6.5 Badger update!

[Biggerhammer]

I pulled this from a forum in regards to the 26 Nosler, interesting. Yorke you are kicking hind end with that 160!

Copied from the Texashunting Forum in regards to shooting the 26 Nosler factory ammo and the real world velocities.

26 Nosler

Factory 129gr ABLR 20 rounds supplied Advertized 3400fps

20 rounds fired: ALL 20 rounds were fired using the Magnetospeed

Max FPS 3351fps

Avg FPS 3317fps

Min FPS 3291fps

ES 60

SD 15

[jay.sharkbait]

This thing started to giggle when I put the numbers in.

[Biggerhammer]

I bet! It almost defies the laws of gravity!    

[yorketransport]

I'm excited to actually get some shooting done with this thing! Hopefully the next trip out will involve some extended range shooting. I plan to get the two stocks that I have set up and ready to go by next time I get out.

My buddy is having a 338 Edge built so that he can keep up with my 375 BME out past 1000 yards. He was with me when I took the Badger out on Saturday, and now he's starting to rethink the Edge. If the Badger holds true to what I've seen so far, I think that my 375 is going to get put aside for a while! Not that I don't love throwing the 350gr MK around and smacking rocks with it, I just get tired of the abuse. Even at 13# and with a 4 port Muscle brake the 375 slaps me around pretty good. The 6.5 Badger is comfortable to shoot without a brake.

According to the all knowing ISnipe (FWIW  ) the 6.5 Badger will only need 33.15 MOA to reach 1500 yards from a 100 yard zero. The 338 Edge shooting a 300gr MK at 2850 (pretty standard load) needs about 38.6 MOA. The Edge will do better with the 300gr Berger OTM, but you need a muzzle brake and more expensive bullets. Both the Badger and the Edge should be pretty effective rock busters!

I just found a used 30" Brux barrel in 6.5x47 Lapua today that I may grab as a backup barrel for when this one gets torched. I can't think of a better use for a 6.5x47 barrel.


Andrew

[Biggerhammer]

You are doing the world a favor Yorke! Rechamber every 6.5x47 Lapua barrel you can find!

[yorketransport]

You are doing the world a favor Yorke! Rechamber every 6.5x47 barrel you can find!

It's funny, I had a 6.5x47 that I built for a friend. It was a really good gun, but I just never learned to love it. Neither did he. He sold it and bought a Sendero to build a 338 Edge off of. 

[bearpaw]

I'm curious what kind of energy you might have with your 160 bullet out of your badger at 800 to 1000 yards?

[b23]

Peeked my interest a bit so I'm curious, how many grains of US869 does it take to get you to 3450fps with those Matrix 160's ?? 

I'm actually one of the, seemingly, few that actually likes US869 so I'm curious what kind of ES numbers you are getting with your full tilt 3450 loads.

[Biggerhammer]

Almost ready to rock!

I'm going to do my cartridge testing and load development on a Savage action. Figured this was the easiest route to go. I'll put allot of miles on this barrel testing, when I have it all figured out. Benchmark Barrels will get a Remington 700 action and the reamer to build me my "Hunter" 6.5 Badger.

My 26" , 1-8 twist, 3P heavy barrel arrived today from BlackHole Weaponry. Head spaced it up ( Thanks Yorke!) The stock will be in Tuesday, then I'll start forming cases. Had the barrel threaded 5/8-24 for the Killer Innovations muzzle brake.

[yorketransport]

Looks good! I'm curious to see how the 26" barrel does. Be sure that you have plenty of US869 on hand. I'm also interested in how the Killer Innovations brake works out for you. 

It's killing me that I can't shoot right now! I'm so close to finishing up the work on my Badger. I think I set myself back at least two more weeks though. I'm hoping that the wrist and elbow are good enough to do at least enough shooting with the rifles to get most of the finished and sighted in for bear season.

[Biggerhammer]

After I took the above pictures and knew everything was good to go with the head space. I broke it all down and sent the action off to Gorge Custom Coatings to have it Cerakoted in a matte stainless. I sent the barrel off to be matte satin bead blasted. My Matrix 160 VLD's are on the way and I scored a bunch of US869, all the same lot No# for $21.00 a pound. I ran 50 .338 RUM cases through a .300 WSM die, then I ran those through a .270 WSM die. I'm going to wait until I have my rifle assembled again before I neck them down to 6.5. I want to put a false shoulder on them so they will just chamber and be snug against the bolt face when I cream of wheat form them.

I did neck two all the way down to 6.5 and seat a bullet to check my dimension. My reamer has a .299 neck and a unturned necked down Remington case with a bullet seated has a neck dimension of .296 .

Should be up and going with it in 10 days or less.      

I'm also curious as to the velocity I'm going to get out of the 8 twist 3P Polygonal. I would be more than happy with 3400 fps with the 160gr Matrix. I won't know until I send a few over a friends Magnetto Speed.

[Nape.257]

What kind of barrel life do you expect out of that 6.5 Badger 400-500 rounds?

The 338Edge may not be the flattest but you don't have to re-barrel them every other year.

Great looking build love shooting long.

[Biggerhammer]

800 plus , shot the Edge a bunch. Barrels are cheap compared to the cost in components now days to burn one out.  A guy has to pay to play in pretty much any hobby or sport. For a dedicated Rockchuck, coyote and big game long range rifle. It should last quiet a few years once the load is found. I figured between Yorke and I, we could split the barrel wear beaten the two barrels with load development. If Yorke would stop busting himself up!

Another member quoted Elmer Keith when discussing this cartridge in a PM.

"To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith

[yorketransport]

 

I don't think barrel life will really be that much worse than a 7mm RUM pushed to similar levels. You can always have the barrel set back at about 400 rounds to squeeze a little more out of the barrel.

I've shot the 6.5 Badger side by side with the 338 Edge, 7mm RUM and the 270 RUM as well as my 375 BME. With similar bullets they're all in the same ball park at 1000 yards. The Badger just gets there slightly faster!

Andrew

[Biggerhammer]

I like "Faster".