Don't folks have reamers made to their own specs on occasion? I'm curious if the smith just doesn't want to do it.

If I were you, I'd be going with the 6.5-284 (if I wanted a long action .470 bolt face)

i really enjoy the 6.5-284 but there are no flies on the 6.5-06 either as a hunting round.

Sorry for the long post...

So, here's the story behind the rifle. It was the first large caliber rifle (not a .22) that my dad gave me. It was stamped "Kent Firearms" and chambered in 30-06. The chamber has always been tight, cases have to be sized down an extra notch compared to my dad's FN. It had a simple 3x9 Bushnell Scope and came with a flat brown painted stock... ugly as sin and kicked like nothing else. When I was in Jr. High, I took it out of the stock and sanded off the flat brown to find a white maple underneath. Not exactly pretty, but better than flat brown. So, I refinished it with Tru Oil it and at least the old mule didn't look as rough as when it started out. But I never when back to shooting it. When I went to the range, I'd snag my dad's 7x57 Chilean Mauser and was happy. It wasn't scoped, it had a peep sight in the rear and a blade in front and shot lights out... Also, one of the unwritten rules of the house was you had to reload what you shoot. So that's how I got started and why I was in love with 7x57.

Since then I've built on a few Mauser actions, I think they are superb, and completed a few stocks though none as nice as the custom one my dad built. And now what I have left is the remaining action I started with. There isn't much identification on it. I know its make is post WW2, not German, and likely an FN. However most FNs have a "characteristic" that ties them to a date range and model. This one doesn't as far as I can tell. I've read books on Mausers - one definitive book - "The Mauser Bolt Actions" by Jerry Kuhnhausen, and still can't place this one. The gunsmith I am working with knows them well (I've work with him before) and I'm reasonably confident he can finally call it what it is.

What's next is that the barreled action is headed to the gunsmith. I was hoping for a 6.5 X 57 but acquiring a reamer seems to be an issue. I like the 6.5 x 57 because it is efficient with powder and can hang with anything out there. (I know the Creedmoor folks will take exception). The 6.5-06 definitely has more speed but that really not what I'm going for. Speed isn't as important to me as consistency and the longest shot I've taken game is 310yrds on Elephant Mountain in God's country. I don't expect to go beyond that. On the upside, I can always load it light and good quality brass is easy to come by. When it's done, it will have a Timney trigger (already on), an M70 three position safety and wear a feathered dark walnut stock with ebony cap and tip. I post picks as I go if anyone want to see.

Have you considered renting a 6.5x57 reamer? I rented a 9.3x62 reamer in the past for my first 9.3x62 project.

Check with Elk Ridge Reamer Rentals or 4D reamer Rentals. Both are very reasonably priced when compared to the cost of a new reamer.
They both carry the 6.5x57 Mauser.

The 6,5x57 is a great round, I have a Mark V Weatherby that was rebarreled in Germany in 6.5x57

Good Luck!!

I'd be interested in seeing pics as this project progresses, and I am sure I'm not the only one.

A 6.5-284 would definitely be a great cartridge and so would 6.5-06. I think the .284-based cartridges sometimes give feeding problems in 98 actions, though. I have a Mark X in 6-284 I swapped into here on THF a long time ago, and it feeds slicker than snot but I have no idea whether it took much effort to make that happen or not. I understand when one develops an affinity or preference for a certain cartridge, but in my world the one that offers the most powder capacity while remaining reasonable and practical is the way to go. In reality though, it's not the headstamp that does the work, it's the bullet...so what matters is "what bullet," "how fast when it hits," and "what is its path through the target" that matters. All else is fluff.

Hope you can find what you want.