6mm Remington build

[mcseal2]

I am thinking of building on of these in the near future and wanted to get everyone's thoughts on my plan. I have a Ruger M77 short action with a Timney trigger and Boyd thumbhole stock that I will be building off of. I want to go with a stainless barrel to shoot the 87-105gr bullets. I will use the rifle mostly for predators but want to shoot a big game bullet at everything so I can have a turret built for one load and use it for doe season and antelope also.

Now for the part I don't have,the barrel. I am thinking a 1 in 9 twist 24" #4 or 5 stainless fluted. What brand do you recommend as the most accurate? I've used Montana, McGowan, and Shilen in the past but am willing to try any brand. Also what kind of speed could I expect from a 24" barrel? I hate to go much longer because I want to keep the rifle manueverable for carrying in the truck and calling in cover. I want to be able to shoot a 100gr bullet at around 3050-3100fps, do you think a 24" will get me there?

Thanks!

 

[onesonek]

I don't know the M77 short action all that well,,,I suspect you may have to load it as a single shot with the 6mm Rem.. And may have to remove the bolt to extract an unfired round also. 3100fps may also be pushing the limits somewhat witha 105 gr.
Myself,, I would go with a Pac-Nor Polygonal twist (I have a couple and they will shoot with the best),,,,the polygonal twist reduces pressure somewhat, allowing for more powder (compared to the same load with conventional rifling), which in turn will pick up some velocity. With that said, I might would go a faster twist. 1-9" twist may be marginal for some 105's, and a little faster won't have any major drawbacks for the 87's. You still may need to go to 26", or even maybe doing it in the Ackley Improved would help some.

Dave

 

[Guy Miner]

I think you've got the bones for a successful build. A lot of guys do build the 6mm Rem on a long action, but they were built at the factory on a short action - so it obviously works. I've shot 55 - 105 gr bullets through my factory Rem 700 with good success. The best accuracy came from 95 grain Nosler Ballistic tips, pushed hard. A 100 ish grain bullet can easily do 3,000 fps from a 22" barrel. Am thinking you could do 3,100 fps with no problem from a quality 24" tube.

My best barrels have been Krieger, but I haven't tried all that many different makers. I like the long life and excellent accuracy I've seen from their cut-rifled barrels and will likely stick with them. On the other hand, I've had guys using Lilja, Hart, Broughton and other out-shoot me in matches - so who knows? Many good barrel makers these days.

Guy

 

[mcseal2]

I found another bullet I am going to try in my 243's, ordered a box last night. It is the 85gr Speer boattail. It has a ballistic coefficient of .404. I've never tried Speer bullets but thought it might be worth a try for coyotes. I hadn't seen a bullet that light with that good a ballistic coefficient yet. I am not sure why Nosler has a little lower BC on their 6mm bullets than some other manufacturers unless it is the way they test. Nosler's BC is right up there in most other calibers that I use them in. Some of the other brands seem to have a longer boattail that probably helps a little.

I have been playing on my ballistics program some more since my first post and I think for my needs I'll try to use an 85-90gr bullet instead of the heavier ones. These bullets can be found with a BC between .365 and .420 for decent performance in the wind and they should be easy to get good velocity from. If I can push a bullet like the speer 85gr or the new 90gr AccuBond when it comes out to 3200 accurately I can hold dead on out to 290yds with a +/- 2.6" allowance from line of sight. Wind drift at 10mph would be about a foot at 400yds. A 105gr bullet at 2900fps would allow a dead on hold out to 260yds and have about 11 inches of drift at 400yds. At 500yds the 85gr would drop 31" and drift 20" while the 105gr would drop 37" and drift 17.5". If I start having to shoot farther than that I will be using the 264 anyway. I don't think that the heavy bullets offer enough advantage when it will mainly be used for coyotes at the ranges I will be using it at. I also think the expansion of the lighter bullets would fit my needs better than that of a heavier VLD design. A coyote's chest isn't very thick and a bullet that penetrates 2-3" before expanding may not kill as fast as I'd like. I've seen that with the 95gr Berger in my 243 started slow.

So for 85-90gr bullets stick with a 1 in 9 twist or go 1 in 10?

 

[6mm Remington]

mcseal2-
I shoot 100 gr. Nosler Paritions in my Ruger #1B with the 26" barrel and my load chronographs right at 3100 fps. Pop and some of the others who use R22 and some of the other powders are getting even more velocity.

My son's rifle is a Ruger MKII in 6mm with the factory 22" barrel. The load I worked up and his rifle really likes is the 90 gr. Nosler E-tip. He's taken antelope, deer, and this year a cow elk with one shot at 350 yards. His load chronographs at 3180 fps using H100V powder and it's seated at 2.840 OAL. Just for comparison sake my Partitions in my Ruger #1 are seated at 2.860 and there is still enough room in the Ruger short action for them to feed and function fine out of his magazine, but that's about out as far as they can be seated as far as magazine length allows anyway.

I'm trying to get a used rifle to have a bolt action made up for myself in 6mm. I plan on going with a 24" barrel as well and I'm going to get it with a 1-9" twist. I have not decided on manufacturer yet and will discuss it with my gunsmith buddy. I was thinking a Shilen, but we'll see. Good luck.

 

[6mm Remington]

Forgot to mention, the 90 gr. E-tip has a BC of .403 which is higher than the 95 gr. Ballistic tip or the 100 gr. Partition. They are supposed to come out with a 90 gr. AccuBond this year as well and I think it will be a real streamlined bullet to try also!

 

[SJB358]

Don't rule out PacNor. Not sure if they are "the best" but Nosler does use them for their rifles and they are a very friendly company. Seems like that little 85gr Speer would be a good one. I am hoping that 90gr AB will be a good one also. Should be able to get great speed and dependable performance out of them too! Seems like the longer neck on the 6mm Rem really helps, since most 243 bullets are pretty short anyhow. I wouldn't sweat the short action and seating too much. Good luck with your build buddy. Hoping you get what you like. I imagine anything in the 1-9 or 1-10 should work nicely and be a sweet shooter. Scotty

 

[onesonek]

Are you planning on saving the pelts, and you said it will be primarily yote rifle?

 

[mcseal2]

Are you planning on saving the pelts, and you said it will be primarily yote rifle?

Not unless the price goes up, and I have a 223 and another 243 that shoot the lighter varmint bullets well if I do. I actually like the big game bullets better for an all purpose predator bullet because if I get an occasional bobcat or fox they seem to do less damage than an explosive bullet that exits. The 70 or 75gr ballistic tip & v-max work great on coyotes but I've wrecked cats with the 75gr V-max from my 243 and had a managable exit wound that I prefer from the 90gr ballistic tip. I carry the 223 loaded down or the 22 mag if I am hunting with another shooter in an area with lots of cats, but occasionally one surprises me where I expect coyotes.

 

[onesonek]

Ok,, just curious. I run the 55's at 4100+ fps out of my 1-12" twist, for use abit farther than 600yds. Wind is wind and it's just a matter of learning what the load will do. I have made consistant hits with the 55's out to 800 when dialing in on PD's, but not like the cold shots at 600. My percentage on cold shots drops down to about 50-60% beyond 675-700, whereas, around 90-95% at 600. After that I switch to the fast twist/heavy weight rig for long range shooting.

Dave

 

[mcseal2]

Ok,, just curious. I run the 55's at 4100+ fps out of my 1-12" twist, for use abit farther than 600yds. Wind is wind and it's just a matter of learning what the load will do. I have made consistant hits with the 55's out to 800 when dialing in on PD's, but not like the cold shots at 600. My percentage on cold shots drops down to about 50-60% beyond 675-700, whereas, around 90-95% at 600. After that I switch to the fast twist/heavy weight rig for long range shooting.

Dave

Sounds like you have it figured out, that is dang good shooting. Most of my shooting needs first shot accuracy from a cold barrel. Luckily coyotes are a bigger target than prairie dogs.

 

[mcseal2]

Got a barrel found I think. Found a 1 in 9 twist Kreiger #4 contour 26". Shortened to 24" it should be over .8" at the muzzle for good stiffness and weigh around 3.6lbs somewhere. I also looked at PacNor and Lilja but they were going to be much further out to get one.

 

[6mm Remington]

I think you did good! :grin:

 

[BK]

Yeah, I'd take a Kreiger!

 

[FOTIS]

I am starting to work with the 85 gr Partitions.

 

[mcseal2]

Got a call from the gunsmith today, the 6mm will be done tomorrow! Then the work starts. I was reading on Hodgdon's website about the new superformance powder. Anyone tried that yet? It REALLY gets the speed from the 22-250, 243, and 6mm with the 70-90gr bullets.

On a side note, I got my first rifle back out while this one was being re-built. An old Winchester 670 in 243 that was Dad's old beater and then mine. I had it re-blued and refinished a few years ago and set it back for my girlfriend to deer hunt with. She killed her first deer with it, same as Dad and I did. Anyway, I got it out for yotes while my other rifle was down and it still shoots! I load it with Varget and the 75gr V-max and have shot 7 with it since the first of January, 11 total with other rifles also. Kinda fun to score with the old rifle.

 

[SJB358]

Thats pretty sweet! Gotta love those old Winchesters! Scotty

 

[mcseal2]

Had a little time to break the barrel in last night before dark. I got 18 shots through it, cleaning every shot for the 1st 10 and every 3 since. It shows promise of accuracy. 75gr V-max and IMR4350 gave two 1 inch groups. I went to Varget and 90gr Scirocco and got a group well under 1/2", haven't measured it yet but it was almost 1 hole. I am anxious to get more through it, and try some groups without cleaning quite so much. I have 7 more of the Scirocco load to try as soon as I get a chance. For now the gun is loaded and ready for coyotes.

 

[6mm Remington]

90 gr. AccuBond and E-tip! :grin:

 

[mcseal2]

90 gr. AccuBond and E-tip! :grin:

I'll be trying the AccuBond as soon as it's available. I don't know if the e-tip would open quick enough for coyotes, I've never tried them. I like that the AccuBond opens so dramatically for instant shock, but then holds together for moderate exit wounds.

I saw 3 coyotes at dark tonight right by my house. They stopped at 450yds, but I didn't shoot. I hated to educate them on a low percentage shot, I'll get a closer one if I'm patient. One of our heifers had a stillborn calf today so I will use it as bait.