6.5SLR or 6.5CM...What would you do

[JayCarver]

If you had the action and barrel already, and your gunsmith has a 6.5CM reamer but you would have to order the SLR reamer?

I haven't bought a loaded round of centrefire ammo in year but my local store has 6.5CM 140AMX for $23 a box! Thats less than I could load them for if I have to buy the brass!

I've been debating these two chamberings for awhile, if I go SLR I would have to buy and wait for a reamer, same with dies. I don't mind reloading and brass prep so we wont compare that.
If I go creedmore I can drop it off at the smith tomorrow and but a few hundred rounds of factory ammo to get started and then pick up dies sooner or later and reload the brass.

So my concerns are:

How does the 140gr AMAX factory ammo shoot?

Hows the Hornady brass?

Can I make 6.5CM brass from 243 or something else if i'm not impressed with the Hornady brass.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Jhnmdahl]

Tons of threads on this already. For example, check out:

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting.../217925-260-rem-vs-6-5-creedmoor-hunting.html

and

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...on-rifles/21522-260-rem-vs-6-5-creedmoor.html

John

 

[RyeDaddy]

6.5 Super LR. Cuz it's cool to be different. 6.5 Creedmoor is so 2012.

 

[JayCarver]

Tons of threads on this already. For example, check out:

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting.../217925-260-rem-vs-6-5-creedmoor-hunting.html

and

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...on-rifles/21522-260-rem-vs-6-5-creedmoor.html

John

Couldn't find much about 6.5 SLR vs 6.5CM in those but thanks anyways.

 

[bward]

Creedmoor. If you are going to mess with forming brass you should just go with the 260 AI.

 

[RobertB]

Creedmoor. If you are going to mess with forming brass you should just go with the 260 AI.

That's how I feel. It all comes down to whether or not you want to reload. If I was going the hand load route I would go 260AI. If not the 260 or 6.5CM I have both (Not the SLR) and your splitting hairs. With a 260 AI your ballistics are great and your still using AICS short mags. Your just below the 6.5-284 with the AI. I got the creed here beside me but my 260 and 6.5 284 still get loved. Your in the right ballpark,you just need to pick a team. Again, none of these drastically will change anything you would have done with the other.

 

[JayCarver]

Creedmoor. If you are going to mess with forming brass you should just go with the 260 AI.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm not sure if that's a fair comparison since the SLR brass is formed with one pass through a die and the 260AI has to be fire formed.

 

[RobertB]

You have 260 posts that means you should go 260

 

[bward]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm not sure if that's a fair comparison since the SLR brass is formed with one pass through a die and the 260AI has to be fire formed.

You still have to fireform it to get the cases to be correctly formed. You pass it though the die and it bumps the shoulder back, but it isn't a sharp angle you are used to seeing. It is somewhat rounded. Fireform it and it looks like a normal shoulder.

 

[BARichardson]

Well if you are gona make brass and reload and like the 6.5 bullets why not just go to the 6.5SAUM?

 

[RyeDaddy]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm not sure if that's a fair comparison since the SLR brass is formed with one pass through a die and the 260AI has to be fire formed.

You are correct, Jay. The 6.5 SLR and 260AI are two different realms in brass prep. No fireforming on the SLR. I've got 100 pieces of Lapua 260 brass that I formed into SLR by sizing them with an SLR die, nothing more. No donuts either. If you wanted you can use 243 brass. Correction: on first firing I have big donuts on the cases that were formed from Lapua 260 brass. Winchester 243 does NOT have them after firing.

Sounds like you want to go with the SLR but want someone to tell you the extra wait is worth it. If that's the case then I would say the Super LR doesn't do anything ballistically that the Creedmoor won't do, but brass is easier to acquire with the SLR. Since you have cheap ammo and a reamer available for the Creedmoor right now the Creedmoor makes more sense honestly. The dies and having to buy a reamer add a big expense to going with the SLR as well as wait time. Still, the SLR is awesome if you don't mind the wait and extra expense.

 

[JayCarver]

Well if you are gona make brass and reload and like the 6.5 bullets why not just go to the 6.5SAUM?

Wrong bolt face

 

[BARichardson]

Im aware! The smith can open that up with no problem...

but for hunting in the 6.5 bullet its kinda the cats meow! With barrel life, bullet speeds they are getting

 

[Jhnmdahl]

Couldn't find much about 6.5 SLR vs 6.5CM in those but thanks anyways.

They both discuss the questions you asked in your post, such as:

"How does the 140gr AMAX factory ammo shoot?

Hows the Hornady brass?

Can I make 6.5CM brass from 243 or something else if i'm not impressed with the Hornady brass."

 

[JayCarver]

Im aware! The smith can open that up with no problem...

True but this isn't something I want to do with a brand new Surgeon action.

 

[BARichardson]

Touche!

 

[bohem]

There's no functional performance difference.

Average 140 class speeds are 2775-2850 depending on a multitude of factors and either case can make it happen. 6.5CM brass is easy to find and the useful powder capacity is pretty much identical between the two.

The 260AI is going to be more work and more performance but it has its own issues.

For someone that has a reamer, dies, and brass already to cut a 6.5Creed I don't see any reason whatsoever to run the 6.5 SLR. I wouldn't wait and go out of pocket all the extra coin for the stuff on a 6.5SLR when you can have a 6.5 Creed in hand RFN. The performance difference is functionally nothing. It's not like comparing a 6.5x47 Lapua to a 6.5 Creed or 6.5-308 of some flavor, where the 6.5x47 has 3gr less powder in the case.