Letters containing questions for answering by Nick Harvey must be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope. Mail your letters to: The Technical Editor, 3 Reef Street, Hill End, NSW 2850.
LETTER OF THE MONTH
Loading the 6.5x68mm RWS
Q Recently, I acquired an unusual Mauser which doesn’t look anything like the Model 1898. It has the markings “Mauser 2000” and the calibre “6.5x68mm”. My uncle had owned this rifle for 30 or 40 years before he gave it to me. It came with a Simplex die set and 30 once-fired cases and 70 that are unfired.
I seem to remember that you owned a Mauser 66 in this calibre and reloaded the ammunition and hunted with it. Could you suggest a primer, suitable powder and a couple of moderate loads so that I can start using this rifle for deer hunting?
Patrick Roberts
A Back in the late 1980s the Mauser Werke presented me with a Mauser 66 and two barrels — for the 6.5x68mm and the 8x68S. I worked up loads for the 6.5x68 with bullets weighing from 85 to 160gn. Back in those days I used powders like W-785 and H4831 with light bullets and slower burning IMR7828 and AR2214 with heavy ones.
Its huge case and small neck dictate low efficiency, even with slow-burning powders, and it lags behind the .270 and .280 Rem as a deer cartridge at normal ranges, while a 100gn bullet at 3700fps made it a sizzling predator cartridge.
Of the available powders, I suggest you use AR2213sc, which works fairly well.
I got very good accuracy with the Hornady 129gn Interlock and 63gn of AR2213sc
