Anyone have a 6.5WSM? I would like to build one......

[L.H. Clark]

Well, the topic says it all........Anybody have or build one yet? I think I read a post and 358hammer has one? What say you Neal? I have a 10 in .270WSM and am going 6.5 crazy lately, so I thought that this would be the logical next step! I know it will be a barrel burner, but........nitride? Don't know, but thinking this would be the way to go. Any advice on barrel twist, length,etc...... I'm thinking an 8 twist is still in order right?

Anyway, chime in please if you have the goods!

[358Hammer]

Two stainless barrels that were just Nitride treated and returned to me. The color is the result of the treatment. The smaller barrel is the 224 minicoop. This barrel prior to the treatment shot a 53gr Barnes and a 52 grain Sierra at 3700+ FPS. Barrel is 16".

http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk460/emeraldislandlover/001-1.jpg

I have several 6.5's. Since I won't shoot past 600 yards at game all my 6.5's have 9 twist barrels and I shoot nothing larger than the 130 grain Accubond.
What is it you would like to know?

Neal

[L.H. Clark]

Well, Neal, Since your asking..........I guess I could research alot of this but if you know right off.....
1.) DIES, did you have to have 'em made or are they commercially available?
I want something different than a 6.5-284, everyone and their uncle has one, I know match grade brass and all that is there for the 6.5-284, but doesn't seem like too much work to neck down a .270WSM to a 6.5WSM, and I love to reload and enjoy the work of forming brass and neck turning anyway.
2.) What is the performance like? I'm a paper hunter myself so that is what I'll use it for. (Maybe a hog or two? ;D) but mostly paper, but am still wondering what velocity you think is attainable. I am wondering because of everything I'm reading on the 142SMKs is that you need over 2850 to stabilize them out past 400 yds I know over 2850 is a given but just wondering what you have reached.

3.) I want to shoot mainly the 129 -142 or even the 150 gn bullets so I still think an 8 twist is good? NO? Do you think I will have any problem with seating the heavy's out well enough and still fit in magazine for repeater action? The 6.5's are long but I guess I could just get my barrel throated how I want, so nevermind on that one.

4.) What kind of accuracy are you getting out of yours at 600 yds? Is it so sweet it's worth it? Or no...

5.)The WSM's don't seem to have a lot of room to play with as far as velocity, I know my .270 likes to be pushed hard or not at all and I guess I'm just wondering what loads you have the most fun with and what you like about the 6.5WSM you have and if you had it to do over.......Would you?

Thank you for your time, I do appreciate it. I love all Savage's for the obvious reasons we all do so I'll probably build the thing anyway! HA HA but you have experience with the round so your opinion counts to me.

L.H. Clark

[358Hammer]

1. I have never had to look for dies. Randy@ Territorial Gunssmithing(closed) had the C&H dies made and a reamer made when the 300WSM came out. Paid $20.

2. Doing well past 2900fps with a 19" barrel and 130gr Accubond.

3. Speed has several factors and I used the bottom of a 270WSM load data and worked from there. As a rule your 270 will shoot all bullet weights faster than the same bullet weight in the 6.5. Barrel length is a factor and in my case I gained a shade over 100fps velocity by nitriding the barrel. I am way past 3300fps with the 100gr. I may hit 34 with the 85gr Sierra.

4. Every one of my benchmark barrels holds under 2" at 500 yards.

5. The only reason I built the 6.5 WSM was because I found the metal treatment that allows me to not wear a barrel out in my applications and I love the short fat case for ignition purposes in my handguns. I may make well past 3400fps with the 85 gr and that would be an awesome round on rockchucks to 400 yards!

My 19" barreled 300WSM gets 3370 or close if memory serves me with the 130 gr Barnes. One can not get that with the drasticly necked down case and the super long 130gr Accubond. I suspect one can not get that with a 19" 270WSM either. The 300 is a treated barrel and I gained 95 fps average after the treatment.

Neal

[pa_wdchuckhuntr]

1.) DIES, did you have to have 'em made or are they commercially available?


You should be able to buy a set of bushing dies for a .270 WSM and use a 6.5 size bushing.

[okie2]

Look at the 6.5 rem mag it will out do the 6.5x284 and the 6.5wsm too for fps.

[Aircraftmech76]

I shoot a 6.5WSSM (FatCat) and I get 3000FPS with a 140 Berger out my 28" PacNor.

Kevin

[Blue Avenger]

another you could peek at is the 6.5 rem mag. dies are reasonable.

[okie2]

another you could peek at is the 6.5 rem mag. dies are reasonable.

I guess you and I are the only ones that knows about this lost forgotten
very good caliber. I have 2 of them

[EFBell]

Not sure why this ended up here but I have thought about a 6.5WSM quite a bit. I have a 257WSM and it is wicked cool! But I do like the 6.5 bullet selections.

[358Hammer]

Below is a short insert from some testing I did recently with a Ferratic Nitride barrel and a 6.5WSM barrel that has not been treated yet.

Now to accuracy: At the top of the big diamond are two different two shot groups. I sighted in my rear grip Striker 338 CE with 200 grain Accubonds @ 2875fps Average from a 19" treated barrel. The two shot group low and to the right slightly are factory 225gr Remingtons I got recently in a trade. 2717fps Average!

http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk460/emeraldislandlover/FerraticNitride001.jpg

Now for the top two Daimonds. 6.5 WSM untreated 3 groove barrel from Benchmark 19" that I asked Jim See to extend the throat a tad for me.

Top left target shot at 100 yards with 120gr at 3208 Average. The top right target is a 130 Grain Accubond over a charge of Rel 17 at 3153 Average. Both loads showed minor cratering, but there was some flow! The treated version of this barrel had a 135fps average increase in velocity with the exact same load and the primers were not cratered! Now use your imagination and put a stiff charge of Varget in that WSM case with 100gr Ballistic tips or smaller Sierra"s. Had me hopping up and down with excitement. Really!

Since I live on an island in big bear country I haven't much use for the 6.5 WSM. If I lived in the lower 48 or if I intend to hunt there some day I think the 6.5 with 100 gr or lighter bullets or the 270 WSM with 90-110 grain would be awesome varmint bullets. The 130 grain Accubonds in both would be awesome for everything including moose.

Neal

[snowgetter1]

Who does the nitride treating work and how much?