6.5 badger project teaser

[yorketransport]

Do you have any Accurate 8700?

Maybe try:

Ramshot Magnum
WC-860
WC-872

It's funny, I have 28 different powders on hand but none of those!

On a side note, I picked up an 8# keg of Varget yesterday. Not sure what I'll do with it but it didn't seem like a bad investment.

[Jolten]

So what the verdict on this ? If you're tired of it I might be interested

[Branden]

Definitely an interesting round

[yorketransport]

So what the verdict on this ? If you're tired of it I might be interested

This turned out to be a pretty fun project. The final load is a 160gr Matrix VLD at 3460 fps from a 30" barrel. So far I've shot it out to 1721 yards (41.25 MOA of adjustment from 100 yards) with great results. What I like about it is that I can shoot it without a muzzle brake from a 13# gun without getting beat up. The trajectory is pretty similar to other RUM based calibers shooting high BC bullets but the 6.5mm has significantly less energy than the others when you get way out there.

This all comes at a cost though; barrel life is pretty limited if you're not careful. Of the two barrels that were made, one was done after 200 rounds but mine is still going strong at about 165 rounds. To be fair though the other barrel was a Black Hole ploy rifled barrel and was used to see how fast the 130-140gr bullets would go. I've only run the 160gr Matrix VLD from my McGowen 8" twist and I've been very careful about keeping it cool.

A 26 Nosler or 6.5x300 Weatherby is probably a better option for 90% of the already limited number of people who could make good use of a super speed 6.5mm. The Badger (and the other very similar designs like the 6.5 Allen Mag) are pretty specialized but do offer a pretty significant step up from either the Nosler or Weatherby cases. The one thing we haven't done yet is actually get an animal with the 6.5 Badger. I'll probably take it out a few times this year during deer season to see if I can connect with it.

[Jolten]

The cost of shooting a Ferrari I guess. 200 round barrel life isn't much if you target practice. What would you say the recoil level is at? About the same as a 338win?

[mountainman]

Didn't NWshooter have One of these?

[jay.sharkbait]

Didn't NWshooter have One of these?

No, BiggerHammer has the only other one.

[257 Wby Mag]

Wow....

[yorketransport]

The cost of shooting a Ferrari I guess. 200 round barrel life isn't much if you target practice. What would you say the recoil level is at? About the same as a 338win?

I expect the barrel to last a little closer to 500 rounds on mine. I had my concerns about the poly rifling from the start and this pretty much confirmed them. I wouldn't recommend a chambering like this for a PRS gun though! I had my load developed in 30 shots and 2 trips to the range. Everything after that has been just 3-5 shots at a time fired at long range to verify drops. Recoil in my gun is similar to a 7mm Mag from a heavy gun like a sendero. I can spot my own hits past about 400 yards when shooting prone off of a bipod.

Didn't NWshooter have One of these?

No, BiggerHammer has the only other one.

  It's actually Biggerhammer's reamer and design so it's unlikely that NWshooter has a 6.5 Badger; he may have something similar though.

[mountainman]

How far have you shot with it so far? Sounds like an awesome round and set-up you have there York!

[Jolten]

Which type of rifling would you think would give you a longer barrel life?

[yorketransport]

How far have you shot with it so far? Sounds like an awesome round and set-up you have there York!

1721 yards is as far as I've made it so far. Beyond that just screams for the 338 CheyTac!

Which type of rifling would you think would give you a longer barrel life?

Conventional rifling should work better than poly rifling just because there's a little more "meat" there to erode away with each shot.

[Jolten]

What about 5R?

[yorketransport]

What about 5R?

It may offer some advantages as far a slight increase in velocity because of the theoretical reduction in bore friction, but that's likely it. Barrel life would probably be extended slightly by going with chrome moly over stainless steel for the barrel though. Having the barrel nitrided when new could also extend the life a bit. The reality is that no matter what you do, these barrels will have a pretty short life span.

[Jolten]

Thanks for letting me pick your brain on this cartridge.