6mm/223 AI

04 November 2003, 11:25

John Bartels

6mm/223 AI

I'm currently tossing around a couple of options for a new rifle. Basic plan is for a 'small' 6mm, and I'm about 50% decided upon the 6*47. I've even had a leftover Ruger barrel chambered to it, and have been shooting that on my Sako 461. Performance is quite reasonable, even though the barrel is only 19 inches long.

But, I've still got a couple of doubts about the long term supply of brass, and for that reason am still wondering whether I shouldn't go for the 6*45 ('cos it's 223 based instead of 222 Rem Mag). I'm probably being a bit slow, but it eventually occurred to me that I could probably get an interesting result by running a 223 AI reamer into the chamber, and then a 6mm for the neck, which would give me a 6mm/223AI (which I guess is a 6*45 AI). As best I can tell, this would give me at least the same capacity as the 6*47, but with the plus that the brass would be much easier to obtain.

Anyway, as there seems to be little that is new under the sun, I guess plenty out there will have done something like this already, so I'm wondering what sort of results you ended up with...

04 November 2003, 13:07

Johnly

quote:
Originally posted by John Bartels:
I'm currently tossing around a couple of options for a new rifle. Basic plan is for a 'small' 6mm, and I'm about 50% decided upon the 6*47. I've even had a leftover Ruger barrel chambered to it, and have been shooting that on my Sako 461. Performance is quite reasonable, even though the barrel is only 19 inches long.

But, I've still got a couple of doubts about the long term supply of brass, and for that reason am still wondering whether I shouldn't go for the 6*45 ('cos it's 223 based instead of 222 Rem Mag). I'm probably being a bit slow, but it eventually occurred to me that I could probably get an interesting result by running a 223 AI reamer into the chamber, and then a 6mm for the neck, which would give me a 6mm/223AI (which I guess is a 6*45 AI). As best I can tell, this would give me at least the same capacity as the 6*47, but with the plus that the brass would be much easier to obtain.

Anyway, as there seems to be little that is new under the sun, I guess plenty out there will have done something like this already, so I'm wondering what sort of results you ended up with...

6mm 223 AI is the same as a 6mm TCU. I have a 14" and a 20" Contender barrel in 6TCU and the are both fine shooters. I also have an Oregon Kimber in 6x47 which is a fine round as well. I've never compared the case capacity of the two rounds, but it wouldn't suprise me if they were about the same or the AI slightly larger.