Which 6mm for target shooting?

[Bart B.]

I just remembered: the 1000yd record was set by a 6mm dasher.

Please remember that benchrest record groups are the smallest ones fired by some rifle. The other hundreds of groups it shot in matches are larger; several times larger. If that one's holder has other records to his credit with the same rifle and cartridge, that's good. Otherwise, its luck.

The guy who holds the 100 yard 5-shot record of .0077" shot with a 30 PPC holds no other records.

Best records to judge accuracy are aggregates consisting of several 10-shot groups' average. Then multiply its size by 1.6 to get an approximate size of a group where all groups shots went into. Their centers are not all are the same place relative to point of aim. Current agg's at 1000 yards for 6 and 10 groups are therefore in about the 6 to 8 inch range. Current 5-shot group record's about 1.4 inch; its holder has no others.

 

[sage5907]

I have been privileged to have used a 6mm Dasher to shoot long range steel targets. That round in a long range rifle using a 105 grain Berger and Varget is awesome. A long range match is about 100 rounds and the Dasher is very pleasant to shoot and very accurate. That cartridge has been well proven in long range competition and If I had the money for a long range rifle I would choose that cartridge.

 

[ironworkerwill]

Please remember that benchrest record groups are the smallest ones fired by some rifle. The other hundreds of groups it shot in matches are larger; several times larger. If that one's holder has other records to his credit with the same rifle and cartridge, that's good. Otherwise, its luck.

No other shooter with 6mm cartridge has been "lucky" enough to best the Dashers 10 shot group.

Is that better?

 

[Bart B.]

Yes, I like that.

In 1971, a guy put his Win 70 based 308 Win based match rifle in his machine rest to test some Lapua 185's for accuracy at 600 yds. Several 10-shot groups ranged from about 1.50" to .70". He then put 40 shots inside 1.92"

One 10-shot group about .80" was put in an add for Lapua bullets in a fall 1971 issue of The American Rifleman.

 

[jmorris]

The guy who holds the 100 yard 5-shot record of .0077" shot with a 30 PPC holds no other records.

I bet he doesn't talk about the ones he doesn't hold as much though...

I have a 5 shot 5/8" group fired at 300 yards with an old Walther bolt action single shot. I talk about that one much more than the hundreds of others fired in the 6 or so months a friend and I were seeing what we could get out of .22 LR's.

I think any of his choices would do fine inside 300 yards and some more fun to shoot all day.

 

[Nature Boy]

The guy who holds the 100 yard 5-shot record of .0077" shot with a 30 PPC holds no other records.

So he only holds one more record than I do. That must mean I'm pretty dang good!

 

[horsemen61]

Let us know what you get please.

 

[Walkalong]

Yep, we like to remember the little ones.

 

[tuj]

6mm BR. It's got all the records.

 

[Bart B.]

6mm BR. It's got all the records.

It doesn't have all the records, just some of them. That aside, it's a good choice.

It's my opinion that virtually all the tiny groups we see or hear about are whale's tales; flukes. They happen when all the big variables cancel each other out. I've seen it happen. Luck plays a big part. Such groups are much smaller than their average.

Twice with aperture metallic sighted 308 Win rifles at longer ranges. Each had 5 consecutive shots well inside 1/4th MOA. The shots were all with different windage settings due to variable cross winds. Shot calls were inside 3/4ths MOA about the middle of the 1 MOA X ring. The group at 600 yards was 4" left of center. At 1000 yards, the group was 7 inches right of center. Go figure.

Once shooting a rapid fire match at 200 yards from sitting, 10 shots in 60 seconds. First 5 shots went into about half an inch (1/4th MOA) as seen through the spotting scope. All shots called somewhere in the 3" X ring. That group was at the edge of that ring. Second string of 5 shots was about 5 inches (2.5 MOA) reasonably centered and called as such.

A few times shooting a scoped rim fire 22 match rifle at 50 yards from prone. 5-shot groups about 1/8" (1/4th MOA) extreme spread centered at different places in the .78 MOA X ring. Shots called all over the X ring sometimes aiming to one side correcting for crosswinds.

This is termed "shooting inside your call." Everyone does it whether they're aware of it or not. It's the nature of the accurate shooting beast.

 

[tuj]

In 2012 I shot 2nd in Texas only to the national champ in rimfire benchrest. *Once*, shooting sighters, my rifle produced this (yes that is five shots):

 

[Big7]

Another vote for the .243 Win. Get anything you want. Anytime.

Even if you don't load. More options here than any other 6MM. For sure!

 

[bluetopper]

I have read where the 6 PPC cartridge was supposed to be the most accurate?

 

[Varminterror]

I'm a Dasher fan. Not a competition round, but 243win AI has been my favorite small game hunting 6mm for many years. The 6 SLR recently grabbed my attention, might convert my 6XC to SLR on the next barrel - not competing with it, but shooting steel to 1600+ yards would capitalize upon the extra velocity.

 

[Walkalong]

It's my opinion that virtually all the tiny groups we see or hear about are whale's tales; flukes. They happen when all the big variables cancel each other out. I've seen it happen. Luck plays a big part. Such groups are much smaller than their average.

They are not flukes because the top shooters can do it often. It's not "luck", it is their skill. Yes, they are the smaller ones and not the average. We shoot little groups when we don't misread the wind or make gun handling mistakes. Some small groups are luck of course, no doubt, but I can't agree it's just luck for all of them. If it was just luck, all the shooters would have a lot of small groups, not just the better shooters, but they don't.

 

[Varminterror]

Agreed - if rifle matches were purely statistics and all of the equipment were really 0-1MOA distributed gear, if 50 guys went to to 50 weekends of matches, you wouldn't see the same folks near the top and the same folks near the bottom.

Sure, you'll get that guy who has never placed anywhere before who puts up a range, match, or world record on a fluke from time to time, but flukes are flukes. Small groups by professional shooters aren't flukes - based on your credentials, you know that.

 

[Reloadron]

I have read where the 6 PPC cartridge was supposed to be the most accurate?

That really depends on what you read and who wrote it. The 6mm PPC can be a very accurate cartridge but everything needs to come together for the small tiny groups which are like a Holy Grail. There is the cartridge, the rifle and the shooter. The 6mm PPC is and has been for awhile the darling of the bench rest community but before the 6mm PPC another darling was the 222 Remington and many still shoot that in competition. Additionally 90% of shooters will tell you whatever they shoot is the most accurate cartridge. The most accurate cartridge is likely the cartridge that performs best for any given shooter, in any given rifle on any given day.

Ron

 

[Jim Watson]

Agree with Walkalong. As one successful competitor says, "The more I practice, the luckier I get."

Sure, the bughole groups are statistical outliers, but if you don't have good equipment and skill with it, you are a lot less likely to get to the right side of the curve. If you do have what it takes, you will live on the right side of the curve, even if you don't get out to the very tail end.