Budget DIY 6.5 saum

[brushape]

Here a little project I've had in the works for a while I like doing thing myself and I try to keep things cheap. This started out with a barely used 300wsm savage 16 trophy hunter. Very easy quick little build

24" ss 1:8 twist 6.5gap4s
6#15oz in factory stock
Talley rings and vortex viper hslr 4-16x44
Manners eh2 with gap camo coming soon

So far I haven't done anything but throw the barrel on to see how it looks I think the manners stock should be here in the next month. The mock loaded rounds cycle perfectly and could be loaded to 2.98 in the factory mag. I'm going to start off with 140 amaxs Norma brass and win wlrm primers and h1000,
Plans for the rifle are primarily blacktail, and wild pigs in California and antelope in wyoming to start out with this year. Plans for after this season are spiral fluting the barrel and a lighter bolt knob

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[brushape]

 

[Shrek]

Looking good ! Can't wait for you to get it put together and send a few.

 

[brushape]

I'm hoping Friday lead will fly, spend hour and a half neck turning 50 pieces of brass yesterday and necked down one step

 

[JustOneMoreShot]

Looks really nice. I am very interested in this GAP 6.5

 

[Shrek]

I was shooting mine today. Sending 150gr Matrix at 3030fps and primers look good. Going to drop a couple of tenths and see if I can find some accuracy to go with the better speed I'm finding with Retumbo. It's a really fun round to shoot. I think you're going to be very happy with yours.

 

[KMD]

Good deal, ape!
Have fun shakin' it out!!!

 

[brushape]

That' sound like a good load shrek, just finished up all the case prep in 50 pieces of brass this morning and gave the barrel but a final tightening, now I just have to dive into taking the scope off my perfectly dialed 30-06 to borrow

 

[brushape]

Said screw it and did the scope swap, some weight numbers I gathered : factory 300wsm 24" ss barrel was 2#9oz new barrel is 3#2 oz. complete weight with scope and talley mounts is 8#5oz which shouldn't be a problem to get below the 8 pound mark I wanted once I flute the barrel , manners stock and carbon bolt knob

 

[waterrat]

Great write-up BA,, I've lusted for a 6.5 something for 30 years. Looking forward to your load development and range work. Up here we more or less tend to use bigger stuff but if our caribou start increasing the 6.5 is perfect. Carry On !

Jim

 

[brushape]

50 rounds are loaded, gun is bore sighted and bags are packed. Going to shoot Friday. Best thing yet is I met a guy today with a private ranch 10 minutes from home with a 1000 yard range I can shoot whenever

 

[brushape]

Spent yesterday and today shooting a bunch of loads with 140 amax and 130 bergers nothing really shot lights out but they were getting better the more I shot so I kinda gave up on trying to figure out loads and fired the rest of my loads at steel from 350-588 yrds getting lots of hits. The barrel needs to be floated better and I will adjust the seating depth on the bergers and see what it will really do but so far all the loads with bergers were under 1" and the best the amax would do was about there also. Overall a very sweet little cartridge

 

[brushape]

 

[brushape]

Something to note is that this xcaliber barrel does not get dirty, one pass with a patch and it looks brand new, very very smooth rifling in this thing

 

[eLightfoot]

Nice rig man. Lucky deal on the ranch/range hook up. Thats what I need to find

 

[brushape]

Thanks, I'm pretty pumped on the new shooting spot hookup I haven't been up yet but plan on it soon

 

[brushape]

Was gonna go for a second round of load development but got side tracked and now it's pouring rain. I'm not too sold on the bergers really, This pig took three shot on the run one through the ribs one in the rear hip and one in the neck/shoulder. None passed through and no pieces over about 10 grains were found. This was with my 30-06 and 185 classic hunters at 2650fps at 20-40 yards

plan from now on will be having a Barnes for the first shot and having berger or amax in the mag if a longer range opportunity arises

 

[brushape]

 

[brushape]

 

[BARichardson]

The berbers at that close of range will tend to just explode on contact…. next time let the hog get about 200-300 yards away and watch the berger magic happen! lol…

Keep ur updated on the 6.5SAUM and speeds ur getting out of that barrel