Help me pick a caliber

hylander

hylander

Well-known member
So my plan is to rebarrel my Savage .223 into a 6mm. Not Creedmoore, I already have one.
I'm looking at 6 BR, 6BRA, 6 Dasher, 6GT, 6XC and 6x47 Lupua.
Looking for Accuracy and Barrel life.
22" medium contour Shilenor Criterion, about .730 @ the muzzle.
What do you all have experience with?
 
What twist, which bullets, shooting what with it?

That's a big range of capacity between the BR and the x47 or XC. Apples at one end and oranges on the other.
The BR obviously has the best barrel life with the highest expansion ratio and arguably the best accuracy too - depending on application. But it sucks hind tit on velocity, with heavier bullets especially. I wouldn't choose it for long range target shooting. And I wouldn't choose it for a repeater build. Or for a calling rifle. But I have no idea what you are doing.

- DAA
 
DAA said:
What twist, which bullets, shooting what with it?

That's a big range of capacity between the BR and the x47 or XC. Apples at one end and oranges on the other.
The BR obviously has the best barrel life with the highest expansion ratio and arguably the best accuracy too - depending on application. But it sucks hind tit on velocity, with heavier bullets especially. I wouldn't choose it for long range target shooting. And I wouldn't choose it for a repeater build. Or for a calling rifle. But I have no idea what you are doing.

- DAA
Click to expand...
Coyote, Chucks, target out to 300yds.
Mostly 62-87gr. Non-lead., 100gr jacketed SP.
I'm thinking 1-8 twist
 
hylander said:
So my plan is to rebarrel my Savage .223 into a 6mm. Not Creedmoore, I already have one.
I'm looking at 6 BR, 6BRA, 6 Dasher, 6GT, 6XC and 6x47 Lupua.
Looking for Accuracy and Barrel life.
22" medium contour Shilenor Criterion, about .730 @ the muzzle.
What do you all have experience with?
Click to expand...
BR for barrel life, but it and the BRA & Dasher can be problematic for feeding.

I have built several 22 & 6 Dashers in 700 BDL's for calling guns, & never had any feeding issues. The secret was to not dilly dally when working the bolt, still no guarantees. I shot the 6 Dasher for years in 600/1000 yard BR, so it's a favorite.

I've never had one, but a 6GT should eliminate the feeding, so I'd start there.

However, I'm a huge 6x47 Lapua fan, have several in the stable, & would be my pick of the litter. I have my own reamer, throated for 105 Bergers, which works fantastic for coyotes.

LZsPIjd.jpg
 
I have a 6GT. Mine is a target gun to shoot steel out to 1k. It's an awesome round, absolute tack driver, never had a single issue with feeding and its an easy cartridge to load for.
 
with the bullet weights you're talking you need to be aware that the reamers that are typically out there are for long high BC bullets. meaning the throats are going to be 2 miles in length. Thats because the people that want and shoot those cartridges are doing it for long range and very heavy bullets. Nothing wrong with those choices, nor is there anything wrong with the bullet weights you wanna shoot! to me the lighter the better in many cases with 6mm. 6mm is my favorite overall bore size for most things, especially coyote.

I think what you decide on should be based on getting a reamer to match, or making a reamer to match. (reamer makers often F this up, so it can be a can of worms getting the custom reamer made correctly) 243 ai is probably the simplest solution. 6-284 is the ultimate 6mm I call it the man's big 6. however a better mouse trap if you can get the reamer done right would be a 6mmPRC. If I didn't mind the magnum bolt face the 6.5 PRC case would make one hell of a big 6 case.
 
steve garrett said:
I think what you decide on should be based on getting a reamer to match, or making a reamer to match. (reamer makers often F this up, so it can be a can of worms getting the custom reamer made correctly) 243 ai is probably the simplest solution. 6-284 is the ultimate 6mm I call it the man's big 6. however a better mouse trap if you can get the reamer done right would be a 6mmPRC. If I didn't mind the magnum bolt face the 6.5 PRC case would make one hell of a big 6 case.
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I agree, the reamer is everything, however, I think you're getting away from the OP's barrel life requirement with the bigger sixes.

I've not had the 243 Ackley, but have done three of the 6-284's and a pair of the 6 PRC's, which are basically twins to each other.

The last 6 PRC:

TWe5tQz.jpg
 
One not mentioned, the 6mm ARC, out to 300 with under 100 gr bullets it is pretty deadly.

I've built rifles in 6x45, 6mm-204, bought a 6mm ARC, sold my buddy my 243 and worked up loads for him for coyote hunting and sold another caller a 6mm Rem, and helped him work up loads.

My 6mm ARC is a factory Howa Mini 20"HB, 75gr Speer HPs are under MOA and is a dandy coyote rig.n Athlon 2-12x42.

flsuGq.jpg


Old NO EARS
SIzNOZ.jpg
 
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No right or wrong answer. Just depends on what you want to end up with. I will point out, only because you mentioned barrel life, that an 8 twist in one of the large capacity cases mentioned is going to have short barrel life.

My own go to for a 6mm for coyote and 'chucks out to 400 yards is a 13 twist, 6-284 with zero freebore, using 55 NBT's. Not going to find many, if even one other of those anywhere. So obviously not a popular way to go :ROFLMAO: . It's been an absolute death laser and complete hell on wheels for my application though and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Fast twists and heavy bullets serve no purpose for my application though.

Feeds nicely from a push feed Nesika using BDL magazine and bottom metal. But, mag only holds three rounds. And a long action would be needed for longer bullets to extract through the loading port. Non issues for me.

First day of calling with it.

IMG_5283W.JPG


Probably have some video somewhere of launching 'chucks into orbit with it. Very saucy on 'chucks.

- DAA
 
I'll chime in here since I currently have four 6BRs and shoot them every single week in competition and training.....

The 6br has so many world records from 600yd and in the results speak for themselves not to mention the podiums in PRS.

To start, the 6br and variations like the Dasher are the NUMBER ONE used calibers in the Precision Rifle Series, period. We shoot usually around 100rd per match with a 90-105 second par time, usually 10rd per stage. We run the shit out of the bolt in field conditions, rain or shine all year long.

BRs and the variations can be tricky unless your running a detachable magazine and it actually runs outstanding in a detachable magazine fed configuration with BR specific mags.

The Gray Ops AW mags run like butter, literally ZERO issues, plug and play. They are DSDF magazines. Your reciever has to be AW cut and I don't know if a factory savage is. Pretty much all custom actions are AW cut.

The next best option is the Accurate Mags that are BR specific, DSSF in the traditional AICS pattern. They feed excellent but you you MAY have to tweak a new one at first. MDT also makes BR specific mags but the quality isn't as good as Accurate IMO.

300yd is NOT LONG RANGE! Don't handicap yourself by going with a slow twist barrel and a chamber with minimal freebore. I'm running the Berger 105 Hybrids in the Manson reamer with 104 freebore. Every single 6br I have shoots in the teens with 30gr of Varget and a Berger 105. This combination will easily go 3x farther than 300yd accurately at sea level or negative density altitude so for what your planning and something to grow with as your skills improve I'd strongly consider the 6br and run the heavies for true LR and better wind drift, good luck!
 
hylander said:
I definitely want to stay a smaller case.
Already have a 6 Creed, I want less of a barrel burner that is just as accurate or better.
Click to expand...

How important is feeding? On all of my BR's and Dasher's, I don't care. A couple feed "okay" if I work the bolt like I mean it. A few don't, no matter what - without modifications that I have not made. I use them all as single shot and that is more than fine for how I use them.

These cases can be made to feed well. But I have no idea what the options are to make it happen for a Savage. Just something to look into and consider, if feeding is a priority. Like I say, it's of no consequence how I use mine, so I've never bothered to try - one of them is a Savage, the others are all 700's.

- DAA
 
DAA said:
How important is feeding? On all of my BR's and Dasher's, I don't care. A couple feed "okay" if I work the bolt like I mean it. A few don't, no matter what - without modifications that I have not made. I use them all as single shot and that is more than fine for how I use them.

These cases can be made to feed well. But I have no idea what the options are to make it happen for a Savage. Just something to look into and consider, if feeding is a priority. Like I say, it's of no consequence how I use mine, so I've never bothered to try - one of them is a Savage, the others are all 700's.

- DAA
Click to expand...
I would really like it to feed from the mag.
I want to hunt with it and not have to feed it like I do my T/C Contenders.
 
so yes the mag is proprietary, but its a pretty nice mag setup, you just have to have the scope inletted for m5 bottom metal which is a common one. I don't own their mag setup but when I rebarrel my 243 AI to something else, I am thinking about switching to their mags because they are alot nice than my old school HS mags.
 
I'm kinda leaning toward the 6GT for feeding from the mag.
Or the Dasher and just single feed.
I can not afford to do the custom set ups or get a custom reamer made. So I'll see what Northland shooters supply has in a Criterion barrel.
 
It's not terribly hard to DIY inlet a Savage stock for DBM. I did a Bell & Carlson last year. Just make friends with a dremmel and JB Weld, and nobody can tell from the outside. It's a lot like bedding an action.
 
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