
6.5 Creedmoor = 41.5gr H4350 @ 2750 fps (Hornady 10th Ed.)
6.5 Creedmoor = 42.4 gr Ramshot Hunter @ 2700 fps (Berger 1st Ed.)
6.5x47 Lapua = 37.8gr RE-17 @ 2692 fps (Berger 1st Ed.)
6.5x47 Lapua = 38.3gr IMR 4350 @ 2678 fps (Berger 1st Ed.)

If you want access to readily available factory ammo the 6.5 Creedmoor is the way to go. If you want the most efficient 6.5 out there look to the 6.5x47 Lapua. If you're feeling nostalgic, go with the Swede. If you want the added headache of fire forming and neck turning for little to no additional benefit go with one of the AI's.

You didn't say whether your Stevens 200 was a center or staggered feed model. If it's a center feed then any of the S/A options will feed fine from the L/A magazine.

[BigDad]

My OP states center feed. If I go with the Creedmoor or 6.5x47, will I have to change to a different baffle or make other changes to the bolt or action?

[lonestardiver]

You would likely need to change the baffle on the bolt...

[lonestardiver]

Easy route on long action...6.5x55. Otherwise I’d look for a short action to do a barrel swap on. But being your project, it is up to you as to the complexity you want.

[BigDad]

Will I have to change the baffle if I go with the Swede, the rim diameter is larger than either the CM or 270 Win? The below is from Wikipedia.

6.5x55 - Rim diameter 0.480 in (12.20 mm)
6.5 CM - Rim diameter .4730 in (12.01 mm)
270 Win - Rim diameter .473 in (12.0 mm)

[Evlshnngns]

My lapua 6.5x55 brass will clip and eject in my 12fv, YMMV.

No arguments from me MrFurious. I want the headache, and brass that stays pretty consistent.

From another forum:
"
I respectfully disagree with your statement. The case capacity of the 6.5 Creedmoor is 9+gr water less than 6.5 x55 BJAI using Lapua brass for both (small primer for the Creed). I can easily push a 140 at over 3050fps in a 30" barrel with the 'x55 Imp' where I would be bordering on safety running a 140 past 2900 fps in a 6.5 Creed. My gun shoots best at an easy 2950-60 fps with a 142gr. I shoot the 6.5 x55 BJAI, 6.5 Creed, 6 Creed. I do really like the 6.5 x55 imp. as I can get 6.5-.284 performance with about 4 less grains of powder, cheap brass, and it appears pretty darn good barrel life for a fast 6.5."

[wbm]

Rim diameter for the Swede is no problem in a Savage action.

[65Whelen]

For the long action the vulnerable Swede is perfect. A time proven and respected cartridge. Good choice.

[jim_k]

If you go with the 6.5 x 55 you will need to make sure the reamer has a fairly short throat, which the reamer maker can advise you on. I think it's usually in the reamer list as a match reamer. If you need to go faster some day, you can always run a 6.5 x 55 AI reamer through it. Again, make sure you don't get a long throat, and ruin the whole idea. The standard (long) throat is made for the 160 grain round nose combat bullet they were loaded with. You can go the same route with .260 Remington, which is identical ballistically to the 6.5 Creedmoor, but requires fewer steps to form brass. 6.5 CM brass is usually easy to find at the range, since the majority of people now shooting 6.5 CM don't reload, so they leave it at the range. They aren't going to get much better results than with the Hornady 143 grain ELD-X load, anyway. If you choose .260 Remington, make sure the throat is not excessively long. Talk to your gunsmith or reamer maker. I don't think there's a bad 6.5 CM reamer available.