260 rem versus 6.5 CM

[KevinM]

I own a 300wsm and 30.06. I am considering purchasing another rifle for mainly my children to use as the grow up. Think a 6.5 CM or 260 Rem would be a good option. Which one is better and why? I am a reloader.

Thanks.

Kevin

 

[revturbo9967]

I would go with a 260 Rem just due to the fact that everyone owns or is trying to own a 6.5C and ammo availability is up and down.

 

[Desperatezulu]

The 260 Rem seems destined to go the way of the dinosaurs because it's the middle child in the 6.5mm family (not outstanding in any facet). No big deal for a reloader because the parent cartridge is the 308 - obviously 6.5mm bullets are aren't going anywhere from a popularity perspective.

I am biased but a 6.5x55 gives a bit more versatility especially to use heavy bullets.
To be fair, you won't go wrong with any of them as a reloader.
Also the 26 Nosler and 264WM to consider if you like magnums.

 

[112Savage]

Having owned and shot a
6.5 Grendel
6.5 creedmoor
6.5x55
6.5-284 Norma
264 Winchester magnum
26 Nosler

for an inside of 500 yards and less than 400 pounds hunting rifle; It really hard to beat the creedmoor for consistent rifle-to-rifle accuracy. Select your bullet wisely based on terminal performance needs (not expectations). For example, everyone seems to grab the 143 ELDX as their everything bullet. Hornady themselves say this is a bad idea and should be used for target and extended range hunting. If you’re hunting less than 300 yds pick a tougher bullet.

As a side note, I haven’t really seen a huge advantage with the 6.5x55 over the 6.5 creedmoor. I’ve loaded the 6.5x55 with 160gr round nose and really had to pour it to it to get any appreciable trajectory/velocity/energy difference over the creedmoor

 

[Hogpatrol]

For a reloader, six of one half a dozen of the other. If the CM, use good SRP brass like Lapua or ADG. If you want to go off the beaten path and get better accuracy, go with the 6.5x47 Lapua. Disclaimer, I have three rifles in that cartridge, two hunting rifles and a 1000 yard bench gun.

 

[Tango]

I own a 300wsm and 30.06. I am considering purchasing another rifle for mainly my children to use as the grow up. Think a 6.5 CM or 260 Rem would be a good option. Which one is better and why? I am a reloader.

Thanks.

Kevin

The 6.5 CM is the way to go. 260 is on the way out with relatively little ammunition being manufactured for it and few rifle choices. 6.5 CM was tough to find at times during the Covid panic, but more of it is being loaded than just about any rifle caliber other than .223/5.56 or 7.62x51. It will give you significantly more loaded options than 260. Development on the manufacturer side is also finished for 260. It's a good round, but the 6.5 CM handles longer, higher BC bullets better and it's clearly where manufacturers are focusing their R&D, engineering etc efforts/dollars due to market demand. Both rounds are reloader friendly, but you'll find more data and support for the 6.5 CM. The market spoke and chose 6.5 CM. While it's fashionable to mock the 6.5 CM due to the marketing hype surrounding it (legitimate criticism for sure), the bottomline is that it's a wonderfully effective, low recoil, accurate, hunting and target round with a huge number of rifle and ammunition choices available. It's a winner within reasonable limits, though there's nothing magical about it.

 

[White32]

260rem is a better option .

 

[Tango]

Not from a ballistic or industry/manufacturer support option, but it is a good caliber

 

[shark_za]

260rem is a better option .

In what possible way is this true?
The .260 rifles usually have a 1:9 or 1:10 twist while those made for 6.5CM have 1:8
If all you are shooting is 140gr bullets then it makes absolutely no difference but the CM will do better with longer bullets.


Go 6.5x55 rather

 

[Puddle]

260 Rem - basically a handloading proposition, which is fine if you want to use it as a vehicle to teach your kids handloading. It's a build or a search for proposition for rifles.

6.5 CM - Can't swing a dead cat in the sporting goods store without hitting multiple factory ammo options on the shelves and knocking over arm loads of rifle choices from ~$400 - $2000. Oh, and the factory ammo is really good.

Have fun deciding

 

[sgt_zim]

Since you reload, I'd go with 6.5x55 and 155 gr Lapua Mega or 156 gr Norma Oryx. I have a Tikka T3X in 6.5x55, and it's a tack-driving, pleasant-shooting, lightweight rifle. As much as I like both of those bullets, they're both pretty low BC, so range is limited. Since Woodleigh is rebuilding, their 160 PPSNs will be available at some point, and BC on those is about .51. At 2500 fps MV, that'll get you out to about 300 yards and still right around 2k fps

I'd also consider 7mm-08. You could load up to 175 gr bullets for it, and performance would be similar to 7x57. It has a lot more reach, albeit with a bit of an arc, than most people realize. A 175 gr partition fired at 2500 fps still has right at 2000 fps of velocity and about 1500 ft-lbs of energy out to about 350 yards.

 

[Tango]

Since you reload, I'd go with 6.5x55 and 155 gr Lapua Mega or 156 gr Norma Oryx. I have a Tikka T3X in 6.5x55, and it's a tack-driving, pleasant-shooting, lightweight rifle. As much as I like both of those bullets, they're both pretty low BC, so range is limited. Since Woodleigh is rebuilding, their 160 PPSNs will be available at some point, and BC on those is about .51. At 2500 fps MV, that'll get you out to about 300 yards and still right around 2k fps

I'd also consider 7mm-08. You could load up to 175 gr bullets for it, and performance would be similar to 7x57. It has a lot more reach, albeit with a bit of an arc, than most people realize. A 175 gr partition fired at 2500 fps still has right at 2000 fps of velocity and about 1500 ft-lbs of energy out to about 350 yards.

That 7mm 175gr Partition is a real killer within reasonable ranges. Love that in my 7x57

 

[shootist~]

Sample of one and all that, but my Tikka 6.5 CM shoots the heavies (155 gr Lapua Mega reloads) very well. RL-17 gets me 2,637 fps at 66*F. All 6.5 CMs may not have the longish throat as my T3X, however.

But - the 155 Mega load pushes the recoil up as well so that may not be the best option for a kid's rifle. I bet it would be awesome in the bush, however.

 

[Tango]

Tikkas are such great rifles

 

[TroyF]

Manbun or no manbun is the question.

 

[TroyF]

That 7mm 175gr Partition is a real killer within reasonable ranges. Love that in my 7x57

will be the bullet im using this deer season in my 7x57, a bit overkill for whitetail but dead is dead.

 

[Red Leg]

They both do exactly what a 6.5x54, 6.5x55 and 6.5x57 have been doing for a century or more so I am sure either is a fine choice.

 

[sgt_zim]

Sample of one and all that, but my Tikka 6.5 CM shoots the heavies (155 gr Lapua Mega reloads) very well. RL-17 gets me 2,637 fps at 66*F. All 6.5 CMs may not have the longish throat as my T3X, however.

But - the 155 Mega load pushes the recoil up as well so that may not be the best option for a kid's rifle. I bet it would be awesome in the bush, however.

I'm getting right at 2400 fps with Woodleigh 160 gr in my Swede. Recoil is very mild, accuracy is stellar.

 

[Robmill70]

I have 4 different 6.5's (6.5G, 6.5CM, 260, and 6.5x55). First, to say you can't get a 260 with a 1:8 twist is untrue, mine has a 1:8. Second, the CM and 260 are really built for 2 different platforms, the CM for an AR platform in which it beats the 260 due to case length and bullet choices with the magazine length restriction. The 260 is better suited for a bolt action (despite what CM lovers will tell you, the 260 holds more powder). I like my CM, but I'm not blindly in love with it like many are who think it's ballistically equal to a 6.5 WM or 6.5x284 etc. If you hand load I would say go with the 6.5x55, of my 6.5's I like this one the best. Don't let people blow smoke up your rear that it's under powered (I know what the reload manuals say), if you shoot it from a modern action you'll be fine. I use a savage action, I run 155gr Lapua megas for hunting and I push them at 2750 FPS with 45.6 grains of RL22 (26" BBL) and never had an issue. I can tell you the 260 or CM guys can't even come close to that. Now for store bought ammo, CM has the biggest selection for sure. Just my 2 cents

 

[leslie hetrick]

my cz 550 in 6.5x55 and n-560 will push a 139-140 gr bullets at 2900 fps and 120 gr bullets with n 560 will do 3000 fps, the loads i shoot are safe in my rifle. as far as bullet seating, the magizine will take a loaded 3006 with no problem. so seating any 6.5 bullets out to use the powder space is no problem. and my remington 700 .260 has a 1x8 factory twist.