Introducing the 6.5 BC - a Wildcat Special: Loading, Testing, and Not Blowing Up 

Just some info on the 142 gr ABLR that might be of some interest, especially to Ryan. I have a 6.5-300 WSM and worked up a load with the ABLR. My node was at 3,190, fps and was extremely accurate. Last year I took a doe at 180 yards, through the ribs, and the bullet completely grenaded. I was fairly surprised especially considering I didn't hit a major bone on impact. Of course the doe dropped on the spot and didn't move a muscle, but the reason I choose the ABLR was the bonded bullet and in hopes that even over 3,000 fps it would have the toughness to NOT disintegrate. I just wanted give you guys a heads up, because that could very well happen to you, especially once you get your speeds up. I've really enjoyed this project and can't wait to watch it develop more!

Thanks for the tip about the ejector mark related to pressure... Brilliant explanation.

Lmao Mark immediately blurting it out

You need to do a 10 minute talk on the 6.5 and 350 Remington magnum cartridges. They where ahead of there time and a cool adventure for hand loader.

you guys are such a cohesive unit!

I want to see some Retumbo or IMR 8133 in this thing. Should give some great velocities with this sized case.

This whole series has been so cool, I hope you do revisit this with a 7mm BC or 300 BC

Dream cartridge for unicorn hunting by the sound of your expectations :)

I’m naming my wildcat the 6.5 S.T.D bc 6.5 is just above average and this thing burns hot! Pewwww son lemme tell ya, this cartridge will have ya screaming! 😉

Prison Mike on Ryan's cup lol

Sounds like you’re reinventing the 264 win mag.

I want to do a 6.5 wildcat based off the 20mm cannon shell, and name it 6.5 Eargesplitten Loudenboomer. Good luck with your project.

a nice round, it just about duplicates, a 6.5x284 at its max, with a 30" barrel I am getting 3100fps with a 142gr with H 4831 behind it, wont divulge the charge#. It has been a fun ride, but I just built a hunting rifle, in 6.5x284 on a long action to seat the bullets where they did not take up powder space, and function thru the action. The first loads were shooting in the low .300s for 3 shot groups, at 3100fps. I did moly coat my bullets, and dont have any copper fouling. My first shot on a whitetail was 430yds, DRT with a 140BTSP Sierra Game King. 2nd one was 510yds, behind the last rib, quartering to the left, took out all the vitals, and blew the front leg off on exiting. I cant ask for a better, more consistent hunting round.

By the time you get done testing all the variables... you will need a new barrel...and the process starts all over again...YES! Get rolling

So when you run light pressures, the brass doesn't expand the same way it does under heavier pressures. This results in the brass slamming backwards into the bolt-face causing what would appear to be pressure signs, but is in fact lack of pressure signs. It's almost backwards in thought process, but it follows Bohr's Law to a T. Also, leaving a lot of room in a case will produce some odd of expected results. This is often seen in benchrest or F-Class when shooting different strings at different times of day. Benchrest shooters will start with a lighter load in the morning due to increased pressures and increase their charge throughout the day. I've seen this happen as well. I will shoot better strings in the afternoon in competition if I am using a consistent load charge vs. using varied charges to account for increased air density in the mornings vs. the afternoon. ELR shooters will seat their bullets where the base is right at or above the neck-shoulder junction to decrease disturbance of the base of the round when it leaves the case. Great discussion guys. Thank you for sharing it with us!

If its a tangent ogive then 20 thou off lands will be a great place to start, this cartridge will go well over 3100 but may not be so accurate as a node around the 3040 to 3080 range where it will be happy, as well as that if you use a match barrel it may speed up over pressure in 100 to 300 shots.

It sounds like it’s the same as a 270 Winchester 140 grain Nosler Partition and reloader 26 with 59grains or more. Just maybe. You should definitely try some reloader 26 and Hodgdon Hybrid 100V. .277 needs more attention and should be in that case.

The 6.5 creed started out as a purpose built cartridge too. It was invented as a low recoiling target rifle. It only became a hunting cartridge when hunters realized that low recoil meant better accuracy and follow up shots

Love these podcasts

A lot of high pressure signs are head space problems. The case is moving back and forth in the chamber. Yes the case not gripping the chamber will give odd signs. One of the real high pressure signs is brass expansions and the base.

I’m waiting for an update episode on the 6.5 BC

Prison mike!!! Haha! Nice!

lol that aged like an outhouse in August. Not the brass company you should have gone with. they definitely went toes up shortly after you guys filmed this. If you read any of the legal documents, it was under some.... we'll call it "fishy" circumstances.

7MM BC!! do it

Please neck up to .284!! The 7’s are under appreciated!!

For a hunting rifle with multi round loading. Loading reliability and safe clambering and safe discharge should always be the priority. After that then performance and accuracy can be maximize to improve the ability of the hunter to take the animal. Accuracy is still much more important to me than many in the industry accept. But I shoot bench rest in my free time. So having a 3 minute rifle is completely unacceptable. But a 1.5 minute is fine.

Thanks for the Moto GP reference!

Ryan just wants to hunt with the 338 BC haha

Did you not use QuickLoad and compare H2O capacity with existing 6.5 rounds? Guns of the World shows the 300 or 270 WSM necked to shoot .264" bullets as the "6.5 Leopard". It's been around for quite a while. "Rum" inating is pronounced "Room" inating. When it comes to 'cats...it's all been done. Ejector marks on reduced loads is caused by the case walls not expanding to grip the chamber walls, so you get more bolt thrust than you would with higher-pressure loads.

I missed what the parent case is. Gonna have to go back and look.

This round really seems to be very similar to a 6.5 PRC. In what ways does it differ and what makes it better for hunting?

What podcast episode do you talk about how the WY pronghorn hunt went??

What about use bc case for a 270 calber

Passionnant les amis !

yall need to sammi spec this cartridge

The podcast is great

Bitch-Cat needs a family. Would love to see a 7mm and 30 cal version. Could you expand on what this does better or different than say the 6.5 PRC or 6.5 SAUM?

I guess if 2,900-3,000 fps with the same bullet weight in a 6.5-06, 6.5x284, 6.5 Leopard, or 6.5 PRC isn't enough for you, and 3,200 - 3,300 out of the 26 Nosler is too much velocity for you, then the 6.5 BeCause should really fill the bill!

I haven't seen the specs on the 6.5 BC but if you did a .338 interpretation, how would it differ from .338 Lapua?

Any updates on the 6.5 BC?

If you skip inside chamfering,You can shave copper off a bullet when seating

What twist rate does the barrel have?

416 BC, 400gr solid copper 😈

Alright😂!

7mm!!! & .338 too

I used cotton balls for case filler. Super cheap, doesn't weigh anything and works well enough.

.270 BC!

27 saum wildcat

It sounds alot like a 6.5prc?

Okay guys, I can draw a moose tag about every 4 years up here in Northern Alberta. I got one this year. By the time I draw another tag, I'm going to NEED a 338BC. The 7 mag has been dissapointing on moose performance.

Did he just say 15grains more than 6.5 creed and at the same FPS? Hows that better? Better Energy? Obviously not the speed, thats quite terrible , isnt it?

Any more 6.5 BC updates coming?

Only one rifle? I had assumed you were building at least three... Nice project though.

It’s “room-i-nate”!

Id go 0.003 instead of a 10th, you're skipping nodes

Quit talkin' and get to the bench! Try Ramshot Marnum & LRT, H1000, H-50BMG, sloowww powders, with large for caliber bullets, 140 and heavier, the Berger 156EOL, would be my choice. Other than that, you just re-invented a 6.5x284N, 6.5 PRC, 6.5-06AI and the like.

Prison Mike

.300 bich-cat

Isnt the performance what a 6.5 PRC is?

😂😂😂

Head stamp , that's what you looking for not monogram

Hey guys, shut up about Wyoming.