Getting some serious velocity out of a small case!

taylorce1 · Mar 25, 2012

I was playing with my 6X47 (.222 RM) over the Chrony this weekend and was getting some amazing velocities. I was right at 24.9 grains of IMR 3031, Rem 7-1/2 primers, 85 grain Sierra GK bullets. I'm out of town right now with no access to my data so I'm guessing at the COAL but it was around 2.440" IIRC.

Anyway I stopped at 24.9 grains as I was getting 1.5" groups for five shots but my speed averaged better than 2900 fps. I was having some cratering going on but no other pressure signs so I decided not to push it anymore on Saturday until I could figure a few things out. Normally I would have went ahead and shot my loads right up to 25.8 grains max load with a little cratereing, but I had a factory .30-30 primer leak gases around it earlier and it spit all over my cheek. That kind of got my attention since that was the first time I'd ever had a primer cut loose on me factory or reload.

Getting 2900+ fps with that bullet just amazed me. I wouldn't have thought that I'd get that much speed out of a 20" barrel. I'd really like to see what this bullet would do with a max load but I think I should maybe seat the bullets out longer than magazine length to reduce the pressure signs.

Guy Miner · Mar 26, 2012

That surely does seem like impressive velocity for such a small amount of powder. Nice...

taylorce1 · Mar 26, 2012

Guy Miner":3m06192n said:
That surely does seem like impressive velocity for such a small amount of powder. Nice...

That is what I thought as well. I was just hoping for 2700 FPS out of this bullet. My daughter wants to start hunting, she is 9 and I told her I'd take her as soon as she passed hunters safety. Well she got a 100% on her written test two weeks ago so I owe her a trip. I've got a buddy from Oklahoma who told me to bring her down to do a doe hunt since she's too young to hunt big game in Colorado.

She can use her .223 in OK as long as she uses a 55 grain bullet or heaiver. Since her rifle and my 6x47 are both Stevens 200 actions I thought I'd get it ready for her as well. I'm not terribly happy with a 1.5" group from this rifle but my friends place is set up so all her shots will be less than 100 yards from a stand so it will work.

SJB358 · Mar 26, 2012

taylorce1":2apcgfw2 said:
Guy Miner":2apcgfw2 said:

That surely does seem like impressive velocity for such a small amount of powder. Nice...

Click to expand...

That is what I thought as well. I was just hoping for 2700 GPS out of this bullet. My daughter wants to start hunting, she is 9 and I told her I'd take her as soon as she passed hunters safety. Well she got a 100% on her written test two weeks ago so I owe her a trip. I've got a buddy from Oklahoma who told me to bring her down to do a doe hunt since she's too young to hunt big game in Colorado.

She can use her .223 in OK as long as she uses a 55 grain bullet or heaiver. Since her rifle and my 6x47 are both Stevens 200 actions I thought I'd get it ready for her as well. I'm not terribly happy with a 1.5" group from this rifle but my friends place is set up so.all her shots will be less than 100 yards from a stand so it will work.

That little Sierra at 2900 would be dynamite on deer. Sounds like a slick little outfit and man, what an efficient use of powder. That is excellent speed. Congrats, and hope your daughter is able to score with it.

Guy Miner · Mar 26, 2012

Actually I think that 85 Sierra might just work better on deer at 2900 fps than at higher velocity.

1.5" groups may not sound like much, but I've killed handily with rifles that didn't group any better.

taylorce1 · Mar 26, 2012

I know 1.5" will get the job done, but I hate to see this rifle shoot like that. With 55-70 grain bullets I havent had a load go over 1" with the first powder I tried. I'm on my third powder now and still haven't found a load that will go under 1" yet with this bullet. I'm about to try switching bullets to 80 grain Speer or the 85 grain Partition to see if I can get it under 1" groups and still feed from the magazine. I'm still hoping that Nosler will bring out a 70 grain AccuBond.

30-338 · Mar 26, 2012

I know sierra has data for the 75gr bullet in the 6x47 (6x222mag) at almost 3100fps with IMR-3031 but didn't know they had some out for the 85gr bullet.

taylorce1 · Mar 26, 2012

30-338":j2prvr3q said:
I know sierra has data for the 75gr bullet in the 6x47 (6x222mag) at almost 3100fps with IMR-3031 but didn't know they had some out for the 85gr bullet.

They don't have any data on a bullet in 85 grains for the 6x47. I started with Hogdon's web site and tried BL(C)2 and H335 first with the bullet. Then I wound up over on Steve's Reloading Pages and found a lot more powder choices and tried I3031 with the bullet.

I get right under 3100 fps with 70 grain bullets NBT's and SBK shoot about the same out of the rifle. Both will shoot sub 1/2" groups all day long if I'm doing my part at the range, and have proved to MOPD (minute of prairie dog) beyond 300 yards. I've even taken a small pronghorn buck at 300 yards with the 70 grain NBT, but have been searching for a better hunting bullet to use out of the rifle now that my daughter has shown an interest in it. While she wants to hunt she seems to be recoil (probably more noise) sensitive, it took me quite awhile to get her to shoot the .223 effectively.