Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting 6XC for long (medium) range hunting

I do most of my hunting with a Blaser K95. It is a break open single shot, with interchangeable barrels, a short, light, very accurate hunting rifle.

Now, Blaser is chambering for the 6XC cartridge and I am really considering buying one, given the reputation this cartridge has for accuracy and long barrel life.

I would be using it for Alpine Chamois mostly (<90lbs), and will never shoot over 550-600 yards, and had thought of 105gr A-Maxes as a first option.

I do not read more about this petite and nice looking cartridge, and would like to hear about you experiences with it.

Thank you in advance,

BBerg

I have one built off of a Winchester 770 action (an older, bargain version of the post-64 win). After fireforming Winchester 22-250 brass, I threw together some loads with 107 SMKs. If the 5, 5-shot groups that I've fired, none were greater than 0.4", with the smallest group being in the uppper 0.2's.

I REALLY like this round so far. I've had a number of 6mmBR's, and for what I do, I think the 6XC will trump the 6mmBR. The 6mmBR has a bit more accuracy potential, but the reliable feeding of the 6XC is more important to me in a hunting rifle. I've been strongly considering pulling apart my remaining 6mmBR and making a lightweight 6XC.

For what you are describing, the 6XC sounds perfect.

strictly my layman's opinion, to be taken w/ a grain of salt. the 6XC is roughly a "short" .243 that has about 7 g less volume than the .243 win case. the advantages it is designed to provide, longer barrel life, less case stretching, etc., make more sense in high-volume target shooting than for hunting. for a Blaser hunting rifle, I'd just assume use a .243 case for the 105 A-Maxes, and at least a 1-9" twist barrel (does Blaser offer that fast a twist in the .243? thats a consideration too).

all that being said, the 6XC seems to be a great cartridge, and I end up liking just about anything that starts with the 22-250 case. if you don't mind the more limited availability, etc., go for it.

thank you, darrenk75b!

n8dawg6: Blaser's 6XC is 1:8". 243WCF is 1:10". I do not mind the more limited availability, etc., in fact I don't mind since I am looking for something a bit more special than a 243...

the twist rate alone would be a good reason to go with the 6XC then.

Those 7 grains less than a 243 make the 6XC that much more enjoyable to shoot. A number of people extoll the fact that the 6XC is very easy to load for, and thus far my experience is proving this out.

I love the 6mms, and I've had at least one 243, 243ai, 6mmBR, 6x47Lapua, 6x45, but I think the 6XC is becoming my favorite.

I built my 6XC when brass & dies were tough to find..Tubb was building the only dies out there...brass was reformed 22-250...my first die set was from Lee...now they are quite popular...brass is still Norma & Tubb's Norma stamped...I use an 8 twist Pac Nor 27" heavy varmint tube..s/shot Savage action..4200 Tactical 6-24 scope...strictly a table gun for LR p/dogs weighing in at +16#..great accurate cartridge..easy to load...H4895...H4350 & V100 are my powders..much more effiecient than the 243 Win burning 8-9 more grs of powder...

My furthest whitetail kill:
6BR, 105 Amax, 2850mv, 400 yds, LRF, double lunged broadside, golf ball sized exit, deer hit the ground after stumbling 20-25 yds, dead.

I'd happy punch any deer to 600 yds broadside thru lungs w/said AMax via an XC FWIW.

I love 6.5s, but concede if never shooting anything larger than deer/hogs, a 6XC WILL be a Top Contender in 8 twist of course.

A 243 will do as well, but the XC Brass like a 6x47 Lapua will not need the trimming over time and accuracy is BR grade.

I love my 6XC. Plan on rebarreling my 260AI into 6XC at some point in the near future.





Kimber 84M Montana (previously a 7-08) with a Broughton 1:7.3" twist barrel chambered in 6XC. I had the gunsmith recontour the barrel so that it matched the factory barrel through the shank, but tapered to .6" at 24". It's topped with a Nightforce 2.5-10x32 with Zero Stop in Nightforce Ultralight rings on top of a Talley 20MOA base. Weighs 7lbs on the nose (minus the bipod).

Latest range reports and bullets? Seems you were planning on DTACs?

115gr Bergers. Shooting great. I'll have to get some target pictures sometime, but I love everything about the rifle--cartridge, the way it handles, optics, etc.

I am going to send it to Eddie Fosnaugh soon for a paint job and I may swap the scope out for the new 42mm NF and put the 32mm on my AR.

Next we look forward to some field pics - sure you have some hogs and deer that might fear Bergers. What's your speed on latest loads btw? Figure 2850-2900?

If the industry would push the XC w/rifles/ammo, etc. I'd not want for another 243. If it happened, the 6 bore would likely get the appropriate twist, well at least an 8, but sounds like a little faster might be desired or needed if going up to the 115s.

Nice set up.

Clark's 6XC is about model-perfect IMHO as a hunting rifle/cartridge combo,and if Kimber would offer the Montana in 6XC and 6.5 Creedmoor I would have no choice but to jump on them like flies on a picnic roast...I ain't easily impressed but that would be more than a guy should be expected to resist.

Unfortunately I haven't shot anything but paper and steel with it. I'm hoping to change that sometime soon, but we'll see. Hunting opportunities have been pretty limited this last year.

As to speeds, I'm just shy of 2800fps with the 115s. I could probably push them harder, but they shot good at that speed.

How does the 6 xc compare to the 6 creedmoor?

Bb

6 of one, half dozen of the other as far as I can tell.

Pat would be the one to ask though...

http://24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/7614882/Re_Tooled#Post7614882

Dan, I get first dibs when you sell that rifle. In all actuality, I've been considering selling my Stiller-based 6mmBR and building a 6XC almost exactly like yours

I don't have a single complaint about the way this one turned out. I've built a few rifles that I wouldn't change a single thing, and this is one of them.

Darnit Darren! Lol. Maybe when Darren sells it I will have some dough!

Bobin, I echo your sentiment. FORTUNATELY, Rifle companies seldom build what us Loonies want, they are afraid to 'Improve' offerings w/state of the art cartridge designs An accurate 243 would serve well, but the major arms mfg shy from faster twist barrels to spin the heavies.

2800 is not a bad thing w/a 115, should drop deer all day to 500-600 yds if expansion is present. A 105 Amax will if the 115s wont, they should fly 3000-3100. Agree - no need to 'hotrod' a round when your speeds are plenty and accuracy is there. Brass lasts longer anyways.

Enjoy the rifle and update us as you get more range results. Thanks.

Well, finally I finally got my 6XC barrel.

I mounted one of the new Leica ER-i scopes in 3-12x50 and have been to the shooting range twice. Norma showed much lower loads than QL, so for precaution's sake I followed Norma's advise with the result that the first loads were too low so, sooting the cases, so I did not experiment much.

I am loading 105gr AMaxes on Norma brass, with CCI Br-2 and Norma URP powder and so far so good... Without any fiddling, the Amaxes at 3,010 fps print nice triangles, with a 0.6" or smaller, center to center spread.

I am quite happy with this gentle little cartridge and I hope to shoot some does with it before the end of the season, whenever the nasty weather we have here stops.

Best regards,

Alvaro