hello
i was wondering if anyone out there has any info on loadinga 6mm-257 weatherby? its a long story that i won't go into here,but i ended up with a very nice rifle chambered in this wildcat caliber.but there were no loaded rounds or any info on how to load them.so i would apperciate anyones help with is!
thanks
muskrat

The best idea would be to load it with a new barrel. All these magnum case wildcats are essentially useless. They are none to accurate and the throat will be eroded before you can develop loads for it.

I would not fire that rifle. Just sell it. If you got it for free and there is enough barrel shank then it might make a .243 WSSM whenever, if ever that comes out.

Hello Muskrat

Well, perhaps I can post a reply that addresses the question you posted a bit more directly...

First, I assume that you are a handloader. If not, then this is NOT the caliber to start learning on! I would indeed consider other options as suggested above.

If you are an experienced handloader (i.e. have the equipment and some experience), I would hope that some kind soul who has QuickLoad (or another one of these programs designed to predict loads and velocities from case capacity, bullet weight, barrel length, etc.) will post a suggested load for you.

If no such answers are forthcoming, I've seen others post a request here with "QuickLoad help please" or the like in the topic. I would try that if you get no useful replies to your present post.

I would guess that a powder slow enough for this wildcat will have a burning rate about that of damp charcoal briquettes...

Good luck -- wish I could post a load for you.

jpb

[ 04-17-2003, 19:36: Message edited by: jpb ]

I designed a similar wildcat back in 1993 called the .240 Incinerator. An article is posted on my website to include load & ballistic data.

Lee Martin
www.singleactions.com

Muskrat, I just ran this cartridge though my load by a disc program and this is what it came up with for a 100gr Sierra SPT PH:
Best powder: H870
Optimal load: 67.9gr (reduce 10% and work up)
Velocity: 3359fps (this program always underestimates velocity)
Chamber pressure: 45731 (CUP)
I've used this program with success when developing loads for my .257WSM. I hope this helps. Terry

[ 04-17-2003, 20:37: Message edited by: TC1 ]

If you insist on trying, there are any number of other short magnum wildcats out there with cases very similar to the short Weatherby. However you determine your starting load, double check it against loads published for other similar wildcats as a reality check.

Ross Seyfried did a 6mm Mach IV a while back, essentially a 7mm Rem mag case necked down to 6mm and improved, I believe. There was an article in Guns and Ammo, maybe do a search of their back issues and find it, or perhaps some one here has easy access to it. The ballistics ought to be about the same, as the case capacity would be about the same, as well. Or find and start with 244 H & H data, and work up from there. - Dan

[ 04-17-2003, 21:40: Message edited by: dan belisle ]

thanks for the advice,i was sorry to see so many that would sell a gun just becuase it eats the throat up in 500-600 rounds? so what? they make new barrels everyday and i enjoy playing.also i have a 30-378 weatherby that shoots damn fine groups.and yes it is an overbore and will eat the throat out,its a stainless barrel so i figure to get 650 -750 out of it then i'll have it rebarreled again.i like the load just for the4 fun of seeing what i can ring out of something.hell anybody can play with a 22-250 or 243 and shoot good groups but where is the fun in having something everybody else has? different stroke for different folks i always say!
thank all!
muskrat

hey i recieved an e-mail back from sierra bullets techs and they said its a very hard one to load for and to be honest not a very safe project.and i quote,"guns like this have set records for coming apart like a glass grenade"
then they go to say that they would try 68 grains of h-1000 for a 90% density load, with a 100 grain nosler partition for a bullet.i think i will call the other owner of the second gun that was built like this for his load info.but i would like to say thanks to all that offered their ideas on this project
muskrat

Muskrat, I think they are just covering their butts. Yes it is an overbore cartridge, so what? With todays powders a lot of crtridges that were unthinkable 20 years ago work fine today. H1000, H870, Retumbo, the Thunderbird surplus powders, the 50 BMG powders, etc. I'll grant you the fact that you'll have to do a little digging and experimentation, but that's half the fun of wildcats, in my opinion. I say dig up a little info and go for it. Remember, all the naysayers called the 300 Win Mag/Wby et al "impossibly overbore" at one time too. Good luck with your project, and let us know how it turns out. - Dan

Dan said----

quote:

---

With todays powders a lot of cartridges that were unthinkable 20 years ago work fine today.

---

WATCH OUT!!!!!!

"Today's modern powders" are more than 30 years old. H-1000 was the last one in 1968......and faster than 5010.

Overbore cartridges can wreck a rifle faster and with almost NO warning whatsoever than more "balanced" cases.

It seems there is an impression that "now they aren't dangerous......we have better powder now"......

BS!! 5010 has been around since 1919 and there's been a bunch of radical guns turned to scrap with it and the other, (faster) powders that have come out since.

The bottom line is this: There is NOTHING on the market that makes way overbore cartridges more safe to load for and shoot. You MUST know the theory and the practices of safe re-loading and be very aware of the special circumstances of large cases and slow powders.

The NRA used to sell the Naval Ordinance studies from the 20s and '30s to the public, but I haven't seen them in 40 years or so. All the information is there along with enough charts and studys to keep you busy (and swearing off radical wildcats) for many years.

well i loaded this 6mm-257 weatherby up with 68.0 grains of h-1000,federal 215 match primer,100 gr
speer btsp.i did the flasholes,uniformed the primer pockets,and then neck sized the brass before loading.had no trouble with shooting this load, no hard lifting bolts,no sign of high pressure on the primers.but did have 4 or 5 bullets blow up before hitting the targets.didn't shoot more than three shot per groups without cleaning gun, and allowed plenty of time between shots to keep the barrel cool.now i think i will try to find some match type jacketed bullets in 100-120 grain and go from here.didn't shoot bad for forming the brass into 6mm-257 weatherby inproved.had decent groups for the ones that made it to the target for fireforming the brass.
thanks to all who mailed me their ideas.will post the next round of shooting now that i have 20 pieces of fireformed brass to work with.but need to find heavier jacketed bullet? any ideas there guys??? by the way,its has an one in eight inch twist.

muskrat

Muskrat, maybe try the Barnes X bullets. I use them in my 240 Gibbs and they stand up pretty well. - Dan