6mm Remington

[dvdcrr]

I recently acquired a 6mm Remington bolt action. For the 6mm users I was wondering what your favorite ammo or loads are currently. Also was wondering about your scope setup and sight in procedure. Have you had good luck with this round as a hunting cartridge?

[dahermit]

I recently acquired a 6mm Remington bolt action. For the 6mm users I was wondering what your favorite ammo or loads are currently. Also was wondering about your scope setup and sight in procedure. Have you had good luck with this round as a hunting cartridge?At one time a had a Browning B-78 (a single shot, falling block), in 6MM Remington. It was the most accurate rifle I have ever owned. It shot 1/2 inch or so five shot groups at 100 yards. I used IMR 4350 under a Hornady 87 grain varmint (no crimping cannelure), bullet. The choice of bullet was an experiment...I theorized that, being a varmint bullet with a thin jacket, when it hit a deer's chest, the bullets would "blow-up" and shower the heart, lungs, liver with bullet fragments resulting in a rapid kill. However, after examining the several deer that I shot using such, I found that the bullets did not "blow-up", but merely shed their jackets leaving the cores to exit the off-side. In short, my theory was wrong but the kills were everything that I wanted...in many instances, drop in their tracks with no failures (no lost deer, or tracking required), so I kept it as my do all (varmints and deer). I killed many deer using that combo, but never took a quartering shot...always waited for a side presentation or passed up the shot (I would no more take a quartering shot on deer as I would on a prime beef.) I ended up selling that great gun and others, to help finance grad school.

[reinert]

What's your rifle? R.O.T.? I have a Ruger M77 (tang safety, 22" bbl.) with a 1:10 twist rate. I have used 100 grn. bullets in the rifle, but have settled on this loading for the past 30 years. It is an absolute killer on medium sized game (IMO):

Partial sized Rem cases
87 grn. Hornady S.P. bullets
45 grns. of IMR 4350
CCI 200 LR primers

I'm careful on case/trim length measurement, and I seat my bullets just shy of the lands/grooves.

I just got the newest Hornady manual (2016 ed.), my first reloading book in a long time. I see Hornady's data for the 6MM Rem doesn't even have a loading using IMR 4350 (affectionately known as old guy powder; that's me!) for any of their .243 dia. bullets. No matter, use this guide below, and check out data for the 6MM. Seems Hodgdon makes all the powder anymore, and IMR data is still valid for my loading.

www.imrpowder.com

[Jim Watson]

I had a 6mm years ago, but no records or memory of the fine details. It will do anything a .243 will and a bit more but it lost the Battle of the Gunzines.

Seems Hodgdon makes all the powder anymore

Hodgdon doesn't MAKE smokeless powder. They have the US distributorships for IMR, Winchester, and Vihtavuori that I know of offhand. They are in cahoots with ADI and Alliant. All the stuff they sell under their own label is made for them by one or another of those companies.

Hodgdon owns GOEX but black powder is still made in Louisiana where they moved from New Jersey years ago.
I gather there is a Pyrodex factory owned and operated by Hodgdon. I don't know where 777 is made.

[Art Eatman]

Twist rate is important. When introduced, the 6mm Rem had a 1:14 twist, suitable for lightweight varmint bullets. The .243 competitor came (usually) with a 1:10 twist, more suitable for deer-hunting loads.

With varmint loads, the 6mm has a little more muzzle velocity. But the .243 generally groups tighter with deer loads.

So, check the twist rate.

[surveyor]

For a target load in a 29" 1:10 twist I like a 87 gr vmax on top of 40.0 gr of imr 4064.
Velocity is 3425, 5 shot groups are a little less than 1/2" at 100 yds.
Scope is a vortex pst on burris sig zee rings.

Note: this load is just under max listed with imr data. So work up to it.
This was dads custom varmint rig from before I was born.
It brings a smile when I take it out.
I really enjoyed finding the load it likes.

[Jim Watson]

The .244 Remington was introduced with a 12 twist and a maximum 90 grain flatbase spitzer. This gets a lot of blame for its failure against the .243.
There was also the matter that the Model 70 was pretty much the definition of a good looking bolt action at the time and the Model 722 was definitely a Plain Jane. Heavier, too.

The same chambering was renamed 6mm Remington with 9 twist barrels in the better looking Model 700, but it was too late to play catch up.

There were supposedly some transitional .244s with 10 twist, easy for Remington because by then they were making .243s for which that was standard.

I never heard of a 14 twist under either name, that is common in benchrest 6mms which seldom shoot more than a 68 grain bullet.

[burninghXcsoul]

I have a Remington 788 in 6mm I use to shoot groundhog matches. I don't have the exact loads but I have found that Varget and IMR 4064 with either a 87gr Hornady Vmax or 85gr Sierra Varmiteer give the best accuracy, right around .5" to .750" at 100 yards.

[Snyper]

For deer it's nearly impossible to beat the performance of a 95 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip

[oldscot3]

My old Remington 700 in 6mm is a bit of a picky eater, but it does well with 95 to 100 grain Nosler, Berger and Sierra bullets if they're sitting on top of RL22.

I also have one 75 grain bullet load that absolutely sizzles and is quite accurate as well but I can't remember off the top of my head what powder it uses. It's not a deer load though.

Mine is gathering dust in the back of the safe, but as I age my plan is to progress from my harder kickers down to the 6mm before retiring from hunting altogether. Goes without saying though, the Good Lord willing; every day is a gift.

[dvdcrr]

The reason for my curiosity: a new old Ruger M77 made in 1988, first shot today.
resized pic. It is shooting 100gr Rem ammo into 1.25" at 110 yds. SWEET
http://i.imgur.com/eWnA5Ia.jpg

[Texas45]

I also recently acquired one.
Not real familiar with them and I have only put about 10rds on target with it.
Set up is how my deceased BIL left it.
Had not been out in over 15 yrs till this month (dec 2016)
I will say after all that time scope was still pretty close even though its a cheap old thing.

Great long range varmit rifles as I understand.
My BIL used to shoot prairie dogs and such with it.
Remington model 700

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161230/010b71bc6c349b906f261cb51c855e8c.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161230/1fedcfc97cbf109eceaf3213190e0c1a.jpg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Guv]

Jim Watson,
And to add, didn't some other companies (Ruger, etc..) use a 1:10 twist on their 6mm's while Remington used a 1:9 twist on both their 243's and 6mm's?
I like to shoot the Hornady 87gr HP over a fairly mild load (35.5gr) of 4064. This is out of an old tang safety M77 Ruger, very accurate and easy shooting. This rifle is also glass bedded and has an old VariX II 2x7, one of my favorite hunting rifles.

[Jim Watson]

I don't doubt it, they had plenty of 10 twist blanks for the much more popular .243, after all.

A friend has a 6mm Rem full house target rifle, but I don't know his twist.
You need an 8 twist for a 105 SMK or VLD and they are making even longer bullets that call for a 7 twist if you want to take a 6mm Anything to Long Range.

[Art Eatman]

Likely I was mistaken about the 1:14. But even a 1:12 isn't the answer for the common 100-grain "deer bullet". :)

[Gunplummer]

I had an Arisaka I put a .244 barrel on and did use it for deer. I do not remember the weight, but Hornady made a RN heavy bullet that worked OK for deer. It was just OK, not great.

[dvdcrr]

My other 6mm is a 24" Varmint Savage with a Shilen Barrel. That one shoots very well with 87 gr. Vmax
http://i.imgur.com/CfPU5lY.jpg

[chuckscap]

For varmints Sierra 70g HPBTs, for deer lots of folks swear by the Sierra 85g HPBT, myself I loaded the 105g Speer to 3000 fps using IMR 4350. Took a couple of elk with it too before I went big and traded it for a 270 ... I love our 270 but wish I had kept the 6mm too

[dvdcrr]

Anybody here have experience hunting with this one? Seems legit.
http://i.imgur.com/Cp48JVB.jpg

[dvdcrr]

Many times I read the story the story about how 244 flopped and then was reintroduced as 6mm, about how this gave the 243 a leg up.

I was born after that came about. My story with 6mm starts with my dad. A new 6mm was purchased shortly after his favorite Rem 223 had been stolen. He was an active coyote and deer hunter and whatever else popped up. Fun yes but in the 70's times were tougher. Coyotes were worth 80-95 dollars skinned fleshed stretched washed and sewed. Deer meat was cheap and available. The rifle then was mainly a Ruger 6mm M77V with a Weaver K6 Wide angle. The recipe involved 85 or 87 gr. bullets from Nosler or Hornady, and H380. He would go to 100 yards downrange and make two crosses with black electrical tape on a box, one just about two inches above the other. The sighting in was done when three shots were all inside the intersection of the top cross when aiming at the lower. One year the rifle was off and there was consternation. Instead of adjusting the scope, dad put the rifle down, and went to the eye doctor for new glasses. When they came in, the rifle was right back on target.

I was indoctrinated early on the 6mm vs. 243 debate. I was told about things such as sharp case shoulders vs. graceful ones, and how extra case capacity is a good thing. He said that he could load it up closer to a 25-06 than a 243.

We were not landowners. But some of my dad's friends were. And individually at different time they have related to me some great shots he had made on a distant trotting critter. The hilltop shot from behind on the far running yote which toppled him over (and only one natural hole could be found). When a rancher tells you your dad is a good shot, it means something. This man and rifle fed us and put packages under the tree for several years.

There was the time a buddy wanted my dad to take him out after the big buck. The large man brought a big gun, and dad his 6mm. It was a crisp cold morning, with a dusting of snow across the meadow, when just coming into some golden tall grass at the edge of the willows a large mature whitetail buck erupted. He was in full acceleration and before long he would be hitting full stride and gone. The large fellow with us shouldered the rifle as my father began to take aim. In rapid succession both let loose. I had seen enough bang -flop on coyotes to know the rhythm, and timing, and to know who's shot dropped that buck in its tracks. Tha mount is proudly displayed on our buddy's wall. But two out of three knew who really dropped that deer.

That old rifle sat in the corner for about 11 years when times got better and fur went south. But getting into rifles myself now as a young man I had brought home a new thing, and just the ticket to beat my old man: a new Ruger target 25-06. I was getting it rested on the bench in front of a 200 yd target when out he came with the dusty old 6mm. " Let me show you what that 25-06 can't do." he proclaimed. He carefully rested that old rifle and loaded in three very old handloads. After the shooting I went to look. There were three 24 cal holes 1.25" apart at 200 yds. He always said that he seated bullets to the lands or very close, but when I measured the throat later that day, it was nearly shot out. Bullets almost left the case before contacting anything. I dont think he was aware of this, but faith in your equipment is a powerful thing.

[Guv]

dvdccr,
Good story about your Dad, ones reputation from a third party does carry a lot of weight.
Be interesting to know who, Remington or Winchester, had more hits and who had more flops over the years with new/different cartridges.
The 244 and 243 are a classic tale of these 2 company's competition with each other. The respective firearms they have both produced over the years may give some explanation for the success or failures of their different cartridge designs.

[Huffmanite]

Early 243 Win story. Back around 1966, maybe 67, I had a deer lease with a guy that was small of stature, maybe 140 lbs. He loved to hunt and was a darn good shot. When in the army, he tried out and qualified for a number of rifle marksman teams at several places he was stationed during his time in the army.

He bought a nice .243 rifle, for its lighter recoil, to use deer hunting. Rifle shot well for accuracy. So, for two deer seasons he used it. Maxed out his limit of deer he could shoot each season. Problem was, he never dropped one with his 243. He'd make a darn good shot placement on a deer and it'd run, maybe 50 - 100 yds or more each time. Luckily, where we hunted, that was not a real problem, so we always found the deer.

Last deer he shot with his .243 convinced him to get a larger cartridge rifle. I had heard him shoot one morning and around 15 minutes later I heard him empty his 22 Hi-Standard pistol that he always carried when hunting. About an hour later, I returned to our small cabin on our lease and there was a nice 4 point deer hanging from a tree. He seemed to be shaken up about something. Asked him what was the shooting of his 22 pistol about? He told me to look at the forehead of the deer. I did, lots of 22 holes between its antlers.

As usual, my friend had waited at least 10 minutes to leave his deer stand to find the deer that had run off after he'd shot him. He told me, he'd bent over its head and grabbed an antler to move him, when the darn deer jumped up and proceeded to try to gore him.....he held on with one hand and managed to un- holster his pistol and empty it into its head. P.S., if I remember correctly, his 243 round was well placed in lungs and had caught part of its heart.

The next week, he traded in his .243 for a .308.

As I recall, back then, we had concluded there was nothing wrong with deer hunting with a .243, that the problem was the bullets being too hard or something like that. Just didn't do much damage to a deer for a quick kill with it.

[Buzzard Bait]

The 22 was not legal in Texas even for a finishing shot I didn't realize that until recently but 243 is my favorite deer medicine. Check the rules about the 22 and deer in Texas
bb

[std7mag]

I bought a Rossi R243 for my wife. She likes things simple, and I thought the single shot format would be perfect for her. Turns out she likes my Stevens 200 better.

While I know it's not a 6mm Rem, it's close in ballistics. I'm using Alliant Reloder26 with the 100gr Sierra BTSP Gamekings, and the Hornady 105gr. Match bullets. While Hornady claims that the 1:10 twist will not stabilize the 105gr bullet, I have seen no issues out to 500 yards.

A fellow beside me at the range one day had a custom built for bench rest matches. He let me shoot it. We were both grouping about .75" at 300 yards. Thing was amazing, at least to me!!