• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

So...Anybody shoot 6.5 Carcano?

mallrat

Team LaFours
Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 8, 2013
525
4
Maybe in a modern target style rifle? Any reloading info? Seems like an interesting novelty project if nothing else.

C'mon, you had to know this was coming.
 
Lee Harvey is that you?

Nah, this is Jack Rubenstien. I see several other calibers have their fanboys, figured I'd check on this one. The longer cylindrical shaped bullet kinda threw me, I guess a throwback to the previous generation of projectiles more at home in BPCRs IMO.
 
Was this prompted by the Guns America article that came out this week?

Joe

Nope, all the coverage of the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination. I'll try to google that. (E.T.A. finally found it, pretty informative. Comments got off track quick, though.)
 
Last edited:
Nope, all the coverage of the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination. I'll try to google that.

Probably why Guns America brought it up.

In looking at the cartridges, it struck me that the case dimensions look similar to .260.
With a good barrel it could probably have similar performance to .260, if someone was just looking to have something different.

Jor
 
Yeah, but doesn't the Carcano shoot an oddball 6.5mm? Something like .268? (IIRC)
 
Don't know if its the cartridge or the rifle - but my old Hornady reloading manual says they don't recommend wasting your time reloading for them because the accuracy is so poor. The did give a few loads for it just in case someone had one of those rifles and wanted to reload for it anyway.
 
Yeah, but doesn't the Carcano shoot an oddball 6.5mm? Something like .268? (IIRC)

That's what I've been reading, .268 vs more common .264. And the longer round nose bullet is what caught my attention, I don't see those often in jacketed bullets, I wonder how cast bullets would perform. I see Bullets.com has some Norma cases, like $34 for 25 cases, IIRC.
 
Last edited:
That's what I've been reading, .268 vs more common .264. And the longer round nose bullet is what caught my attention, I don't see those often in jacketed bullets, I wonder how cast bullets would perform. I see Ammo To Go has some Norma cases, like $34 for 25 cases, IIRC.

I didn't research it that far.
In the Guns America article they were shooting some modern Prvi ammo with spitzer like bullets.

Joe
 
I reload the 6.5 Carcano for my Breda Model 30 LMG. I use 140 grain projos in Graf's 6.5 brass.
 
I didn't research it that far.
In the Guns America article they were shooting some modern Prvi ammo with spitzer like bullets.

Joe

My Google-fu was off yesterday just found that article this mourning. Looks like they felt the accuracy was acceptable, could probably be improved with experimentation and improvements to the rifle. Hmm... have to see if I can find an appropriate barrel and reamer, etc. to start testing without wandering too far away from the Carcano chamber specs. I'm thinking a Rem 700 based single shot benchrest rifle, keep it fairly simple.
 
Roommate in college had a 6.5c and it was not at all a wall hanger. Took a pair of spiked bucks 2 years in a row. (not that that makes him Lee Harvey Oswald)
His were old school "Western" boxes and were JSP.

As far as reloading, there were .268" JSP 125gr pills available from either Lapua/Woodleigh/??? (I do remember they were NOT domestically made) not all that long ago. (late 90s?)

I know guys who cast have had success with custom molds and handloads.... So much so that they setup watermelons on the anniversary to prove it could be done. (morbid=yes, accurate=very)