54R Wildcat comparison?

T

tobnpr

New member
I'm going to do a 54R wildcat project "just because".
I'm torn between the 6.5 x 54R (won the Olympic Biathlon in '76), and a 7mm x 54R because I'm a big fan of 7mm for long range.

PTG makes both reamers (though the 7mm is in 53R, wonder why...)
Throat life on the 7mm shouldn't be too bad (heck, these days I have precious little time to get to the range anyway :(), but don't know about the 6.5.

Should be similar (and a little better) that the 6.5-.06, anyone have that chambering that can speak to this?
 
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6.5-06 isn't great on throat life, but I would expect a 54R to be better, about halfway between 6.5-06 and .260. .260 is supposed to be much easier on barrels than 6.5-06.
 
You'll need more than just a reamer. You'll need headspace gauges too. I'm thinking a set of 7.62mm x 54R at $99US from PTG would do though.
"...in 53R, wonder why..." 7.62 x 53R Finn most likely.
 
I've got go and no-go gauges already, one is PTG and the other the much less expensive "coin" type gauge from Okie, though I only need the "go" for re-barreling.

I just wonder why they chose the slightly different chamber spec for the 7mm and used the (presumably) CIP spec for the 6.5. Think I'd be limited to Lapua brass for the 53R spec though other brass would fireform to it but it might be excessive and stretch the brass more than I'd like. Need to look into it more.

I'm going to call them to discuss the difference.
 
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