Which one would you keep and why?

[Bobby Tomek]

I have a two 24" standard contour Contender barrels that are peas in a pod and may be making a decision regarding their futures before long. One is a Bullberry barrel in 6.5 BB (6.5x30-30). The other is a 24" EABCO barrel in 6.5 BRM, which is similar to the 6.5x30-30 AI. Both are blued.

They are ballistic twins. The Bullberry shoots well with just about any combo. The EABCO took a few test loads to figure out its preferences, but both barrels will get down to 0.5 MOA with multiple loads. I have equal amounts of their preferred components to feed them. Both have good quality dies (Redding for the BB and Forster Bench Rest for the BRM).

The Bullberry is a 1:9. The BRM is a 1:8. So the full range of appropriate hunting bullets will work in either.

The BB, of course, has 1:14 forend spacing, but that is no issue as you either use a long pistol forend or add a third hole to your existing rifle forend -- as multiple members here have done. Or you can do as Fred Smith intended and use a hanger bar system (I don't). The Bullberry wears an EABCO base fitted with 4 screws while the BRM barrel was drilled for and fitted with a 6-screw base before they shipped it to me.

Hogs and coyotes around here seem to hate them equally, so I am asking your opinions instead of theirs ha ha.

Which would you keep...and why?

[Rooterpig]

Both 30/30 cases. The BB shoots all good. You have a load for the brm. Might the brm might shoot 140’s better? Do the 120’s kill all you want ? Might have to flip a coin.

[Bobby Tomek]

Flipping a coin might be it ha ha. The 120-130s do all I could possibly need. Right now in the BRM I am shooting the 123 grain Hornady ELD-M at 2581 fps. I've used the 123 grain SST prior to that and like them equally well on game at these speeds. Both open quickly, do lots of damage and still penetrate sufficiently. The ELD-M groups slightly better than the SST but not enough to matter. And before that, I used the 130 grain Tipped MatchKing at 2550 fps until the supply of them dried up. It was incredibly accurate and killed very well.

I also used the hard-to-find Barnes 115 grain Tac-Tx bullet designed for Grendel speeds. MV was around 2615 fps, and 200 yard groups definitely made me smile.

In the Bullberry, I've used the 130 grain Accubond, the 129 grain Hornady SP, the 129 grain Interbond, the 123 grain SST and -- for the most part -- the 120 grain Nosler BT.

[FyrepowrX]

My usual tendency is to say keep 'em all, and then get spares just in case. Which is of course excessive, but old habits die hard.

But...if i had to pick , i'd lean towards keeping the 6.5BRM, with 1-8 twist. Plus, i do like carbine length lug spacing better, though that is just a personal preference thing.

I think it is possible and even likely we'll see increased availability of high-BC bullets over the next few years, in all calibers, and the 1-8" twist might digest those slightly better, if something earth shattering & magical were to come along.

Any significant difference in throating length that might matter on those either way? Both have great bores with no difference in ease of cleaning, fouling, etc?

[sunnysmarine]

What a dilemma to have to endure...poor guy.... This is what my head does to me when I have this issue:argue:

I cant decide between a 25-35 AI or a 25x30-30 so I'm thinking get both then decide :argue:

Oh wait that doesn't help you does it :focus: I dunno your asking the wrong crowd

Luckily for me their both blue

[BobT]

I think you should keep the BRM and send the Bullberry my way :whistle:

[D. Sanders]

I'd keep the Bullberry for one simple reason. You say that it is accurate with just about any loading you've tried. Even though you have plenty of components on the shelf, sooner or later you're gonna need more. With shortages happening from time to time, that may be the difference in being able to feed it accurate ammo or something mediocre.

[Slowpoke Slim]

I don't really know why, but for some reason that 6.5 Bullberry appeals to me pretty strongly.

Bobby, what, in your opinion would it do for me that my 7-30 Waters (carbine) is missing?

[Bobby Tomek]

I don't really know why, but for some reason that 6.5 Bullberry appeals to me pretty strongly.

Bobby, what, in your opinion would it do for me that my 7-30 Waters (carbine) is missing?

From a terminal performance standpoint, they are peas in a pod, so to speak. But to me, the 6.5 -- especially now with components so hard to find -- holds an added appeal because there are so many more suitable bullets for this velocity range than for the 7-30. In the past few years, bullets I've used in various 6.5mm Contender carbines include the 110 grain Lehigh CC, Barnes 115 grain Tac-Tx, 120 grain Speer Gold Dot, 120 grain Nosler BT, 123 grain Hornady SST, 123 grain Hornady ELD-M, 125 grain Partition, Hornady 129 grain SP, Nosler 129 grain LR Accubond, Nosler 130 grain Accubond, Sierra 140 grain GK, Hornady 140 grain SP, Speer 140 grain spitzer and the 130 grain Sierra Tipped MK. All of these work well for deer-sized game at 6.5 Bullberry/6.5 JDJ/6.5 Grendel rifle types of velocities. Others that will work include the Nosler 100 grain BT, Nosler 100 grain Partition, Hornady 120 and 130 grain ELD-M, Hornady 129 grain SST, Hornady 129 grain Interbond, the Speer 120 grain spitzer, Nosler 142 grain Accubond LR and the 120 grain Rem CL. I'm sure I am forgetting several others.

The 120 and 140 grain Ballistic Tips are the cream of the crop in 7mm. If you can find them, the 130 grain Speer spitzers -- both the flat-based and the boat-tail designs -- do well along with the 120 grain V-Max. If you pay attention to impact speed, the Sierra 120 grain PH does fine, but performance becomes iffy once you get down to around 2100 fps. A few others will work, but the list isn't nearly as long as the one for 6.5mm.

[J A XSP]

You know my vote, Bobby! :)
When I bought that barrel, I was really wanting the improved version but it turned out that the standard version wasn't lacking a thing. A case full of Varget got me plenty of velocity and terminal performance out of 100 gr BTs and left nothing to be desired with the 129 Hornady SPs that I liked to load.
I liked the fact that the brass was already formed right out of the die, as well, so there was never any real difference between initial loadings and subsequent ones.
If I wasn't more than set with barrels, I'd nudge you toward selling the Bullberry so I could buy it back. :)

[Iowa Fox]

For me it would be hands down without a doubt, KEEP the Bullberry.