Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles 6mm Rem with a 70-grain BT

No, I don't consider the 6mm to be a varmint cartridge really, but since I'm shooting 70-grain Ballistic Tips I figured this wouldn't fit in the in the "Big Game Rifles" forum at all.

I ended up with an old 788 in 6mm a while back and was going through gyrations with it trying to make it shoot. I think I may have found the problem, but not before I sprung for a nicely put together Model Seven custom in 6mm. This one has a Krieger barrel, Jewell trigger, a Sako-style extractor fitted to the bolt, and it all lives in a B&C Medalist stock. The custom is nice and light and rather compact for a rifle having a 24-inch barrel, so it's going to be my truck gun for targets of opportunity while I'm out on the lease. I scoped it with a VX-3i 4.5-14x40mm using Warne two-piece steel bases and Zee rings.

I have a pile of 70-grain Ballistic Tips and an 8-pounder of Ramshot Hunter which was not slated to be used in anything in particular, and QuickLOAD showed the combination to have potential so that's the direction I took it. This morning I finalized my load: 50.4 grains of Hunter with the BT seated pretty deep. I can reach the lands, but the magazine will not accept ammo of that length and I do not want to load one round at a time. As a consequence I am 0.120" off the lands, but that doesn't seem to present a problem. So far, a 3-shot group has measured 0.26", and two 4-shot groups went 0.60" and 0.55" a week later. A week later still, I fired two 5-shot groups (this morning) with this load and the first group measured 0.97", but I was being sloppy and I knew it after the second shot. The second 5-shot group came in at 0.51" and I'm satisfied with that kind of accuracy.

Velocity was quite good, too. The load averages 3616 fps fifteen feet from the muzzle, measured with an Oehler 35P. Extreme spread would have been 33 fps but for one round that produced 3589 fps. The SD as measured was 13 fps. I blame the errant velocity on the brass. The brass had not yet been fireformed to my chamber, but it will be annealed and then run through a Lee Collet die. I think there was a neck tension issue, but my guess is just that---a guess.

Anyway, I thought I'd post this because it's a combination I have never seen discussed. I think if it works for me, it oughta work for someone else too.

I've played with that same bullet in my 6mm Rem, that has a PacNor barrel with a one in 7 twist.

My powder of choice for that light weight of a bullet has been H 414 or 3031...

it'll run in the same velocity as yours will.

for high volume shooting its too much of a good thing...

for low volume shooting preserving the barrel, it sure is a lot of a good thing.

Coyote stomping combo right there.

I've killed deer, turkey, coyotoes, jackrabbits and turkey with that bullet, albeit going about 600fps slower at the muzzle.

I loaded some 75 grain Hornady VMAX in front of H414 and although I didn't chronograph them, the accuracy was certainly good.

Steelhead, please tell me more about using this bullet on deer. I don't plan to do that, but I'd like the insight. I may use it on hogs when the oportunity arises, but I was thinking I might have to poke em right in the ear. Maybe a general headshot would do, but that's something I'm not sure about. I have not used this bullet in the past.

One through the ribs and one through one rib and out the shoulder. They both exited, one deer went 20 yards the other basically dropped there.

MarkD used that bullet a bunch in his 6/06 on deer/antelope.

Texas deer with 6x45 & 70gr BT

Steelhead, I gotta say that does surprise me. Any idea what the impact velocity was? Thanks for the info.

Nice little buck, btw.

...and your camo ROCKS!

Just a hair under 3K I'm guessing, he was about 35 yards away.

Totally what I would never have guessed. Just goes to show ya.

Thanks Steelhead.

It's the bullet I hunt with in the 6x45. As I said, it kills all kinds of shiet and with good camo it's easy to get close...

Well, I guess I'm gonna hafta get some camo like what you're wearing in that photo. What's that pattern called?

I shot the 70 BT for about 8 years in my 243. It was very accurate and I killed alot of coyotes,a bunch of wolves,several black bears, and a bunch of deer. They killed very well. I shot them at about 3300fps with varget powder. I went with a tighter twist and heavier bullet on the next barrel,for dealing with wind,but I had complete confidence in that bullet.

Like others, I'm a bit surprised and very impressed.

In my experience I've found many "varmint" type bullets to perform like typical big game bullets by simply decreasing muzzle velocity. These reduced loads are great for the kids and wife to learn, practice and hunt with. My oldest daughter shot her first Antelope with Remington's Managed Recoil 115 gr SP with the 270. I used 110 gr SP in the 270 for deer out on the CA coast, starting velocity was around 2700 fps. I shoot the 70 gr Btip in my 6mm primarily for song-dogs but I wouldn't be afraid to drop the velocity down to go after deer if that's all I had. Others may advocate for not reducing the velocity and just punch 'em through the ribs. I believe the Noslers may be stoutly constructed then say, the V-MAXs and may perform more to your liking. Ultimately, if its a tag I've been waiting a while to acquire I'll definitely being using enough bullet and gun so I won't have to tell the story about "the one that got away."

The 6mm Remington does it best with two Powders Win 760 and 4831 either IMR or Hod

I remembered an old thread with Mark Dobrenski where he said he and his buddies used the 70 gr Nosler BT to kill quite a few deer. It took some digging and here it is:

Thread name: Re: 80 grain Ballistic tip , 243 on deer, antelope [Re: Royce]
link: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/3632539/1



Mark R Dobrenski
Campfire Oracle

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 28,277
Bozeman, Montana

Royce,

I've not used the 80 NBT, heck I've never even fired on or bought any.

However, I have seen quite a bit of game taken with the 55, 70 and the 95 NBT out of 6/06's.

I'll say that tween a couple buds of mine and myself we've taken somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-60 head of game with the 70 NBT. To date, I've never had one stay inside a deer/lope and to date most all have been 4 feet in the air toot sweeet!

I'd load your 243 with the 80 and worry not one bit! if anything it might even do better with the slower speed of the 243..?

Dober