6.5 Rem mag...what happened to it?

G

Grayson

New member
I picked up a Model 700 6.5 Rem mag a few years ago. Really nice gun and shoots well. Unfortunately, reloads are all I can find since factory ammo isn't commercially available. What happened to this round? It seems like it's a great round with good ballistics. Wonder why it never caught on?
 
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In the beginning they were chambered in M600 rifles that were short barreled and light. Withe the 18.5" barrel on the M600 you were probably burning a minimum of 10 grains more powder, with more muzzle blast and recoil than a 6.5X55 and not really increasing the speed of the bullet by much. Everything is a trade off, and for most people to put up with extra recoil and muzzle blast the need something in return. The cartridge and rifle pairing just couldn't deliver, thus it died a quick death as a commercial cartridge.
 
6.5s like 8mms are popular in Europe, not USA.
When Rem introduced the cart, it was with the model 600 bolt gun. Many did not like the model 600 and the 600 was about the only rifle you could find that used the 6.5Mag.

Rems 7mm Mag was a hit from the start and was preferred en mass over the 6.5.
Its a good cart, but never took off. Same with the 8mm Mag


Taylor, looks like our posts overlapped. I agree
 
It was tailored to the M-600 carbines

18 1/2" inch pencil thin barrels with that odd nylon rib didn't allow for top velocities or accuracy.
Remington was said to think it was going to compete with the .270 Winchester, but in a more handy package than the longer action.
I think the big failing was not making the case long enough to seat the larger 130+ grain bullets that a 6.5 needed to compete as a western big game rifle. The 120 grain factory bullet wasn't all that well received by the hunting public and people decided that, as a magnum cartridge, it just wasn't blowing anybody's doors off.
 
In addition to what they said, its performance was completely eclipsed by the .264 Win Mag. Poor choice of rifle platform plus underperforming against its intended competion equals sure death.
 
Another issue was the action. It was too short to allow effective use of heavier bullets. This was also a pricked for the .350. Both were good cartridges seriously hampered by the gun.
 
"New" cartridges like the defunct 6.5 Rm are brought out on a regular basis to sell just one more gun to you or I.

We already have guns that are effective. So some advertising vice president in a ammo or gun company dreams up something a little different and some of us fall for it.

The latest duplicate of other cartridges is the 'new' 280 improved or whatever Nosler is trying to sell.
 
The original idea of the 600 in .350 Magnum was for a short, handy "guide gun" capable of taking on dangerous game. The 6.5 was sort of an afterthought to meet some "demand" for the same rifle in something more suited to medium game (deer), but it never took off. Like many other "unsuccessful" guns, there is now demand for the 600 in both calibers as collectibles.

Jim
 
Wonder why it never caught on?
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The 6.5 RM was ahead of its time. The gun it was offered in had pretty radical styling and combined with the novelty of a short magnum cartridge it was just to much for people to buy.

If they had come out with it in the Model 7 it might have been different.
 
If they had come out with it in the Model 7 it might have been different.
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I'm not sure the Model 7 action could stand the pressure of a magnum type round. As it is, they did come out with a 6.5 in the Model 7 that has very close to the same performance (150fps difference with the same bullet) as the 6.5RM - the .260Rem. Only, the .260 has less recoil and much less muzzle blast.
 
Of the two cartridges, the 6.5 and the .350, I really only see a purpose for the .350.

But to be brutally honest, I don't have much use for EITHER of these rounds, because Remington made a huge mistake (one they've made many times, unfortunately)...

They put a belt on them.

For an African cartridge to be used in a gun that might only get relatively cursory cleaning where the temperature is a gazillion degrees, yeah, that's more useful than not (although the .416 Rigby did just fine for itself).

A belt on a cartridge for North American hunting?

You have GOT to be kidding me.
 
Remington's answer to the .264 Win Mag., but 8 years later. Neither of which did anything better than any existing cartridge.
Marketing types discontinue stuff that doesn't meet sales projections regularly. Usually with no regard for existing customers.
 
I'm not really sure that it was an "answer" to the .264, per se, given that the 6.5 can't come close to duplicating the .264's performance.

It might have been, however, Remington's effort to give anyone interested in a 6.5, but not a magnum 6.5, something to work with.
 
Remington gambles.

Ya gotta give them credit for taking chances and being ahead of their time. They've had futuristic failures that would be more saleable today. I shunned their synthetic stocked Nylon 66 back in the day. Now everybody but me and a few others buys plastic stocked rifles. In my view, I can't help but see the similarity between today's 17HMR, and Remington's 5mm Rimfire Magnum. They gambled on electronic ignition rifles. My brother bought a 6.5mm Remington Magnum back in the mid 70's, but his was a Ruger 77 that could get more out of the cartridge than those short barreled Remingtons. More than a 25-06, it was close to 270 Winchester performance. Of course, my 270 held more cartridges and fed from the magazine a heck of a lot more smoothly. "Close, kid, but no prize. Try again; better luck next time." There are a number of newer cartridges than the 270 Winchester that have been attempts to improve or beat it in one aspect or another. The 270 Winchester is still best in class. The 270 Winchester killed the 6.5mm Remington Magnum.
 
Encouraging word for Grayson...

You already have the rifle, so don't be dismayed about the ammo, just reload. If it were mine and I was committed to keeping it, I would accumulate 500 cases eventually, and always maintain a minimum of 100 loaded rounds. With appropriate bullets it will do anything a 270 will do. With obscure calibers like that, reloading is essential. The optimal bullet weight for big game in that cartrige is around 140 grains. 120's will be fine for deer. Cheers, Pathfinder.
 
Creek Henry said:
So, on a related note, how is the 26 Nosler doing? It can handle the heavier bullets... Is that making a difference in sales?
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About as well as can be expected from a rifle with only one manufacturer of ammunition and rifles. It'll die out quickly unless someone besides Nosler starts making rifles or ammunition for it. It'll always be there as extreme LR shooting cartridge which will help keep it alive, but I have a feeling it'll quickly be relegated to custom rifles and hand loaders only since it's such a specialty niche cartridge.
 
I expect the 26 Nosler may develop a small cult following. But it will surprise me if it acheives widespread popularity. It's not at all practical, but then, neither are sportscars. How long can the barrel be expected to last?
 
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