Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting 6mm for Sheep?

If my partners hip surgery rehabilitation pans out I am going sheep hunting for the first time this summer, self guided in the Mackenzie Mountains. I am paring down my weights for equipment and keep eyeing my Rem 600 in 6mm Remington. 100 Nosler Partition at 2900ft/sec is about tops out of the short barrel. I have a Burris Mini 4X on it and it shoots MOA easily at an all in weight of about 6.2 pounds. I bought it for my wife as a caribou rifle and it works well for them. My question is range. I could hit a sheep at 300+ yards with this rig but would the power be there? I have always limited the range with caribou and haven't gone past 250 yards or so. For my own use I have grown use to the 358 Norma and the 6mm seems absurdly small but Sheep don't seem to hard to kill?

Of course after I drop 50 pounds of body weight a 1-2 pound rifle weight difference might not mean much but once you start going ultra-light every pound seems like a lot.

Tak,
Nothing wrong with the Partitian but you might work up a load with an 85 gr TSX. A little faster and flatter. They flat kill in a 6MM. IMR 4831 works great with the Barnes. If you don't like my load use yours and go kill a sheep.

Dave

Bad choice. No, at 300+ yards, I would not be using a 6mm remington on Sheep! Leave the 6mm at home for deer, coyotes and pronghorns.

The smallest cartridges for 300+ yards on sheep and the ones that I'd recommend as ideal use would be a 270 Winchester or a 7mm-08 Remington.

In country where you might also encounter Grizzlies, some people suggest automatically moving up to 30 cal,, like a 30-06 and 300 Win Mag, especially if you're going to be shooting at sheep beyond 300 yards.

On the edge but should work. 80 gr TTSX might shoot a bit flatter and have better expansion at extended range. I wouldn't try anything but a side view shot.
You might look at the new Marlin XS7 synthetic in 7mm08, only 6.5 pounds and quite a bit more punch. Also cheap and very accurate. My buddy picked up his new black one today for $269.00 delivered w/tax.

My XL 7 camo synthetic in it's 22-06 garb (Savage & Marlin barrels interchange). It was/is a 270 WCF and shoot 3/4 MOA in either caliber. Cost $325 in camo, Bushnell Coyote 6-18 (also very light). Total invested with 2 barrels <$700.

Brooks, have you ever seen anything bigger than a coyote shot at over 300 yds. with anything smaller than a .270? 6 mm. might surprise you. Of course, shot placement matters with anything. YMMV. Tim.

No new rifles for me. 13 is enough. As for Grizzly's, they will be there. I don't worry unduly about them.

I have a 6.5 Rem Mag in a 660 that might get the nod as it adds some velocity and 25% more bullet weight but it also adds 3/4 pound and something about the little 6mm calls out to be used? On a different track I also have a Savage 99 in 284 which is heavier still but shoots 150 grain Partitions into 1 MOA and is retro-cool.

I'll play around with 85 Grain TSX's and do a bunch of shooting before I decide. If the bears get in my head I'll consider the 350 Rem Mag and 225 partitions at 2650. Long range expansion problems with any 35 under 358 Norma in my experience though.

I'd encourage you to take the 6, it'll do you just fine. Yoiu could shoot end to end on any sheep with a 100 Noz or a 85 TSX or about any decent bullet.

Get after it and have a good time and please report back in later.

Dober

Well the little 6 is definitely in my mind. I'll shoot a bunch and decide. The low recoil certainly will help in awkward uphill or downhill prone positions.

I wouldn't hesitate in the least to use your 6mm....

My son has used a Kimber Montana in .243 on mule deer the last two years. He used the Barnes 85gr. TSX. Last year he shot the buck right through the heart at 350 yards. Bullet exited, massive amounts of blood, and a 20 foot tracking job. This year the bullet broke both shoulders at 300 yards and exited. The deer rolled down the mountain 40 yards. I don't have any experience with sheep, but the .243 and TSX works great on mule deer.

I have not ever killed a sheep but I think you'd be ok with the 6mm. Try the TSX but I'd probably use the 85 grain TSX as opposed to the 80 TTSX. The tipped version is a little more explosive and you would probably rather have the penetration. The 100gr Partition would work great as well if its accurate in your gun.
Lee

I shot a 6mm Remington for many years in two different types of rifles! Killed P-dogs out to 350 yards several times on the first shot!!! I knew my rifle and what it and I could do together ok. I burned out a barrel on one of those guns. Now I personally believe your way undergunned for your hunt!

Your speaking of shooting 300 plus yards with a bullet that weighs in at 100 grains or perhaps less. Now factor in the wind and what might happen if your bullet strikes the shoulder bone first and goes for a walk southbound......just something to think about for your sake. I been there and had such happen years ago! Yes, I kow the combination will KILL that sheep, if you the hunter can place the shot simply put....only YOU know that fact.

To the average shooter, I say NO.......I believe you would be far ahead using a caliber like the .260 Remmy or even the .270 Winchester with 140 grain bullet. The B.C. is very good and so is the S.D. (penetration deepth of bullet) which enhances your chances of bagging that sheep on the very first shot. The both will handle the wind a lot better, just check things out on the ballistic's table first.

Now if you factor in those grizzly bears up in that area, I myself wanted more than a P-dog gun to ward off their growing ambitions. I used a .300 Win mag my first time out and never worried about the weight factor of that Belgium Browning FN rifle. I smacked my ram at 380 yards with a 180 grain Sierra bullet, while looking through a Redfield 4 x 12 rifle scope back in those days.

I would use whichever bullet my 6mm grouped the best with. The 90 gr Swift Scirocco would be my first choice.

This might happen...

I wouldn't worry about it a bit, but, I sometimes hunt elk w/ a .243, so take it for what it'a worth!

If you shoot the gun well, I wouldn't worry about it a bit, TSX or Scirocco II would be my choice. I shoot the 90g SSII in my 6mm. If you hit shoulder, I'm pretty sure it will break it, it has for me

Sheep aren't hard to kill, if you can put the bullet in the correct spot. I see no reason why the 6mm wouldn't get it done if you do your part.

Big time, if it hits shoulder bone it's gonna punch on thru!

Dober

Pretty good endorsements. Thanks.

I was interested in what happened with my Moose and 358 this year. The 250 grain Speer whapped him in the lungs and he wandered off in no obvious distress and then quietly expired in the Alders about 25 yards away. Pretty similar to when they are hit with a .308 Winchester. He gave no sign at the impact at all!

Not saying the 6mm is as much gun but I think with good bullets and good bullet placement it might be ok. I have been a big gun guy for the last 20 years so rethinking this is a bit tough. I like the idea of travelling light!

I've taken a lot of game with my 6/06 which is sort of a 6mm+P. With either a 85 TSX, a 95/100 Nozler there isn't much I'd not take out.

A friend of mine used it and the 85 TSX to absolutely dynomite a really nice black bruin a bit ago. Both shoulders taken out, and down and out lights out.

Light em up I say! If someone doesn't feel that the 6mm will punch both shoulders on a borego then they've not much for experience.

Dober