6mm Remington / .244Remington

[Charliefrank]

Anybody still shooting either of these calibers? I took my first deer with a .244 Remington. I don't even know if any new rifles are still chambered for this round. I keep my eyes open for a used Remington model in 6mm Remington, but so far no luck.

 

[burrhead]

I bought a Rem 722 in .244 with a Balvar 8 scope from the original owner a couple of months ago. Made in '56. I'm still working up some loads. It shoots sub MOA groups using Sierra 85 BTHPs with a max load of Varget. Tried IMR 4350 and H4895 but no love. Interestingly, I'm getting some very nice groups with the Sierra 100gr Pro Hunters and IMR 4350 despite conventional wisdom about the 1/12 twist. Still playing with the powder charge and OAL but I'm heading toward <1" groups with that bullet. Ya never know.

All in all, I'm having a great time with it; especially with the vintage scope and externally adjustable mount. It just looks "right".

 

[FL-NC]

I use a 243. The info I researched is that with similar bullets, 6mm Rem and 243 Winchester have near identical performance, but the 243 was marketed more successfully.

 

[Charliefrank]

It certainly was a better marketing campaign. The 6mm can achieve slightly more velocity, but the difference wouldn't prevent me from owning a 243. I guess I'm just a suckered for obsolete cartridges.
244 Rem
257 Roberts
222
220 swift

 

[LoonWulf]

Ive always kinda wanted a 6mm Remington...in a 700 of course.

Ive got more than enough small bore high velocity rifles with my savage 250AI and arisaka -284s, but given an opportunity id buy or build a 6mm.

Ive owned a .243 and used it well, but while its a fine cartridge, its just not one of "My" cartridges. I kept thinking i wanted to try it again, but the more I think about it the more i find the shorter 6 CM, and the longer 6Rem more interesting. No 6mm short of the 6-06 or 240wby will touch the performance of my 6-284 so interest in the cartridge matters more than performance.

 

[mgmorden]

I don't think anybody is making any new ones anymore outside of custom-built rifles. It's similar enough to .243 that you're splitting hairs though. You'd have to be really attached to it to want to get one but it'll do fine if you do (which is fine - I've got a .225 Winchester in the safe - sometimes you just want an oddball ).

FWIW my uncle still hunts with a Remington 788 in 6mm Remington and loves it.

 

[Riomouse911]

There has been one (Rem 700 I believe) in the used/consignment rack of my LGS forever. The gun looks in good shape and the price is nice, but no one wants to buy a caliber that's just about extinct and is rarely stocked at the gun stores locally...especially here in the Communist Nirvana of California with the impending ban on internet ammo purchases that takes effect Jan 1, 2018. This will make feeding the oddballs and rarities even more difficult.

 

[Offfhand]

Count me a long time fan of the 6mm Rem, and the .244 before that. One of my prize 6mm's is this Ruger No. One, custom stocked by legendary craftsman Clayton Nelson with lovely piece of English Walnut

 

[Art Eatman]

The early 6mms were built with a 1:14 twist, making them more suitable for lighter bullets and varmint hunting. They would not stabilize the heavier bullets used for deer.

The .243 rifles were introduced with a faster twist, useful for both varmints and deer.

Otherwise, as far as the cartridges, it's pretty much six of one, half-dozen of the other. A 1:10 or 1:9 twist seems optimum.

 

[Sunray]

"...the 6mm Rem, and the .244 before that..." Those are the same thing.
Difference between .243 and 6mm Rem is about 100 FPS with like bullet weights. And 188 thou of case length. 6mm ammo is loaded but you won't find it in small places. 'The Walmart Test' applies.
Don't think anybody, Remington included, chambers anything in 6mm Rem. Lotta used stuff on the auction sites though.

 

[Offfhand]

The .244 Rem (AKA 6mm Rem.) was originally a wildcat developed by Fred Huntington (Founder of RCBS) and called the .243 Rockchucker.. Made by necking .257 Roberts down to 6mm. And the .257 Roberts originated by necking 7x57 Mauser to .25 caliber. Here they are: side by side...

 

[Charliefrank]

There has been one (Rem 700 I believe) in the used/consignment rack of my LGS forever. The gun looks in good shape and the price is nice, but no one wants to buy a caliber that's just about extinct and is rarely stocked at the gun stores locally...especially here in the Communist Nirvana of California with the impending ban on internet ammo purchases that takes effect Jan 1, 2018. This will make feeding the oddballs and rarities even more difficult.

 

[Charliefrank]

I still have dies, brass etc so I'm not concerned so much about ammo availability.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Had one in a Ruger M77, nice rifle and cartridge, but didn't do anything my .25-06 won't, so I sold it to another member here along with dies & brass for a song when I was in trouble financially.

I'd take another if it fell in my lap, but I wouldn't look for one.

That said, one of my next builds will be a Rem 700 with a 28" tube chambered in 6mm-06 AI.

 

[Outfitter]

I have both! A custom 244 built on a Mauser action. Has been my main hunting rifle for years. It loves a Sierra 80 gr. SBT, won't group heavier bullets. Just took 2 antelope last weekend on last day of season. It is a tack driver, so I have shot a dozen cow elk with it too. All head shots since I always worry about the light bullet behind the ribs.

Also picked up a Remington varmint barrel 700 in 6mm. Shoots very well with the heavier bullets, but it is hard to leave the 244 in the safe.

Hunting buddy shoots 6mm Ackley Improved. Another interesting cartridge!

 

[Offfhand]

Here is another of my 6mm Rem rifles, this one built on a Pre-64 M-70 Win. action with Douglas barrel. The French walnut stock was sculpted and lavishly checkered by stockmaking wizard Gary Goudy. The 4.5-14X Leupold scope has been about perfect for long shots at pronghorn, coyotes and other critters.

 

[Captcurt]

Here is another of my 6mm Rem rifles, this one built on a Pre-64 M-70 Win. action with Douglas barrel. The French walnut stock was sculpted and lavishly checkered by stockmaking wizard Gary Goudy. The 4.5-14X Leupold scope has been about perfect for long View attachment 768585 View attachment 768586 shots at pronghorn, coyotes and other critters.

That is my kind of rifle. Gorgeous!

I had a Remington 725 in 244 back in the late the 80's. It handled 90gr Speer very well. Never tried anything heavier in it. I believe that they only made 840 of them. Like a dummy I sold it.

 

[Charliefrank]

BTW, my favorite load for the 244 is a Hornady 87gr spire point over 42 grains of 4831 for about 3295fps. It also was my most accurate load.

 

[Saleen322]

The early 6mms were built with a 1:14 twist, making them more suitable for lighter bullets and varmint hunting. They would not stabilize the heavier bullets used for deer.

The .243 rifles were introduced with a faster twist, useful for both varmints and deer.

Otherwise, as far as the cartridges, it's pretty much six of one, half-dozen of the other. A 1:10 or 1:9 twist seems optimum.

Exactly right. Because the 243 could be used with heavier bullets and deer hunting, it was instantly more popular. Remington seen their mistake and changed the barrel twist to 1 in 9 and changed the name from 244 to 6mm to put the mistake out of buyers minds.

 

[old heeler]

Exactly right. Because the 243 could be used with heavier bullets and deer hunting, it was instantly more popular. Remington seen their mistake and changed the barrel twist to 1 in 9 and changed the name from 244 to 6mm to put the mistake out of buyers minds.

Myself I don't think Rem ever recover from the 244. They made some Rem 700 244 with 1/10 twist barrels. You could buy Rem 243 with 1/10 twist barrel. When Rem was making 40x under 244 they offer it 1/12 twist and name change to 6 Rem it was 1/10 twist.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Had a 6mm ,and a .243 kept the .243 sold the 6mm. Similar but did better with the .243 as far as accuracy. The 6mm was a Remington pump,possible why not as accurate.

 

[wild willy]

Might be a location thing.But at one time the 6mm Remington was very popular around here.I knew more people that hunted with a 6mm then did a .243

 

[Captcurt]

Myself I don't think Rem ever recover from the 244. They made some Rem 700 244 with 1/10 twist barrels. You could buy Rem 243 with 1/10 twist barrel. When Rem was making 40x under 244 they offer it 1/12 twist and name change to 6 Rem it was 1/10 twist.

According to some of my books, Remington revamped the 6mm with a 1 in 9 1/2 twist. Didn't help sales though.

 

[Offfhand]

Had a 6mm ,and a .243 kept the .243 sold the 6mm. Similar but did better with the .243 as far as accuracy. The 6mm was a Remington pump,possible why not as accurate.

Shooting a pump 6mm would be interesting. If I ever find one in good condition I'll buy it just to test.

 

[Clark]

I have 6mmRem, 243Win, and 6mmBR reamers.
I have built rifles in all of them.
I like 6mmBR best.

While I reload over 60 cartridges, my list working up of optimum rifles for killing things for me are:
22 pellet
22 CB short
22LR
223
6mmBR
250 sav
6.5-06
7mmRemMag