Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Favorite 240W (0r similar Wildcat) bullet for deer?

Just curious. I am going to get another 240W, this time in an S2 Vanguard. I'll have it tweaked if necessary, but I want to try one. I've had the 240W in a Mark V LWT Accumark ( later 90s) and a custom ( early 2000) with a Mod 700 action, 27" Shilen #2. The first one I used both the Barnes 75x and 90x. Shot coyote and Texas exotics, gave the rifle to my Pastor down there. ( I gave him several nice rifles and he hunted "religiously" (no pun) with a first run (early 90s) Model 700 ADL SS in 7mm Rem Mag I gave him first! ha). The custom shot the 95 NBT then got sold before I could hunt with. (sad story, you don't want to know) In 2001 I killed an antelope doe with a 6mm/284 I had built to replace it, and the 90 NBT, which I felt was very destructive. Anyhow, I'm about 18yrs w/o any kind of 6mm. What's out there that works now for you guys?

I have some Sierra 85 HP and some Hornady 87 HP for coyote/plinking/trigger practice. I have a friend in my church who uses the 95 Partition for everything. For antelope/mule deer/hogs/exotics, I will step up to a Premium, just for grins. What do you "fast 6mm guys" like to use on similar or same game? Thanks, I look forward to your reports...:)

How close? If the deer are far enough, reliably, then you can use whatever bullet you'd choose for a .243. If the deer might be close, then you need tougher. It is hard to go very wrong with 100 grain partitions if your gun shoots them accurately. They are not super streamlined though, so maybe not the best for very long range. Have you tried the 90 grain Accubonds? They weren't real accurate for me (700 in .240 Weatherby) but they might be in your gun.

Tom

375yds and under (average 150yds) I've heard that the 90 Accubond did not hold up well to these higher speeds? I hear good things on the 90gr Swift Scirocco, I used the 75gr in a 224 TTH and it fragmented on the neck/head junction of a big hog at 25yds ( well yeah, ha) but it was going 3700fps! I expect the 240W would push the 90 Swift to 3600 pretty easy.

I have been using the 95 gr. BT at about 3200 fps in my 243s. I will find out how they do at 3,400 fps in a 6 AI this year. If there is any reservation the back up will be a 95 Partition. Any of the monos or bonded bullets should be good. Primarily longer ranges then the 105 Scenar.

If you want to keep it simple go straight for one of the TTSX or similar monos. I will also be using some odd ball 101 grain GMX's.

That 95NBT was sure accurate in my last 240W, I forget how fast I was pushing it, but I remember my favorite load was "always" R19/54gr" with any 90-95gr bullet. BR2 Primer. Its been so long now, 18yrs, I don't even have any R19, so I will use something different...I like to experiment with loads as I haven't been able to get away and hunt much, certainly not like I used to! One of my "very favorite" bullet/load Testers are hogs! We don't have any here in Utah. Years ago, there was two ranches that tried to make a hunt Preserve for them, but the Eco-Freaks were afraid they "might" get out, so the State shut them down. I shot ( couldn't call it a hunt) hogs at both places. I miss that part of Texas, and the varmints/small game/predators that are more prolific there. There are so many people here in Salt Lake Valley now, that you have to drive over a 100 miles to find coyotes that still come to a call! Of course, they are all in town, up on the bench's...but they frown on shooting them. Eco-Freaks, Bunny-Huggers. These are the ones that complain about their cats/dogs being eaten!

I’ve often lusted after a 6mm-06 & would run a 90 GR ETip if I had one. Seems perfect for the job!

My 240 Wby is an HS Precision SPL, now in a Hunter's Edge. This gun favors the 100 gr Partition; it shot one 1.7" group at 400 yds. Not sure I can repeat that, but know the gun did it at least once. The 100 NPT is a great WT, pronghorn and hog bullet.

I'm not an HS fan after their Lon Horiuchi fiasco. If background info is needed, check out this hall of shame link. http://www.zpub.com/notes/fbi-shame.html Scroll down to see ole Lon and his caper. FBI rolled him out as their contractor contact, HS embraced him, sucking up on the govt for more sniper rifle contracts. I traded for this gun, HS didn't make a dime off this deal.

They do make fine in house barrels, cut rifling like Brux, Kreiger, etc.

Gun now wears a VX-6 2-10x40. I like it better than the Bushnell 6500.

DF

Man that's a beauty! I was on my first flight to South Africa ( '96) and there was a gent there who was going on to Zimbabwe for leopard. His bait shooting rifle was a Mark V 240W he told me, and he was going to shoot the cat with a 375 H&H. On the flight barck, 15 days later, he was on the same flight home. He didn't get his Leopard ( they came in but the grass was too high, etc. Anyhow, he said he shot 20 Impala/Wart Hogs for bait. He too used the 100 partition. He said from what he saw how it killed if the Law allowed he would have used it on the cat. I think it would have worked swell. My friend sure does like the 95 partition in his, even for elk!

Don't overlook the 85 Grn Partition they drop deer like they were struck by lightning. I've found them to be the most accurate shooting 6mm Partition.

Some guns won't stabilize the 100 gr., seem to do OK with the 95 gr.

I was fortunate my 10 twist .240 really likes the 100 gr NPT. In fact, it's the most accurate bullet and I tried a bunch.

I always consider it a big plus when a Partition is the most accurate bullet. Hard to beat that one.

DF

I once had a .243 Superrockchucker…..it's a somewhat modified 6 mm-06 and is easily formed from 25-06 brass and the like.

I built mine with a #7 contour Douglas barrel for prairie dogs...yup...it was heavy but the darn thing was a real zinger.

With a #1 or #2 contour barrel it would be the "bees knees" as a pronghorn deluxe rifle and do the same to deer as well.

As to bullets, I'm committed to the monolithics but I might also add that the Swift offerings are fine bullets as well and I'm especially fond of the A-Frames although the Partitions are fine products too.

I understand the allure of owning something special.....but can also say that no 6 mm rifle I've ever owned was clearly superior to my 6mm Remington in the field.....it's a very fine round as well.

I grew up in East, Texas and the "Ne Plus Ultra" deer rifle in our area was the Model 742 in 6mm Remington! My BIL still uses his. Another BIL still uses his Mod 742 but in .308. I have a friend in Colorado that uses his 742/6mm on elk! They used nothing but Remington factory 100 corlokts in the 6mm. I had a heavy varminter made up in 6mm Remington in the late 90s also. I used it on PDs with the 65gr (or 68?) Vmax. I let my friends son use it awhile and he burned the throat pretty bad. I traded it off before it got ruined. I went back to just using my Bushmaster Predator on them. I have used 6mm/47mm, 6mm Bullberry, .243s, the mentioned 6mm Remington and 2 other 240s. I like the faster ones for game, myself. Thanks for sharing!

Funny thing, I've never owned a factory rifle in any of the 6mm cartridges.

I've only owned 3 rifles with 6mm barrels, first was a 6x.284, later a 6mm Rem AI, and finally a .240 Weatherby. The 6x.284 was a ton of fun. Wasn't maybe as accurate as I'd hoped on paper but it didn't miss much and it threw pieces of varmints like nothing I've ever owned. There'd be stringers of squirrel guts 25-30 feet up in the tree branches from squirrels shot on the ground. It had a 1-14" twist. Mostly shot 70 grain ballistic tips with RL19 but I also experimented with the 55 grain ballistic tip and 58, 65, and 75 grain VMAXes. The 80 grain ballistic tip wouldn't stabilize in my gun. The 6mm Rem AI was a pain in the ass. Again, a 1-14" twist varmint rifle. I couldn't get accuracy with any powder but Win 760 and I ran into hard powder fouling problems with serious pressure spikes at times. The .240 was another problem-ish rifle. It was a 700 with an aftermarket barrel, 1-9" twist. I just couldn't get the accuracy I thought it should deliver.

I think today if I were buying a 6mm of some sort the Creedmoor would have to get a very serious look. Consistent brass. So would a Weatherby Vanguard RC.

Building .. that 6mm Rem AI pissed me off. I'd like to take another whack at it but this time with a faster twist and a sporter profile for hunting rather than slow twist and a heavy barrel for varmints. The reamer was custom made around a lighter hornady varmint bullet with a sharp shoulder. I think it'd do fine with more tapered heavy VLDs and hunting bullets w/o changing throats.

I played with a lot of Ackleys, ( from 17/Hornet Imp to .375) and the only one that "disappointed me" in velocity was the 30-06. Oh yeah, when I had one made up in a 26" rifle, I could do fine with 150s, but I wanted the 200! I just could not get over about 2680fps with that thing! That had to be that barrel, but I had the rifle converted ( Mod 700) to 300 RUM, "then" I got my 3100fps 200 PT! ha But this is a factory Vanguard I'll be playing with, an S2. I don't know anything about them, really.

There was a fellow here in Canada that just sold a M98 33/40. He offered to me but I have too many projects on the go already. If that had not been the case, that old 98 would have made a really nice lightweight 6mm Remington custom. With the right (lighter weight) walnut and an ADL style bottom, it would have been a sweet rifle.

I have a 25 Niedner

Either the 95 or100 grain Partition. I also liked the 105 Speer spitzer before some nitwit decided to discontinue it.

Scenarshooter sent me some 105 Scenars to try. The 10 twist just wouldn’t do it. They’re too long.

I wish my 240 was 8 twist instead of 10. But it shoots way too good to swap, so I’ll just stick with the 100 NPT and MRP. Some say MRP is a refined version of RL-22. All I know for sure, it works in that gun (also in my Swede with 139 Scenars) and I have a big jug.

DF

From what I could research, you are correct. MRP is a good "substitute" for R22, and supposedly, more Temp stable.

Reportedly less lot to lot variation, probably tighter Q.C.

DF