I have been using the 6.5-08 since 1958, when it was known as the .263 Express. My first one was created by opening up the chamber of a 6.5mm Arisaka with a .243 Winchester reamer, using a 6.5 mm detachable pilot. Despite the 7.5" twist, it shot 90 grain Norma bullets very accurately and accounted for quite a number of crows and groundhogs.

More recently, I have had two target rifles in that caliber, one a pre-War Model 70 and the other a post 68 Model 70. Both were exceedingly accurate out to 600 yards, but both had problems with rapid fire. I also have a hunting rifle in that caliber built on a 1937 Oberndorf Mauser action, part of a three gun trio of 6.5-08, .308, and .358, all stocked and barrelled identically, with identical actions and triggers.

The difficulty with steep shouldered short cases is that when used in a zig-zag box magazine like a Mauser or Model 70, as the left hand cartridge base is pushed past the shoulder of the adjacent right hand cartridge during the loading process, the tip of the left hand cartridge will often diaviate sharply to the right, rather than feeding directly into the chamber. With the extractor cut in the barrel cone in a pre-64 Model 70 or Springfield, this often results in a jam. With the push feed post 64 and Remington 700, in can result in a loaded round popping out of the magazine, neither a happy event in a rapid fire string, or, I submit, in a hunting situation.

As far as cases with small rifle primers are concerned, for years Remington has been manufacturing on a limited basis .308 cases with primer pockets for small rifle primers. I have used them successfully with my 6.5-08 target rifles when shooting at 600 yards.