6.5-06 or 6.5A square or similar?

[CBH Australia]

G'day all. The .25-06 seems to get a mention of late in various circles.
I believe there is more Projectile choices and availability in the 6.5calibre.

Does anyone have experience with the 6.5-06 cartridge or variant?

Is there a commercial offering with availability or quality brass?

If not why didn't it take off?

Should it be standardised now?

I'm sure the .25-06 is great but with projectile options could this be equal or better with more options?

 

[gillettehunter]

I have one and funny thing is I'm working on some loads for it again. I used it to kill my bighorn sheep. Right now the .26 caliber group of cartridges is large. So many choices. The 6.5-06 does many things well but perhaps none of them is exceptional. Lots of bullet choices available makes it rather versatile. I expect that the 130-140 class bullets would be best. It will run the 156's just fine too. Lots of bullets to choose from.
I prefer to use 25-06 brass and take it up. You can use 30-06 or .270 brass if you wish. I believe that in the past there has been some properly head stamped brass, but I don't know of any now being made.
Bruce

 

[colorado]

Why not just go with a nice Win Model 70 in 264 Win Magnum?

 

[C.W. Richter]

It was standardized by a square and there are still a few a square and weatherby rifles out there chambered in it. It's an excellent round. I just wound up necking the initial 300 WSM down to 6.5 and it worked out wonderfully. I believe Norma still makes 6.506 a square ammo for weatherby.

 

[wildwilderness]

I would look at the 6.5x284 with lapua brass. Probably a reason the ‘06 variant wasn’t needed

 

[Kiwifire111]

I've had a 6.5/06 for nearly 30 years, a simply brilliant calibre, and, it's for sale!!

 

[CBH Australia]

Why not just go with a nice Win Model 70 in 264 Win Magnum?

Im not familiar with that one.

 

[CBH Australia]

I've had a 6.5/06 for nearly 30 years, a simply brilliant calibre, and, it's for sale!!

Nice, I think It was a curiosity question asking about the cartridge

Worst part is you are in Australia adds to the temptation. Other problem I have a plan for a .260

 

[flatwater bill]

I have been a 6.5 fan for many years, owning most of them from the 6.5 TCU, 6.5 JDJ, 6.5x54, 6.5x55, 6.5-06 and AI, the 264 Win Mag and now of course, the CM. I have made a Wildcat I call the 6.5 EFH, but now the Nosler essentially duplicates it as does the Weatherby) I have owned two 25-06's and found them to be the most useless cartridges I have ever owned. If Africa is in your future, get a 6.5 with properly head stamped brass.......say 6.5 PRC or 6.5x284 or the Nosler. If not, the 6.5-06AI was the most useful cartridge I ever owned. Good luck with your choice........looking is a lot of fun..............FWB

 

[GuttormG]

6,5-06 was very popular in Norway, and still is.
Loads of data for Norma and vithavouri powders available.
In my opinion a 6,6-06 is the optimal case size/volume for a long action 6,5. Any more volume and you are just burning more powder (and barrel..).

 

[SaintPanzer]

I just wonder if they should have simply called it the 264-06, or maybe the 6.5X63?

I have a curiosity about this round, but my needs will probably never come to fruition. But I am curious.

 

[PerH]

About 6,5-06 In Norway

And Norma and Kongsberg Small Arns ( Lakelander rifles ) were working on a series og rifles and ammo. 50 of them were to be ordered before production could start .

Then came Asquare first and rest is history

A guy In region there told me about it , he had been on the waiting list that was stopped.

 

[BeeMaa]

If you are looking to have a super fast 6.5mm magnum caliber there are several newer options out there. Among them are the 6.5-300WBY, 26NOSLER, 6.5WBY-RPM and 6.5PRC. Of course this speed comes with a price of burning a lot of powder and higher recoil.

For the distances that I normally hunt at, I haven't found any need for more than the 6.5x55SE that's capable of shooting 140 grain bullets at 2500+ fps. Slightly slower than the 6.5CM with the same bullet by about 200 fps.

 

[CBH Australia]

If you are looking to have a super fast 6.5mm magnum caliber there are several newer options out there. Among them are the 6.5-300WBY, 26NOSLER, 6.5WBY-RPM and 6.5PRC. Of course this speed comes with a price of burning a lot of powder and higher recoil.

For the distances that I normally hunt at, I haven't found any need for more than the 6.5x55SE that's capable of shooting 140 grain bullets at 2500+ fps. Slightly slower than the 6.5CM with the same bullet by about 200 fps.

Thanks mate. @Kiwifire111 gave me a lead on one in Australia.
This sort of started as a curiosity question as the .25-06 . Still working on the .260rem idea.

Used a 6.5x55 in the range.

 

[BeeMaa]

Thanks mate. @Kiwifire111 gave me a lead on one in Australia.
This sort of started as a curiosity question as the .25-06 . Still working on the .260rem idea.

Used a 6.5x55 in the range.

25-06 is a great cartridge and if you want magnum performance the 257WBY is always an option. Any of the .25 and 6.5mm cartridges I mentioned will take moose and elk out to 300 yards (with proper shot placement of course).

 

[WAB]

My 6.5 PRC is teaching me a lot about long distance shooting. I will be interested to see how many rounds I get out of a barrel.

 

[Boyd Brooks]

I think the original 6.5-06 was actually made in 1913 by Charles Newton, and called the 256 Newton. His company went bankrupt after WW1 and ammunition manufacturing stopped before WW2. I personally would lean towards a 6.5-06 long before a 270 or 25-06.

 

[PerH]

Newton Rifle in .256 Newton - Revivaler

American rifle and cartridge designer Charles Newton has been described as the “Father of the high velocity rifle” and this is partially true. However it should be remembered that there were others such as the renowned...

revivaler.com

 

[colorado]

Im not familiar with that one.

Here's the Wiki page on it.

.264 Winchester Magnum - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[GaryN]

@Boyd Brooks and @PerH took the words right out of my mouth. Properly head stamped brass is hard to come by and no one has commercially loaded for the .256 Newton in my lifetime, but it’s a classic cartridge that will do the trick.