So after practicing shooting mostly 300-400yds at the range the last month solid with my 6x45 Savage build for today Antelope opener the day finally came.
I was tossing up either the 95 Nosler Hunting BT or the Sierra 85 GKHP. Both shoot almost the same at 300&400 yds.
I loaded the 95gr shells in.
I am on WY School Trust Land and sure was glad I got there at 5am, (Until today I have never seen anyone out here ever.
I ran into 8 others and heard 6 more shots on the other side of this area).
I waited till dark 6am, hiked about 600 yards to my spot that I have been scoping a nice 13" buck with his group....well I snooze and wake to a shot about 6:30 am about 1/2 mile away.
Its time, sun is just starting to rising nicley.
I move to another hilltop and see a buck looking at me from about 500 yards off, its about 6:40 am.
Im bummed its not the BIG guy and his harem...but say Jim you better take what get and be happy.
I am in my APC kill suit with my florecent hat and flag on my back standing up, I get prone mighty fast, he trots right toward me...500/400/300/200/100 yds stopping every few seconds to look at me...course I blend in pretty well with that gillie on & wonder if my florecent hat is to glowing.
Im scoping him as he comes thinking heck its going to be 20 feet from me and I will miss since I practiced only at 300-400 all that time....hahahah
He stops nicley for me & broadside at maybe 100 yds of all things. I put it on his shoulder & shoot.......THHWWAAP!
It spins around and on a dead run goes 50' over the small crest and I see it waver & stumble and its gone. Its 6:44 am
& I say to myself, Man that was a solid sounding hit.
Its down Im sure. I walk down the hill and up to the crest and looking at it I almost miss it...blends in perfectly but there is a red blood trail about 10' long where it skidded.
Home at 9am, butchered & in the freezer by noon!
Shoulder bones & parts on the bbq for the dog to enjoy also.

Congrats and thanks for the report. I would love to build a 6x45 someday. What velocities were you getting?


ddj

Congrats. Thanks for sharing

95 g Nosler 2653 fps
85g Sierra 2819 fps
Average with 10 shots over the chrony.
I also run a 65 vmax for coyotes/p-dogs at 3017 fps, 24" ss Mcgowan bbl.

Thanks 5spd!


ddj

Nicely done - gotta love antelopes!!

Cool story man, and great cartridge. I likey!


SO freakin jealous of you guys who live in Wyoming... I REALLY NEED to move out west...

Awesome. Congrats.

Cool deal. Who knew the 6x45 was a killer..

Nice job waiting on the shot. All antelope hunting does not need to be a 500 yard affair.....

Nice buck...

Are you running a 1:10 twist? I've got a 6X47 Stevens 200 that I built 1:12. I can't run anything as heavy as you are, but I did take a smallish buck 10" last year with it and the 70 grain NBT at 312 yards. Bullet performed just as I expeceted it to, no exit, but destroyed everything in the chest cavity.

I really had to pick my shot using that bullet as I was pushing them at 3000+ fps from my rifle. CO has the stupid 1000 ft-lbs at 100 yards for big game and that meant I had to push bullets harder than I wanted. So my game plan was for no shots shorter than 250 yards and I didn't want to push past 300 too much. Was hoping for a broadside shot but wound up taking a frontal shot. Made for a super tight window of opportunity but it made a very challenging hunt.

Those little 6mm cartridges are certainly capable of being hunted with. Plus they are super fun to shoot!

taylorce1,
I have the 1/10" twist as I wanted to run up to 100g bullets.
My 1st 6x45 was on an AR15 frame and was super accurate with that twist. I got out of the AR15 phase and went back to bolt guns only. Little recoil as you know and very accurate.

Very cool!

Love that little case...

I'd probably do a 1:10 next time as well as I'd like to run heavier bullets as well. I just got a great deal on a 1:12 barrel that made the decision for me. Probably do the 6X45 as well just to get a little more room in the mag for those longer bullets. I've got very little room in the magazine if I play with the block at the back of the magazine. Then I might try running some 80 grain FB bullets or T-TSX if I want to get serious about running this as a hunting rifle for game larger than coyotes. Magazine space does become an issue with these small cartridges.

You might think twice about that 80 TTSX. It's quite long, and do you need that bullet construction at the velocity you'll get?

I've got a 1-10" 6PPC 26" barrel for my Encore that won't stabilize 100 gr. bullets. 85 is fine, 100 is terrible.

I came to that conclusion too...

For an all-arounder, I'd pick the 80 grain Winchester or the 85 SGK.

The little 85 gr. Speer boat tail ought to be pretty good too.

COngratulations on the goat.

I run a 1-8" on the 6x45 and 6x47

But I ain't skeered of twist like many are.

Didnt Kimber make a run of bolt action 6x45mm awhile back?

I don't know but I can drive the 70 grain Nosler BT and Sierra BK pretty hard in a 70 grain. If I have the room in the magazine and the throat to seat the bullet long I don't know how fast I could drive the TTSX. I can push the 70 grain bullets over 3100 fps pretty easy out of my rifle, but I slowed them down to just over 3000 to hunt with. Pretty much a moot point right now with my current twist rate.

I was thinking 2650-2700 w/95 before the answer came, what powder you running 5sp?

Congrats, you did well. BTW, that 85 BTHP will ALSO wax a lope, watched my son take 2 WT deer hammering both at 275 and 300 yds. It's devastating.

Taylor, a local MD I know shot a 788 Carbine w/take off BR barrel, 14" twist, in 243, around 18" or so - so speeds are likely in the 3100-3250 range, took a lope something over 500 yds, he has done ALOT of shooting and he does not exaggerate range, so no doubt, that little BT is deadly on smaller thin skinned antelope, on out there.

He shoots PDs in MT so he was ready for shooting long shots.

It killed quickly.

With the 95g NHBT its 24.1g H335, 2653 average fps
The 85g SGKHP is 24.3g H335, 2819 Av. fps
The next antelope will be with the 85g also.
24" Mcgowan bbl.

Thats pretty good speed out of a small cartridge. Whats you barrel length? I went with a 20" on my 6X47 Rem.

Updated my post with length of 24".
Your 6x47 looks nice. I almost made it 6x47, but since I have 10k rounds .223 brass it made more sense to just neck up & shoot.

I've got probably that much .223 brass as well, but I've got an AR, bolt, and single shot rifle that I use all that brass in. My only complaint about the 6x47 is the quality of brass since Rem is the only one making .222 RM brass. Might have to start working with some of the better .204 Ruger brass that is out there.

5spd, how did the BT do in expansion and penetration?

It blew right through him taking out the left side shoulder & 2 ribs, it had to expand right at the heart since the top 1/4 was gone from it.
Only a very small shard of copper was found in the wound. The exit hole was not that big, but when I got to the ribcage it was pretty nasty.
This is what the other side looked like... 95g NBT carcass.

Thanks, I just finished loading up my first batch of 6x45s. I wondered about the 95 BT.