Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 6mm-06 Ackley Improved velocities?

Assuming a 26" barrel and moly 85-90gr bullets, what kind of speeds could a guy expect? I'd imagine barrel life to be short, but that's a given.

I'm asking because I find myself sitting on a 700 LA donor, a good laminated mag-sporter take-off handle, and a 4.5-14x40LR. Backing up and taking a good look at my hunting conditions, I find that I spend a lot of days each fall/winter looking over pastures and pipline ROW's where shots range out to 400yds or so. Only two of my eight stand locations offer shots at ranges longer than that and I have yet to see a good buck in those far reaches. When a buck comes out, I often have only a few seconds to size him up and shoot. I wait with my rifle in my hands. It can be tough to know if he is at 270yds or 320yds, and while I use an LRF when possible, judging from landmarks will only get you so close. Running a drop chart from JBM on a 90gr E-tip at 3650FPS gives a mid-range rise of 3.0", a 300yd zero, and is only 3.0" low at 350yds. That's pretty dang flat, even if the actual velocity is a bit lower than the number I plugged in. No, it doesn't offer great 600yd+ ballistics, nor does it cheat the wind really well, but it could be a point & shoot rifle at 99% of the game I'm likely to take.

In short, it looks like the newer bullet offerings could offer some fresh advatages to a fast 6mm, especially for shots inside of 400-450yds where impact velocity is still high. Around here, a 200lb whitetail is a big guy, so I'd imagine a stout .244 bullet to be plenty for clean kills. I know they work at closer ranges from the 243win.

Any thoughts? I know this is basically the 257wby concept, just downsized a bit. (.013" to be exact)

Given the barrel life, I would not want to fireform. I would consider a 6-06. I think you would get about 3450 with an 80-85 TTSX and about 100 fps less with the e-tip.

While I doubt barrel life is great, I don't think it to be that ridiculous. How can making 50pcs of fireformed brass be that hard on a barrel? Full-house 25-06 loads could not be much different, and we would not blink an eye at firing 50 rounds through a 257wby. If I could get 800rnds of useful life from a hi-po big game rig like that, I would consider it well worth the cost of the barrel.

I get a bit over 3500 with an 85TSX outa my 6-06 runnin' RL22 and a 26" barrel. I suspect I can run it hotter than that by a little bit, but it is wicked accurate with this load.

Nice thing too is the 87 v-max runs basically in the same group.

I've a few thoughts but don't have the time now will get back to this a bit later..

Short story, I'd be all over it and not worry one bit. Do you need to order a barrel or already have one?

Dober

75 to 100g monos driven at warp speed kill.
I dont see where improving it would matter much at all.
Give you a chance to shoot more.
http://www.fergusonrifles.com/home/

dave

Dave you are absolutely right--I hunted for many years with a good friend who was stuck on the 6mm-06.We had many a great deer an antelope hunt together before his recent passing.He was bound and determined to improve it which he eventually did with not much added performance!!Actual case capacity of the '06 is probably overbore for the 6mm anyway.He had it chronographed and with a 3/4 gr added charge it only netted about 27fps average on five shots.From my experience with my friend it would definitely be a waste of cash!!!! Flem

Don't forget the 240 Wby. My next 6mm will be the 244AI it gets close to the bigger rounds with less bark.

But I am also thinking about a 25-06 AI but can't quite decide if it is worth it over the standard. A slow twist 6mm would be the same if geared for the heavier 100-115 grain bullets.

Hey TJ thanks for your comments--I am and have been a great fan of the 6mm bore--over the years have had a number of 243's and 6mm's.However finally settled on my Ruger #1 6mm as the favorite!! This gun was a one holer right out of the box and over the last 20 years has accounted for numerous deer and antelope.With that strong action and long barrel I think I am able to ring out max performance,so says the ballistics tables.Your AI version should be OK as long as you stay with a longer tube--you probably already know if you build that on a short mountain setup you will probably be right back at normal operating perameters of the standard round.I would go with no less than a 24" tube. In regards to the choice you might be making between the 25/06 IMP and 6mm AI mine would be the latter only because I've taken many deer over the years with both standard versions[used to own a Ruger 77 in 25/06] and had very good results with both!! You're right a little less bark out of the 6 and easier on the pocket book with components. Be talkin at you again I'm sure----Flem

I appreciate the opinions you guys have put forth. I don't yet have a barrel, but I'd be leaning toward a 1-9" twist. The Ackley version caught my attention, as I already have a 25-284, which moves 100's at 3300 to 3350fps.

The one in 9 is what I'd try, my two tubes have both been 10's and they'll shoot the 55's to the 100's very well. To date they won't really perk with the Berger 95's and the 105 or 107's.

I have used the 95 NBT to over 600 on deer though and can't say I want for anything more.

I would AI it more for reducing trimming than I would speed but IMO I'd guess you'd gain another 100-125 fps just like any other AI job.

My first barrel died rather suddenly @ 1700 rounds but it was 1700 rounds very well spendt as most all of that was on game from large to small. I hardly ever shot it at the range once I worked out the initial load and checked the dotz to 600 yds. I shot it fairly hard and hot from time to time on chucks and I pretty much tried to use it only for a short here and there on pds.

It was a real terror on chucks/yotes/lopes and deer. I mainly used the 70 NBT and the 95 NBT and near as I can recall I've never recovered one of them.

This last fall I shot a whitey doe at about 190 yds thru the front of both shoulders. She bounced....and I found the slug just under the skin about to exit. Recovered weight was 50%, and oh yeah it was a 55 NBT...grin

To me the best 6's are a 243 AI in a short action and in the long the 6/06 either AI or non AI'd.

If one was kind to the barrel I'd spect it to last 1700 at the least and 2500 at the top end. Which if one is using those rounds to fill up an ark is one heck of a lot of good stuff.

Bottom line, I'd grab a 4 weight Scheider cut it to 25" and rock on.

I've been around 7 Scheider tubes in 6/06, all 4 weights. Two of them were 12 twists the rest were 10's.

Best of luck to ya!

Dober

About the 70 NBT, between me and my buds we've taken around 50 head of lopes/deer with this round. To date they've all melted on the spot and to date we've never kept in one.

Dober

I knew you had been around a bunch of 6mm-06 rifles, and I appreciate the insight. This one would be a big-game rifle and would likely never see a varmint bullet. The newer 80-90gr stuff seems like it could really make this chambering a strong performer. The 80gr TTSX looks good and the 90gr E-tip has a BC of over .400, which ain't too shabby.

I'm keen on the idea of a low recoil "220 Swift for deer", as that's about what this rig would be.

JP

I'm telling you it will light up your day as well as your the volunteers you point it at...grin

Lately I've been using the combo of 75 VM (can't get the 87's to shoot the way I want) and a 85 TSX.

Dober

JPro; I have nothing to contribute that will help you...I just wanted to share that I'm collecting parts now to have a 6mm-06 built on a LH Model 70. It'll be a deer rifle and I plan to shoot the 80gr TTSX in it, but I also find the 90gr E-tip interesting.
I've got a PacNor SS #1 contour in a 3-groove, 10" twist. It'll have a finished length between 24 and 25 inches, and I went with a #1 to keep it light. I won't be shooting prairiedogs with it, so heat buildup isn't a concern.
As soon as the EDGE gets sent to Redneck, things should start to come together.
I hope you build one, and will be interested in your particulars and results.

Also for deer/lopes/yotes the plain jane 100 Horn is incredibly good as well. Accurate, cost effective and incredibly game capable.

Dober

Mark, seriously,

The 6mm-06 imp or the 270 win for a flat shooting deer rifle?
Will the 6mm do everything the 270 will do?
And more?

What a loaded question..... (grin)

Yeah, it is but if you can get it done with a 6mm-06 with less recoil and a flatter bullet? Why not?