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6.5mm-06 Wildcat???

leeblackman
I'm looking for any information on a wildcat or cartridge with a .264cal/6.5mm bullet in a .30-06case.
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Comments

11 comments

Date Votes
  • garyd
    What information are you looking for? I have a rifle chambered in 6.5-06.
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  • Talking Head
    Reloaders Nest and The Reload Bench both have load info/case specs on it if that's what you are looking for.

    http://www.reloadbench.com/main.html


    http://reloadersnest.com

    Happy_Camp.gif
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  • Talking Head
    Reloaders Nest and The Reload Bench both have load info/case specs on it if that's what you are looking for.

    http://www.reloadbench.com/main.html


    http://www.reloadersnest.com

    Happy_Camp.gif
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  • cody45
    loading data is the same as the 240 weatherby.
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  • mbsams
    Cody45 is mistaken - the 240 Weatherby Mag data is good for the 6mm-06 only. The 6.5mm-06 is a completly different animal. CAUTION is a must when you use any loading date presented in a public forum. Always get a double and even a tripple check before using anyone's loading recommendations.
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  • cody45
    my mistake I stand corrected I was think of the 6mm 06.
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  • nononsense
    The 6.5-06 falls into the category of 'easiest wildcats' to begin with. You can use any one of the standard '06 cases and simply neck up or down with the appropriate die(s). I started with 25-06 cases, one easy expansion and fireform in the rifle chamber.

    The cartridge is terrific for hunting and it's even seeing some use as the Ackley Improved version at Long Range bench matches and F-Class shoots. The quality bullet selection is super.

    6.5mm-06
    256-06

    257006.jpg

    Historical Notes:

    The venerable 30-06 brass case has been necked both up and down to cover just about every caliber in existence. The 6.5mm, or the .256 caliber, is yet another, and is also one of the oldest. The original was developed by the late Charles Newton and introduced in 1913. There is very little difference between the 256 Newton and the 6.5mm-06, the latter being the wildcat version. There is also an Improved cartridge, favored by some. The 6.5mm-06 achieved a degree of popularity in the immediate post WW-II era because of the influx of surplus 6.5x55mm rifles. The 6.5mm-06 is a very practical cartridge, cases are easily formed and it will work through any standard length bolt action with little or no alteration. Today, most shooters prefer to go with the factory 264 Winchester Magnum, however, the 6.5mm-06, being less powerful, is much easier on barrels.

    General Comments:

    The 6.5mm-06 is a very good long range medium game cartridge, provided one loads the proper bullet. It is quite flexible because of the wide range of bullets available and it can be adopted to varying conditions by using the lighter, faster bullets for plains hunting and the heavier ones in brush or wooded country. It can also double for varmint hunting by using bullets weighing 80 to 100 grains.


    Source: Cartridges of the World

    6.5mm-06 / 256-06 Reloading Data
    Bullet (grs.) Powder / (grs.) MV ME Source
    85 SP H-414 / 55.0 3610 2460 n/a
    100 SP H-4831 / 62.0 3445 2625 n/a
    120 SP H-4831 / 58.0 3175 2680 n/a
    140 SP H-4831 / 56.0 3000 2800 n/a
    165 SP H-4831 / 54.0 2825 2920 n/a

    Back to Wildcat Cartridges


    Loads:

    http://www.huntingnut.com/cgi-bin/reloads/loads.pl?mode=LoadList&dbase=DBASE46
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  • ern98
    The 6.5-06 is a great wildcat that I fully expect to own one of in the near future. What is holding me back is the stiff competition of the 6.5-284, which if I understand correct, is doing very well in the long range competitions. The 6.5-06 is a great fit for standard length actions, read Mauser 98. The 6.5-284 wants a longer short action or a intermediate length action, read turk 1903 or the Yugo M48 and the like. Oh, well planning these things is 1/3 the fun....
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  • JustC
    I have the 6.5-06AI in an 8 twist PacNor select match 5 groove tube. The 120-142/147gr pills are superb in this caliber. the 140gr class in the 6.5mm have VERY high BC's compared to their weight vs other calibers, and the sectional density makes for some serious penetration. This summer will bring the testing of mine on LR game with the 140gr a-max.

    I suggest you stick to RL22 and H4831sc for the heavy pills and you'll be quite happy.

    why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
    Got Balistics?
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  • Bittersweat
    Just one question, if I may...What wil the 6.5-06 do that the good old 270 Win won't do ?
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  • nononsense
    In the generic world of the average sportsman, probably nothing. In the esoteric world, there are those of us that prefer to hunt and shoot with something outside of the ordinary, and the .270 Win. is exactly that, plain vanilla ordinary. Seemingly everyone on the planet has one and we strive to have something just a pinch different. No big deal. It's certainly nothing to argue about, it's personal preference.

    The 6.5-06 gives performance and power yet you can't walk into any gunshop and buy ammunition. The owner of the 6.5-06 has to craft his or her own ammunition and test it to be sure that it meets their criteria. It's another point of pride, shooting something that very few others have.

    You won't see any .270 Win. on the line at 1000 yards but you most certainly will see 6.5-06's and the Ackley version as well. The bullet designers have paid far more attention to the 6.5's than the .270's and have fielded several accurate designs with very high BC's suited for long range accuracy contests.

    Best.
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