Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles How does a cartridge as good as 6mm Rem fade into the sunset?

I have a Ruger No.1 made in 1968 in 6mm that has a piece of wood in it that has to be seen to be believed. It also shoots extremely well with 87gr. V-Maxes. Plan to use it on praire dogs. I think the 6mm is a superior round to the 243. It also has a little more cool factor.

I've shot the 243/6Rem on and off since the 60's right now shooting a 243AI/6RemAI. If I draw a antelope tag this year take the 243AI normally use the 6RemAI both calibers are fun to shoot.

One of the greatest flaws of capitalism is giving the masses the might to "vote" with their wallets.

6mm Remington
.358 Winchester
Fixed power scopes
Porro binos

Continue ad infinitum.

When ever some enterprising guy in a company manages to sneak an idea past the advertising/marketing/strategy department to place a product of practical value in the field you can just count on the masses to "vote" against it.

The 6 mm is not fading into oblivion as long as men like Mackay Sagebrush call it a favorite.

For what that is worth, I do, too.

To the posters believeing a .257 Bob covers more bases - ...mOK.

Please admit it to be very hard to find more 'quantum' minutae to discuss cartridge wise:

.243 85gr. TSX3250 fps (SD .206/BC .333)
.257 100gr. TSX3150 fps (SD .216/BC .336)

The 6 mm Remington is not dead - it just quit wasting its time on ignorance.

OUCH!! ...... That's gonna leave a mark.



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Was thinking on this a bit. Over the years in mule deer camp we've had quite a few different rifles show up, from the little 6mm Rem my son and I have used to a .350 Rem mag and a .45/70 Marlin. The 6mm kills 'em as quick as anything.

Just a nice little cartridge.

A few years back I bought a Ruger MKII 6mm remington (walnut/blue) that was manufactured in the early 90's and had never been out of the box. the guy was asking $460 and I offered $400 knowing he wouldn't take it. He did. come to find out he won it at a raffle!! $400 pure profit. It is really a nice rifle. I have not shot it much, but intend to hunt it for whitetails in Virginia. Yesterday, I was passing thru Richmond so stopped by Greentop to look at their ammo... they had perhaps two loads for the 6mm -- one was the 100 grain Remington load and I don't recall the other. They had well over a dozen different factory offerings for the .243 Winnie. If that is any indication, the 6mm Remmie lives on only in the hearts of the few fans it has. I am a fan, but I like being ornery, obstinate, and contrarian... which is why I have a .280 instead of a .270, and a 300RSAUM instead of a 300WSM, and a 7x57 instead of a 7mm08, 308, or 30-06. Long live the 6mm!!

It was my go to gun after my stroke. It was the second rifle I owned. For the game I hunt, it would be more than needed. Every thing from coyote to mule deer.

I would go 85 grn. TSX or 90 ballistic tip.

Marketing, Marketing.. Did I say marketing.. Thats what creates perceptions. People percieve the .243 to fullfill a need that the 6mm Rem didn't. I like it just fine for does, coyotes, and such. Wouldn't hesitate to use it for something bigger or smaller in a pinch .

Back in 1967 I fell in love with a Remington Model 600 --6mm Remington. It was in a hardware store in Bozeman,MT --$99.99 if I remember correctly. Anyway, after a lot of wishing and begging I was lucky enough to get that gun under the tree for Christmas. That gun taught me how to reload. The load was 39 gr. 4064 and a 100 grain bullet --- recommended by George Sr. of the old Powderhorn. Loaded with a Lee Loader and Lee dippers. Shot 1000s of rounds, a bunch of deer and a few antelope with the gun before foolishly letting it go. I have a soft spot for the 6mm ---my father was a fan of the 243 Win., I have had a couple of those also. Same thing, different bottle! I keep a Ruger MKII 6mm Remington and a few boxes of the original 100gr. CORE-LOKT KLEANBORE 6mm Remington Hi-Speed Red and Green box ammunition around for days when I need to feel like a 13 year old kid again. Maybe it is the ageing farts like me that are all fading into the sunset and taking the cartridge with us.

mtman, I have that same rifle and it has a 2 x 7 Weaver TV view scope on it. It is one of the best rifles I have ever shot in my 56 years. If I wanted to put a shot in an eyeball at 200 yards, I would pick this rifle up and have 100% confidence in it. I have take a truckload of deer with it and several antelope. It never fails me. Good to read your stuff. The 6mm is one of the finest cartridges I have ever shot or loaded, Thanks, Dee

All of us 240 wby , and 6mm-06 fans are laughing our A zz off at your comment. Get real, the 240 wby, or 6mm-06 completely stomps both the 243 win, and the 6mm Rem. If either were a standard cartridge, with cheap brass and ammo, all others would be shooting them. Those of us that think out of the box, and are willing to deal with the brass issue, get a barn burner on game, and we laugh all the way to the bank..........end of story.

AggieDog,

by what frame of reference?

Colums in a reloading manual?

Yes. You get about 200fps more from the Weatherby than from the Rem.

I wager Royce' frame of reference more real world related.

Like -

"Is there something a .240 Weatherby can do that a 6mm cannot do?"

There is nothing - the gain is an 'inconsequential increment'.

And that is the end of story.

A 6mm bullet is still a 6mm bullet, adding 200fps sure as hell don't suddenly make it and elephant slayer.

I think the advantage of the big 6's is that there is virtually no range estimation required out to 400 yds. And there is the added knock down power.

That is plain nonsense.

85gr TSX BC .336
Zero 250 yards
Sight height 1.5"

Drop:

.243 Weatherby @3500 fps drop at 400 yards 12"
6 mm Rem. @3300 fps drop at 400 yards 14"

Retained Vel. / Energy:

.243 Weatherby 2370 fps / 1063 ft/lbs
6 mm Rem. 2219 fps / 930 ft/lbs

Synopsis:

2" drop difference at 400 yards
150 fps difference at 400 yards
133 ft/lbs difference at 400 yards

Figures through Big game info ballistics calc.

As I said earlier:

The 6 mm is through wasting its time on ignorence. I feel, I am getting there myself.

It'll kill a big pig pretty efficiently, won't it?

It doesn't fade.. it graduates to being a hunters and handloaders cartridge...just like the 260 Rem for example..or the 257 Roberts etc.

I shoot my 6mm rem600 a lot more than my .243s. But these days, I tend to use my 7-08 more for deer. Here's a pic taken a few years back of a Paunsagunt buck I double-lunged with a Nosler 100 gr Pt from my 6mm. Ran about 40 yds and piled up. 30" and grossed a mite over 183.