6.5-300 Weatherby for Long Range Shooting

[yorketransport]

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.

It doesn't need to be better, just different. And yes, a 7mm RUM is kind of the Kia of the long range world. There are better options out there for people who are looking for specialized equipment. The 7mm RUM is a great caliber but it's not necessarily the best. I ran a 7mm RUM for long range shooting for a while and it worked great when I ran the 200 gr Wildcat bullets. I switched to the 6.5 Badger for my small bore long range gun and I've never missed the 7mm RUM.

[jackelope]

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.

When did he say a 7rum was comparable to a KIA? Better yet, why on God's green earth would anyone say that?

[bobcat]

Why would anyone say that? Well, it would be a better question for Yorke, since I'm not the long range guru. But, what he said is that it's "the Kia of the long range world."

[jackelope]

Why would anyone say that? Well, it would be a better question for Yorke, since I'm not the long range guru. But, what he said is that it's "the Kia of the long range world."

It's a figure of speech. The plain, un-exciting, boring(all like a KIA is) cartridge of the long range rifle world. Id assume you've heard those sort of comparisons before.

[bobcat]

Yeah I get it. Just not sure why you're quizzing me.

[bearpaw]

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.

It doesn't need to be better, just different. And yes, a 7mm RUM is kind of the Kia of the long range world. There are better options out there for people who are looking for specialized equipment. The 7mm RUM is a great caliber but it's not necessarily the best. I ran a 7mm RUM for long range shooting for a while and it worked great when I ran the 200 gr Wildcat bullets. I switched to the 6.5 Badger for my small bore long range gun and I've never missed the 7mm RUM.

I read through one of your old topics on the 6.5 badger, I had forgotten how fast that cartridge is! 
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,153858.50.html
So now you've confused me even more about what I should have made! 

How much trouble do you have making cases? I saw that it's a 338 RUM necked down.
What load and speed are you doing?
What do you think is the optimal barrel length?
Is there a barrel supplier who has a reamer?

[yorketransport]

I read through one of your old topics on the 6.5 badger, I had forgotten how fast that cartridge is! 
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,153858.50.html
So now you've confused me even more about what I should have made! 

How much trouble do you have making cases? I saw that it's a 338 RUM necked down.
What load and speed are you doing?
What do you think is the optimal barrel length?
Is there a barrel supplier who has a reamer?

Making brass from 338 RUM isn't that bad if you've dealt with wildcats before. I take 338 RUM cases and neck them down using a 300 SAUM, 7mm WSM, 270 WSM and then a 6.5 Badger die. Then you anneal the brass, load it up with a fireforming load of Bullseye and Cream of Wheat with a toilet paper plug and shoot them in the garage to form the brass.  Going from longer 7mm or 300 RUM brass is a bit more work but it can be done as well.

I haven't played around to much with the load development mostly because of the limited barrel life. I started with 26 Nosler max charges and worked up until I started seeing reduced gains in velocity per grain of powder. For the most part with US 869 I gain about 50 fps/per grain. Once the velocity increase per grain starts to drop down to about 15 fps/per grain I know that I've hit the practical limit of usable powder in the case. At that point I either go to a slower powder or just call it quits. The whole time I'm doing the incremental steps in powder charges I'm measuring case head expansion looking for any load that gives more than .004" in expansion. That's about the upper limit for me, but I know a lot of guys who will run them up to .005" case head expansion. I ended up right around 93 grains of US 869 with the 160gr Matrix bullets moving at about 3430 fps. This changes based on temperature though since 869 gets some significant velocity swings at different temps. BiggerHammer worked more with the bullets in the 140 range with his barrel.

My barrel is a 30" bull barrel that's 1" at the muzzle and I'm pretty sure that BiggerHammer's barrel is a 26" varmint contour. His plans were to use his a hunting barrel so he went a little shorter/lighter than mine. I didn't want to run a muzzle brake so I went with a pretty heavy barrel. My barrel is a rechamberd McGowen that started life as an 8 twist 6.5x284 I think. BH's is a Black Hole barrel. I wouldn't recommend the Black Hole barrel though. The polygonal rifling doesn't seem to be getting a good grip on the 160gr bullets at those speeds. It looks like the bullets aren't fully stabilizing.

As far as the reamer, I have a resize/rougher reamer and BiggerHammer has the finish reamer. Maybe you could shoot him a PM and ask him about it. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[bearpaw]

  Good one yorkie! 

Thanks for all the info, great learning process!

[bearpaw]

I have a Mark V 300 Wtby that needs a new barrel so I sent a message to Weatherby asking if they do that. They returned a message that if I send my rifle in they will screw a new accumark barrel on it and I can even get a new accumark stock to properly fit the barrel. I went ahead and put in my order without specifying a caliber, still undecided between a 340 and a 6.5-300. I've already got the 340 reloading components so if I went with the 6.5-300 I would have to find reloading dies.

I haven't found any 6.5-300 dies in stock yet, does anyone know where they might be available?
If I can't find any 6.5-300 dies may have to go with the 340 which would be fine.

[bobcat]

Why not the 7mm Weatherby?

[high country]

Dale, if you're not looking to go 1400ish and beyond the 6.5 wby is like lipstick on a pig. It's going to overdrive every bullet up close. You can get the flat ballistic you desire with 10's in a 270 roy......which is a chalk line to the range you listed. If you are looking to make those 700 yard connections it's going to be math no matter what you use and to think that you half wore out your hammer just getting verified is something to consider.

All from a real 6.5 junky.

[birddogdad]

i have several wbys and am really entering into the long range world, don't you find that the free bores are somewhat inaccurate? yes they shoot nice but 1/2moa or better I don't think so, not even out of my crown 340, which I am approaching Lapua ballistics with..

[b23]

I have a Mark V 300 Wtby that needs a new barrel so I sent a message to Weatherby asking if they do that. They returned a message that if I send my rifle in they will screw a new accumark barrel on it and I can even get a new accumark stock to properly fit the barrel. I went ahead and put in my order without specifying a caliber, still undecided between a 340 and a 6.5-300. I've already got the 340 reloading components so if I went with the 6.5-300 I would have to find reloading dies.

I haven't found any 6.5-300 dies in stock yet, does anyone know where they might be available?
If I can't find any 6.5-300 dies may have to go with the 340 which would be fine.

Why couldn't you use a 300 Wby bushing die with the appropriate 6.5 bushing???

[high country]

I have a Mark V 300 Wtby that needs a new barrel so I sent a message to Weatherby asking if they do that. They returned a message that if I send my rifle in they will screw a new accumark barrel on it and I can even get a new accumark stock to properly fit the barrel. I went ahead and put in my order without specifying a caliber, still undecided between a 340 and a 6.5-300. I've already got the 340 reloading components so if I went with the 6.5-300 I would have to find reloading dies.

I haven't found any 6.5-300 dies in stock yet, does anyone know where they might be available?
If I can't find any 6.5-300 dies may have to go with the 340 which would be fine.

Why couldn't you use a 300 Wby bushing die with the appropriate 6.5 bushing???

30 to 264 may be a bit of a stretch to resize without a 7 in there, but a 290ish bushing should able to pull it off.....good thinking.

[dontgetcrabs]

I have a Mark V 300 Wtby that needs a new barrel so I sent a message to Weatherby asking if they do that. They returned a message that if I send my rifle in they will screw a new accumark barrel on it and I can even get a new accumark stock to properly fit the barrel. I went ahead and put in my order without specifying a caliber, still undecided between a 340 and a 6.5-300. I've already got the 340 reloading components so if I went with the 6.5-300 I would have to find reloading dies.

I haven't found any 6.5-300 dies in stock yet, does anyone know where they might be available?
If I can't find any 6.5-300 dies may have to go with the 340 which would be fine.

Why couldn't you use a 300 Wby bushing die with the appropriate 6.5 bushing???

You can. I go from .308 to .264 all the time in one step. Heck I've gone .308 to .257 with no issues at all.