07-13-2011, 04:16 AM
Bill said it pretty well!
Also, the 6.5 was historically used in a number of military firearms in Europe, Japan, and elsewhere. The caliber reached its first maturity in the early days of smokeless powder. Designers, particularly military designers, tend to prefer evolving things unless driven by wartime necessity.
This manifested in using very heavy bullets by today's standards, e. g. 160 grains for some of the military 6.5 cartridges. Lighter bullets bullets became available as the sporting use of the cartridges became popular in the first half of the 20th century.
Phil Sharpe's Complete Guide to Handloading, 1941(!!) shows bullets from 100 through 160 grains in 6.5. At this time, the larger diameter .270 had 95 grain offerings. The fact that the 6.5 bore was a lot older than the .277 is reflection of the "evolving" characteristic of a lot of military firearms and bullet design. Also, the fast twist of the military rifles and associated civilian rifle barrels did not favor the lighter bullets. The 44th edition of the Lyman Reloader's Handbook tells us that we could get 85 grain bullets in 6.5 by the mid-'60's while the lightest .277 bullet was still 90 grains.
The range of bullet weights for both calibers remains more or less the same today (excepting a new 85 grain offering or two in .277). The main difference is that effectively no .277 diameter bullets suitable for target competition until the advent of the 6.8 SPC. The 6.5, however, has long enjoyed a rich target competition history, so a variety suitably accurate target and bullets were readily available along with a good collection of hunting bullets.
The Grendel shines with 130 grain and lighter bullets, so the ready availability of bullets in more or less the mid-range of the 6.5 lineup gave the cartridge an immediate boost. The popularity of both the 6.5 Grendel and the 6.8 SPC have encouraged the bullet manufacturers to add richness to their line-up.
Also, the 6.5 was historically used in a number of military firearms in Europe, Japan, and elsewhere. The caliber reached its first maturity in the early days of smokeless powder. Designers, particularly military designers, tend to prefer evolving things unless driven by wartime necessity.
This manifested in using very heavy bullets by today's standards, e. g. 160 grains for some of the military 6.5 cartridges. Lighter bullets bullets became available as the sporting use of the cartridges became popular in the first half of the 20th century.
Phil Sharpe's Complete Guide to Handloading, 1941(!!) shows bullets from 100 through 160 grains in 6.5. At this time, the larger diameter .270 had 95 grain offerings. The fact that the 6.5 bore was a lot older than the .277 is reflection of the "evolving" characteristic of a lot of military firearms and bullet design. Also, the fast twist of the military rifles and associated civilian rifle barrels did not favor the lighter bullets. The 44th edition of the Lyman Reloader's Handbook tells us that we could get 85 grain bullets in 6.5 by the mid-'60's while the lightest .277 bullet was still 90 grains.
The range of bullet weights for both calibers remains more or less the same today (excepting a new 85 grain offering or two in .277). The main difference is that effectively no .277 diameter bullets suitable for target competition until the advent of the 6.8 SPC. The 6.5, however, has long enjoyed a rich target competition history, so a variety suitably accurate target and bullets were readily available along with a good collection of hunting bullets.
The Grendel shines with 130 grain and lighter bullets, so the ready availability of bullets in more or less the mid-range of the 6.5 lineup gave the cartridge an immediate boost. The popularity of both the 6.5 Grendel and the 6.8 SPC have encouraged the bullet manufacturers to add richness to their line-up.