6.5-300 Weatherby for Long Range Shooting

[bobcat]

Let me ask this: what would be the downside of going with something that's a little more "standard" but still has plenty of speed and long range capability, such as the 7mm RUM?

[bearpaw]

I think it's what the 26 Nosler should have been! If you're going for a hyper velocity 6.5, why not to with the fastest? I do wish they had gone with a better bullet in the 140 class. The A-Frame is a great hunting bullet but has the BC of a brick. It doesn't make much sense in a long range gun/cailber. Handload the better 140+gr bullets and it will be even better.

Now if you really want to get a 6.5 bullet moving you can give the 6.5 Badger or 6.5 RUM a try. Why shoot 140s at 3400fps when you can hit that with a 160 with a better BC?

I like the way he thinks! Is there factory brass available for the 6.5 badger or 6.5 RUM, or would I have to make brass?

Another one is the 6.5 STW. I was going to do a 6.5-300wby but with all the 7stw cases I have been buying I decided to go with the 6.5 STW. It and the 6.5-300wby will run pretty dang close to the same and both a little faster then the 26 nosler.

I read about it too, but would have to make brass and I don't have any stw like you! Somewhere I also read about a 270 RUM, necked down 7mm or 300 RUM brass. There are a ton of wildcats out there!

Let me ask this: what would be the downside of going with something that's a little more "standard" but still has plenty of speed and long range capability, such as the 7mm RUM?

  I'm wanting to go with a cartridge that is available over the counter! I am also looking at the 7 RUM.

[2labs]

You guys are approaching .204 speeds with a bullet that weighs 4 times. Can't argue that carry on!

[Taco280AI]

What's the barrel life? Swap it out with every box of ammo? 

[bearpaw]

What's the barrel life? Swap it out with every box of ammo? 

I don't care, I've got standard calibers already, I want something crazy fast where I hold dead on out to 400+, if it only last a few hundred rounds I'm fine with that!

[carpsniperg2]

Another one is the 6.5 STW. I was going to do a 6.5-300wby but with all the 7stw cases I have been buying I decided to go with the 6.5 STW. It and the 6.5-300wby will run pretty dang close to the same and both a little faster then the 26 nosler.

I read about it too, but would have to make brass and I don't have any stw like you! Somewhere I also read about a 270 RUM, necked down 7mm or 300 RUM brass. There are a ton of wildcats out there![/quote]

There is a company that makes brass you can buy for it. It is just not in stock to often.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/578531/quality-cartridge-reloading-brass-65mm-stw-box-of-20
You can also make it from 8mm and 7 stw. With the 7stw brass you can just size, trim and load. So it's a pretty easy wildcat and brass is not to bad at 2-3.00 a case. Just food for thought.

[jackelope]

I think it's what the 26 Nosler should have been! If you're going for a hyper velocity 6.5, why not to with the fastest? I do wish they had gone with a better bullet in the 140 class. The A-Frame is a great hunting bullet but has the BC of a brick. It doesn't make much sense in a long range gun/cailber. Handload the better 140+gr bullets and it will be even better.

Now if you really want to get a 6.5 bullet moving you can give the 6.5 Badger or 6.5 RUM a try. Why shoot 140s at 3400fps when you can hit that with a 160 with a better BC?

I like the way he thinks! Is there factory brass available for the 6.5 badger or 6.5 RUM, or would I have to make brass?

I'm pretty sure that Biggerhammer and/or Yorketransport created the 6.5 Badger. Hopefully Yorke chimes in again and clarifies.

[mountainman]

I think it's what the 26 Nosler should have been! If you're going for a hyper velocity 6.5, why not to with the fastest? I do wish they had gone with a better bullet in the 140 class. The A-Frame is a great hunting bullet but has the BC of a brick. It doesn't make much sense in a long range gun/cailber. Handload the better 140+gr bullets and it will be even better.

Now if you really want to get a 6.5 bullet moving you can give the 6.5 Badger or 6.5 RUM a try. Why shoot 140s at 3400fps when you can hit that with a 160 with a better BC?

I like the way he thinks! Is there factory brass available for the 6.5 badger or 6.5 RUM, or would I have to make brass?

I'm pretty sure that Biggerhammer and/or Yorketransport created the 6.5 Badger. Hopefully Yorke chimes in again and clarifies.

Been around for awhile, short of a few tweaks to make it "original"..

[yorketransport]

Been around for awhile, short of a few tweaks to make it "original"..

Pretty much. It's similar to Kirby Allen's 6.5 Allen Mag ballistically and dimensionally.

I like the way he thinks! Is there factory brass available for the 6.5 badger or 6.5 RUM, or would I have to make brass?

Another one is the 6.5 STW. I was going to do a 6.5-300wby but with all the 7stw cases I have been buying I decided to go with the 6.5 STW. It and the 6.5-300wby will run pretty dang close to the same and both a little faster then the 26 nosler.

I read about it too, but would have to make brass and I don't have any stw like you! Somewhere I also read about a 270 RUM, necked down 7mm or 300 RUM brass. There are a ton of wildcats out there!

The 6.5 RUM is an easy round to load for and form brass, but no factory ammo. Same goes for the 270 RUM. Both of them just use 7mm RUM brass and can get necked down using either 270 WSM or 6.5 WSM dies. I actually have  270 RUM reamer sitting on my bench waiting for a 1-8" twist barrel.

[mountainman]

Been around for awhile, short of a few tweaks to make it "original"..

Pretty much. It's similar to Kirby Allen's 6.5 Allen Mag ballistically and dimensionally.

I like the way he thinks! Is there factory brass available for the 6.5 badger or 6.5 RUM, or would I have to make brass?

Another one is the 6.5 STW. I was going to do a 6.5-300wby but with all the 7stw cases I have been buying I decided to go with the 6.5 STW. It and the 6.5-300wby will run pretty dang close to the same and both a little faster then the 26 nosler.

I read about it too, but would have to make brass and I don't have any stw like you! Somewhere I also read about a 270 RUM, necked down 7mm or 300 RUM brass. There are a ton of wildcats out there!

The 6.5 RUM is an easy round to load for and form brass, but no factory ammo. Same goes for the 270 RUM. Both of them just use 7mm RUM brass and can get necked down using either 270 WSM or 6.5 WSM dies. I actually have  270 RUM reamer sitting on my bench waiting for a 1-8" twist barrel.

[bobcat]

So... can someone tell me, what will any of these wildcat cartridges do that a 7 RUM can't?

[mountainman]

On game? Nothing...but because one can?? Hell yeah!

[yorketransport]

So... can someone tell me, what will any of these wildcat cartridges do that a 7 RUM can't?

Be something other than a 7mm RUM.

A 2001 Kia Rio with 300K miles on it will get you back and forth to work, so why own anything else? I personally don't like going to a parking lot and seeing 14 cars just like mine. I feel the same way about my guns. 

[bobcat]

So you're saying a 7mm RUM is comparable to a Kia?

I guess I don't get it. Bearpaw is looking for a flat shooting hunting rifle. What I was curious about is how much better is the 6.5-300 Weatherby than a more standard chambering like the 7mm RUM?

Ignoring the fact that the 6.5-300 Weatherby is just "different," how is it better other than that? Remember, he said he wants to be able to buy factory ammo.

[carpsniperg2]

So... can someone tell me, what will any of these wildcat cartridges do that a 7 RUM can't?

The 6.5-300 wby ballistic is pretty much a match with a 6.5 stw so here is some data for you to see a difference.
Same barrel length,same powder and bullets within 8 grains of each other.

7 RUM/POWDER US869/104 GRAINS/VELOCITY 3250 26" BARREL/BC .611 NLRA with a 150 grain bullet.
1000 yards drop -205in/velocity 1830fps/KE 1117 FT LBS

6.5 STW/POWDER US869/88 GRAINS/VELOCITY 3400 26" BARREL/BC .719 NLRA with a 142 grain bullet.
1000 YARDS DROP -171in/ velocity 2125fps/KE 1424 FT LBS

So with 15% less powder. At 1000 yards: I have 34" less drop/ 295 fps faster/ with 307 more ft pounds of KE. With the 6,5 STW over the 7 RUM.

That is a very big advantage over a 7 RUM for me.