Gunsmithing 6.5-270 wsm??

[Jumpalot]

I'm looking into having a 6.5 wsm built and since I have a lot of 270 wsm Norma brass, I want to use it. My question is, can this be done and not have to turn the necks? I would really like to just keep it simple.
Thanks in advance.

 

[bohem]

Re: 6.5-270 wsm??

Probably not, WSM brass has very thick necks in general. If you get the reamer setup specifically not to neck turn you can get away with it but as the brass in the neck gets thicker you have more and more variation in bullet release consistency.

Let's say that at 0.007" neck thickness you have 20lb of force to release the bullet and that force can vary by +/-10% --> IE 18-22lb is your release force

Now at 0.010" you have 40% more material in the neck and will end up being about 40% more force, still with the +/-10% so 20*1.4 = 36lb +/-10% --> 32.4-39.6lb

Now go to an unturned neck at 0.017 wall thickness, the trend will be that you're going to have probably 65lb of release force +/-10% which is 58.5-71.5lb

The numbers are just made up and simple, but as the necks get thicker the material properties of brass is going to play much more of a role in your consistency.

The higher performance, necked down wildcats tend to be more maintenance intensive, just like higher performance cars and aircraft. It's the nature of the beast.

 

[Jumpalot]

Re: 6.5-270 wsm??

I thought that you could get a no turn reamer and this would keep you from having to turn the necks. I was also hoping only going from .277 to .264 instead of .308 to .254 would keep you from having to turn.

 

[ranger1183]

Re: 6.5-270 wsm??

If I were you ...

I would buy a Redding neck sizing <span style="font-weight: bold">bushing</span> die and the appropriate sized Redding <span style="font-weight: bold">Titanium Nitride</span> Neck Sizer Die Bushing to neck down your brass. Then use your current seating die to make sets of 5 dummy cartridges each. Mail these sets off to:

Pacific Tool and Guage
http://www.pacifictoolandgauge.com/

JGS Tools
http://www.jgstools.com/

Manson Reamers
http://www.mansonreamers.com/

and have them make a no-turn reamer off your dummy cartridges.


Here is an example (not the exact size!) of the type of bushing neck sizing die and neck sizing bushing that I would get.

Redding Neck Sizer Die Bushing 290 Diameter Titanium Nitride
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=888290

Redding Type S Bushing Neck Sizer Die 270 Winchester Short Magnum (WSM)
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=835452

Good shooting.

 

[fish30114]

Re: 6.5-270 wsm??

What Ranger1183 said! I wouldn't be concerned about the differential in neck tension due to the necks actually having a thicker wall, it's about consistency, set up your die to give you the constriction you want and go on with it.

I have a no turn neck 6.5x270WSM and it is VERY accurate, it's a sporter built on a Sako 75 action, Lothar Walthar barrel. I sent in 3 dummy rounds, which were simply the 270 brass I had (happned to be Norma) and then just run through the die, no issues at all in forming, and then seated the bullets to length that was max for the magazine for that rifle.

If you really must shoot the 6.5's it is a good option IMO, but if the 270 will do ya, it's pretty hard to beat it just as it is!

 

[bohem]

Re: 6.5-270 wsm??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: fish301</div><div class="ubbcode-body">...I wouldn't be concerned about the differential in neck tension due to the necks actually having a thicker wall, it's about consistency, set up your die to give you the constriction you want and go on with it. ...
</div></div>

Fish, my point reflects what you're thinking but look a little more closely what I said:

Thicker walls give you higher average neck tension. Variability that's inherently present will show itself as a larger change in actual release force as the neck walls get thicker. Even if the % variability stays the same you'll see bigger differences in repeatability.

The reamer can be cut with a no turn neck, the question is whether or not you WANT to do it that way due to the heavy walled construction of the WSM brass in general. That was my point.

 

[762frmafr]

Re: 6.5-270 wsm??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jumpalot</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I'm looking into having a 6.5 wsm built and since I have a lot of 270 wsm Norma brass, I want to use it. My question is, can this be done and not have to turn the necks? I would really like to just keep it simple.
Thanks in advance. </div></div>
yes it can, GAP has the reamer. it's called 6.5wsm. all you do is get Redding bushing dies and get a smaller bushing. neck size the 270 brass and you are done...simple as can be. my cousin has one that i load for and we are pushing the 142smk's at 3300 fps. pretty slick.

 

[TimResin]

Re: 6.5-270 wsm??

how long is one of those barrels going to last?

 

[rasp65]

Re: 6.5-270 wsm??

Tim How about less than 6 seconds. http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2010/11/gone-in-six-seconds-barrel-life/

 

[762frmafr]

Re: 6.5-270 wsm??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TimResin</div><div class="ubbcode-body">how long is one of those barrels going to last? </div></div>
800 rounds

 

[palma]

Re: 6.5-270 wsm??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TimResin</div><div class="ubbcode-body">how long is one of those barrels going to last? </div></div>

I'm at about 250-300 rounds on mine, and it fouls out quickly (i.e., in less than 10 rounds). Mine won't make it to 500 rounds.

 

[wadebrown]

Re: 6.5-270 wsm??

I got less than 600 rounds out of my 6.5 WSM on a PAC-NOR 1-8" 26" barrel. If the slat-bath nitriding works on my 338 Edge I would probably build another 6.5 WSM for 1,000 F-class comps on windy days. I like 6.5's and this was a great round when it shot well but 600 rounds is not much for barrel life even on this gun which was a hunting gun.

wade

 

[Jumpalot]

Re: 6.5-270 wsm??

Thanks for the replies. Gives me some things to think about. Been thinking about maybe just going with a 264 WM. Or maybe just stick with my 6.5-284. AARGH! Too many choices.

 

[bohem]

Re: 6.5-270 wsm??

If you already have a 6.5-284 you can try some different powders to get better speeds from that smaller case if you are itching for it.

The regular 284 can also throw the 162-168class bullets at similar speeds to the 6.5-284 spitting out the 140class VLD's when the barrel lengths are similar. A straight 284 will use the existing brass and action setup you already own and give you better barrel life.

If you want a very fast/flat 6.5 then take a look at the 6.5-06 as well. A buddy and I have been shooting them for a bit now and the 140 Bergers are going 3150+ out of the 28" tubes. Barrel life appears that it will be better than the 6.5-284 and with the long neck in that case you can cut the freebore relatively short compared to the 284 case.

My reamer runs 0.088" of freebore vs. the regular 0.180" in most of the 6.5-284's. This makes a big difference in the number of rounds the throat can burn for in between barrel changes.

A 6.5 SAUM is another thing to consider at slightly lesser case capacity than the 6.5 WSM, it's a lot like a 6.5-06 AI and you can soft-load the 140 class bullets in excess of 3100 pretty easily from what I'm told.

 

[OKIE2]

Re: 6.5-270 wsm??

Try the 6.5 rem mag it is also a very good round.
It will do a 140 gr at 3240 fps.
the 6.5-284 does a 140 at 3151 fps

 

[eddybo]

Re: 6.5-270 wsm??

A 6.5WSM is a ballistic twin tot he 264WM and should have very similar barrel life, no more, no less. I have built three of these 6.5WSMs. My personal 6.5WSM only has about 200 rounds down range, but one of the ones I built has about 1200 rounds down range. I would not suggest it as a f-class caliber, but as a hunting rifle it will last a lifetime for the average hunter with a little care.