6.5 CM, 260, or 260AI?

[Zappaman]

You could sell it and buy something already chambered for what you want-- save a lot on smith charges. Tikkas, Vanguards, and Savages all shoot real good for (close to) what your gun would bring if it's clean.

I sold off my 243 stainless and bought a 6.5 creed stainless (both Savages) and nettted out about even after all was said and done. Now I have to sell/trade off about 500 6mm bullets (and some brass). I already had the 6.5 bullets as I shoot (two) 260ai rifles. But had to trade for some 6.5 CM brass (LOTS out there!)

More food for thought

 

[wildwilderness]

^^^ is always the easy answer. Sell and buy what you want.


As you mentioned you don’t like the extra steps to get brass for your AI, so it makes no sense to go wildcat that requires it. On top of that why AI? To get a little speed? So why go through the trouble to make a 260 into an AI to “maybe” reach performance of a 6,5-284 when you can just go with the later? The only reason is you need it to fit in a Short Action, which in this case, it doesn’t.

Historically Ackley made sense because you could just take an existing rifle and ream a little out of the chamber and easily get the performance benefit. It was a bigger deal to change barrels, let alone buy an new rifle back then! Way less options in cartridge selection as well !

You can always download a bigger cartridge, but you can never upload a smaller to the same performance!

 

[Junkball]

6.5CM for eventually the supply/availability issues will decline and the price will also come back down.
The performance will fulfill all your requirements too.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I'm rebarreling a 6.5 CM to a .260 AI now. Generally the .260 AI gets a bit more velocity than the 6.5 CM. Fireforming isn't a huge deal to me as I like to fire brass once before load development. Dies weren't too bad: I got a Redding body die in .260 AI ($60) and a Lee collet neck die ($22).

Seems like a lot of work for basically nothing.