SOCOM Looks at 6.5mm

Military Times

Does one or the other perform better in autoloaders? I imagine shoulder angle has a role in it.

Initially there were a lot of claims to this effect, that the .308 shoulder is better for feeding, but I haven't seen or experienced any data to support this.

I know in 6.5 Grendel it isn't, as 30° shoulder in that cartridges doesn't cause any problems I have seen.

I do wonder about the effect of nose-heavy cartridges having FTFeed issues due to imbalance with the cartridge stack in the magazine as it lifts.

I would like to see some Operational Test and Evaluation across the USMC Scout Sniper Instructor Course at Quantico, SF Sniper Course at Bragg, US Army Sniper School at Benning, 2nd MARDIV Scout Sniper Course at Lejeune, 1st MARDIV Scout Sniper Course at Pendleton, 1st Group's Sniper Committee, 10th Group's Sniper Committee, 7th Group's Sniper Committee, 5th Group's Sniper Committee, 3rd Group's Sniper Committee, and 75th Ranger Regiment Sniper Platoons.

It would be interesting to see:

M110/Mk.11 uppers in both .260 Remington and 6.5 Creedmoor
6.5 Grendel uppers in 16" Recce, 18" SPR, and 12.5" Commando offerings

Short action bolt guns with AI chassis like they currently use for several different cartridges chambered in both 6.5-08 cartridges.

You could run most of your training in the school houses on 6.5 Grendel because of barrel life, where you would get twice the life of a .308, with way better hit potential, where the shooters can actually see their own hits, but still have less wind drift.

Run the majority of the round count that way, then step up to the M110/Mk.11/SR25s with .260 or CM uppers for 800yds and farther into ELR territory.

Use gas guns for mover range days, and let the students choose what they will take for record fire and the Culmination Exercises.

I think a lot of people would be surprised to see which rifles people would prefer.

Get Geissele involved with the coatings, using Geissele triggers.

LaRue is already making .260 Rem uppers and rifles for SR25 receiver cut.

If NATO doesn't go along, US won't either. 6.5 would be a big benefit in either 6.5 creedmoor ot 260. Like kicking a mule to move, near impossible. The ballistics is there, no doubt. Plus a little less weight. guess we will see down the road. I tried the 6.5 creedmoor round to see if it would replace my 308. It didn't. Decided to go 338 LM for better distance. Sold the rifle.

Socom doesn't need nato to make its decisions. This isn't big green.

I'd be shocked if KAC, LMT, and LaRue didn't have rifles out for testing. Hell I get a .264 scar is out there.

Frank Galli @ SnipersHide has written in the past that some SOCOM units have used 260 Rem with a Black Hills load for a few years now, to great success.

I think that would be a really feasible idea. Those guys shoot enough that barrel life and getting consistent dope rifle to rifle would be tricky if you were running a big 6.5 hard a lot. Running the Grendel's until you needed the range for the ELR stuff it would save a lot of wear and tear. The .260s are out there, and I was told they were being well received.

I honestly think the US doesn't cares what NATO thinks. We run 300 win mag sniper rifle and the rest of the EU dudes run 338 lapua. I'm there big sniper rifles. Sniper rifles are kinda special category anyway. Seeing that your not requesting 10s of 1000s of round for them. And generally don't share ammo with other common caliber platforms.

Regiment is rumored to be rocking .260s. I have heard some limited rumors that they are even LaRue rifles.

I heard that the Regiment has been rocking LaRue's .260s for over a year.  By chance, do you have any idea what ammunition they may be using?

It was never mentioned