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I went 6.5 CM. I don't have time to re-load and frankly don't enjoy it. I'd rather spend that time with my 1-year old daughter and her beautiful mother. The Hornady 140-grain A-Max load is outstanding for factory ammo. The .260 factory stuff is more expensive. Thus, I went 6.5CM and couldn't be happier.
In our shop we see it coming down to Lapua brass. The guys who are die hard Lapua brass fans will pick the .260 and be happy.
Neither are a bad choice.
Mark
why not a 6.5 slr?
all the benefits of the .260, easier to load and obtain brass, 30 degree shoulder, longer neck, better barrel life.Funny you say that, I've been researching the 6.5 SLR all day and I'm liking what I'm reading.
Anyone have experience with it that can comment?
all the benefits of the .260, easier to load and obtain brass, 30 degree shoulder, longer neck, better barrel life.
This excites me!!!! What barrel length?
I just love claims made by the makers of and proponents of wildcat cartridges. Let's just take these mentioned by Rockhopper for closer examination:
All the benefits of the 260 Rem - Ok so the 6.5 Super LR has both factory ammo and factory head-stamped brass. That would be a NO...
Easier to load - easier to load than a .260 Rem that comes with brass all ready formed and ready to go. That would also be a NO....
Easier to obtain brass - Well you can't use Norma, Lapua, or Nosler brass in your 6.5 Super, due to donuts without reaming, but you can use Win and Remington brass. Where as a regular .260 can use Remington, Lapua, Norma and Nosler 260 brass, as well as the same Win and Remington 243 brass (the preferred brass for the 6.5 Super). As a bonus Win 7mm-08 brass can also be necked down donut free to 260 Rem. So That would also be a NO...
Longer neck - Well you got me there, the 6.5 Super LR does have a longer neck, than the 260 Rem. But since the COAL on the 6.5 Super LR is the same as the .260 Rem, and the case length the same as the 260 Rem, it does not matter how long the neck is. Exactly the same amount of bullet will be stuffed down in a 6.5 Super case as the .260 Rem. So it's a virtue of dubious value in this case.
Better barrel life - Yes, the 30 degree shoulder should give greater barrel life. So if you get 3,000 rounds out of a 260 barrel, a 6.5 Super LR barrel will give you like 150 more shots.....That's what a whole 5% better barrel life buys you. Again it's a virtue, but hardly worth all the effort.
Look, wildcats are fun to play with, but a wildcat to be worth it has to deliver something that it's parent cannot. The 6.5 Super LR would indeed be better than the 260 Rem, only if it had been invented first. But alas that is not the case.......
Bob I totally get what you are saying, but obviously I am talking about reloading ammo, not purchasing it outright. So yes, it DOES in fact offer several benefits over the .260 IF you reload. It is in fact much easier to obtain brass. .243 win brass is everywhere. Not to mention it is usually a bit cheaper. .260...not so much. You dont have to reem it. Better barrel life is better barrel life whether its 1% or 100%. STILL better than the .260, even if it is only a small percentage.
Point being, if you reload exclusively, I see absolutely NO reason to build a .260 over the SLR. The .260 should have been made like the SLR to begin with, then we would have factory ammo, etc.
Are these points marginal for most people? Absolutely. And for most people the .260 would be the obvious better choice for availability of factory ammo. Factory SLR ammo is non existent to my knowledge.
Take it for what its worth. Just IMHO and YMMV, etc. I don't own either caliber. But if you reload I dont think you can argue .260 is better than 6.5 SLR. Just my .02.
Best reason I have heard all week researching This... I have a beautiful 6 month old daughter and hot ass wife. Not going to give up time away from either of them to load ammo, guess I'll have to build the 6.5CM.
-Evan
I have a wife and three daughters, 1,4,&6. We just all reload together...win win. My 6&4 year olds will bust somebody out in a heartbeat for calling a loaded round a "bullet", it's great.