Thread: 6.5mm questions....

I'm really pushing to build a "do all" type rifle and love my Sako 85. Initial thought was to push the 6mm heavier bullets however it seems public opinion reckons it's a bit light. So, natural progression to 6.5mm. Must be a short action and aiming for max hunting performance. Anyone have much experience with a variety of these 6.5 options? 260ai has my attention at the moment.

Std bolt face only?

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Short action 260 or 260Imp can have it's drawbacks with magazine length issues and 140gr + projectiles. With the right action though, these 2 are great do all type rounds.

The old 6.5 x55 is a goodie in a modern rifle, better in a long action then you can load bullets out to fit magazine. There are good powders out now so you can get some good velocity with the 143 gr bullet. Mine in with a 20 inch barrel is good at 2754 fps AV and accurate.

I have a 6.5PRC on the go currently, yes magnum bolt face, but slightly shorter case than the 300wsm.
Performance wise basically the same as my 6.5x.284... bit of a sucker for 6.5 if I still have the x55 it would be 4 lol
Mine will be 20" with a 1:7.5 twist or there abouts with a little extra that Hugh Bradley is doing to it.
Worth looking at.

260 on a 85 S action is fine. Plenty of magazine length to seat out them 140+ pills

Short action, max performance (without going over the top) would likely be a 6.5 SAUM. Factory brass available from ADG which is apparently Lapua quality. 6.5PRC isn't far behind and now that better than Hornady brass is available (ADG) it's also a very good option. 140gr plus projectiles at 3,000 fps without any excess pressure.

In a std bolt face and if you are using a Sako 85, I'd be most likely to go with a 6.5 Creedmoor or a short throat 260ai so you don't run into overall length issues with the Sako mag

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As above 260 is a good choice, but if you are worried about OAL then 6.5 Creedmoor or 6.5x47 Lapua may be better choices.
I'd make the decision based on what reloading/brass prep are you willing to do.

If you want factory ammo Creedmoor is by far the best choice.
If you love fire forming the 260ai.
If you can't be arsed fire forming but are planning to reload 100% of the time, all the above options have Lapua brass available along with other makes.

Originally Posted by Gibo

260 on a 85 S action is fine. Plenty of magazine length to seat out them 140+ pills

I could only get to 20 thou off the lands with 147gr ELD-M's and still mag feed with the 2 Sako 85 260's I had...

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As said 260 and Swede best in long action. PRC or SAUM be good. creedmore or 6.5 x 47 with std bolt face still more thump than 6mm.

Originally Posted by The Claw

I could only get to 20 thou off the lands with 147gr ELD-M's and still mag feed with the 2 Sako 85 260's I had...

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Oh yip. Think i was 12 thou off with 143s but shot like a demon with good speed

I have had a few .260AI's and standard .260's the Ackley is definitely a step up but can be a bit of a pain to get feeding nicely, probably not an issue from a sako though, will get you the most performance out of that length action and boltface (assuming standard)

Out of a standard .260 vs 6.5 Creedmoor i would pick the Creed.

I have had most 260Ai 260 and 6.5x284 and now I have 3 x .260 which is what I would go for mine are 18 19 and 20" barrels all are doing 2800 to 2860fps with the 143ELDX my .260AI only hit 2954fps with a 22" barrel and a lot more mucking around.

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RL26 is your new friend if you have a 260Imp and a bit of barrel length. Im running 147 ELD M at 2900 with single figure ES. I've given up chasing the fps

My 2c, The CM for mag fed ease of use with better accuracy out to 600 Yd with longer BC bullets,
260 for closer work mag fed.... I use 120 Amaxes and about 3000 fps.... havent needed to put a 2nd shot down the tube but it is nice to have it in there.