New member here and looking for help. I have had a 6mm Rem. in a '98 Mauser and regrettfully sold it. I found another '98 Mauser in Rem. 6 mm, that actually appears better than the one I had before. It has a Douglas barrel. Anyrate, I had been fond of the Sierra 85gr. BTHP in the last gun, but I can't seem to get the accuraccy out of this gun as I try to develope a load for this gun. I am using the loads I had used in the previous gun, which is 48gr. of RL19 and Winchester WLR primers. I am having trouble getting the bullet OAL correct, which I think is my problem with my accuraccy. Where should I start, with getting the bullet off the lands first or working on the amount of powder first.

Dave

Start completely over, beginning with a squeaky-clean barrel. My best group with wife's ADL was with coated 85-grain Barnes X. After learning how to clean chamber-throat-barrel, it wouldn't group with that load. (Too tight before the cleaning, and now it shoots a different load best. Go figure...)

Try different powders. bullets, etc. after you get ready to give up your tried-and-true (old) load. The ADL still likes IMR 4320, but with 100-grainers. BTW, is the twist rate the same as for the Mauser?

BNagel

Use CCI 200 primers, as those WLR are too hot for such a small case.

The heavy 26" Douglas barrel has a 1-10" twist. I have also tried IMR 4350 with this bullet. The guy I bought the gun from (he was selling the gun for his deceased brother) was using Sierra 60gr. HP and H 380 powder. I tried his load for fun, but again I think I am chasing the correct bullet jump. I didn't get any loaded shells with the gun, because he was afraid of liablity and I understand that.

I really want to use a heavier bullet than the 60gr. since if I am going to use that bullet I will use my 50gr. in the .222. Kind of looking for a combo varmint/deer bullet to use. Is there any rules of thumb on bullet jump? In starting over, where do you start? With the powder load, bullet type you want to use or the bullet jump. I am doing a partial full length resize, as I have had very good luck with that, even over just neck sizing.

Try some 87 grain V-Maxes, they are sort of long for caliber so you might be able to reach out to the lands, and still stabilize in 1-10" twist.

Dave,

It is a new to you rifle and should be treated as a new rifle for load development. First as suggested above clean it till you know it is clean to the pores. Then establish what length is contact for the bullet you want to shoot. Then start with a begining powder charge and work up in increments to accuaracy or too much pressure what ever comes first. For what it is worth, the IMR 4831 performs best for me in the 6 Rem.

Do I want the bullet just touching the lands, or do you experiment from a .005,.010 jump etc.? To start, should I just start on the lands and leave it there and then adjust powder to get the most accurate load. Then play with bullet jump after that to fine tune it, even closer? Thanks all for the responses.

Find the maximum length with the bullet touching the lands and see if you still have enough bullet to grip with the boat tail. If you do I would start there with one of the IMR slow burners 4350 or 4831 and a 210 Federal primer. I always found the 6MM shot best when loaded pretty hot.
One of the weirder things I have read was that Remington tested 6mms for accuracy with 3031.

Ok, thanks will do.

I've had good luck with RL22 in both 6mm and .243. Give it a try!
GOOD LUCK and GOOD SHOOTING!!!

quote:

Originally posted by ireload2:
Find the maximum length with the bullet touching the lands and see if you still have enough bullet to grip with the boat tail. If you do I would start there with one of the IMR slow burners 4350 or 4831 and a 210 Federal primer. I always found the 6MM shot best when loaded pretty hot.
One of the weirder things I have read was that Remington tested 6mms for accuracy with 3031.

I whole heartedly agree with this, and would add that Rem tested my 40X/6Rem with 60 grain match bullets and 4895.

48 gr. of Rl 19 is my most accurate load in 87 gr bullets.Make sure the barrel is clean then I'd use that load and try different seating depths after I found the OAL at the lands. My Rem BDL has a 1:9 twist which shouldn't make any difference though.

More testing with with the RL19, 48gr. and 85gr. Sierra BTHP's I already had and got not terrible results. I will shoot a 3 shot grp. The first 2 will be touching or even overlapping. The third shot will be about 1/2" left, everytime. The shots were taken slowly, but heat was building in the barrel. Let the barrel get stone cold and start over and the results will be the same. I am sure it is temp. related, the shooting to the left. It was a dead calm day. The barrel is fully floated and the action is glass bedded. Barrel is maderately heavy, but not a bull barrel. Actually got the same results using the 60gr. Sierra's and 42.5gr. of H380. It was the very same. 2 touching, third shot 1/2" left as temperature built up in the barrel.

quote:

should I just start on the lands and leave it there and then adjust powder to get the most accurate load. Then play with bullet jump after that to fine tune it, even closer?

Yep.

Try some H-414 too.

Dave maybe I'm reading your post wrong but as I read it your getting less than .5" groups what are you expecting???

quote:

Originally posted by Rob1SG:
Dave maybe I'm reading your post wrong but as I read it your getting less than .5" groups what are you expecting???

Agree!!!???
When I get 1/2" groups, I sing....

Don

I guess I should have explained more. I am happy with the 1/2" grp. I was not getting that before. Though I am curious as to why as the barrel gets warmer, the grps. will continue to get bigger. I would have thought with a well floated barrel and bedded action, I would not see this kind of "grp. growth". In a 3 shot string, it may take me 7-8 min. and the the third shot is from a warm barrel and the grp. is opening up. On several other guns I reload for, I don't see this quite as quickly or the "grp. growth" quite as large as this grouping will quickly become 2". I am reloading for 22 Hornet, Rem.222, Win. 270, 30-40 Krag and 30-06. Previous owner (now deceased) has used the gun on a praire dog shoot and there must have been a fair amount of time between targets to be on target. The advice I recieved here was/is good advice!

Residual stress within the barrel steel has to do with a portion of the groups size as the barrel heats. Then exactly how centered is the bore within the barrel also has an affect with more metal heating on one side than another, well you get the picture. One last thing is how much powder residue is accumulating as the next round has to push through that friction causing surface...

Dave sometimes the bedding job is not what it should be and will cause torque on the action which can get worse as the barrel and action heat up. Could be time for a rebed. Just a thought. I use a torque wrench to tighten the action screws if its over or under torqued there maybe a problem there also.

Both points are good. What is a good starting point for torgue of the action screws? When you say rebedding, I assume you would remove as much as possible the old bedding material and just plain redo it. Correct?

Most people say about 65 in/lb for the action screws. I'd start with that. Yes it could need a total rebed check to see if the lug is touching somewhere its not supposed to like on one side but not the other.This can drive you crazy thats why I said maybe just rebed.

Thanks, I am on it. I was thinking as I read this. Maybe go to the range and when the gun is starting to throw it's shots, lossen the action screws and retorgue. Just an experiment, while the action is going through it's temperature changes.

CCI LR primer
87GR HP Hornady
AA 4350 powder 46GR
OAL 2.832
As you stated you want to hunt with it , I dont know how long your seating depth will leave you . In the 98 magazing box length should'nt be a problem , only how well it feeds .
This has worked as an all around critter getter for me . I was dead set on finding a ball powder to use but always ended up back with 4350 , it just works in my 6MM . best of luck .