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

[Savage6x284]

I punch as little paper as possible for load development and data gathering (chronograph and Pressure Trace).
All my rifles are for hunting.

[Apex-Predator]

Good call on the 6.5 WSM, I have been wanting to do one myself but my 270 WSM has been shooting too darn good to tear down. I am currently punching cloverleaf groups at 100 with a bone stock model 11 using 150gr SGKs over RL22 and Winchester nickle brass.

[Alesandro]

I have a question for you guys, when do I know if I need to neck turn a casing? Here's the reason why I ask; Normally after I shoot a round, any round, I can take a bullet of the same caliber and it will slip into the fired mouth. For example, I have also been reloading for a 257Wthby, after I fired a reloaded load with a 110 grain Accubond, then I can take another .257 110 grain Accubond bullet and it will slip into the fired case, easily. I have experienced this with all the cartridges I re-load for.

When I run my 270WSM brass thru my 6.5WSM LEE decapping/forming die, the inside of the neck measures .259". The outside of the prepped brass measures .296". After I shoot a reloaded round the inside of the neck measures .260 and the outside measures .299". I could almost reload with that brass. Just to note, I am not using a micrometer, I am using standard $35 digital caliper.

Lastly, I am getting ejector marks on my my lowest charge. Using a charge of 58.7 grains of IMR 7828 I am getting ejector marks, slightly difficult bolt lift, and getting about 3040fps, I was hoping to get around 3100fps with a 26" tube. Seems like I could have got close to those speeds with a 260Rem, 6.5-06, or others and burned less powder with a shorter barrel. I specifically asked for a "NO neck turn" chamber and was instructed that is what I would receive, but I am not so sure about that.

[tammons]

When you neck down the brass in teh neck gets thicker so might need turning depending on the chamber dimensions.

When you neck up the brass gets thinner in the neck but it moves the previous shoulder junction into the neck in the form of a donut or a small ring of thicker brass. That can cause problems.

With either if you have a no turn neck chamber then you probably dont need to neck turn.

If a tight neck chamber then you probably do need to neck turn.

[Alesandro]

tammons;

I was really hoping to avoid having to do any extra un-needed work for this build, not that I don't want to learn how to neck turn. But as this is my 1st build I was hoping for something with very few "extras" to get a decent end result. I am not a gunsmith by any stretch of the imagination but I am really good at using common sense. When I order a "NO turn chamber" I would assume I would have gotten a chamber that didn't have a need for me to turn necks. I am using Norma 270WSM brass to help alleviate case neck thickness and that was relayed to the barrel company and was told I would not have to turn necks. I know I am not the best shooter or the best reloader in the world, but I have quite a few rounds that I reload for that do not require their necks turned shooting from .250"-<1". I guess I am just frustrated if I have to get extra equipment to get this gun to work correctly when I didn't get what I had requested in the first place with this company and their customer service has not been good at all.

So if I need to turn necks, is it essential to get a micrometer and how much do I remove from the neck?

[tammons]

I have not read the entire thread, so whats the use of this setup ?
Target Rifle ?

I just use a digital caliper, but I dont shoot any rounds that are necked down.

All mine are neck ups and hunting rifles, so my method is to run the brass over an expaniron which expands the neck and pushes the dount to the outside, then I just do a light clean up neck turn. When I do this its just barely enough to get the brass thickness at the neck back the same thickness and remove the donut.

In your case you need to know the diameter of the chamber at the neck, then measure the diameter of a loaded round then see what you have for clearance. You should have a few thousanths of clearance. Some Semi autos probably have more clearance. Brass snap back should be about .001"

May also be that your brass neck thickness is lop sided after necking down or the neck thickness varies.

Or maybe you just got a batch of thick brass.

Neck turning is not a big deal, but most people hate it.

Definitely makes you more observant about where your used brass goes on ejection.

[Alesandro]

tammons;

This rifle will be used for hunting and the occasional 1000 yard shot. I have not and never shot out to 1000 yards but I have friends who do and they are anxious to get this gun out there to see what it does. I know you don't need benchrest accuracy for a hunting rifle but I also want to be safe. Right now my loads should be mild to weak and I am getting groups from .765"- 2.5" accuracy. Shooting the 140gr NoslerBT I am getting about 3040fps (.765" group) and a stiff bolt lift with a 26" tube, meaning I need to go even lower.

[tammons]

Shooting to 1000 and a tight neck is agood thing, but you need to know your chamber neck diam.
Snap back should be about .001 so add that to a fired shell neck diam and that will be close.

I dont know that round, but if you are trying to get the best accuracy, as you know everything has to be the same from shot to shot.

What I would do is eliminate the variables. Neck turn and fire form some brass so you know its all consistent, then neck size and trim and sort and make sure the neck clearance is correct. Then run a known accuracy load with some berger or lapua bullets.

Thats a pretty big variation of group size, so my suspects first would be, bedding or a free float issue like at the tang, flinch or inconsistent holding or bipod jump etc, brass inconsistency and then scope and rings mounts etc.

Non concentric brass varying brass neck thickness will cause problems if your trying to shoot 1/4 MOA, and I have never necked up a piece of brass that the neck thickness wasnt lop sided. I assume the same for necking down.

Also if I remember right that brass is super hard which doesnt help so you might need to anneal it before you do anything.

Sounds like a nice Loudenboomer