I recently purchased a SAKO AI Hunter in 6mm PPC. With a 12X Leupold on top it is my idea of a perfect walking varminter for groundhogs and coyotes. Has anyone experience reloading for this model and caliber? What loads worked best for you? What level of accuracy might I expect? Thanks. rollinghills

rollinghills: I agree with you that this Sako would make a perfect walking varminter. I have that rifle in 17 and 222 and just never wanted to pay the price for the PPC version. So I've never loaded for that paerticular rifle. However, I do have extensive experience with that cartridge. I'm assuming that your rifle is as it came from Sako; that it has the PPC-USA chamber. First of all, you need to acquire some Sako USA brass. It will work better in that chamber than the Lapua .220 Russian brass. I shot that chamber and brass for awhile in IBS benchrest. The powder of choice for me and other shooters at the time was AA-2460. For optimum performance bullets in the 60 to 65 gr category should work best. If you can't get 2460 to shoot try Vihtavouri N-130. One of these combos should turn that rifle on.

knobmtn :

Thank you for the reply. The rifle does have the original SAKO PPC chamber and came with a supply of SAKO PPC USA brass. I have some 65 gr. VMAX on order. AA powders are not commonly stocked around here, but I will keep an eye out for 2460. I have some Benchmark to try in the meantime.

rolinghills

rollinghills:

2460 used to be a little hard to find here in Pa. too, but keep your eyes open,,,it usually worked. The 65 gr V-max is a good start. Don't forget the 60 gr sierra. I've seen guys shoot that bullet in competetion. Another powder that might be a little easier to find would be H4198 short cut. If you have access to a chronograph load that rifle to around 3250 fps. If it doesn't want to shoot there change powder. Most times PPC's give the lowest s.d. at that velocity in those bullet weights. And generally the best groups folow. That sounds like a great rifle. Keep me informed as to your progress.

Knobmtn

knobmtn :

Thanks again. I will post results of my range trials. I hope to get out next weekend, weather permitting.

rollinghills

I'll second the 65 gr. Vmax, but there are lots of powders that work well in the 6PPC. I burn a lot of H322, Benchmark, Tac, VV N133. In your location, the temperature stability of H322 and Benchmark might just be what the doctor ordered. HTH, Dutch.

Well the weather really was not cooperative, -6 C and windy, but I took out the 6PPC anyway. Four groups of three shots averaged 0.95 inches ctc at 100 yards using starting loads of Benchmark powder and Hornady 65 gr. VMAX bullets. Not great, but not bad given the conditions and my level of ability. Weather permitting, I will get some more shooting in next weekend using moderate loads of Benchmark. rollinghills

I think the 65gr bullets work best in a 1/15 twist barrel. I had acouple of the sako single shot 6ppc and looked at getting a Hunter model. I still have a 22ppc sako. I find n133,H322 or 8208 work the best in the 6ppc with a 68 gr bullet and if you go to benchrest.com you will find most use those powders. I have six 6ppc and only one set up with a 1/15 twist for the 65 gr bullets and the others all have 14 twist barrels. I was luck and got 64 lbs of the first run of 8208 and it's great powder. I tried 4198 and afew other to improve but it never happened. Some are using n130 but haven't tried it yet. I don't BR shoot but do some varmit hunting. Well good luck, Tom

Rollinghills: Last year I bought a new unfired Sako single shot with Varmint weight barrel in 6mm PPC. It has a Leupold 24X scope on it and I got it for long range Prairie Dog and Rock Chuck shooting.

This is a splendid Rifle extremely well made and shoots amazingly well!

I had a very BUSY year last year and did not get to do much load development with the Rifle and thankfully not much was needed! I found two sensational loads for it right away!

I decided to use ONLY Vihtavouri N133 powder and Federal 205M primers in all my tests. This worked out well.

After barrel break in this little Sako just would not shoot a bad or even a fair group! It shot ONLY superbly (yes I know I am repeating myself!).

Let me relay just the last two test load results

Load #1 = 5 shots at 100 yards in .212"!

Load #2 = 5 shots at 100 yards in .226"!



Now the loads = both used Sako brass, Federal 205M primers and 28.0 grains of Vihtavourhi N133 - load #1 used the Nosler 70 gr. Ballistic Tip and load #2 used the 68 gr. Euber custom bullets.



The Prairie Dogs really do not like to see me appraoching their towns carrying this Rifle! I literallly can hit them in the eye as they are bridging themselves over the mouths of their mounds with only their heads showing at 275+ yards!

I have not taken any Coyotes with this Rifle as yet but I am sure the Nosler 70 gr. Ballistic Tips works well on them. I have used this bullet on Coyotes in the past out of my custom 240 Weatherby, my 6mm Ackley Improved, 243's, 6mm Remingtons, 6x47 and my 6mm Remington BR.

This is a fine and very accurate Varmint bullet!

Good luck with your Sako!

Be sure and try the N133 powder and Federal 205M primers.

Just a W.A.G. here but with that model Rifle and that power scope on a windless day I am hoping you can break .600" groups pretty often at 100 yards for 5 shots.

Hold into the wind

VarmintGuy

Tom Holland : Thanks for the load suggestions. N133 powder seems to be a good choice, and I plan to purchase some.

VarmintGuy : Your heavy barrel SAKO sounds exceptionally accurate. I hope to one day find a good heavy barrel SAKO AI 6PPC too. A load that averages 3/4 MOA for 5 shot groups with a varmint bullet at 3000 fps +/- would serve my purposes for the Hunter, so achieving your accuracy prediction would please me greatly. I have a SAKO S491 Hunter in .222 that fulfills my accuracy and velocity criteria, but it is not nearly as handy as the AI PPC Hunter. I am also hoping that the 6PPC is a better Ground Hog stopper than the .222 at extended ranges, as my buddy and I only count retrieved carcasses in our friendly competitions. (For us "extended ranges" are 250 to 300 yards.) Thanks for the load suggestions.

rollinghills

After four trips to the range, and 52 rounds expended, the 6mm PPC has met my accuracy requirements. 65 gr. VMAX bullets set 0.010" off the lands in SAKO cases with 26.4 gr. of Benchmark powder and WSR primers averaged 0.56 inches c.t.c. for four groups of three shots at 100 yards. For a light barreled gun, it does not seem to be to fussy about the loads. The good reload recipe was basically identified at the first Range session. (Range sessions 2 and 3 were victims of the Canadian winter. During the 2nd Range session, the scope slipped progressively backwards about 1 inch resulting in groups with lots of vertical which printed progressively higher on the paper. During the 3rd Range session, the "Glue-In" bedding came unglued. I attribute both misfortunes to the cold temperatures.)

Can't wait for the groundhogs to come out!

rolinghills

Rollinghills: I am feeling badly for your Rifle/scope/bedding troubles but it sure seems to be shooting well now!
And this by the way - where did you buy your Sako cases as I am looking for some more myself?
Thanks in advance.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Varmint Guy,

Are you looking for Sako USA PPC brass. I have some.

Knobmtn

VarmintGuy : My rifle came with brass, and I have not had to purchase any. Wholesale Sports in Calgary Alberta has SAKO PPC Brass advertised in their online catalogue. (www.wholesalesports.com)

Good luck with the brass.

rollinghills

Knobmtn: Yes I am looking for some Sako brass to add to the small batch I have. Please E-mail me at VarmintGuy@aol.com if you would please.

Thanks and pardon my slow reply (if it was slow) as the board has been down!

Thanks in advance

Hold into the wind

VarmintGuy

Rollinghills: Thank you for the tip on the Sako brass there in Calgary, Alberta! Thank you very much I will check their site ASAP!
By the way do you know if Canadian folks still take American money? LOL! It seems like everyone in the world is pissed at us Yanks for some reason or another these days. I am just jokin but I wonder if shipping the brass across the Canadian border into the U.S. might be trouble of some kind?
I sure appreciate the tip though and I am happy your Rifle is doing well!
More later
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy : The Wholesale Sports catalogue has a toll free number for placing orders, so I would phone them up and ask them if shipping brass across the border would be a problem. We gladly accept the US dollar at a significant premium to our looney. As a consequence of 9/11 there are currently restrictions for shipping brass into Canada from the USA, but my guess is that the converse is not true. The Canadian government would be glad if all of our guns and bullets were sold across the border, it would make our country a whole lot safer don't you know? Good luck.

rollinghills