I shot a 6.5 Rem Mag for several years in a 700 Rem with 24 inch barrel and poleaxed every deer I shot at. I shot several that just shook all over and then fell after a mad dash. I shot the 129 grain hornady at the time but it works with all weights. I have owned a lot of different calibers over the years but if I could just have one to deer hunt with it would be a 260 rem with 24 inch barrel.

 

Curious as to why you decided on 6.5 Grendel vs 6.5 Creedmoor.
I'm trying to decide between myself for a new AR upper.

 

If you already have an AR15, and just want a new upper, the Grendel is the only choice. 6.5 Creedmoor is too big for the 15, but you can do it in an AR10.

 

I have a 6.5mm Arisaka Kokura....from WWII japanese Army

It's not exactly an east coast deer rifle though, it's waaaay too long

 

The 6.5 phenomenon started over 115 years ago with the Italian 1891 Carcano. The Swedes did it right in 1894. I'm in the process of resurrecting an 1894 Swedish 6.5 X 55mm 1894 Mauser carbine (my favorite project - a beat, cobbled, yet nearly unfired and bright bore, no pitting!) 1918 gun to transform into a Walk About utility iron sighted 'Scout' Carbine'. She scales out at 6 1/4 lbs. No pics at this time, but will be forthcoming, the barreled receiver went to the 'smith today for drilling and tapping as she'll be getting a low profile Williams Fool Proof peep. This will be an all weather budget job that will do it all East of the Mississippi. 6.5 calibers ROCK! Stay tuned...AC

She's finished now! http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/m...rifles/289873-25-year-quest-finally-finished-baby-swede-arrives-6-lbs-8-oz.html

 

The 6.5 phenomenon started over 1150 years ago with the Italian 1891 Carcano.

Wow! What year is it right now? Did I just sleep for 1000 years? (Sorry. Couldn't help it.)

Seriously considering building a lefty 260.

 

Here's an 1894 6.5x55. Sub MOA with iron sights and a handy 16.5" barrel. It's only 115 years old this year.

 

Here's an 1894 6.5x55. Sub MOA with iron sights and a handy 16.5" barrel. It's only 115 years old this year.

View attachment 174470

Nice, I have a M96 made in 1898, unfortunately not all parts match. My pride and joy though is a 1900 M38, made by Mauser Obendorf, with a two digit serial number and all parts serial numbered match. It was probably cut down from a standard M96, but someone was smart enough to keep all it's parts together.

 

I have been shooting a 6.5x55 Swede since the mid 1970s, shot a Model 96 Mauser in competition for over 35 years. had everything done to it and went through a couple of barrels in the process. The rifle shot 1/2 inch groups all day long. Sold it to a bloke who wanted it more than me. These days I have a Tikka Stainless Varmint in a lefty, and it actually shoots better than the '96.
The 6.5x55 shoots slightly faster than the 6.5Rem, but the Rem has the advantage of using the shorter action.
Yep, love the Swede and doubt if I will ever not have one, I love my 1895 45-70 GBL just as much.
Well, my opinion anyway.

 

Picked up a Thai Carbine in 6.5 Arisaka like those below (well top one anyway bottom is a reproduction). My current favorite 6.5mm rifle. Same size as the .30 Carbine. Just plain handy. Would be very interested in a 6.5mm lever gun in either the Win 94 platform, Marlin 336 or a Savage 99. I know the Savage could handle any reasonable pressure but not sure if you could get the velocities where they would need to be in the other actions without exceeding pressure limitations. Can't wait to see more on it!

 

I recently converted a Remington 783 in 308 to a 6.5x47. The 6.5x47 is a true short action cartridge that can take full advantage of longer/heavier bullets. The only original thing on it is the trigger and action. I only have 25 rounds down the pipe for break-in but I can already tell it's the most accurate gun I have, and by no small margin. One major advantage to many of the 6.5's is good Lapua brass. The one major disadvantage to the 6.5's is that your old rifle range may be way to short.

I can see a Henry lever gun with their rotary magazine using a 6.5 but how you gonna use pointy bullets in a traditional magazine?

 

If one wanted a 6.5 in a lever, I guess the best option would be a Browning BLR in a converted 243 or 308 or 358.

 

I have two Steyrs chambered in 260 Rem - a Mountain Rifle and a Forrester. All of my Steyrs are extremely accurate and the 260 is a great round!

Here I am with the Mountain Rifle and its day's work. :biggrin: - T.S.

 

Some bullets do crazy things. I shot 45-70 hard cast side by side with .223 sp the other week at 3/8" mild steel. The 45-70 spangled loudly but barely left a dent in the star shaped splatter. The .223 zipped right through like it was made of cardboard. 6-6.5mm seems to be the magic zone for flat shooting and hard hitting in balance with each other when huge recoil is not a necessity to make both coincide.

 

Love the idea of a 264 levergun, but wondering what options exist for bullets suitable in a tubular magazine . You guys at RPP are truly cutting edge. Thank you !

 

Finding appropriate bullets is the trick. Right now we are just playing with spitzer bullets, loaded singly, to suss out the possibilities in the Marlin platform. A Savage 99 or BLR would be an obvious choice for conversion if one wanted to run full power .260 or Creedmore factory loads (though I understand the BLR is a tricky one for barrel swaps). But I love my Marlins, and I think that even at reduced pressures there is a 6.5 out there that will still perform well enough in the Marlin.

There are a couple of hollow points available that would be safe enough in the tubular mag, but in varmint weights that would defeat the purpose of having the 6.5. We are hoping that JackTW, who has expressed keen interest in this project, will find time in his busy schedule to eventually produce some good flat point hunting bullets for those who want to run them in a tubular mag. Might not be able to match the crazy high BCs of a Matchking, but they will still have some real advantages over .30 cal bullets. Meanwhile, it gives us time to sort out our rifle and collect some load data. We'll keep you posted.

 

The .260 rem is a great cartridge. My brother and I did a rifle project with the planned intension of it being a .260 rem rifle. I chose the 6.5 bullet based on the ballistic coefficient. It slips through the air with low drag. The rifle we built is based upon a Ruger MKII M77 SS short action. Matched up with a Shilen SS match grade SS barrel and Timney trigger. Glass bedded the action to the stock. She is a shooter for sure.

 

Or maybe you could just go to Hornady and ask them to whip you up a batch of gummy tipped 6.5 bullets. After all the effort Hornady went through to develop bullets that feed into a lever action and Marlin leaves them high and dry in the production of chambered rifles that use those bullets, they just might be open to working with smaller manufacturers that can make it happen. Sorta the way David Tubbs does with the DTAC bullet made by Sierra.

 

I think it would be fantastic if Hornady eventually got involved with the 6.5 lever gun project. I can think of a couple good reasons why they should. But more importantly, we're going to have to show them there is interest to begin with. Judging by this thread, I'd say there is, but folks will have to be willing to put some money down on a conversion. If Hornady started making gummy tips--or even loaded ammo--that would be something.

 

I also have an original 6.5 Swedish Mauser. The Carl Gustav inspected rifle. Mine is a vintage.....oh ghee....memory here as I shoot it a few times a year and now I can't recall that BIG year stamped right on top of the receiver!!!! I think it's 1915. So...that puts it at just over 100 years old. I reload for it and it's a real joy to shoot. It's one very accurate rifle. I tell anyone that I will load 5 rounds, if they want the rifle they have to stand at 500 yards, and let me take all 5 shots at 'em. If I miss 'em all 5 times they get the rifle!! So far...no takers!! Ha!! It's a cruel joke....but I would not take that offer either.

I like the 6.5 Swede round so much that I shoot it for a long distance "Varmint Silhouette" shoot. I just got my Savage single shot bolt action back from having a new benchrest trigger installed, the bolt fluted, and the action timed and trued. I'll "wrench" it all together soon....but here's the "new" work on the action pic:

 

Is that an Fram oil filter your using in your bolt?

 

Having a 6.5 available in a Marlin is all it would take to get me involved in owning another 6.5. Great bc's

 

Agreed. I love a Marlin lever gun because it's so agile to carry in the field but the caliber choices don't always line up with the terrain I hunt. Hornady did it's part to change all that with gummy tipped bullets but Remington completely let them down in this collaborative effort by not producing lever actions that accommodate gummy spire tipped bullets. Oh well... old news. Seems like a shame to shelve such a promising innovation just when it was getting started. Could be worth a phone call to those mad scientists in Nebraska.

 

Guess my search for donor 336's will continue forever ! :vollkommenauf:

 

Adam, I may have missed it in the posts but, what would serve as the parent case for a 6.5 round in the Marlin (336 I presume)?

T.S.

 

Yeah, I was kinda keeping it on the DL, but it's no big secret really. The parent case is Hornady's own 6.5 Creedmoor. With minimal body taper and appropriate length, it's well suited to the task. And a good reason for Hornady to take interest, seeing as how they're already making the brass. Our task here has been to chamber it in a 336 (you'll need a .35 Rem model, since it's a rimless case) while barring factory loads from being chambered--for obvious safety reasons. It's an easy conversion, and for the handloader it will be simple to load, with readily available brass and dies. Performance should be midway between the Grendel and Creedmoor. Taylor suggested we call it the 6.5 Levermore. I kind of like that. We just need some bullets. And a little more R&D time.

 

I have been looking hard at the Savage lightweight hunter in 260 Remington; 20" barrel, fluted bolt, lightened stock, detachable box magazine. I think it would perfectly fit my needs for a handy woods rifle with the ability to reach out and touch, if need be.

 

Until my farmhouse was burgled recently I had a lefty Savage Predator in .260 Rem. Like other Savages I own, it was a very good shooter. My best 3 shot groups at 300yds were right at an inch.

 

I like the 6.5 Levermore moniker. :congrats:

T.S.

 

Here is your chance to perpetuate my addiction.

I considered building a 6.5Gren AR, but I procastinate.

Given that my converted 336 in 307win is more accurate than I, and has what I consider a womanly recoil, in your opinion, would the modified 6.5mm in a Marlin be an improvement over the 336 307win? Or is this an apples to oranges question?

 

A bit apples and oranges, but some comparisons can be made. The .307 is going to offer more muzzle energy for certain, but it also operates at pressures that make many of us a little uncomfortable. The 6.5 would have very mild recoil, probably superior penetration, but unless someone like Hornady got on board with some FTX bullets of very high BC, it's unlikely the downrange ballistics would grossly exceed those of the .307. But we'll see. Lots of testing remains.

 

Sounds like the 7-30 Waters is similar to the 6.5 Levermore in performance give or take a few fps. - T.S

 

Yes, I believe it will be, though given the case we're dealing with it remains to be seen whether it might deliver more performance than predicted. And then of course, there's the BC. Could be a lot better, or it could be similar. We'll see what can be drawn up.

 

444 Marlin Brass----2.162
6.5x55 Brass----2.165

You build a 6.5x55.....Like a 444 Marlin MXLR.....
Check will be in the Mail......:marchmellow:

 

6.5x55 COAL is 3.150
444 M COAL is 2.55
No Bueno

All right, I've been thinking about this all night. I'm just gong to spitball some ideas. I will admit, I didn't read all the post. But here's what I'm thinking. Good and Bad. Don't hate, just trying to join this conversation.

Academically, this concept is right on, but practically the idea is lacking some. Unless this cartridge will run with an existing .264 round nosed bullet from the top three bullet makers, I don't see this being "wildly" successful. That leaves one bullet. Hornady's .264 160 gr JRN. To make that bullet perform in a way to MY attention, you have to move it at least to 2700 fps. That's going to be near impossible in a standard frame lever. For what's left, the main caveats are overall cartridge length, and pointy bullets. That means you need to flat point existing bullets. If this gun were chambered to use a AI type sharp shouldered chamber and shortened 6.5 Creed brass with a 2.6 in COAL I think you could get Grendel performance with a 20 inc barrel using flat pointed 120gr and 123gr grain bullets. Another caveat, you not going to beat the performance of that 30-30 AX that you're already doing. Dies are cheap, Bullets are reasonable. You aren't limited by having to always hand load ('cuz you can run 30-30 standard). You can run the 308 ME bullet or anything traditionally suitable for the 30-30.

Or go .25 cal with a 225 Winchester or a 25-35 AI?? This gives you a few more ready to go bullets choices (Sierra 75gr JFP, HDY 117gr RN, several HPs). Not as sexy as 6.5, but its an idea.

So,.. that leaves me with a question. What bullets and at what speeds? What are your Ballistic goals for the cartridge?

 

My ballistic goals for this cartridge are not nearly as lofty as yours, I'll admit, but for me at least, they don't need to be. A 6.5 doesn't need to push 160gr at 2700fps to interest me. The Creedmore itself won't even approach that performance, even operating at 63kpsi. Nor will the .260 Rem, both cartridges I consider superb, and plenty powerful enough for deer hunting out to medium range, at least.

With any cartridge design there is compromise, and with smaller diameters there is always an energy loss compared to a larger caliber in the same case. Generally this trade is made for increased velocity and flatter trajectory in the smaller caliber, and the Levermore would be no exception to this rule. What a 6.5 does offer are things that quite a few hunters, competitive shooters, and recoil sensitive riflemen/women appreciate: big boy ballistics with mild, stay-on-target recoil levels.

As you point out, and I pointed out earlier, bullet selection is nearly nonexistent for a 6.5 tube fed rifle. I don't expect RPP, or our introduction of a new 6.5 "wildcat" to change that single handedly. Hopefully we'll get help if there is interest from forum members. If not, it will become another one-of-a-kind rifle in my collection. But if it does get some traction then who knows...time will tell if lever gun guys are really craving a new caliber.

So to answer your question, my hope (based on Quickload modeling) is that from the 24" barrel of our test rifle we can see upwards of 2700fps with 123gr bullets and around 2500fps with 140gr bullets. These speeds would put the cartridge's performance squarely between the Creedmore and Grendel, which are both well regarded in their class. Whether or not this cartridge offers advantages over existing ones will be up to individuals to decide.

 

For those of you that are deciding on going with a 6.5 it made me a believer. I just recently completed a Std AR upper build using a Brownell's 24 in stainless barrel in 6.5 Grendel. I have a rifle length gas system using a JP Enterprises .750 adjustable gas block and 30 cal 5/8 X 24 muzzle brake. The barrel is made by Saturn Machining for Brownell's and it comes with a headspaced bolt. I'm using a Nordic free float hand guard and I torqued my barrel to 45 ft lbs (to get the gas tube to align). I have a Vortex 6.5 X 25 50mm Crossfire scope which was set at 10X for my first time out on the range for testing. My first 3 shots after bore sighting was the upper group. I then made an elevation adjustment and fired the 2nd lower group. I then fired a 5 rd group with a hot barrel that was the size of a nickel. This is at 100yrds. No elaborate barrel break in procedure and what you see is basically the first 11 rds fired through my new barrel. This is with the factory PRIVI ammo you see in the picture. I am really impressed with this AR upper !