Anybody here shoot a 6 x45 (6mm/223) or a 6 x 47 (6mm/222mag.)? I am thinking about building one and wonder what you guys think about these.
Don't see much difference in the two altho Kimber did chamber some rifles in 6x45. I think I would like a trim lightweight bolt gun with about a 20" bbl. What do you think?
Thanks-Nimrod308

About 20 years back I built a 6X47 on a mini Sako mannlicher. The rifle shot well with a Douglas XX air gauged barrel but wasn't quite enough capacity to drive the bullets above 75 grains or so. Shot an enormous Doe one Thanksgiving morning down the mountain, and spent the day dragging her back up. The bullet was the old Nosler 85 yes 85 grain Partition. The wound channel was as though a 25 cent piece was driven through her lungs, and no collateral damage. Interestingly she only went about 35 yards post trauma. The 6 PPC is far superior and about the same case capacity, the 243 is better yet, and the 6 Rem still superior, and if you have the powder money shoot a 6/284! But better yet is the .308!

The 6x47 was a geat Bench
rest round until the 6ppc made it obsolete. Give it a 1 in 10" twist and you can use heavier than BR bullets. I personally wouldn't bother with a 6x45.

With the avilability of 75, 80, and 90 grain match bullets in .224" diameter, there is no longer a point to the 6mm/223 or 6mm/222 Mag.

quote:

Originally posted by HP Shooter:
With the avilability of 75, 80, and 90 grain match bullets in .224" diameter, there is no longer a point to the 6mm/223 or 6mm/222 Mag.

Hi, HP - For match shooting, or just plain easy consistent accuracy, I believe you are right. For fox to deer sized animal hunting, though, I think there are better performing 6 /m bullets of 80-to-90 grains weight commonly available.

That's why I still shoot a 6m/m TCU for such game.

But, I will add this....I don't think I have ever seen a crankier round for benchrest accuracy than either the 6x45 or 6x47 hybrids. That's why the 6 PPC bcame so almost instantly popular. One KNOWS it would shoot decently at the match tomorrow. One only HOPED his 6-Hybrid would.

G'day Nimrod308,
I have a 6*45 built on a ZKK601, 1:10 twist barrel. I use it mainly on smaller properties. I load the 75gn Sierra #1510HP for 2950fps. Shoots 1/2 moa (thrown loads)

It is a low recoil / low report cartridge, ex mil brass is plentiful, dies are readily available, it's a breeze to load for and by all reports it's easy on barrels.

Magazine length was a concern when I was considering the 6*47.

A few fellas who post in small caliber and wildcats have them and were very helpful when I was building mine.

I have a 6x47 in both a 84B Kimber 1/9 twist and a 700 with a 1/13 twist Hart barrel.

For a hunting bullet, the Sierra 80 gr. SSP bullet is excellent.

I can get 3200 fps out of 70 gr. BT with 25.0 gr. of RL-7. This is a max load in my M-700, but it consistantly shoots under 1/2 MOA. I also get good results with H322

quote:

Originally posted by Nimrod308:
Anybody here shoot a 6 x45 (6mm/223) or a 6 x 47 (6mm/222mag.)? I am thinking about building one and wonder what you guys think about these.
Don't see much difference in the two altho Kimber did chamber some rifles in 6x45. I think I would like a trim lightweight bolt gun with about a 20" bbl. What do you think?
Thanks-Nimrod308

I shoot a rebored Savage 24V in 6x45mm/20 gauge, nice light-recoiling rig legal for antelope and deer, also good for sage grouse and sneakable ducks. Glad I got it done before Richard Nickel went to his reward, not many people do that sort of work.

quote:

Originally posted by Alberta Canuck:

quote:

Originally posted by HP Shooter:
With the avilability of 75, 80, and 90 grain match bullets in .224" diameter, there is no longer a point to the 6mm/223 or 6mm/222 Mag.

Hi, HP - For match shooting, or just plain easy consistent accuracy, I believe you are right. For fox to deer sized animal hunting, though, I think there are better performing 6 /m bullets of 80-to-90 grains weight commonly available.

That's why I still shoot a 6m/m TCU for such game.

But, I will add this....I don't think I have ever seen a crankier round for benchrest accuracy than either the 6x45 or 6x47 hybrids. That's why the 6 PPC bcame so almost instantly popular. One KNOWS it would shoot decently at the match tomorrow. One only HOPED his 6-Hybrid would.

I would agree to a point, but this year has seen the additon of two premium hunting bulletsin .224": Swift Scirocco 75 and Barnes TSX 70. Along with the Nosler Partition 60, that should be able to handily kill any small to medium sized deer where such caliber is legal.

I guess I also answered my own question, the 6/223 would work where the 223 is illegal.

I've got a 6*47. Had it made up about a year ago, using a Rem 700 ADL as the basis. Converted to BDL, and used a HS stock, Maddco #5 fluted barrel (26"), and a Canjar set trigger. The action got the full accurising works, including a sleeved bolt...which was probably a case of going a bit far on what is a hunting rifle. Probably the biggest hassle was converting the magazine from a 223 length to handle the 6mm at around 2.55 inches.

Accuracy has generally been pretty good, though it really is excellent with stuff it likes. I've settled on the 70 gr Blitzking (at 3150 fps) for my rabbit shooting. The 87 gr Vmax launches at 2830 fps and it extremely accurate.

It gets out a long way, and does so with very little fuss.

What kind of velocity do you get with the 55 grain bullets?

Nearly 30 years ago now, I had a shooting buddy who owned a 6x45. There were some 6x47s around, too. Both of them were, in that day and age, competitive in the benchrest circuit and extremely small groups with the right bullets were commonplace.

Times change, however. Both of the cartridges have been eclipsed by the 6mm PPC and a couple of other cartridges. They remain good cartridges, however, especially if care is taken to match the twist to the intended bullet.

The 6mm bullet has remained the benchrester's favorite, not because of better bullets, but because of the better long-range performance of the 6mm bullet. There are plenty of good 22 caliber bullets, and when made by BR makers, they are fully competitive--out to the 100 yard line. However, the better wind bucking ability of the 6mm bullets makes them clear winners at 200 yards. Typically, the groups shot at 200 yards with one of the 6mms will be smaller than the groups with one of the .22s (e.g., 6mmPPC vs .22PPC) in the same cartridge.

If you want a 6x45, have one chambered and shoot it. My buddy was quite happy with his.

I built a 6 X 45 on a mini mauser and 20" barrel just to get around the law in Minnesota that required a bullet over 23 caliber for deer hunting.

Darn thing works nicely and is so light I almost think I'm carrying a handgun.

I errored with a 1-14 twist and in retrospect it should have a 1-10 barrel. I shoot the 70 grain Hornady SX and it kills deer just fine.....yes...the SX

It also works fine on prairie dogs with lighter bullets.