6.5x55 or 260 rem?

[ArkansasFatboy]

Guys I have been wanting to either buy or build a 6.5 caliber rifle and am torn between the 6.5x55 and the 260 rem. I will handload for wich ever one I decide apon. Does one have a ballistic advantage over the other. And is the 6.5x55 brass readily available?The rifle will primarily be a range gun and may occasionaly go to the deer woods with me. I guess I just want you guys opinons on these two calibers or if there is another 6.5 I should be looking at.

 

[jpwilly]

260 Rem will be easier to find the parent case is 308...that pretty much sums it up. You may be really really interested in this article!

 

[Kind of Blued]

I have no experience with either, but I spend too much time here, so I can regurgitate things I've read.

I remember reading that one outperforms the other when using heavier bullets, and vice versa. I've also read that if you want to get the most out of the 6.5 you'll want to reload, as most American factory loads are underpowered.

The ability to use .243/308 brass to form .260 brass is a big plus in my book, especially if you already own a gun in either caliber.

Other than that there's action-length and the fact that some rifles are available in on chambering, but not the other.

 

[Zak Smith]

Well, the .260 fits in a proper short action, but the 6.5x55 when loaded to modern pressures has a ballistic advantage (should be closer to 6.5-284)

 

[Gewehr98]

The popularity of the .260 Remington has fizzled.

That's a shame, because it's a darned good cartridge.

The newer (and very similar) 6.5 Creedmoor has done a lot to nail the .260 Remington's coffin lid shut.

The 6.5x55 Swede will, of course, soldier on like nothing ever happened.

 

[Zak Smith]

Objectively, the 6.5CM has nothing on the .260. Academics will argue about case shape or neck length, but the bearing surface of 140's is still below the case neck on it. The way I see it, it has very slightly less case capacity than .260 and only one source for brass, which is not easily formable from anything common. I talk to quite a few people who are building up LR rifles, and I've only spoken to one or two who were going 6.5 CM, but many to the .260. From where I see it, .260 is still ramping.

 

[Gewehr98]

I agree, Zak.

I never meant to say the 6.5 Creedmoor was any better than the .260 Remington. It's just another 6.5mm cartridge eating away at the .260's market share, in this day of newfangled rounds often duplicating the performance of older designs and just plain complicating things.

Were I looking to build a 6.5mm boltgun in a short action, it would definitely be the .260 Remington, no question about it. My love affair with the .264" bore is still very much intact.

And I kick myself for not buying the Tikka 595 Master Sporter in .260 Remington when I had the chance...

 

[hinton03]

I killed a few pigs and Roe deer in Germany with the 6.5X55 and it is a great cartridge. Having said that, in todays world it is a hunting cartridge first and foremost; if you are looking for a 6.5 for the range I am sure there are PPC cartridges in 6.5 that will out perform the 6.5X55 in the accuracy department.

As far as brass goes, I would spend the extra bucks and buy correctly head stamped brass instaed of forming, not that I haven't formed my own in the past. Accidently loading a 308 Win in a 260 Rem would likely ruin your day.

I have also hunted with the 6.5X57 (a commericial cartridge in Germany) which was an excellent performer.

 

[t165]

If you have ever read the 243 Winchester v 6mm Remington argument then all you have to do is replace the bullet weights. Absent rate of twist of earlier Remington barrels badged 244 Remington the argument is parallel if all else is equal. The 6mm Remington is a slightly superior cartridge to the 243 Winchester in terms of velocity all other things equal. The 6x55mm is slightly superior to the 260 Remington in terms of velocity all other things equal. The caveat being safe pressure handloading precautions of older firearms.

 

[USSR]

6.5x55 or 260 rem?

Guys I have been wanting to either buy or build a 6.5 caliber rifle and am torn between the 6.5x55 and the 260 rem. I will handload for wich ever one I decide apon. Does one have a ballistic advantage over the other. And is the 6.5x55 brass readily available?The rifle will primarily be a range gun and may occasionaly go to the deer woods with me. I guess I just want you guys opinons on these two calibers or if there is another 6.5 I should be looking at.

For your use, it's hard to fault either choice. Personally, I went with the 6.5x55 for long range competition, due to the availability of quality brass (Lapua) and the slight ballistic advantage. So, for you basically, it comes down to whether you want to go with a long or short action.

Don

 

[pdd614]

i ended up going with the 6.5x47. i had a short action, and my smith already had the reamer. quality lapua brass doesn't hurt either.

 

[HarleyFixer]

I love my 6.5x55. I bought a surplus Model 38 and sporterized it. I now have a rifle with $200 invested that will drop any game I hunt with one shot, has low recoil, is superbly accurate and a ball to shoot. Ammo is not hard to find and reloading components are inexpensive.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

6.5x55 does have a ballistic advantage (slight) when loaded to modern pressures, as has been said. Beyond that, it's a wash.

 

[Ol` Joe]

I`ve had three 6.5x55s, and two 260 rems, and still have a Swede and the 260`s. I also have a 6.5x284 which is a real hotrod compared to the other two. I found I see ~150-200 fps more from it then the smaller cartridges.
They (the Swede & 260) are as close to each other as two cartridges can get. The 260 is loaded hotter in factory ammo, but if you reload you`ll find they both drive 140 gr bullets to within 25-50 fps of each other. I see that much difference with the same ammo in differenct rifles.
The Swede case has about 3-5 gr of water more capacity and "usually" will be the faster at equal pressure. Brass as noted is easier to come by for the 260. Both are more accurate then most can shoot, and reloading only improves on that.
Personally I look at the choice as a long action/short action thing. If you want a short action rifle do a 260, if a long action is in your plans a 6.5x55 is what you want.

 

[Zak Smith]

Accidently loading a 308 Win in a 260 Rem would likely ruin your day.

Not really. It wouldn't come close to chambering.

 

[doctorxring]

6.5x55 - 260 Remington

.

You asked -- Does one have a ballistic advantage over the other?


Short Answer -- No

Long Answer -- Still No


Rational choice between the two will be for other reasons.

.

 

[Zak Smith]

Running numbers in QuickLoad for the two calibers, using the same maximum pressure and no more than 100% fill, the 139 Scenar and a 26" barrel, and averaging the fastest 5 loads for each, the 6.5x55 has a 90 fps advantage over the .260, or roughly halfway from .260 to 6.5-284.

 

[USSR]

Yep, have found the 6.5x55 able to run the heavy bullets (139-142gr) about 100fps faster than the .260.

Don

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Accidently loading a 308 Win in a 260 Rem would likely ruin your day.

Not really. It wouldn't come close to chambering.

Correct. Quite unlike a .308 in a .25-'06!!

 

[jjohnson]

Action Length, Twist Rate, etc.

For ballistic differences, kind of like .308 vs 30-06. Not much of a difference, small enough to be meaningless to some folks.

You have a couple things to consider.
1) Like .308 vs 30-06, your shorter cartridge, the 260, is suited to shorter actions. The Swede NEEDS a long action.
2) Factory loads - it doesn't sound like you're stuck with one or the other there, since you commented about brass, so never mind that one.
3) Rifle itself - there are surplus Swedes to be had, and their actions are among the very smoothest of any Mauser ever made. No surplus 260s, of course.
4) Twist rate - remember, the Winchester .243 beat the living hell out of the .244 Remington because its faster twist could deal with heavier bullets. Same thing to watch here. If you want to shoot heavier animals with it, like the Swedes do for moose (yes, moose), you will want the faster twist for the heavier bullets.

I'd be happy with either, and I think you will be, too. I have a 96 Swede in its original issue condition, and it's a joy to shoot.

 

[NCsmitty]

Yep, have found the 6.5x55 able to run the heavy bullets (139-142gr) about 100fps faster than the .260.

Same old story for the '08 based rounds, the short actions limit COAL and with the heavier bullets hogging into the powder space, it drops the efficiency. The only way around that is to use them as single shot, with the bullets seated out, if the leade allows it. Or chamber them in a longer action.
The 6.5x55's longer neck is a plus for bullet support, and the cartridge shows it's superior design, in spite of it's 110 year history, when the 140-160gr bullets are used.
It's one of the reasons I chose to barrel a M98 VZ-24 to 6.5x55 for punching paper.

No noticeable difference on game though. With high BC's and potent SD, the 6.5/260 caliber's performance and penetration is legendary, and is easy on the shoulder too.

NCsmitty