Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles twist for 6mm

I traded into a 243 WSSM barrel from a friend. It is a 14" twist. What bullets will work at 5000' elevation and WSSM vels??
Are there any "deer" bullets that will work in this barrel??

Typically where I see that twist is in BR rifles, and they are shooting 68 grain pills. I have a 12 twist 243 and it has never stabilized anything over 85 grains 55-75 were great.

I'd try the 95 grain Nosler Partition, first. Then the 85 grain if I couldn't get that to stabilize/shoot.

Remington makes an 80 grain PSP which is fairly short. If you can find them they make be worth a try.

That's a terrific idea, of course they won't stabilize in a 1-14" twist.

I don't know that there are any deer bullets for that twist. 62-68gr target bullets is probably what the barrel was made for. A 70gr BT in the lungs might work. Lots of 70 HP bullets that would turn lungs into soup.

This isn't the barrel for me, I think I'm gonna sell it.

The faster you push the 6mm bullets the slower the twist you can get by with . I would try the 85 gr Partitions in your 223 WSSM before i sold the rifle if i was you . 1&12 is my favorite twist in the 6mm's

Sorry but you are wrong.

CowboyBart,

The 85 Partition should stabilize at 5000 feet--unless it's below freezing.

I believe that Nosler has a 80 grain partition also.
I wouldn't trust any cup and bullet that light in 6mm on deer, unless limited to head shots - between the ear and eye for instance.

My experience with the 244 is that bullets that were too long and shouldn't be able to shoot didn't shoot too bad.

I'm saying that I'd try a bullet that was marginal according to ballistic computers may surprise you.

Never say never until you try it

No, Nosler doesn�t make an 80-grain 6mm Partition. Check out their website. Some computer twist programs aren�t worth much, but there is one really good one, on the Berger Bullets website, devised by the late Don Miller.
A number of 6mm spitzers in the 100-grain range will stabilize in .244 barrels, but it�s usually because they�re being shot at relatively high elevations (and even 2500-3000 feet above sea level makes a considerable difference), especially on warm days. The same computer program shows this.
Some .244�s even had 1-10 twists.

Not in the least ace, I ain't guessing.

I've heard before. It won't work. Then it did somehow. But the computer said it wouldn't??? Why do you suppose???

The computer program says it won't work. It seems that people (maybe not you Steelhead) believe the computer no matter what. Computers and programs are a good thing, but when someone writes a program, the quality of what comes out depends on the quality of the program and the assumptions of the programmer or user. I'd use the programs as a guide. I'd rather be at the range testing loads. The programs are based on physics but I believe that a constant that is used came from someone's observation. Finally, there are variables that the programmer may not have thought of.

As I recall shooting the expermenting with that 244 was at about 3300 feet elevation (Sturgis SD). That was about 35-40 years ago when there wasn't near as many fine bullets on the market and I eventually sold that rifle to pay for something. But it shot some appropriate bullets that were as good as or better than factory loads from 243's that people used. People said the 244 wouldn't work, but it could and it still can.

Now, I'm tempted to rebarrel a 6mm to the 14" twist and do some experimenting. I mainly use my 6mm's for varmints anyhow. One of them could have a 14" twist barrel. That might take a year or so...

Maybe a writer (I enjoy his articles) could beat me to the punch. Besides I have three rifles that I recently bought that I have not put on paper yet. (7mm Mag, 204 Ruger and a 35 Remington) and then there's deer, muzzle loader, and antelope season, no elk tag this year.

I believe results on paper (target paper that is).

When people tell me that I can't, I gotta try and sometimes I do - it's a character flaw which really pissed off my dad when I was a kid.
;-)

Oh yeh, I was wrong about the 80 Grain Nosler partition. I couldn't find it when I did a google search.

I don't guess, they don't work at sea-level.

mebbe you should be harder-headed, and try guessing more. It might piss off dad....

If your serious - this is the barrel for you:

Lilja 6mm barrel in 243 WSSM. S/S, bull contour, fluted, 24� 14� twist, Threaded for 700. 7lb 2 oz. 127 rds fired. If you cut the chamber at the shoulder to rechamber and rethread, you will still have an inch or so before you get into the flutes. This is double fluted, one skinny flute, on fat flute, on skinny flute...

Because your in SD and close, $230 puts it on your doorstep.

Bugger,

I know this particular twist program works because I have tested it a lot against actual shooting, in barrels where I'd carefully measured the twist. Like Steelhead, I ain't guessing.

The program says that at 3300 feet the 1-12 twist of the .244 should stabilize a 100-grain Sierra GameKing--though not by much. How's that for verifying your shooting?

Not a bad idea to try the 85 NPT and see what it does.

In my experience, speed helps but is a poor substitute for twist.

DF

I just have the barrel, I don't have a 700 to go with it. My intentions were to cut 1.2" off and rechamber to 6-284 and put it on a 98 action. However, another 6-284 project is # 37,493 on my list of projects, so it has LOW priority. I don't want to try to get a 98 to feed a WSSM case and if I find a SA 700, I would build a 6.5 something on it.
I think if I sold it now it would be worth more than if I shortened, rethreaded and rechambered it, found out it wasn't what I wanted and sold it then. It looks like the WSSM bests the 6-284 by about 30-90 FPS. I don't know if a 6 RSAUM will give you much more or if you reach the diminishing returns plateau for the 6mm bore.