6.5x68mm
| 6.5×68mm | ||||||||||||
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| Type | Rifle | |||||||||||
| Place of origin |
 Germany
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| Service history | ||||||||||||
| In service | Never issued | |||||||||||
| Production history | ||||||||||||
| Designer | August Schüler | |||||||||||
| Designed | 1939 | |||||||||||
| Produced | 1939–present | |||||||||||
| Variants | 6.5×68m R (rimmed) | |||||||||||
| Specifications | ||||||||||||
| 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 |
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The 6.5×68mm rebated rim bottlenecked centerfire rifle cartridge (also known as the 6.5×68mm RWS, 6.5×68mm Schüler, or the 6.5×68mm Von Hofe Express) and its sister cartridge the 8×68mm S were developed in the 1930s by August Schüler from the August Schüler Waffenfabrik, Suhl, Germany as magnum hunting cartridges that would just fit and function in standard-sized Mauser 98 bolt-action rifles. This is one of the early examples where a completely new rifle cartridge (the 6.5×68mm and 8×68mm S have no other cartridge as parent case) was developed by a gunsmith to fit a specific popular and widespread type of rifle.
The German ammunition manufacturer RWS (Rheinisch-Westfälischen Sprengstoff fabrik) 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:
The M 98 bolt actions and magazine boxes of standard military Mauser 98 rifles have to be adapted by a competent gunsmith to function properly with these magnum cartridges since the cases are longer and have a larger diameter than the 8×57mm service cartridges. In properly adapted standard military Gewehr 98 or Karabiner 98k service rifles the large 6.5×68mm cartridges are, however, praised for very smooth and reliable feeding.
The widespread availability of standard size Mauser 98 rifles and the fact that the .375 H&H Magnum cartridge and its necked down version the .300 H&H Magnum with approximately 72.4 mm case length were too long to fit in standard sized Mauser 98 bolt action rifles makes the shorter 6.5×68mm, 8×68mm S and .375 Hölderlin interesting chambering options.
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Wikipedia