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6.5-300WSM Info
hadjii
Member Posts: 976 ✭✭
Does anybody have any information on this cartridge? I was thumbing through the Montana GunWorks website, and seen they offered this cartridge. I am intrigued by this. Seems to me it would be a really good cartridge, but would like to find out some information about it, such as the ballistic potential and if I could acquire some dies somewhere. Thanks
Comments
As awesome as it seems, it does have drawbacks. It is, by a pretty fair margin, way over bore. That meaning, to experience any significant gains over the 260 Remington, 6.5 Creedmore, or the 6.5x284, you are going to need at least a 28-30 inch barrel. Most likely a 1 in 8 twist. It would be at its best with the long, heavy, VLD bullets, and SLOW burning powder. If I am not mistaken, Nononsense has experimented with most everything that has a 6.5MM bullet, and .257 bullets.
Best
http://forums.wssmzone.com/default.asp
a waste of a capacity with anything less than 130-147gr pills IMHO
You don't read much about it because it has very selective uses by a small audience of shooters that like cartridge that run on the ragged edge of performance. You really have to dig just to find little snippets about the cartridge let alone reloading information.
The 6.5/300WSM can be an excellent cartridge but it is limited to the wildcatters that have a sound approach to developing loads for cartridges that lack any written data from standard suppliers and manufacturers.
It's similar in performance to the venerable .264 Win. Mag. The RSAUM cases will be a tad more efficient and allow the bullets to be seated out a touch further. The 6.5x284 Norma at max loads will run about 100 FPS behind the cartridges using either the WSM or RSAUM cases.
Barrels are always a good point to consider first before attacking a new chamber and reloading data. The 80 gr. (+/-) capacity cases are at the very upper level of rational use for 'normal' length barrels for 6.5mm bullets. With proper powder selection and sticking with the heavier, longer bullets, you can get some optimum performance from a 26" barrel. I prefer mine longer and with a 1:8" twist. The life span of this barrel will depend on how it's used or abused. Load development and hunting use will get you a lifetime of fun. Heavily populated prairie dog towns on hot June days will destroy the tube in one day, maybe two.
My best loads were using Re-25, Retumbo and Ramshot Magnum paired with Berger 140gr. VLD, Lapua 139gr. Scenar, 140gr. Hornady AMAX, 140gr. Nosler Partition and Swift A-Frame.
Heavier bullets in the 155-160gr. range from Norma, Hornady and Sierra require a slower powder like V V N-170.
Best.