Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Decision Time on a mid range build...6mmBR, .243, or .260

260 is kinda gaining interests... currently researching that caliber now. Any input on the 260 is appreciative. Great info on the Dasher and XC (which also spark and interest)...

Also is a bull barrel absolutely necessary or can a varmint contour barrel do the job?

Bear me out, here is your winner!!

Every Loony deserves a 6mmBR, but I have one, so I just ordered a bbl today for a 6.5x47 Lapua, it will be months to get the bbl in, but I expect it to shoot!

260- yes good caliber, I have one in my sons Sako, and a 6.5x55 in a single shot, so I wanted something different, and brass is made by Lapua for the 47 which is why I went that route.

I have no doubt I could live happily ever after hunting deer size game and smaller with 6mm BR or a 6.5x47 Lapua, using good bullets.

I call a Varmint barrel like Remington or Howa has, a Bull bbl. They are not as heavy nor straight tapered as some Bench Rest barrels.

Hands down the 6mmBR.

Dasher would be a great choice.

Yet there is always the 6mmXC which is basically a 6mm/22-250 AI but about .001 shorter in body to have a .001 longer neck... Anything that burns more than 39gr of powder, like .243, 6mmRem, .6/284 etc is going to be a barrel burner.

If you want to chase the velocity dragon, go for it; but I decided barrel life was where the action is since I am not an F-Class shooter or popper of prairie dogs at 700+yds. Rather than burn out barrel throat at 1000rds, why not just accept a more gentle trajectory curve and learn to dial a varmint reticle scope?

Costs about $450 or maybe $600 these days to do a custom match barrel and have it all fitted; plus there is the delay and anxiety of obtaining a barrel. Think that is going to improve?

I do own a 6mm/22-2250AI but hardly shoot it. Not much need for a "medium" caliber where I live. I do shoot heavy 75-90gr bullets in .223 Rem and then there is the .308win which is my "medium".

For real barrel life a 6x45AI might be the ticket, or a 6mmAR turbo which is a 6.5Grendel necked down with AI shoulder. I have resisted the urge. The .223 will do all I need and Dominion Rifle Club of Canada published a members account of shooting 90gr JLK bullet with 15-20rd groups showing only 2.5" vertical dispersion at 1000yds (see dec 08 newsletter via google).

If you have the right barrel twist many new avenues open up...

There is even a new 135gr Sierra MatchKing in .308 caliber... In my state, I can hunt with match bullets. Not much need for a medium, but when has any of this good fun been about need?

6BR, if you want to go that route.

Otherwise, .243AI.

I have both a 6BR and made my Grandson a 6X47Lapua. They both have 10 twist barrels and we Shoot Robinett's 95grn. bullets. I built a 6.5X47Lapua for last years deer hunting and was deadly at 225yds with a TTSX in 130GRN. For accuracy I like the 6s better.
Butch

Too bad the 6x47 L is not a factory round, the cost of lowered bore life would be less an issue vs. in a custom tube. The 6x47 L has ALOT to offer. Superb accuracy and trajectory.

The 6BR and 6.5x47 are great as is, but the 6x47L is a no brainer that Lapua stubbornly will not standardize.

A custom 243 or 243 AI is worth consideration, bore life aside. My wish, as the 223s are now often 'fast twisted' in factory bbls, so should the 243s IMHO. Adds flexibility with high BC 105-117s.

I think it was Jim Carmichael who once said he dreamed of a 243 using 120 grain bullets.....we are getting close!

+10,000

I have built two 6X47L's with 1-8 Rock Sendero contour barrels for two friends. They are shooting 105gr into 5/8" @ 300 yds consistently and rreport groups of 1.5" at 500! It is great brass, good availability of dies and will apply a bullet where you want at any reasonabel range. More punch than a 6BR and less recoil and better brass than a 260. A little more expense up front, not in the long run though.

Probably a dumb question, but the idea of a 6BR really excites me in a light-varmint type setup. What is the best action to use as a platform for this kind of build. Can a 700 be made to feed these consistently and reliably?

I had a custom built M7 that fed 7mm BR like glass out the mag.

Later a Stiller action (700 clone) in 6mmBR, fed just fine with 95 ballistic tips, lighter 68-70s not quite as well.

Both with factory Rem magazine parts.

In BRs, I think longer and heavier bullets maintain a better nose down position coming out the box, and the longer bullets allow some 'engagement' before the mag releases the round coming up, allowing good positioning.

Some owners want/need to tweak theirs:

http://www.bryantcustom.com/articles/6BRMagazine.htm

Man, you guys are making me think hard about my upcoming build choice. What's the best barrel length for a 6mmBR? Will it work with a 20"-22" barrel? This caliber sounds very interesting for a lightweight deer gun / paper puncher, and might be a better way for me to go than a 7-08 or a .260.

I have used 23-26, but for a fast handling rifle, would have zero issue with 21-23" myself. Whatever you do, order an 8" twist if you want my advice, it will shoot EVERY 6mm bullet. My last did the first 3 shots in 1/4" at 200 yds with both 68 and 105s.......it's lack of recoil will make you wonder why you shoot anything bigger, and when you drop your first deer, same thing.

Lots of debate on 243s for deer, I think all the debate has more to do with individual experiences where bullet choice and shot placement vary.

Good hits with good 6mm bullets = success. Bob Milek was doing Mulies close to 300 yds with a 6x45/6TCU handgun w/80-85 gr bullets around 2700-2800 mv. I would not question his ability to place shots. Call Fred at Bullberry on the above 2 rounds in handguns, he has TC shooters all the time using them with great success.....much longer ranges than you might imagine. His personal fav is an older mag fed Sako L461 in 6TCU w/mannlicher stock, 20" bbl IIRC.

6mm BR is HARD to beat from paper to deer if one want the ultimate in accuracy, light recoil/blast, and decent bore life...in my opinion based on owning several.

If Brownings Micro Medallion were so chambered in 6mmBR in that WSSM action they made, with a 20" bbl in 8" twist, I'd be ALL over that rifle!

Sounds good. Any idea how the muzzle blast would be with a shorter 20-22" barrel? I definitely don't want something that is really going to bark. Also, any tips on a smith recommendation for a 6mmBR build? Sounds like whoever built yours knew what they were doing accuracy wise.

I have a good friend who put me on a BR Hall of Famer. I can see if the guy would do one for you, he seems to be doing it part time now. Ranked at the top of the Hall of Fame ranking, so I know he knows what it takes, but really, there are many smiths out there, I used Stiller for the action and Bartlein for the barrel, and both of those vendors I am sure would be trustworthy to recommend someone who would make you happy. Bark won't be bad even down at 20" due to case capacity, but I had a 21" 6mm once, and it was HELL on your ears, and even with plugs and muffs, it seemed to roar....smaller bores need more bbl all else equal to digest the powder, you get more burn in same distance in larger bores, given same capacity. I would opt for a 22-23" myself, but the BR again, it should not be bad using under 34 grains of powder vs. 45-49 in say a 7/08 or 243. My 7BR was 21" and blast not an issue, though it's expansion ratio is higher so it burned faster in that bbl, surely not a big difference with so little powder I would not imagine.

Maybe I got lucky, as I would Love to think every rifle I build will shoot like that, but the BR is a known top round for accuracy, and Lapua brass is hard to beat. I would expect sub 1/2" with 3 for a sporter and 5 shots for a heavier bbl. .2-.3 MOA is not out of the question, obviously I was getting sub .2 MOA at 200 yds for 3 shots, rounds 4-5 opened up but with a bolt-on B&C stock, I can't complain, I think it was barely touching on one side of the bbl and after warming up, straying a little.

If you will send me a PM I will forward it on to my friend if you get settled on the project to see if he will do yours. I have no interest in the smith, nor have even met/talked with the man, simply trusted my friend and very pleased. Be glad to help you if I can.

My mid range build would be in the quarter bore domain; a 257 Roberts, a 250 Savage, a 250 SavageAI, a 25 Souper, or a 25-06.
There be a whole bunch of good bullets in quarter bore too.

I love my 6's and 6.5s, and the 7 has made me happy in both the BR (rifle) and in the '08.

Owned a 25-06, nice, but the #1B Ruger was heavy. I vow to try a good 250 or 250 AI in a custom as blue is my fav color and the I could do alot of killing with Blue tipped bullets, if more is needed, the white 110 ABs or a TSX 100 should be plenty.

I guess the 243 killed the 250 off, but many people swear the 250 has a small edge on deer. No reason to doubt that, and I feel the 250 would be a very well balance of power, modest recoil/blast, shootability, accuracy, and ease of loading, not to mention efficient. That about covers it.

The industry really needs to re-visit production of 250 rifles/ammo IMHO, as the classic round I feel surely would have outsold many other newer rounds that never had the staying power.