6.5-06 or 270WSM, what's your thoughts

Fellow Savage shooters;

So I am torn between making a 6.5-06 or a 270WSM. I would like your opinions on either. I want to be able to take an animal out to 600yds. When I complete this gun and I get it to shoot .5" or smaller it will probably be used for my everything gun up to and including ELK mainly mule deer though. Before I get flamed for the last statement I am of the school of proper shot placement over "bigger is better", with that being said I like ft-lbs as well. I do have a 300WSM and a 300WM so I would appreciate it if people don't express stepping up in gun caliber. I love reloading so ammunition is not a factor.

If I go with a 270WSM can I make it a lighter rifle because it wont need a longer barrel? Which do you think will have a longer longevity barrel life?

Thank you in advanced for all you thoughts/inputs and I apologize if I offended anyone with my "don't express stepping up" comment. I am not an expert and have a lot to learn, I just know that I want either of the two stated cartridges.

6.5-06 all the way. Not nearly as much recoil and it will do anything that 270 will. The 6.5 with a 140 Berger at 2950+ is very hard to beat and will absolutely kill anything you want to easily. Barrel life I would guess would be about the same between the two as the 270wsm requires more powder. As far as a hunting rifle goes both barrels should last a lifetime when used as such. The 6.5 offers a bit more versatility as well with bullet weight options.

Stomp;

I am already leaning towards the 6.5-06. I threw in the 270WSM as a consideration after running the numbers in Point Blank. It seems the 270WSM was flatter. But it really comes down to practice, practice, practice and learning ballistics of what I shoot.

Real quick question though, have you ever shot an animal close, <100yds with a Berger? I have no experience with Berger, an just a little apprehensive is all.

Alesandro

Yes I have. They work as advertised.

Best of both worlds, Nitrided 6.5 WSM sounds the best to me. ;)

Apache;

Wouldn't a 6.5WSM be more of a barrel burner? Can I get reloading dies for a 6.5WSM and how costly are they?
I know I stated it would be a hunting gun but I would still shoot it quite a bit. What can I say, I really like shooting guns.

Alesandro

I had built a 6.5-300wsm and although it shot good its sweet spot was right around 3000 with a Berger and 3050 with an Amax. Accuracy would fall off on velocities higher than that. I sold it as it was not enough gain to justify the recoil and powder usage needed to drive it. Lee sells dies for it and they are under 60 bucks when I bought mine. It will burn a barrel as its shooting 60+ grains of powder to move a 140 at 3050 while the 6.5-06 is using 49 or so to push a 140 at 2950. At least this was my experience.

It would be a little bit of a barrel burner....that's why I would have it nitrided if I were going to shoot it much. There are some threads posted about the process here on the forum or send 358Hammer a PM and he'll hook you up with info. He's very knowledgeable on the subject.

He also has or had the 6.5WSM, might ask his experience with it also to go along with Stomp then make a decision. He's a striker pistol guy BTW but has plenty of knowledge on this stuff.

I do a LOT of wildcatting, and have some experience with it but not as much as these others. My "itch" was kinda like yours and I settled on a 257 WSM (EFBell is the man for this one) after trying several others...although the 6mm SAUM is sweet too. :p

Apache;

How does that 257WSM perform? I have a 257 Weatherby that I am taking over from my wife, got her a 7mm-08 last year and she absolutely loves and probably won't use anything else. I will be starting load development for the 110Grain Accubonds here soon.

I will have to look into "Nitriding" a barrel and the 6.5WSM. What are the typical velocities for 130-140grain pills from the 6.5WSM. I like the ability to have a shorter barrel on WSM's. I can feel a definite difference in weight from my 300WSM, M70 vs the 300WM Ruger.

You should be able to get around 3200 with the 140s with a 26" barrel. Probly knock off 50 fps per inch from there.

I'll start off by stating that the next build I do will be in the 6.5mm family. However don't count out the 270 WSM. Alot of the performance will depend upon how long of a barrel you are willing to carry. I had a 270 WSM that would actually push a 130 grain Barnes TSX at 3500 fps, measured by 3 chronos and. MagPro is absolutely the best powder I found for this particular cartridge. Several long range kills with that one. Just food for thought.

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I am with Apache on the 6.5X300WSM improved or 6.5X270WSM! AT Mach 3500fps with a 100gr Nosler Partition from a 19" handgun barrel I am way beyond excited about the cartridge. Then again one can shoot an 85gr Sierra at ???? and light up rock chucks and groundhogs like nothing else.
3250 with nice BC 130gr Accubonds from the same 19" barrel.
Nitride: Increase barrel life as without it 500-600 rounds. Increase muzzle velocity by a lot in most cases.

My wife dropped a very nice buck with this combo so fast I thought she shot it in the head at 200 yards. It literally sucked blood and lungs out the quarter sized exit hole and sprayed the vegitation.

The short stack powder column of the WSM case beats my 6.5 Gibbs,270 Gibbs in velocity from a short barrel. The 270 WSM is also a burner and shoots the same weight bullets but one has to go to a Matrix specialty bullet to get the same BC bullets.

I have a 3 groove 26" 300WSM barrel that with 68 grs Rel 17 shot the 165gr Accubond at a shade over 3200fps! I had the barrel Nitrided and it now shoots the same load at a shade over 3400fps. Besides being impervious to Alaska weather this is just another comparison benefit. It also looks like a $400. blue job as viewed on the gun.

PLEASE do NOT use this load data in your firearm without working up to it.

http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/k...2Buck005-1.jpg

Neal

Here's a link to EFBell's work on the 257 WSM. http://www.savageshooters.com/conten...-Wildcat-Build

You may have to be a paid member to see it...I don't know. Mine is built with a 26" barrel that is between varmint and heavy sporter wieght. Shoots very accurately and a bit faster than the Weatherby.....In real hunting situations there's no big difference between them.

With the large shank CRF WSM actions you can do wildcatting from 6mm up to and including the .510 WSM. Or use the SAUM brass for a wildcat base too.

All;

Man this is what I was hoping would not happen, consider another cartridge.

The 6.5-270WSAM has me intrigued, but are you saying without treating the barrel it will burn out in 500-600 shots? Have you heard anything about using Dyna Bore Guide for treating barrels?

I don't think I am into super speed but I can see how the 6.5-270WSM would have inherent accuracy. Could I do the 6.5-270WSM and not load it so hot. My target bullet weight would be 130 grains in either Accubond, Interbond, or Scirocco. I would probably use the same bullet from rockchucks to big game to learn the ballistics and I wouldn't have to second guess different trajectories.

Thanks all for the info and confusion with the different options.

I am still looking for a donor action, I have a 110 270win I could use if I have to but I kind of like it. I won't tell you guys about an older immaculate 110 270win (looked NIB) gun I could have bought last year for $200 but turned it down for not knowing what I know now.

If your going to load it down to save barrel life build the 6.5-06. Loaded down you will still be using more powder than the 6.5-06 to get the same performance. I would go for the most efficient option and save a little money at the bench.

Sure one can load down, but like stomp said, just go with a different cartridge.
The request was maybe not to change your mind and the 270WSM and its counter are wonderful cartridges.

I also have 6.5 X 57 rimmed and rimless! Both run with the 6.5 X 06 and 6.5X284 with less powder. The 6.5 X 57 just the way it is has the same bolthead as the 06 and should run a bit faster or comparable to the 260 Remington improved. Not sure why the 6.5X57 is mostly overlooked here in the U.S.A. It is a wonderful cartridge and very popular in other places.

Barrel life will be wonderful for a 6.5 bore. My wifes weapon as seen is 6.2 pounds so comes in at ultra-light status.

Neal

I agree with Stomp and Neal.

If you down load the 6.5WSM you would still be looking at different trajectories and have to learn both of them. That being the case, I would recommend getting a 6.5X47 Lapua or 6.5x55 Swede, something like that for long barrel life and lots of shooting then swap out the barrel for the 6.5WSM for hunting only.

That's the beauty of the Savage. :p

Therapeutic, isn't it?!!! Makes decisions hard.......so don't get just one, just buy them all!!! LOL!!

Pretty soon you'll be like the rest of us.........just buy one of each and get it over with! If I told how many barrels I have you would run for the hills! Some of these other guys are worse than I am.

$200.00 for a like new Savage like that one would have been a real steal!!!!

My son has a .270 WSM in a model 16 and loves it. We have enough empty brass now I am loading for along with my .260 Rem The .260 with a 22" barrel is pushing 140gr at 2850 4" more barrel you could be almost at 3k.

If I did the 6.5-270WSM I wouldn't load it down to 6.5-06 velocities, I would just like to load it down so that I would get a little more barrel life. Does that make sense or do you all think I should just go with the 6.5-06 still?

I have been thinking about a Savage build for a long time. So before I knew I could run a short action caliber like a 260 (I was previously debating between a 260 or 6.5-06) in a long action receiver I had the $200 Savage offered to me. And to be honest my dad was offering it to me and he probably would have just given it to me or asked very little for it. I didn't want to feel like I was taking advantage of my dad so I told him he should sell it. BIG MISTAKE! So now I have been looking for a donor gun for $200 and have not come anywhere close yet.

If I did go with a 6.5-06 what barrel length should I be looking to get?

I know when I was on langrangehunting.com there was a guy talking about a 6.5 Sherman that he was developing, anyone heard of that?

If you end up going with the 6.5-06 I wouldn't get a barrel shorter than 26" a nice compromise would be to build the 6.5-06 ackley improved. That would gain you around 150 fps without using much more powder and still considerably less than the 6.5wsm. I'm not trying to talk you out of the 6.5wsm but it just doesn't make sense to me to build a magnum just to load it down to preserve barrel life. I say if you build the magnum to go for it and embrace it wholeheartedly and be prepared for the pros and cons of that chambering.

Ok, I hope I don't sound thick headed but does anyone have a guesstimate hoe many rounds I would get with a 6.5-270WSM with a treated barrel, either Nitride or Dyna Bore Coat? It really does have my interest.

I agree 100% about not getting a magnum to load it down to a standard cartridge. If I did do a 6.5-270WSM I would got for it 100%, I just don't have the finances to change out the barrel every other year.

But I am pretty sure I am sticking with the 6.5 caliber, it's just intriguing and kool!!

Can't go wrong with a 6.5 that's for sure. Good luck on your build.

I am past 1000 rounds and relegated the barrel to hunting only and it will still shoot 3 shots into one little bughole.. I know another Nitrided barrel that has 1300 rounds and still as accurate as ever.

I think one would want to really wear a barrel out to wear a Nitrided barrel out any way outside of competition shooting.

Using the bottom of the load data instead the top would go a long way to extend that barrel life even further.

Neal

358Hammer;

OK, now you have my attention again. After load development I can see me possibly shooting up to a +/- couple hundred times a year. That would give me a barrel life of about 5years or more.

If I did do the 6.5-270WSM I would load for accuracy so whether it was hot or not, that is what I would use.

How long of a barrel would you recommend? Also, how do I get that barrel?

I ordered mine through Jim at northland from Shillen. They have it as a 6.5-300WSM in their reamer list. I was quoted 8 weeks on the barrel and it took 13 months to arrive I was not real pleased with shillens turn around time.