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6mm-.223

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27 April 2006, 05:25
dougw1969
6mm-.223
I just purchased a CZ 527 that has been barrelled for this cartridge. I was wondering if any of you guys have any experience with it. It has a light sporter weight barrel, looks like a 24" Douglas #2, and should make a nice carrying rifle. I'm figuring on using it for called coyotes and maybe some windy day woodchuck shooting, but was curious as to whether or not it could loaded so that it could be reliable for small deer? Not a primary deer rifle, but maybe one for doe culling?


We didn't inherit the land from our fathers, we're borrowing it from our children.
27 April 2006, 06:36
perry
Awesome culling caliber. I shoot the 75gr Amax with excellent accuracy and speed. Re22 is the prefered powder. Start at 46.0 and work your way up. For the lighter bullets IMR 4350 is good. Barnes' 70gr TSX is also a good choice. The accuracy is under 1/2 inch and the bullet preforms exactly like they say. Sciroccos have been pretty disappointing, not accurate at all. Sierra 69gr BTHP dont exit coyotes and make rabbits blow into 4-5 pieces scattered 10-20 feet apart. I always head and neck shoot but lots of guys use the gun as a heart/lung with good results on deer and hogs. You should be able to reach 3500fps pretty easy and run up to 3700 without too much pressure. Enjoy, you have a great caliber.

Perry
27 April 2006, 06:40
Alberta Canuck
A very similar cartridge, also based on the .223 case, is the 6 m/m TCU. You can probably find loading data for that on line, and starting loads for it could be used as starting loads for your rifle, I'd think.

T/C made a number of Super-14 barrels for the Contender in 6 TCU. With the heavier Nosler 6m/m partitions, it is quite capable of killing smallish seer reliably up to about 200 yards or so. Shots shoild be carefully selected as to angle and distance. It's not that the artridge won't kill bigger deer or from many angles and slightly longer distances, but quick, humane kills should be the goal......


My country gal's just a moonshiner's daughter, but I love her still.

27 April 2006, 08:54
Nortman
Do a search for 6x45. Its a 223 necked up to 6mm.

I have no experience with it personaly, but I have heard that the 6 TCU are more difficult to shoot.

Its a neat little caliber, was used to some degree in BR, wich speeks about its accuracy.
27 April 2006, 09:16
perry
doug,
is your rifle a 6mm necked DOWN to 223 or vise versa? The rifle I use is a 6mm necked DOWN to 223. If yours is necked up disregard my info. Sorry

Perry
27 April 2006, 16:32
HL
Ive been shooting a 6mm-223 since 1986. The best powders I found for most any bullet are IMR 4198, H335, H322 and AA2230.

335 and 2230 gave the highest velocities where 4198 showed the best accuracy. This is with a 14" bull barrel.

Accuracy did not drop off much going from 4198 to H335.

I was able to attain over 2800fps with 80gr. Speer Spitzers with consistent 1/2-3/4" groups.

Of all my cartridges, this is still my all time favorite.

Goos shooting,

HL
27 April 2006, 16:45
dougw1969
Perry, mine is a .223 necked up to 6mm. Thanks guys for the responses. Load data has not been terribly difficult to find. Sierra has data in their manual as does Hodgdon. It looks like I should be able to push 70 grain bullets at around 3000 fps for coyote and woodchucks and 85-90 grain bullets around 2700 fps for culling. Any of you guys have any experience with any of the 85-90 grainers on deer?


We didn't inherit the land from our fathers, we're borrowing it from our children.
27 April 2006, 21:02
6.5BR
That 85 BTHP has a great reputation on deer and I have seen it in a 243 PERFORM. That would expand well at 6/223 speeds and still penetrate, the 90 Btip would do well, but I might prefer the 85's.

I am pretty sure my 6TCU in 21" 12 twist clocked about 3000. This is the same as a 243 load shot an 80 gr in my short barreled 600 mohawk.

It will work....those 85's can do more than 2700 with good loads, 70's should do 3100-3200.
27 April 2006, 22:54
HL
Using H335, you can safely push the 85gr. Sierra BTHP's a little over 2800fps.

I chorongraphed my loads out of a 14" barrel at 2815fps average, using that load.

The 80 speer spitzers have worked well for me on deer out to 225 yards. All one shot kills. Only one ran about 40 yards before dropping. All were placed just behing the shoulder.

This cartridge is so accurate out of my pistol, that I have taken most of my deer with head shots out to 135 yards.

The 60gr Sierra HP's are total destruction on varmints. I never chrono'ed those, but imagine that they are over 3000fps.

Good shooting,

HL
29 April 2006, 07:17
dougw1969
You guys have me really looking forward to shooting the thing now. Hopefully my work load will slow up a bit so I can get some range time in. It will be interesting to see what kind of velocities I can turn up. HL, did I read you right that you are getting over 2800 fps with a 14" barrel...should be interesting to see what I can do with 24".


We didn't inherit the land from our fathers, we're borrowing it from our children.
01 May 2006, 07:10
jb747
I'm shooting a 6*47, which is a 6mm based on the (marginally larger) 222 Rem Mag case. I'm pushing a 70 gr Sierra at about 3150 fps from a 26" barrel. Rifle has managed numerous rabbit/fox hits out to 400 yards, and delivers quite substantial energy when it gets there.

Try loading yours with H4895, BLC2 or Benchmark.
02 May 2006, 04:25
vapodog
here's some load data from 24" barrels for the 6 X 45

60 Sierra HP Hodgdon H-4895 24.7 2,800
60 Sierra HP Hodgdon H-4895 25.5 2,900
60 Sierra HP Hodgdon H-4895 26.4 3,000
60 Sierra HP Hodgdon H-4895 27.2 3,100
60 Sierra HP Hodgdon H-4895 28.1 3,200
Remarks: maximum load

70 Sierra MatchKing HPBT Hodgdon H-335 24.1 2,700
70 Sierra MatchKing HPBT Hodgdon H-335 25.0 2,800
70 Sierra MatchKing HPBT Hodgdon H-335 25.9 2,900
70 Sierra MatchKing HPBT Hodgdon H-335 26.8 3,000
70 Sierra MatchKing HPBT Hodgdon H-335 27.7 3,100
Remarks: maximum load

80 Sierra Spitzer or Spitzer BT Blitz Hodgdon H-335 22.6 2,500
80 Sierra Spitzer or Spitzer BT Blitz Hodgdon H-335 23.5 2,600
80 Sierra Spitzer or Spitzer BT Blitz Hodgdon H-335 24.4 2,700
80 Sierra Spitzer or Spitzer BT Blitz Hodgdon H-335 25.3 2,800
80 Sierra Spitzer or Spitzer BT Blitz Hodgdon H-335 26.2 2,900
Remarks: maximum load

85 Sierra HPBT or Spitzer Accurate Arms AAC-2495 BR 22.2 2,300
85 Sierra HPBT or Spitzer Accurate Arms AAC-2495 BR 22.8 2,400
85 Sierra HPBT or Spitzer Accurate Arms AAC-2495 BR 23.5 2,500
85 Sierra HPBT or Spitzer Accurate Arms AAC-2495 BR 24.1 2,600
85 Sierra HPBT or Spitzer Accurate Arms AAC-2495 BR 24.7 2,700
Remarks: maximum load

I've used mine for deer with 70 grain SX bullets....it sure kills them dead.


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15 May 2006, 16:42
HL
I need to make a correction to my last statement. I have attained 2800+fps with the Sierra 85 gr bullet, but it was not with H335, it was with AA 2230-S. My memory just ain't what it used to be. Sorry.

HL
16 May 2006, 16:19
Telly
Is anyone shooting 100 gr bullets in this caliber and what are those velocities?

Regards,
Telly
20 May 2006, 07:46
vapodog
quote:
Originally posted by Telly:
Is anyone shooting 100 gr bullets in this caliber and what are those velocities?

Regards,
Telly

The heavies bullets that I can find data for is 85 grains and 2,700'/sec is about the tops with that bullet. Both H-335 and Win 748 handle this task well.


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"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery."
Winston Churchill
20 May 2006, 09:03
TomP
quote:
Originally posted by vapodog:

The heavies bullets that I can find data for is 85 grains and 2,700'/sec is about the tops with that bullet. Both H-335 and Win 748 handle this task well.


The 85 grain bullets ought to be sufficient, eh? It's a 200-yard gun.


TomP

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