It was a simply a giant miscarriage of timing is how I got "caught"!
I mean I know when the VarmintWife gets home from work and I know better than to bring home a Rifle that is not in a gun case while shes at home!
She simply got off work early and I got caught "red-faced" and "red-handed"!
I mean this beautiful little Remington 700 BDL in caliber 6mm Remington had just been placed on the rack of one of my favortite little gunshop/pawnshops here in SW Montana and the price for such a pristine little Rifle was more than fair!
I at first easily resisted its charms and moved on to a couple other new items in the used gun section! One other charmer was a mint Kimber 45 that was 350 bucks less than what the pistol sold for new - at this same store earlier this year!
The other interesting item was a Browning Citori 12 gauge over/under that looked new and unfired - the owner was asking $650.00 for this nifty "Grouse getter".
I kept going back to the pristine little BDL and marvelling at how minty it was!
Then I got to thinking (trying to remember!) just when the Remington folks quit making the BDL model in 6mm Remington caliber. I could not remember the year but new it was MANY years back.
I approached the proprietor with a cash offer and he mentioned his bottom line and that really got me to thinking.
I decided to go home and think it over a while. After all it was 3+ hours til the VarmintWife would be home!
He-he!
I got out some research material and found out the 6mm Remington had been discontinued in the BDL Model of the 700 line in 1994!
This Rifle was at least 12 years old and it had no blue wear anywhere including the muzzle and the bolt face!
Both were as black as the day it was made!
Mulling these things over I double checked the Blue Book value and grabbed my Siebert Bore Inspection Tool and headed back to town and my favorite little shop!
I had to drive by the shop three times before a vehicle was seen parked in front of the shop (assuring me I would not be alone in the shop while I partook of "final inspection" of the nifty little Remington).
It took me just 50 seconds to verify the barrel, chamber, leades of the rifling and the muzzle crowning were perfect (thanks to the Siebert Tool!).
I approached the proprietor (my friend!) with a counter cash offer and asked for a box of factory ammo to boot!
He bit.
I gulped and gave up the LAST of my mad money!
I stayed around a bit and BS'ed with the customers and then decided to "get home" before the VarmintWife was due to arrive at Casa Rancho Deluxe Varminto!
Well I was startled to see the VarmintWife in the garage as I tooled up in the VarmintMobile.
She walks over to greet me and call off the jumping up and down VarmintDog, who was excited to see both of us.
She saw the Rifle, and, no Rifle case!
She knew!
Whats that she asked - pointedly!
My lame reply was - Honey, this 6mm just followed me home (like it was a stray dog or cat or something).
I was happy to see her smile finally and she went in the house.
I followed along red-faced and quiet carrying the Remington and the shells!
Can anyone BELIEVE the prices on factory ammo anymore?
I nearly puked when I saw the price tag on the ammo that was thrown in on the "deal" - it was marked $20.75!
All factory ammo is just "over-priced" anymore!
I am glad I am a handloader.
I do have quite a bit of 6mm Remington brass on hand as I have a couple other 6mm's.
Still, as I went through a thorough cleaning of the little BDL, I was impressed with what a clean Rifle it was - I even put it on my scales and thats when I began to realize that for sure this "sporter" was as "light" as I had imagined.
I got my measuring tape out and found that part of the reason it was so "light" was that it had a 22" barrel and not the 24" barrel that is the norm on Remington BDL's nowadays.
Anyway I have a nifty new Rifle and another rig to develop loads for this winter.
I had planned on Coyote HUnting today but the offficial town temperature was 10 degrees BELOW zero at 0600 hours this morning and I decided to forego the frustration of trying to blow through solidly frozen Coyote calls (my Johnny Stewart electronic is on the fritz) and I rolled over and decided to do town chores and house work today!
I am glad I did or I might have missed out on this super clean little 6mm.
I wonder why the folks at Big Green offer the 243 Winchester in the BDL line these days but the ONLY Model Rifle they make in 6mm Remington is the 700 VLS.
I have always liked the 6mm Remington cartridge not just for Varminting but for Medium Sized game as well.
Now I need another scope!
I know one thing I will make sure the scope "gets home" before the VarmintWife does!
Long live the 6mm Remington.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

its kinda funny I am in the same situation, once a rifle makes it into the safe, "its safe" The other day I had the safe open and the wife said man there are a lot of guns in there, I thought oh shit I hope like hell she is not counting!!!

the 6mm is a wonderful cartridge, that often gets dissed by the 243 wanna bees, the 6mm has a much longer neck which makes it ideal for bullets 100 grains or more. the 6mm can give you flat shooting and a serious long range threat, stock up some 105 amaxs at around 3 grand or so and you have a long range coyote wacker deluxe, or back off to the 87 grn vmaxs and have flatter shooting with a little less range, with the 6mm take your pick of poison, but you will find yourself with less tradeoffs than other calibers.

Last spring I was up in idaho falls at a small shop, the guys name is max, VG I think this is prolly one of your haunts, he had a nifty 6mm varmint remington 700 in a bdl stock. looking back at the time I didn't realize the 6mm's full potential or else it may very well have followed me home too.

Well, the way I am getting around all of this... is getting into rebarreling some rifles that I have that are showing some signs of high barrel wear.....

so the wife thinks I am repairing something instead of buying something new... which seems to make her less complainsy about it...

As far as the 6mm Rem... It is a great cartridge, especially when it is in a long action, which the manufacturers never did...

I love each one of mine....

I am sure the reason it is always available in the VLS is varmint hunters know a good thing, so the sales are still there...

I personally think the 6mm Rem is a more balanced cartridge over the 243... and is therefore my favorite 6mm cartridge...

However, don't let that make one think that I don't love the 243 Winchester! I could never be without either...

told ya so you're starting to catch up
I havent bought a new one in over 2 weeks. merry christmas

I long ago discovered that it is better to get rid of a non-understanding wife than try to make up new stories all the time, expensive but easier!

Cummins cowboy: Thanks for the tips on the 6mm I am saving them as hard copy for my loading log!
Yes I have to decide which "niche" this nifty little Rifle is gonna "try to fill" (which bullet to use in it)!
I have a 6mm Ackley Improved custom Varminter now and have used that for long range Coyotes and Rock Chucks (and a little Antelope & Deer Hunting as well).
And I have that Ruger #1-B in 6mm Remington with the amazing wood - that I use from time to time!
I think mainly that "good deal-itis" got hold of me on this one. And I let "nature" take its course!
Yes once into the safe they are "safe" - so to speak! He-he.
Okay now "Max" hmmm.... I vist three shops in Idaho Falls - one is a combination Gunsmith who has maybe 20 guns on his walls for sale. Then there is Ski's Gun Shop which has a wonderful supply of new and used guns as well as brass and loading supplies. I have bought several Rifles from "Ski". Then there is a combination Gunshop and coin store down near the river and I forget that shops name. I have bought two Varminters from these guys. They have a few used Rifles but LOTS of new Rifles and a fair amount of loading gear in there.
I of course always stop at the Sportsmens Warehouse when in Idaho Falls.
Idaho Falls is 145 miles from me but its a lovely drive with Coyotes, Deer, Moose, Antelope, Badgers and Elk often seen!
Unfortunately I have seen (over the last 9 years) two dead Moose on Monida Pass (border of Montana and Idaho) as the truckers don't lift the go pedal for anything anymore!
It gives me some satisfaction to see the broken truck parts and anti-freeze on the road at site of these Moose/semi mishaps.

Seafire/B17G: I once owned a Remington 40XB Rangemaster in caliber 6mm Remington! That Rifle proved the inherent accuracy of that cartridge to the fullest! If I remember correctly it was the first Rifle with which I broke the 1/5th inch groups size with (under .200" for 5 shots at 100 yards!). IIRC that Rifle had a Unertl 15X Ultra-Varmint scope on it.
Boy, I wish I had that one BACK!
That Rifle eventually got replaced with a Remington 40XB Rangemaster in 243 Winchester and yes you are right I would not be without some 243's - to be sure.
I am sure you are right as well, about the shooters knowing and wanting (buying) the VLS in 6mm Remington.
One of my fondest memories of my early Hunting career was Hunting up in the Okanogan Country of Washington State for Mule Deer. Back then (1963 or so) one of my Hunting mentors went to a heavy barrel Remington Varminter in 6mm Remington! He would carry this heavy Rifle around with him and suffer the slings and arrows of the other nimrods as they made fun of his Rifle and the "lack of killing power" the 6mm Remington was suspected of!
He killed MANY huge bodied Mule Deer with it and usually with one shot! This was done mind you back when Washington State still had the good sense to have a bounty on Cougars - and thus kept them in check and there was the resultant high population of Mulies back then!
Those days are gone!

Butchbloc: I am THROUGH impulse buying Rifles!
I swear it this time!
"My name is VarmintGuy, and I am a Gunaholic"!

Don Fischer: Well I hope things are well and good down there in Antelope, Oregon! I am on my second go round (30 years so far this time though!) and things worked out for the best regarding nuptials, there for me.
I got a call one evening a couple years ago from a firm I do executive protection for. They needed a team to protect an exec in Bend, Oregon - now! I was in Dillon , Montana and I grabbed my vest, my Glock and my binoculars and headed for Bend, Oregon! I drank coffee and drove all night on no sleep! 700+ miles is a long drive on no sleep!
At sunrise the next morning I was passing Antelope, Oregon and wouldn't you know it - there was a herd of Antelope frolicking in the sage near there! I had been in that area many times 40 years ago and had never seen Antelope back then!
Love your neck of the woods by the way! Spent many a summer down Madras, Redmond, Bend way working in the fields along side the Mexican migrants! I had not been by Antelope itself though in 40 years and it had not changed as much as Bend and Redmond had!
Bend was just amazingly huge and different!
I spent three weeks there in Bend that September and it was just absolutely beautiful there! My team had the 0600 to 1800 shift and sunrises and sunsets were every bit as stunning as they are here in Montana! I hated to see that assignment end!
Live well and prosper there in Antelope!
Are all the Raj-neesh's gone?

I have to find out which year this Remington 700 was manufactured - anyone know where the serial number/date of manufacture site is?
Serial number C62269XX.

Long live the 6mm Remington.

Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Boy that was quick!
I got an E-mail with the answer to where the Remington "barrel code" dates of manufacture is located. Serial number not needed just the barrel symbol codes.
My Rifle was made in March of 1991!

The site is located at:

http://www.remingtonsociety.com/rsa/questions/barrelcodes

Thanks again shy lurker!

Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

ya ya ya I've heard that before, maybe even said it a time or two - you realize of course that you have to keep an eye on the going ons in the gunrack when you're gone. Sometimes you put a nice little 6mm next to a beautiful 223 and next time you look - out popped a 204. They do breed you know

I heard a fellow this week say "It's easier to beg for forgivness than ask for permission!" While buying a gun at the local haunt LOL

Varmintguy
It's your fault that 700 vs in 17 rem came home with me
You had to put it on here that one was up for auction
been looking for one and won the auction
Thanks Lightning93

Lightning93: CONGRATULATIONS! I hope you will be as happy with yours as I am with mine!
Be sure to let us know how it shoots and if you need load suggestions for that long barrel I have some.
This is the kind of situation I ENJOY being blamed for!
I honestly can not fathom WHY the usually "on top of things" folks at Remington do not offer the full size 700 Varmint Rifles in 17 Remington. The 700 LVSF in 17 Remington and even the Model 7 in 17 Remington had pretty good sales?
Oh well.
Again I am thrilled that I helped get you (someone here on the AR!) onto this Rifle. If I had any mad money to speak of I would have signed up and bid on that one myself!
Enjoy!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Varmintguy
I was thinking to go with 20gr bullets? and h4895 powder what do you think would be good to start with?
I will be using it for woodchucks at 200yards+ or crows
not to much of the coyotes to hunt a lot of woods and hills here.
Thanks Gary

Lightning93: I am "envisioning" a cloud of black feathers as I write this!
I have four 17 caliber centerfire Rifles these days and I have "settled" on the 25 gr. Bergers for use in all of them. Its accurate and very lethal on all manner of Varmints - those with feathers and those without, as well.
I say go for the 20's! They will be "speeding" along out there at 200 yards+ just waiting to "de-feather" those Crows!
I do have lots of Coyotes around here and I will stick with the 25 grainers til things change - Bergers become hard to get etc.
I use H4895 in three of my 17 caliber centerfires and IMR 4320 in the other.
H4895 would certainly be one of the powders I would recommend to you!
Good luck and enjoy the many fine attributes of the 17 centerfires.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy
Thanks for your help
I will sure try some for the 25gr Bergers too along with IMR 4320 .
Thanks Lightning93

Glad I don't have the wife to nag at me. I just have my need to pay bills and have some money for vegetables. Right now I'm looking at a couple of rifles and can't make up my mind.
.264 WinMag in old Mod 70 w/Douglas Prem bbl
.260 Rem in Ruger 77 SS
.257 Roberts in newer Mod 70

Now to make a choice. I want all of them but won't get a good pay raise till I get through academy. Only 8 months to go.