I recently got the first rifle I ever used to hunt deer with back from my uncle. The bore is actually pristine. I couldnt believe how good the condition of the rifling is. It is over 30 years old and in excellent shape. I was wondering what the accuracy potential of the 6mm is. I have heard it isnt as accurate as a .243 win. I plan on hand loading for it in the near future. I assume that those of you who shoot the 6mm have good results with powders like IMR 4350 and H4350. I appreciate the feed back.

quote:

Originally posted by Russ Brumbelow:
I was wondering what the accuracy potential of the 6mm is. I have heard it isnt as accurate as a .243 win.

It just isn't so. roger

I have a Savage action at Sharp Shooter Supply for timing, trueing, new trigger and rebarreling in 6mm. When I get it back and in the stock and a load worked up, I'll let you know what kind of groups a 6mm shoots.

Well the Urban rumor you heard about accuracy and the 6MM Remington is not true. Some people just can't resist on their own campfire.

Depending on the bullet weight you use you should find very good results with W760, H414, Varget, H4831, RL19 and RL22 should server you very well

I wonder if that rumor had anything to do with when Remington first brought out the 6mm they called it the 244 Rem. They didn't think that it was going to be used much for deer hunting and thus rifled with a slow twist meant for the lighter weight varmint bullets. When some tried the 100 gr bullets it them they wouldn't stabilize them and the accuracy was bad. Remington saw how the 243 Winchester took off as a dual purpose rifle for varmint and deer hunting and also that Winchester had a faster rifling twist that handled the heavier bullets just fine. So Remington changed the caliber to a faster rifling twist and renamed it the 6mm Rem and the rest is history. Personally I like the 243 Win, but the 6mm is just a tad better round in that it holds a wee bit more powder and can push the heavier bullets a little faster then the 243 Win. As far as an accuracy difference between the two, I don't think that depends on the whether it's a 6mm Rem or 243 Win, it has to do more with all the other variables like quality of the barrel, the bedding, the ammo, etc. They are both great rounds.

quote:

I have heard it isnt as accurate as a .243 win.

The most accurate factory rifle I ever owned was a 6mm Rem (M700 Varmint). Truly an excellent shooter.

I wanted another so bad that a few years ago, I asked my gunsmith buddy to build me one. He tried talking me into a 243 instead, as he already had the reamer. In the end, I bought him a 6mm Rem reamer to do the job, and have been completely happy with the results!

I have 2 .243s both shoot well, but i bet the 6mm Is at leastas good. Tell us a little more about the rifle, brand and model so forth.
If its much more than 30 years old its most likly a Remington 600 or 700, could be a tang safty ruger though,both cool in there own way, definatly hand load. if you have a slow twist shoot a speer 90 grain or noslers 85 grain partition, should be great !
...tj3006

Well, I am here to tell you boys that think that the 6mm Remington is as accurate as a 243, are JUST PLAIN WRONG!!!!!

I have a batch of 243s, that are all accurate except 2, and they are picky on their loads...

and I have a 6mm Rem, with a one in 7 twist... and when I use a load of 47.5 grains of H 414, with a 75 grain Hornady HP, or V Max.....

I can shoot 10 bullets at that target at 100 yds and all I end up with is ONE little 6mm hole!!!!!So where are the other 9 bullets going to then?????

Darned if I know.....

the first guy who comes by with $5,000.00 for that rifle, its his!

It's a Remington 700. I first used the rifle when I was about 12 years old. I still remember the first hunt. The rifle was zeroed with remington 100 grain core lokts. I remember being picky about the bullets because I thought if it was a remington, it had to shoot remington bullets. Any ways about that hunt; my dad and I were hunting an open field and two does walked out at just over 100 yards. He wanted me to watch them to see if they would come closer. While he was watching the does I was puttin the big one in the cross hairs. I whispered to him "I can do it" and he had just about enough time to cover one ear before I squeezed the trigger. When the shot went off he started fussing at me and said you missed. I argued back and told him I didnt and that I saw the white of her belly when she flipped over. He thought that he would just entertain the fact that I thought I hit her and we went walking to the spot where they were. Sure enough the doe was laying there DRT (dead right there). My dad was so happy he wanted to mount the does head for me. The shot couldnt have been more perfect, slighly quartering away the bullet entered a little back on the rib cage and struck the shoulder bone on the opposite side taking out the lungs and a little of the heart. I got really cocky with this little rifle over a few years and started taking really rediculous shots across that same open field. After a couple of unrecovered deer my dad bought me .270 win and told me that if I wanted to make shots like that, the .270 would do the job. That .270 has long since been gone. I never really bonded with another rifle like I had with this 6mm. When I saw it again after 16 years I knew exactly what it was. Hopefilly my uncle lets me keep it for a long time.

There is no difference in "inherent" accuracy between the two cartridges (if there is such a thing as "inherent" accuracy).

I have owned both accurate and inaccurate rifles in both calibers, with the accurate ones far outnumbering the inaccurate ones. Currently, my most accurate rifle in any caliber happens to be a .244 Remington, but it could just as easily be some other caliber.

I can tell you that the 6mm/.244 factory ammunition is loaded much faster than the .243 ammunition, despite having the same design limits. 100 grain 6mm will often exceed 3100 fps from a 24 inch barrel, while the same bullet in factory loaded .243 typically runs in the 2800 fps range. This is a far greater velocity advantage than the case capacity difference justifies. In fact, I have found it difficult to substantially exceed .243 velocities with a 6mm in handloads at similar pressures.

RB,

Not being a remington fan, a 6mm M700 V rifle was one of six I was selecting for sale to make room in the safe. Well, all were second hand and never shot, so I sorted them out at 100 yds at the range. All disappointed except the 6mm with factory ammo. I put a 6x20 scope on and once sighted in cut three holes in a clover leaf for about .38 lop. My friend offered to buy it on the spot, but decided to keep it and determine if this was an anomoly or can be duplicated.
Personally, I don't like rem actions for dangerous game rifles, but my friends tell me that some remingtons are shooters right out of the box. This one was!!

Dak

seafire--there you go again, touting the 6mm Rem and I don't have one (yet). You are the reason I finally gave in to my desires and bought the long Savage M110 action (at least that's what I tell my wife). Can't wait to get it back and get it going.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
There is no difference in "inherent" accuracy between the two cartridges (if there is such a thing as "inherent" accuracy).

If that is so why don't we see 30 30's and 45 70's winning in all the bench rest matches? No there is inherent accuracy. Now look at some real bench rest statistics and tell me that isn't true i.e. 6PPC.

Here's my take on inherent accuracy. As we all know the PPC cartridges were designed to burn the powder more efficient. Also different shoulder angles and different neck lengths also contribute to this, plus a whole lot of other factors that I'm not going to cover here. With that said, some cartridges (by accident too) were designed to burn powder more efficiently. If a cartridge burns the powder more efficiently and is consistant in all the other areas, more then likely the SD will be more consistant and accuracy inhanced.

Let's talk about the 30-30. Most rifles made for it aren't exactly benchrest rifles. Now some of the single shot pistols that shoot it, do it darn well. A well known gunrag fond of Marlins had Marlin send him an unfinish Model 336. Unfinished in the area of that the barrel wasn't turned down to proper contour. This elimanated being able to get the magazine tube on the rifle. He wanted to see how it would shoot with basically a heavy barrel. He shot them single shot off the bench and I forget how many rounds per group, but they all chewed into a hole under 1/2 in easy.

On area that I don't believe in inherent accuracy is in the straight cased revolver rounds. I think they are pretty well evenly matched as long as the revolver is capable along with good match grade ammo.

Sounds like you picked up a rifle you'll enjoy for a long time. I have a couple of 243's that shoot wonderfull and I have a 6mm In a Remmie 742 that I'm tring to work up a load for. My BIL gave up on it but I know they shoot. Just have to find the right load. Good luck with yours.

Thirty years ago my friend had a M70 win in 243 and wouldn't sell it to me but sold to someone else. I got all of his 6mm bullits that he had and I had an old m/m Gew 98 so a 6mm rifle emerged. I put it in a modified 09 argi stock and forget what brand 26" #3 sporter barrel. When the load that I was working on using IMR4350 got down to 3/4" I quit and started killing deer. May have to go back and really see just what it will do.

Rad

Seafire has a new World Record! 10 shots in 1 6mm hole is a ZERO group. Besting the previous record of .009" Congrats!

quote:

Personally, I don't like rem actions for dangerous game rifles

In which case I strongly recommend you use your 6mm M700V for neither Cape Buffalo nor enraged prairie dogs.

quote:

Originally posted by eddieharren:
Seafire has a new World Record! 10 shots in 1 6mm hole is a ZERO group. Besting the previous record of .009" Congrats!

Well actually Eddie.. the group measured 0.0505... so Seafire is far from a world record....but it still doesn't mean that the 6mm Rem, with the H 414/47.5 grains and a 75 grain Hornady HP is a bad load, whatsoever...

the rifle isn't a bench rest rifle, just a varmint and hunting rifle... but it does the job intended quite well...

quote:

Originally posted by dustoffer:
seafire--there you go again, touting the 6mm Rem and I don't have one (yet). You are the reason I finally gave in to my desires and bought the long Savage M110 action (at least that's what I tell my wife). Can't wait to get it back and get it going.

Dustoffer,

My wife sends here apologies to your wife.....

I checked my log for the best groups from my Ruger No. 1B in 6mm Rem. It shot .404" with MRP and the 100 gr Nosler Solid Base at 3,115 fps MV; .494" with the Hornady 87 gr and MRP; and .234" with the 70 gr Nosler HPBT Match bullet.

I was shooting a Rem M40XBBR in 6X47 and a heavy barrel SAKO L579 in .243 Win in hunter class benchrest in those days, and only the benchrest gun shot better groups.

I just got my 6mm out to develope some loads wityh the 85 gr Barnes TSX for antelope next year.

jim

I have a 6mm Remington and it is my go-to coyote rifle. It started off as a Remington VSF in 22-250. It is a tight neck (.270) so a light clean-up on the neck does it. This gun shoots great. It is always in the high .3's to low .4's for five shots. It has a 10 twist barrel and loves the 70 SMK, the 85 SGK and the 87 Vmax. H-414 and Varget are the powders of choice for this gun. Shot 6 coyotes yesterday as a matter of fact! The 85 SGK is not too fur friendly at 3350fps under 100 yards!

Andy.

I think that you will be very happy with the 6mm rifle you have. If for no other reason than it being a sentimental rifle. Everytime you handle it or shoot it will bring back memories. I personally think that the 6mm has a slight ballistic advantage over the 243 if you hand load. The 6mm case has a longer neck than the 243 & according to some of the thing I have read this is one characteristic some very accurate cartridges share. There may be nothing to it. I hope that you are able to end up with this rifle.
I have been trying some Hornady 75gr V-Max bullets & Varget powder in one of mine. The results have been ok but I expect it will get better with a different bullet or powder.
Good Luck.

I've got over 100 rifles. The most accurate one is a 244 Rem. I paid $70 for in 1956. The stock looks like a 2x4 from Home Depot. Out of the box, it would shoot 5 shots under an inch at 100 yds, with 85 grain Sierra Boat tails. I used 4831 powder.
243 is a good caliber also. The 244 is good for handloading because the case is bigger, more powder, more velocity.

I have both the 6 and a .243 and both shoot very well with nearly everything. Both of my boys killed their first deer with the Model 700 6mm. It shoots 100 grain Hornadys very well backed by H-4831 powder. Velocity out of the short barrel is 2900+. My youngest boy's first deer-a whitetail doe-was killed with one shot at 236 yards. RL22 is another powder that gets great velocity and is worth a try.

i have a 6mm on a rem. 788 action and despite all the rumor it shoot better than average it beleive it or not like 200 yards better than 100. but the inadequate barrel twist is what gave the caliber a bad name the difference, they like an extra twist.if you look at the casing the neck is less steep of angle making for less gas royalling meaning more rounds before the throat is gone, who hasn't shot out their 243win barrel?

My 6mm rem is in a ruger#1B which I reload for. It is used primarly for woodchucks at long range but I have given it up and haven't shot it in about 6 years since I have run out of chucks to hunt, so now I spend time on my harley. I love the round and the rifle. Dan

I'm still working on "the load" for my 6mm built on a Savage M110 long action. It has a 26" heavy barrel and sits in a synthetic stock, wearing a Weaver V-16. I started with 87 gr Hornady's and it didn't like them (or didn't like the powder/bullet combo). I then tried Hornady 100 gr spire points, and after two trips to the range, I'm shooting between .4 and .5" so things have improved. I'll play with seating depth, and try some different primers, but I think I've found my feral hog and whitetail cull gun.

The best load I found for my 6mm -- a Remington 700 Varmint Special; the heavy barreled one; this is the older one with pressed checkering on the stock -- uses 70 gr Sierra Matchkings or any Berger moly-coated bullet up to 90 grains, with 41 gr. of IMR 4064.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:

quote:

Personally, I don't like rem actions for dangerous game rifles

In which case I strongly recommend you use your 6mm M700V for neither Cape Buffalo nor enraged prairie dogs.

people say i dont like rem 700 for dangerous game but yet our military snipers use them despite no claw extractor and i would say they hunting as dangerous as it gets