This project started a little over a year ago when I found three Charles Daly mini Mauser actions in the white. I'm stuck up on the slope for another week and a half but my wife said the rifle arrived this morning. She sent a few pics from her phone. MPI did the stock and the cerrakote. Pacnor did the barrel. I am psyched to get home and try it out. It will get topped with a Leupold M8 7.5x when I get home.

What kind of beasties do you intend to find on the muzzle end of this little jewel? It would do quite nicely for our little whitetails in the Texas Hill Country.

I have a MMX very similarly configured and chambered in .221 Fireball. It's a favorite of mine. However, I was never able to get the creep out of the factory trigger and ended up replacing it with one salvaged from a Sako action.

I built it primarily as a fur hunting rifle. I do quite a bit of calling and wanted minimal fur damage and yet enough power for the occasional wolf.

My thought was to use the mid weight 6mm bullets at the lower velocities offered by the 6mmx222. They should expand a little without the explosive effect they would have at 243/6mm Rem velocities. I don't mind a small exit wound.

Fox and Lynx are my primary targets and both can be a bit delicate when it comes to fur damage. Since my shots tend to be under 200 yards, I don't really need a hot rod with a stretched string trajectory. I've always thought the 6mmx222 might be just the ticket for this application.

I found three of the Charles Daly mini Mausers last year. I had one of them barreled to 17 Remington at the same time I did this one. I have a wood stock for it and will work on it this winter. The other action is still awaiting my decision on what chambering to chose. The 221 FB is the forerunner right now. I'm thinking a 21 inch barrel and a slim little French walnut mannlicher stock.

Nice rifle!

The hornady 70gr softpoint works well on roe (about 45lb weight) in my 6ppc which has only a tiny bit more capacity and which I don't load hot anyhow. Expansion is OK out to 200yards. The SPSX version might expand a little better but wolves can be quite big?

Thanks. I have a large selection of bullets to test. After I sent the rifle off to be barreled I started watching for 6mm bullets for sale. Probably got carried away but it will be fun testing them all.

I am going to the lower 48 in December and hooking up with my old calling and trapping buddy. Hopefully I get some good coyote shooting to really test my new rifle out.

When I get home from the slope Friday I will load up some test loads and do the barrel break in. Hope to get out a few days over the next three weeks to call some Alaska fur.

I have a lot of the Speer 80 grain spitzers. I think that will be the first bullet I test on fur. My hope is the moderate velocity of the 6mmx222 will make this bullet act more like a big game bullet, less explosive and more penetration. If it doesn't pan out I've got lots more to try.

Made it to the range Monday for the excruciating process of breaking in the barrel. Never fun. I did shoot a few groups with one bullet and powder after I finished the break in.

It shot this group, right at 5/8"x5/8" with 22 grains of AA2495 and an 80 grain Speer spitzer. The little rifle is showing promise. With it's skinny little 24 inch barrel and weighing in at 6 pounds I am pleased with this for starters.

I didn't have the chronograph set up so haven't got a velocity yet. And where's the recoil? The last two wildcats I worked with, the 375 and 400 Whelen seemed a little more enthusiastic when they went off.

That's a great start. Judging from the one-inch grids on the paper, I'd guess that group to go no more than .75" -- and nicely centered right above the point of aim!

I've had a couple of range sessions with the little rifle and it's been educational. My original loads were focused on AA 2495, H4895 and BL-C2. I also tried some H322 and 3031. My load data came from the Hodgdon Manual and Quick Loads. So far none of the loads have generated the velocities predicted. My first loads with BL-C2, H4895 and AA 2495 according to Hodgdon and Quick Loads should have generated 2600-2700 fps. They all ran around 300+ fps slow. Based on my initial loads there really is no way to get enough of either AA2495 or H4895 in a 6x222 case to reach the predicted velocities.

I did manage to get 2608 fps with BL-C2, but at 25 grains instead of the 22-22.5 grains I expected. It turned in outstanding accuracy with the 25 grain load. I reread Fadala's article on the 6mmx222 and don't know how he got 27 grains of BL-C2 and an 80 grain bullet in that case.

I'll give this load a field trial on some coyotes in December when I'm down in Eastern Washington. In January I'll try for some fox and lynx up here. I'm on the slope right now. Doggone jobs get in the way of a lot of fun.

In my 6mmx223 H335 has given the most velocity. I use the 80 grn rem bullet exclusively. It's a deer killing little rig. The rem bullets have never blown up, but will break a shoulder and get into the vitals at 2900+ fps.

I have a fair number of the Remingtons but haven't tried them yet. I haven't seen any H335 around these parts in a very long time. I will be trying it if I ever find any.

When I had one, my 6x45 (6x.223) loved max loads of H322 and IMR-4895 under Sierra 85-grain BTHPs. This was in a bolt action match rifle, and both loads would keep 10 shots under one-MOA in my rifle if I did my part.

Not exactly the same round, but my 6 X 45 AR shoots 25 grains of Ramshot TAC and the 80-grain Remington PSP into half moa at 100 yards. And fwiw, the 55-grain Nosler SHOT bullet in front of 24 grains of TAC is right at half moa at 100 as well.

Mart, you might like TAC. So far everything I have loaded TAC in for the 6 X 45 has been less than MOA, and I have to believe that bolt action rifle would be more accurate than the gas gun...

i apologize for not replying sooner but we were visiting my dad and he doesn't have internet and cell phone reception was sketchy at best so my iPhone was not much use.

After the first of the year I'll be doing some more load development. I have some TAC and will try that. I have 200 rounds of brand new Sako 222 brass and will start doing some serious load work, checking for head expansion with a blade micrometer and getting an idea where this round is going to perform best.

I'll give it a little work out in a couple weeks on some coyotes when I visit my mom in eastern Washington.

Mart

I've had great success with Hornady's 70 grain SX on woods deer in my 6x45 if that helps any.

Thanks for the suggestion. I haven't come across and of the 70 grain SX bullets but will keep an eye out for them. I doubt this rifle will see much use for deer, although I'm warming up to the idea of a trip to South East for some blacktail hunting with it.

The primary function of this rifle will be that of a fur calling/stalking rifle. I wanted a rifle that was left handed, light, accurate and enough whomp to to take an occasional wolf. And not so fast as to turn fox and lynx inside out. The big 6's can be a bit harsh on fox and lynx, and coyotes as well.

Mart

I have used the 6x45 for many years. Its hard to save fur with any of these calibers sometimes. I have ripped a Bobcat lengthwise with milsurp solids up close on occasion..Load down with solids and even a fox will run off..I don't have the answer unless one is willing to use a 22 L.R. hollow point, or shotgun up close. I used to call a lot and I had a 12 ga,a 222, and a 22 scoped mod. 63 Win, at my side and used whatever the situation called for. At that time Lynx brought $600 each, coyotes $150, Bobcats $175 unless you slipped them in with the Lynx pile so it was serious hunting..

For deer and antelope I long ago found the GS Custom 75 gr. HP the best bullet, by far, in m 6x45 and the 60 gr. Hornady HP or SP an awesome killer in my 222, 223 and the 22-250.....It will reach the off side skin every time fully expanded or exit and leave a nickel to quarter size hole. My grandson shot a nice buck at 225 yards with the .222 and that load, buck ran 25 yards and died just as I was about to pull the trigger on my 06. Recovered that bullet perfectly expanded under the offside skin.

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I have used the 6x45 for many years. Its hard to save fur with any of these calibers sometimes. I have ripped a Bobcat lengthwise with milsurp solids

Where does one find Milsurp solids for a 6mm? Have you found a supply of Lee-Navy bullets?

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
At that time Lynx brought $600 each, coyotes $150, Bobcats $175 unless you slipped them in with the Lynx pile so it was serious hunting..

You seriously expect us to believe a fur buyer, a man who makes his living grading and buying fur is going to miss a bobcat in a pile of lynx? Really?

FYI. The nicely colored heavy western bobcats have always sold higher than Canadian Lynx.