6MM options - which one?

It's my opinion that 243 is as overbore as you'd ever want to go in a rifle cartridge. Anything bigger or faster quickly becomes an exercise in inefficiency for very little gain

contrast that to the smaller rounds on your list that burn half the powder as 243 but still have 75% to 90% of the velocity

Check out the link to some good information. Maybe you already know this link.

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


NCsmitty

I tend to agree with krochus on this...but I have a friend with a 6mm-06 and that is one varmint busting round.

the 6mm is a little faster and harder to find ammo for the round. the 243ai is good but hard on barrels. cases do not strech as much and last for quite a few rounds if not over done on speed/pressure. 240 is also a good round but if full length sized you will not get that many rounds out of it because of the belt. 6mm06 and the 6-284 are way overbore and very hard on barrels. 6-284 might get 1500 rounds through the barrel. You have to get yourself set up right for those rounds also. they start sizzling when you shoot heavier bullets at long range. you can get the high bc and kick them out there a long ways. you just lose alot of barrel life with extreme over bore rounds like them.

I shoot a .243 in a heavy barrelled varmint gun and it's really all I think you need in a 6mm. A little more powder capacity will let you shoot the 115 gr. DTAC's way fast, but as alredy mentioned at the expense of very short barrel life. I also have a 6x45 upper for an AR. It's just enough for short range deer hunting with 85 gr. loads but that is really the max bullet weight, it's much happier with 58-70 gr. bullets.

If you're bored with the .243 and a hand loader, it seems the logical choice is the 6BR. Extremely good velocity for the powder charge (means long barrel life) and super accurate. Extremely wide variety of bullets.

As noted, I'd strongly suggest checking out the 6BR web site if you haven't yet.

I have a custom build in 6 BR and it's a nice shooter. Lots of bullets to choose from. I would recommend a 8 twist if your looking to go long with the rifle.

Have you considered the 6mm Rem? I have one in a Ruger 1B and with some minor rifle tuning it has become ont of my favorite "goto" rifles from large varmints to deer sized game. It's also a joy to reload.

Not true. 6 BR's will load and cycle perfectly, as long as you are set up correctly.

As someone who has a .243 Win, a 6x45, and a 6 TCU, I recommend you get something based on a case larger than the .223. It’s too CAPACITY LIMITED. They are fun, but you gotta know their limits. There's a lot you can't do with it.

A .243 WSSM would be neat if done in an AR action. The 6mm BR looks cool, but you may get stuck paying a premium for reloading components & dies. How easy is it to get 6mm BR brass? .243 you can get anywhere. 6mm Rem is not hard to find. 6mm is overbore in cases larger than the .308 family. That eliminates the bigger stuff. In a bolt gun, it realistically comes down to a choice between the 6mm Rem vs. the .243 Win.

Performance wise the 6mm Rem and the .243 are nearly identical. As identical as any two cartridges can be. But, the 6mm Rem has some small advantages: 1.) It requires a long-action chamber, but the case is near mid-action long. Meaning - better latitude in bullet seating depth. 2.) It has a longer case neck. Meaning - better, neck tension, AND the ability to seat longer (heavier) bullets without encroaching on the powder space. 3.) More powder space, period. The 6mm Rem case holds about 10% more powder.

The advantage of the .243 Winchester is: 1.) It’s far more common. Meaning - EVERY rifle manufacture has offerings in .243. Finding a 6mm Rem on the rack is a little harder. I bet even REMINGTON sells more .243 than it's own 6mm. 2.) Reloading components & dies for the .243 are as common and cheap as it gets.

6mm Rem

I have a Ruger M77 (old model) in 6mm Rem with a 1-10 twist, and it is a reloading dream and shoots some loads into 1/2" at 200 yds. I am sure that there is little actual difference in the 243 Win & the Rem, but I like the case better for reasons stated by Kernel. Mine is easy on brass (tight chamber) and being a handloader makes the options unlimited as far as bullet selection (i.e., anything available in the caliber). The brass is available and I can see no reason to shoot anything else except for the simple reason of taking a different way home... I vote against none of the 6mms/243s; but I vote for the Rem.
My 2 cents.
Maj Dad

Another vote for the 6mm Remington.

It is the upper limit in case capacity for useful barrel life in a varmint rifle.
It is also a superior case design to the .243 Win for reloading.

rc

Go to savageshooters.com and get yourself a drop in barrel for a savage action in 6mm BR alot of the boys who have posted range reports are well under 1/2in groups at 200 yards pretty amazing stuff!

Look at .260...

The .244/6mm Rem (it had two names) is my favorite. My M700V with 6-18 Redfield Accu-Trac held consistent 3/8" groups at 300 yards off the bench. I handloaded with Nosler 95 gr Partitians, Accurate Arms 3100 powder, and Federal 210 bench rest primers. The velocity (over-charged) equalled the .240 Wea Mag.

Geno

c held consistent 3/8" groups at 300 yards off the bench.

Click to expand...

really?

Why you should enter in benchrest matches with this rifle I'm sure they'd love to learn that all they need to set a world record is a stock rem with an ancient scope.


FYI> the key to exaggerating accuracy on the interweb is to make claims that are at least slightly believable

held consistent 3/8" groups at 300 yards off the bench. I handloaded with Nosler 95 gr Partitians,

Click to expand...

I don't think I've ever heard of anything that good, especially with a Nosler Partition
On rare occasions I've shot 5/8" 3 shot groups at 200 yards using a 70 gr. Sierra boat tail h.p. match bullet and thought that was impressive.

Think what you could do with a decent accurate bullet. World records would fall like rain drops.

for the barn burners I recommend the origional; 6mmremmy. very long brass neck, helps to cool the gas plug down, before it reaches the throat. And it is fast!!!! Otherwise, a 6x45 or 6x47 lapua for a more slow target quality thingy.
Ruger still does a factory 6mm rifle, and maybe remmy does.
or just get the best; an old remmy in either 600/660/mohawk, or 788, used in good condition, for 600 or less. So awesome.

Ruger no longer lists the 6mm Rem on its website, and I don't think it has for a while. Remington lists the 6mm Rem for the Mod 700 VLS (Varmint Laminated Stock) only. _That's_ a nice rifle! Check it out at:

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_rifles/model_700/model_700_VLS.asp

My 6 BR cycles fine since I use a single shot adapter. Accurized action with 26" 9 twist Hart varmint taper on H&S thumbhole stock. Not a real expensive build. Just a fun gun.

Best so far has been 0.320", 5 shot at 200 yds. Haven't shot any at 100yds in months. Sub 1/2 MOA almost too easy.

Why not step up to a quarterbore. The .257 roberts is an excellent deer round and similar to the .243

+1 for the 6mm Rem. I have both a Rem. 788 and a Ruger 77 chambered for this round. Both have sporter weight barrels and will shoot MOA or better. In the past, the Remington has shot the best of the two.

That said, it's not that much different from the .243. You may become bored with it as well. If I had the dies and cases for .243, I wouldn't bother re-tooling for the 6mm Rem.
Bob