I am in the final stages of building my 6MM Remington Ackley. The only thing left is the barrel. I have a Zastava double set action the stock and all the hardware. I need advice from the cybernetic domain. I'm going to be 66 here in a few days and was looking for a flat shooting "tame" gun to deer hunt with as I age. Here on my farm I have several stands that offer a 350 yard shot and the 115 grain Nosler BT with it's rather large BC grabbed my attention. So the question is.......what twist to go with ....one in ten? I took a swell 9 point this year with my '06 Ackley at 277 yards and my eyes are holding up pretty good. Comments welcome. Regards, Rick.

Rick I don't think nosler makes a 6mm 115gr NBT. If it were me Id go 1:9 depending on what bullets you wanted to shoot. My 243AI is a 1:9 and will shot 105VLD but I have heard of others that won't.

Brux bbls produced a 8"twist 6mm bore in 10 weeks..... No Nosler doesn't make a 115 gr Ballistic tip !

Nice deer there! I just finished an 'on the cheap' 6mmAI. One in 9 is fine! I loaded up some 85gr Sierra HP's ahead of 49 grains of H4831SC for fireforming and accuracy testing, will be firing Barnes 85Gr TSX's at 3400fps on game animals when all tweaking and dialing in is done. No more bullet is needed. No better bullet is avaialable, especially out to only 350 yards.

You guys are right.....no 115 from Nosler. Sierra makes a 100 grain Game King with a BC of .430.....the extra speed should negate the slightly higher BC of the Nosler. Not a Barnes fan but honestly haven't monkeyed with them much. Regards, Rick.

Berger makes a very fine 115gr VLD for the 6mm's.......

Kaiser Norton

Yes they do but they dont always work in a 1-8" twist, the 105gr VLD is a great bullet in this round and the 95gr VLD is pure magic in this cartridge.
Stay away from a 3 groove with this combo, a 5R or C works best

So would opt for the one in nine? What about barrel length?Regards, Rick.

Go with an 8 twist and shoot 105 Bergers.

I used a 10 twist when I built my 6mm AI. The gun has taken quite a few antelope/deer with 90 grain Nosler E-Tips. Have experienced great performance with the E-tip and very flat trajectory with these bullets. I am impressed with the pass thru shot performance and the lack of blood shot meat from this bullet from a 6mm AI.

I don't shoot a 6mm AI, but there are 3 regular 6mm's in our house. My son's Ruger MKII shoots the 90 gr. E-tips at 3140 fps very accurately. He has taken 3 antelope, a nice buck deer, and a really nice cow elk last year with it. I too am really impressed with that E-tip.

My 6mm I shoot the 100 gr. Partition, but might try the new 90 gr. Accubond when it comes out. I believe a 1 in 9 would work for you. Good luck.

Rick, I'd go 24" minimum, preferably 26 or longer if you don't mind the weight - but I prefer a bit of barrel weight for my stand-hunting guns. A 1-9 twist will handle most bullets up to 100grs, might do a 105 at AI velocity, just like a 1-8 might do a 115. If you are only shooting out to 350/400 max, you probably can get by with the 1-9....

Kaiser Norton

Lapua offers a 105 Scenar at .503, would that be an option?

Very nice buck!

We killed a lot of deer and antelope with the 6mm rem with a 95g Partition out to 400 yards, really can't say enough good about the bullet. Sure will make you scratch your head and wonder if you would ever want to shoot a 30/06 or 7 Mag again, and I love 7 Mags. The 95g Partition is capable of some fine accuracy inspite of some of the bad reputations that you may have heard of partitions not being accurate. I found better accuracy with the 95g vs the 100g.

We killed many deer at 300-325 range an none of them ever went over 20 yards. We of course practiced at to a distance of 550 yards on a regular basis and had our target knobs marked to those distances in 50 yard increments.

375 yards is not that far at all with a good scope and rifle that is top grade. You also should not over look the lowly 100g Hornady BTSP that is a fantastic bullet on deer and hogs.

I have had two 6mm AI's and killed deer with the Nosler 70g Ballictic tip, and all the deer never took a step. With so little recoil and the pin point accuracy of the rifle, there is really no challenge till you get out beyond 550 yards.

I really see no need in using some fancy VLD target bullet at to 375 yards unless you would just like to shoot deer with various bullets to see the effect. Deer are not hard to kill, just place your shot, or do not take the shot.

I would sure not recommend the 100g Sierra BTSP because it does shed it's jacket very quickly, in my experience.

Family has killed several deer with the 85g Barnes Tripple shock, but till you have killed 20 or so head, I really think the jury is still out...since we all have had such fantastic luck with the 95g Partition and the 100g Hornady BTSP.

I have a friend that shoots the 80g Sierra Blitz bT with R#19 at 3800 fps(1-14 twist, 26" barrel)in the 6mm AI, and I would expect the 80g Barnes Tipped tripple shock to be in the neighborhood of 3600 fps+ depending on your rifle and the load it likes.

The 1-10 will stabalize the 95g partition and the 80& 85g tripple shock bullets. Barnes tripple shocks seem to be taking the country with good shooters back here in 22/250's, 243's, 308, and 7 Mags. What is wierd about the Barnes bullets is that they leave little blood trail, but the internals on the deer can not be distinguished.

Since you are hunting over fields, get the longest barrel you can stand...free velocity...you can always cut it off later if you are so inclined.

hope this helps and good luck!

My 1-9"tw Rock barrel stabilizes 105VLD's. I run them at 3200, but have ran them as slow as 3050 and even at that speed they shot great to 1000yds in freezing temps and only 900'ASL.

This was the frist 5 shots out of the rifle at 1000yds with the VLD's at only 3050. It's not centered up on target since I just had the projected comeups from JBM. Not to bad for just a 1" 3.5-10x40 leupold in TLW's.

The 6AI remains a goat [bleep] chambering,though in fairness my 25" 1-10" would stabilize the 105A-Max. 9" is where it's at and in 243AI.

Always get great laughs outta Keith's utter and sheer [bleep] stupidity,she's a peach with a vivid [bleep] Imagination.

Wow.

1:9 twist and don't over look the 95 grain NBT, that is a tough bullet. Should do a number on deer at the distances you're talking about.

if your shots are no greater than 350 yards, and less than 500 for that matter, I don't think going with a heavy high BC bullet really offers anything for you at those ranges. I would recommend going the other way, slower twist and ligther bullets, use the higher speeds they offer to obtain a flatter shooting combo.

heavy high BC bullets don't shine until you get beyond 500 yards, and at that range you need to start looking at vertical spread and a host of issues, with most being load development and the accuracy your rifle is capable of. the action you wanna use is not conducive to this sort of pure accuracy, it would be like putting a porsche engine in a chevy pickup truck.

an 85 grain game king autta do what you want, pushed as hard as you can get it.

Mine is a 1-9" 243AI , just was giving him some ideas on speeds/twist. I have no desire to try and shoehorn a high bc 6mm bullet into a 6mmAI case and then into a s/a. If I remember right, you might even have a few pics showing that issue.

I know that you know.

Get a kick outta the girls,who think reserve twist rates won't do wonderful things with shorter boolits. Though I get it,that they're are talking out their collective asses and guessing wildly with Imaginations at full throttle.

Noone who has shot/killed with both,would build a slow twist anything. Some boolits are simply splendid enough,to rate building a rifle around and the .243" 105A-Max is certainly amongst the ranks.

Though in fairness,I've shot/killed with every boolit thus far mentioned and many that ain't.(grin)

I'll even re-bait the hook.

Having never fired a "boolit" in my life, I am unsure what might be required to get one to work. I agree with the sentiment that a faster twist is almost always better. With a faster twist, you don't have to shoot longer, heavier bullets but you can. Use a slower twist and that option is gone. The last two 6mm AI's I built had 8" twist barrels. Both rifles handled 105 amd 107 grain bullets just fine but the most accurate bullet in both rifles was the 85 Sierra hpbt. GD

I'd much rather always have a faster twist. As always when I end up with a factory 6mm or 224 cal rifle I'm always disappointed and wanting a faster bbl. Never ever had a problem with lighter bullets in fast twist 224 guns.
My custom 1 in 7" twist standard 223 chambered 700 shoots great groups with 50's and great groups with 75 and 77s of all brands.
In 6mm an 80 or 85 Barnes will hammer deer under 350 at anything I've tried over 3,000 fps if you are stuck w a slow twist. Prob most good 75 and 85 sp bullets as well.
Do with a 6.8 all the time with 85s and same range with 75 amax in the 223. Put it in his heart and lungs and they are dead soon enough. Most will pass through when broadside. Other angles I've only had opposite side skin catch em.
They will open at 350 when launched at over 3,000. Even yotes and 40 lb yearling does are enough to open em up completely and pass through at 300-350 and every range in between.
I have shot a bunch of the 85s barnes and should maybe save money and try a cheaper sp as I know they will work, but on a big 250 lb buck quartering away I would rather KNOW the bullet is gonna get to his boiler room. It will.

9 1/8th should do fine with a 105 A-Max then eh? 243 AI flavor...

Go as fast a twist as you like. But Keith and Cumminscowboy are steering you right.
At up to 350 shoot a good hunting bullet and be happy. You'll have the fast twist to play with the high BC stuff later. Fast twists shoot lighter stuff fine.
You aren't gonna "over stabilize" a NP or a Barnes.

the 9 1/8 will stabilize a 105 AMAX (done that), but not the 115 DTAC (or so I've heard; haven't tried it yet).

I run the 115 gr Berger in a 6mm Rem, with a one in 7 twist..on a REM 700 Long Action...it is flat shooting and the long action allows the bullet to be seated out pretty far..

with a 24 in heavy magnum contour Pac Nor barrel on it and RL 19, it can be pushed to about 3250 fps MV..

an AI may exceed that, but it certainly will duplicate it..

I've competed in some local casual 1000 yd shoots with it and it did real well...at least for me..I wasn't competing with the other guys really... I was competing with myself, to see how much improving I could accomplish...

that combo made it pretty easy..

as Mac Davis Sang:

"Oh Lord its hard to be humble... when you perfect in every way..I can't wait to look in the mirror, because I get better looking each day... to know me is to love, I must be a helluva man... oh Lord its hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way...."

It is hard to agree with Big Shtick, but he speak's the truth on occasion!!!!!!!!

Seafire,
A few things you left out.....is your Pac-Nor a 3 groove ??? were the 115gr Bergers target or hunting ??? were you really using RL19 or Bluedot ??? how many rounds down the barrel ???

Try it so you can see what a keyhole look's like.

Beyond the twist rate; I had a 6 Souper Pooper which is about the same volume as the AI and I remember spending more time scrubbing RL 22 out of the throat than I did shooting it. I rechambered to something smaller and was much happier.

No Blue Dot, not a 3 grove, yes using it for target so far with 115s... use 75 grain HP Hornadys for varminting... why do you think I use Blue Dot in everything all the time??... rifle has about 1800 or so rounds down the barrel according to log notes....

any more questions sarcastically burning a hole in your head I can answer for ya?

I asked if you used Bluedot because that is what you use the most (10's of thousands of your post's will prove that).
I asked if your Pac-Nor was a 3groove (not a 3 grove)because they tend to blow-up 115gr Hunting VLD's not the 115gr Target VLD's.
will not ask you any more question's because you are a sarcastic a hole.

[/quote]

I asked if you used Bluedot because that is what you use the most (10's of thousands of your post's will prove that).Wrong My posts on Blue Dot don't take into account a lot of other different loading I do... you however take note of the Blue Dot, because you evidently don't like that powder in a rifle, because you ALWAYS have some wise ass derogatory comment to make about it..

I asked if your Pac-Nor was a 3groove (not a 3 grove)because they tend to blow-up 115gr Hunting VLD's not the 115gr Target VLD's. Thank you... just for you I will try to pay more attention to spell check...hope that pleases you

will not ask you any more question's because you are a sarcastic a hole. Well thank you... that way I won't have to address your wise ass comments, as you seem to love to defile any think I post that doesn't agree with your ivory tower philosophy.... Personally I don't find you to be a bad guy... but your following any of my posts, with some of these snotty questions or comments gets a little old...don';t understand why some like you seem to love to criticize guys who don't think exactly like you do...or do as you do....so if you are not asking me questions then we don't have to cross that bridge....and if you find me an 'a hole'... well sorry to rain on your parade...wasn't my intention.. but it also isn't my parade...