6.5×68mm
6.5×68mm | ||||||||||||
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Type | Rifle | |||||||||||
Place of origin | Nazi Germany | |||||||||||
Service history | ||||||||||||
In service | Never issued | |||||||||||
Production history | ||||||||||||
Designer | August Schüler | |||||||||||
Designed | 1939 | |||||||||||
Produced | 1939–present | |||||||||||
Variants | 6.5×68m R (rimmed) | |||||||||||
Specifications | ||||||||||||
Parent case | 8×68mm S | |||||||||||
Case type | Rimless, bottleneck | |||||||||||
Bullet diameter | 6.70 mm (0.264 in) | |||||||||||
Neck diameter | 7.60 mm (0.299 in) | |||||||||||
Shoulder diameter | 12.18 mm (0.480 in) | |||||||||||
Base diameter | 13.30 mm (0.524 in) | |||||||||||
Rim diameter | 13.00 mm (0.512 in) | |||||||||||
Rim thickness | 1.40 mm (0.055 in) | |||||||||||
Case length | 67.50 mm (2.657 in) | |||||||||||
Overall length | 86.50 mm (3.406 in) | |||||||||||
Case capacity | 5.58 cm3 (86.1 gr H2O) | |||||||||||
Rifling twist | 250 mm (1 in 9.84 in) | |||||||||||
Primer type | Large rifle magnum | |||||||||||
Maximum pressure | 440 MPa (64,000 psi) | |||||||||||
Ballistic performance | ||||||||||||
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Test barrel length: 650 mm (25.59 in) Source(s): RWS / RUAG Ammotech [1] |
The 6.5×68mm
History
The German ammunition manufacturer RWS (Rheinisch-Westfälischen Sprengstofffabrik) introduced both cartridges commercially in the spring of 1939. With the official certification of the .375 Hölderlin and the 8.5×68mm Fanzoj this German 68 mm "family" of magnum rifle cartridges that all share the same basic cartridge case got expanded in the 21st century.
The cartridges in this German 68 mm cartridge "family" are, in the order of development:
- 8×68mm S (1939)
- 6.5×68mm (1939)
- .375 Hölderlin(9.5×68mm) (2007)
- 8.5×68mm Fanzoj (2012)
The
The widespread availability of standard size Mauser 98 rifles and the fact that the
World War II spoiled the commercial introduction and spread of the 6.5×68mm. The cartridge became popular after World War II due to its high performance and flat trajectory, when German hunters were allowed again to own and hunt with full bore rifles. The 6.5×68mm's performance also made it that hunters who had problems with handling magnum cartridge recoil stepped down to less powerful but adequate medium cartridges like the 6.5×57mm Mauser, 7.92×57mm Mauser, 7×64mm (Brenneke) or .30-06 Springfield (also known as the 7.62×63mm in metric countries). Recoil sensitive shooters can fit an efficient muzzle brake to significantly reduce the amount of recoil. With the help of a muzzle brake, the 6.5×68mm's recoil is reduced to tolerable levels.
Cartridge dimensions
Extremely thick brass results in 'only' 5.58
6.5×68mm maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimetres (mm).
Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 14.53 degrees. The common
According to the official
When the 6.5×68mm was introduced in 1939 it probably held the title of fastest production cartridge on the market.[citation needed] Nowadays there are commercial cartridges on the market which offer even higher muzzle velocities.
The American .264 Winchester Magnum cartridge introduced in 1959 and the French 6.5×63mm Messner Magnum are probably the closest ballistic twins of the 6.5×68mm.
The 6.5×68mm in field use
German and Austrian hunters use the powerful, high velocity 6.5×68mm for long-range hunting in mountainous terrain like the Alps mountain range. The 6.5×68mm as a pure civil cartridge can be used in countries which ban civil use of former or current military ammunition.
Since there are not many factory loads available (RWS offers only 2 factory loads) and due to its good field reputation, the 6.5×68mm is often used by reloaders. They have used this cartridge extensively to create powerful loads by handloading.
Factory rifles in 6.5×68mm normally have 250 mm to 280 mm (1 in 9.8 to 11 inch)
Reloaders use the 6.5×68mm as a Jack of all trades long-range cartridge on all European game from fox, roe deer and chamois upwards to the big European game like red deer and moose. These people realized that bullets with different characteristics can be utilized to produce varying effects on game. As with all 6.5 mm cartridges, the big game hunting bullets used in the 6.5×68mm have comparatively high sectional densities for good penetration on suitable size game animals.
The 6.5×68mm as parent case
Cartridges that are not officially registered with nor sanctioned by
Wildcats are not governed by C.I.P. or SAAMI rules so wildcatters can capitalize the achievable high operating pressures. It is often reported that modern 68 mm RWS brass can tolerate up to 500 MPa (72519 psi) piezo pressure. Because the 6.5×68mm offers an exceptional sturdy, pressure resistant cartridge case that can relatively easily be reloaded with primers, powder and bullets and hence be reused several times it has become quite popular amongst wildcatters. With the German 68 mm magnum cartridge case as parent case wildcatters have created .25×68, .270×68, 7×68mm, .30×68, .338×68, .375×68 or .416×68 variants.
See also
References
- ^ RWS Ammunition Ballistic Data & Application Consultant Archived 2009-08-31 at the Wayback Machine
- ""6.5x68 reloading data" from Reloader's Nest" The site isn't working any more"
- C.I.P. CD-ROM edition 2003
- C.I.P. decisions, texts and tables (free current C.I.P. CD-ROM version download (ZIP and RAR format))
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (September 2007) |