Planning to build a 6mm heavy barreled varmit rifle and would like it to shoot heavy for calibur bullets.
Have read some on the 6mm/250 and think it would be an interesting choice but I don't know enough about this round to decide.
Would appreciate info from anyone who is shooting, or has shot this wildcat. Also any info about loads, bullets, balistics, etc. I currently have a Rem long action from my old 270 I could use if possible.
Thanks, Chief.

I would strongly suggest you use a larger capacity case if your going to try and push heavy bullets a long way. The 250 case is alot smaller than the .243. If your going to use a long action the 6mm Rem improved , 6mm/284 or 6mm/06, you can always load it down.

375win

if it was we and l had the long action l would go with the 6mm Rem.with a 1 in 8 twist.
with 105 to 115 gr. bullets should give you good
groups to 1k.

a popular wildcat from around here, is the 6mm/ 250 improved. the guys shooting this cartridge are claiming .243 Win ballistics, with 87 gr bullets anyway. If you want to use 100/ 105/ 107 gr bullets, a longer throat will propably allow a longer OAL, and hence boost capacity enough to push these bullets at a usefull velocity.

quote:

Originally posted by 375win:
I would strongly suggest you use a larger capacity case if your going to try and push heavy bullets a long way. The 250 case is alot smaller than the .243.375win

375

The 250 case is more than sufficient to push the heavier bullets to any reasonable hunting distance. It is the basis for many excellant 1000 yard benchrest wildcats using the 105 to 115 grain bullets. The 6XC TUBB, 6x47 SWISS, and 6.5X47 LAPUA have all reached commercial status. Hell, the 6BR will push the 107 grain Sierra to 3000 fps and the 6PPC will shoot 95 grain bullets to 3000.

Ray

quote:

Originally posted by Cheechako:
The 250 case is more than sufficient to push the heavier bullets to any reasonable hunting distance. It is the basis for many excellant 1000 yard benchrest wildcats using the 105 to 115 grain bullets. The 6XC TUBB, 6x47 SWISS, and 6.5X47 LAPUA have all reached commercial status. Hell, the 6BR will push the 107 grain Sierra to 3000 fps and the 6PPC will shoot 95 grain bullets to 3000.

Ray

Yep, but the 6-06 and 6x284 will do it with a lot less pressure and brass will last forever.

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:Yep, but the 6-06 and 6x284 will do it with a lot less pressure and brass will last forever.

Yep, but the barrels won't last forever and the smaller cartridges will put all your shots into those tiny groups we all love to see.

Ray

Fjold

There is quite a difference between lobbing highly streamlined bullets at a fixed target at pricise distance than hitting a varmint at long range over an relatively unknown distance with a bullet with a rainbow trajectory. Plus you need to have enough energy to make the bullet perform once it gets there, a 1000 yrd target only needs enough energy and bullet performance to punch a hole in a piece of paper not kill humanely.

The question was about shooting varmints at long range. Even a PD will crawl off to die slowly with a 6mm hole penciled through him.

375win

Sorry Fjold there were so many quotes I got the writers mixed up.

375win

Some of the LR target shooters here are using the 6mm X or whatever Tubb calls his cartridge(s).

They run a 243 reamer in far enough to fireform 22-250 brass. Seem like a lot of trouble.

If the rifles a single shot the 6mm Br. might interest you. The twist used for the VLD's is 1-8 last I heard.

http://www.6mmbr.com/index.html

I use a 6mm Rem. International but thats a pain also with forming dies.

Just use the regular 243 case and rest easy.

6mm target cartridges

375 - I don't think anyone here was talking about shooting varmints at 1000 yards. My point was that the 6-250 is more than sufficient to shoot the heavy 6mm bullets to 1000 yards with better than average accuracy. At reasonable varmint shooting distances there is not that much difference in the trajectories of the 6-250 and the 243. I wouldn't exactly describe the 6-250 as having a rainbow trajectory. Velocity at 1000 yards is still super-sonic, as it has to be for accuracy, and I would think that's sufficient energy to dispatch a varmint.

Savage - The 6XC is no longer a cartridge that needs any special chambering techniques. Reamers are available, as are dies, and Norma is now making brass. Except for the fact that no manufacturer is building rifles (yet) it is closer to a commercial cartridge than it is a wildcat.

Two others that I mentioned, 6x47 SWISS and 6.5x47 LAPUA, are commercial cartridges and will eventually displace cartridges like the 243W for medium to long distance target and varmint work, IMHO.

A big factor in any varmint rifle should be barrel life. None of the big 6mms are known for longevity. Some, like the 6/284 mentioned, will be lucky to survive 800 rounds of fast varmint shooting. The 6-06 is just as bad and the 243 is a close 3rd.

Now, having said all that, I'm not here to tell the Chief what caliber he should choose for his new varmint rifle. I'm not trying to promote one over the other. He asked about the 6-250 and that is what I was responding to. Are there better cartridges? I suppose so but it's not for me to say what the Chief should choose. I had a 6-250 for several years and it shot better than I could. Would I build another one? Probably not but then I've never owned two rifles shooting the same cartridge in my long life. Tryin out different stuff is the fun part.

If I was asked to recommend something, which I wasn't, it would be a BR or PPC. My current varmint rifle is a 6PPC shooting a 60 grain MEF at 3550, or 70 grain BTs at 3385 fps. It's impossible to miss out to 300 yards and at 500 is still better than just about anything you can name.

Ray

Cheechako

I didn't intend to start a war here. I've been shooting a variaty of .243's since the late 60's and have found that once velocity falls below 2000 fps (400 yds) bullet performance of 100 gr hunting bullets becomes very eratic sometime they open sometimes not, most heavy for weight 6mm bullets are designed for taget work and their performance on game is even more suspect. Right now I'm shooting a 6x45mm with 55gr NBT's and 70 gr TNT's for called coyotes depending on terrain and and a .243 Win with 70 gr TNT's and 75 gr V-max for spot and shoot coyotes. Both are sporter weight bolt guns and shoot in the high .3's if I do my part and I consider the .243 at 400 yrd or slightly more the my limit on coyotes. I can see little advantage of shooting heavy for caliber slugs at any distance at varmint sized game unless your going to move them out alot faster than a .243 Win. will.

375win

Since you have a long action setup for a 270, you might as well go with the 6mm Rem or 6mm/06 and not have problems with feeding a too short cartridge from your magazine. If you were using a short action, then the 6/250 becomes a much more viable option.

As you have a long action, you shouldn't even consider this round.

We recently sold one, after about 1300 rounds. It was my wife's varmint rifle, and it was a very effective round. As an upgrade from a 22.250, I couldn't suggest better. But, it isn't a 243 or 6mm Rem.

I'm looking at rebarreling a 22.250, and it's very tempting...

Hey 375win, no war started and none intended. Guys talking about guns and shooting is what it's all about. If we can't disagree on this stuff we'd all be shooting a 30-06.

In that 6x45 try some of the Berger 60 grain MEF. They are as accurate as the Benchrest bullets and make a really nice sounding plop on PDs (and the occasional eagle or burrowing owl. )

Ray

The 6mm on the .250/3000 case was originally called the 6mm International. Remington chambered a number of Rem 40X's for it. It was also subjected to testing at the USAF Marksmanship School as a possible 300 meter Free Rifle cartridge for Olympic shooting.

I have used the 6mm Rem. Intl. in competition since 1961. I do make brass from the 250 Sav. but the shoulder is pushed way back by two form dies.

quote:

Originally posted by Savage99:
Some of the LR target shooters here are using the 6mm X or whatever Tubb calls his cartridge(s).

They run a 243 reamer in far enough to fireform 22-250 brass. Seem like a lot of trouble.

If the rifles a single shot the 6mm Br. might interest you. The twist used for the VLD's is 1-8 last I heard.

http://www.6mmbr.com/index.html

I use a 6mm Rem. International but thats a pain also with forming dies.

Just use the regular 243 case and rest easy.

6mm target cartridges

The 6mm X is simply a .243 reamer run in either 0.132" or 0.135" short. It fireforms easily and burns a good bit less powder than a .243 Win while achieving about 95% of the velocity. 2950 to 3000 fps is achievable with 100/107 grain bullets. Primer pockets on 22-250 cases are generally the limiting factor. Just cut off some off-the-shelf .243 Win dies and you are set to go.

The brass is rather more expensive and in short supply at the moment because it has just been introduced, but the 6.5x47 Lapua necked down to 6mm also shows a great deal of promise and standard dies are available for it.

There are other "short" 6mm cases such as the 6mm OMC which keeps the shoulder angle of the 22-250 case and blows the body out to the taper of the 08 case or the 6mm XC which is a 30 degree shoulder version of the 6 X. All of these require fireforming except for the 6x47 Lapua which has no change to the parent case other than the neck diameter.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick B:There are other "short" 6mm cases such as the 6mm OMC which keeps the shoulder angle of the 22-250 case and blows the body out to the taper of the 08 case or the 6mm XC which is a 30 degree shoulder version of the 6 X. All of these require fireforming except for the 6x47 Lapua which has no change to the parent case other than the neck diameter.

Rick

The 6XC does not require fire-forming. Factory brass is available from both David Tubb and Norma. And there is no need to neck down the 6.5 x 47 Lapua brass. Simply use the factory 6 x 47 Swiss match brass.

The 6x250 has been made obsolete in the last two years. I can't imagine why anyone would want to chamber a rifle in it, along with the case forming chores. As I said earlier, it's my opinion that the three new cartridges (6XC, 6x47, 6.5x47) will make the 243W obsolete for mid-range target and varmint shooting within the next couple of years.

Cheechako,

Thanks for the reminder about the Norma case that David has for sale. As yet it has not been in the hands of shooters long enough to say whether it solves the problems of the preceding generations of 6XC brass. The 6XC was still based on reformed 22-250 brass which many have continued to use as the brass problems have been worked on. At the stage I would still have to say 6XC brass is a question mark. I do hope that time will prove it out.

The 6x47 Lapua (6.5x47 Lapua necked down) is a different case from the 6x47 (RUAG) Swiss Match. The two are not interchangeable. Unfortunately, the 6x47 SM case is not generally available in the States.

A friend recently used my 6mm XC reamer run in short for a 6x47 Lapua chamber of sorts. It shoots well and has achieved velocities that the 6XC has attained without the problems so far. Reports from other shooters seem to confirm that the Lapua case avoids the problems that have accompanied the 6XC case.

The 6x250 (and 6.5x250 for that matter) has too much taper and has problems with higher pressure loads after a bit.

I certainly agree that there will be a "changing of the guard" in midrange 6mm cartridges in the next few years. Each of the three cases can do almost all of what the .243 Win can do and offer equal or, in most circumstances, better barrel life.

Unfortunately, the price of the Lapua and Norma cases will likely keep many people from trying them as soon as they might otherwise be inclined to do. Perhaps Olin/Winchester will get into the middle of this.

Cheers

Hey Rick

You know a lot more about this stuff than I thought. You must be a long range shooter. I shoot NBRSA long range. I had my own mid-size 6mm (240 Orphan) and many of my friends had their own. They are all ballistically similar and most are ballistically identical. We all agree that the days of making brass are over for us. I think the eventual winner bewteen the XC, LAPUA, and RUAG will come down to who is able to offer quality brass at a reasonable price, and make it AVAILABLE. I have a few of the RUAG cases from more than a year ago and they are good. But all we ever got as far as availibility goes were promises. Had they imported it to the US I don't think the 6.5 LAPUA would have found a market because almost all of the LAPUA is being necked down to 6mm, the caliber most shooters wanted. Once LAPUA gets a foothold, both RUAG and Tubbs are going to have a hard time catching up IMHO. It reminds me of the PPC/BR situation in the 1980s. If Remington had made high quality BR cases instead of the basic brass I doubt if anyone would be shooting the PPC today.

Ray

quote:

Originally posted by Cheechako:
It reminds me of the PPC/BR situation in the 1980s. If Remington had made high quality BR cases instead of the basic brass I doubt if anyone would be shooting the PPC today.

Ray

Since there is now Laupa/Norma brass for the 6BR you never see it in a BR match. The 6BR was alittle over case capacity to be a good Br round and brass was never an issue . I shot a 6Br Shortentalldog and the one that Hammond did won some. If it wasn't for Norma and the LVD bullets the 6br would of died as it had the right case capacity for those bullets.
I shoot a 6x250 off the 22-250 case use Gentner bullets it has a 1/14 twist barrel and it's great for varmits. My first HBR was a 6HLS and it did very well for me and I used Norma 22-250 case to form it.

Tom

I shot one of those short BRs back in the 1980s, mine was called simply the BR Short. I made my cases from the Remington Basic BR brass and it was not a fun job, as you know. Those short BRs shot better than any of the shooters could but when we realized that the PPC would shoot just as well without all the work it didn't take too long for the word to get around. Even at $1 or $2 a case it was preferable to making brass. Remington realized what a mistake they had made and started making BR brass but by then it was too late.

I find it interesting now that many point-blank Benchrest shooters are starting to take another look at some of those old cartridges, including the BR. The PPC will not be replaced for many more years but I think the sport needs some experimenting like in the old days. Everybody gets bored doing the same thing over and over, even if it's shooting little dots.

The BR made a run at 1000 yards but it just doesn't have the capacity to compete there. I thought that it would finally find a home when we started 600 yard Benchrest and then along comes the 6 x 47 in LAPUA brass!

Ray