Better 6mm (not 243W) for hunting? Which one?

[Whitetails45]

240 Wby would be my choice.

 

[Sid Post]

240 Wby would be my choice.

For a real hammer, I think something like a 6-06 variant would be hard to beat along with the 284 Winchester or WSM/SAUM variants. A 6.8SPC variant in an AR-15 would be another good option for deer or similar game animals.

Honestly though, I'm looking for something less harsh along the lines of the 6BR options or 6XC. Lapua and Creedmoor options are attractive to many but, today I don't really think I need that much muzzle blast or barrel wear. A 1x8 twist barrel with high BC bullets though might be just the ticket for many hunters with longer hunting ranges than I typically see.

 

[BEEMAN]

I have some 100gr Badlands Bulldozers that have a .575 BC, I'm going to shoot in my 6SST out of a 1:7 twist. I'm thinking of having a 1;6 twist made for a dasher to shoot this bullet, it would be a little LR Hammer on deer and antelope.

I'll look into the Badlands. My dasher is a 7 twist. Not sure if they would ship to Canada.

 

[adam32]

For a real hammer, I think something like a 6-06 variant would be hard to beat along with the 284 Winchester or WSM/SAUM variants. A 6.8SPC variant in an AR-15 would be another good option for deer or similar game animals.

Honestly though, I'm looking for something less harsh along the lines of the 6BR options or 6XC. Lapua and Creedmoor options are attractive to many but, today I don't really think I need that much muzzle blast or barrel wear. A 1x8 twist barrel with high BC bullets though might be just the ticket for many hunters with longer hunting ranges than I typically see.

That's why I said in the beginning to load a .240 Wby to .243 win velocities, you'll greatly extend barrel and brass life because you'll be running an extremely mild load. And with a brake recoil will be non-existent.

 

[Sid Post]

Right now, I'm looking at something with factory loads that are reasonable. Downloaded factory Wby isn't something I have seen. Older cartridges that support obsolete military bolt actions are something I have considered like the 6.5x55 or possibly a 7x57 but I want to stay a bit smaller.

6XC Norma Oryx loads seem like a good choice but, 6mm Remington with a modern barrel would be attractive too. I guess I could open up my options with a 257 Roberts or 250 Savage though, I think a 6mm would punch a hog a little harder than a larger diameter. With 22 options, to beat my 5.56 I'd have to look at something like a 22-250 or 22 Valkyrie but, I'm not sure I want to deal with that much muzzle blast or the weight of a varmint oriented rifle.

I'll google the WBY loadings a bit and see what my options are without handloading. With a handloading requirement, that opens up a lot of really good wildcats.

 

[Quintus]

Just out of curiosity, what is the issue with a fast twist 243Win? Just the boring factor?

 

[MZmoose]

For a real hammer, I think something like a 6-06 variant would be hard to beat along with the 284 Winchester or WSM/SAUM variants. A 6.8SPC variant in an AR-15 would be another good option for deer or similar game animals.

Honestly though, I'm looking for something less harsh along the lines of the 6BR options or 6XC. Lapua and Creedmoor options are attractive to many but, today I don't really think I need that much muzzle blast or barrel wear. A 1x8 twist barrel with high BC bullets though might be just the ticket for many hunters with longer hunting ranges than I typically see.

I have a 6.8, it's a short range caliber. Bullets are low sectional density and too low of velocity. I has little recoil but is not a good hunting round.

 

[Sid Post]

I have a 6.8, it's a short range caliber. Bullets are low sectional density and too low of velocity. I has little recoil but is not a good hunting round.

The 6.8SPC is a poor choice IMHO for what most people call long range. In a Short Barrel Rifle for 'door kickers' it works well. It also has proven itself to me for feral hog elimination on my personal property, pre-surgery.

For myself, I find it to be pretty effective inside 200 yards on feral hogs and is the reason I own an AR-15 in that caliber. I listened to people saying an AR-15 in .223/5.56 was good feral hog medicine which I guess is true if you only take ear hole shots. Personally, I find the 6.8SPC to be effective in MY HANDS with my MY RIFLE as I can put them down with one shot to the vitals or a shoulder inside 200 yards. A rear quartering shot from a hog at full run will generally turn it and slow it down enough I can anchor it with a second round. Given the constraints of an AR-15 rifle in a factory caliber for inside 200 yards, I'll take it over the 5.56 and 300BO anyday everytime for intermediate ranges (~200 yards give or take a 100) against deer, hogs, and similar targets. The new 350 Legend is the only one I can think of that is a factory offering that would be more effective though the 458Soccom has had sputtering popularity too. A Grendel or Beowulf would probably work well though I'll take a 6.8SPC over both of them and yes, I own a 6.5 Grendel and a 300BO too. My AR-10 in 308 Win is by far the best but, at this point I have strayed so far off the original intent of this thread I will stop here.

Different strokes for different folks and different uses. So, back to a light recoiling bolt action that is a relatively light rifle with reasonably good barrel life without harsh muzzle blast for hunting, not steel or paper at a formal range ...

 

[denobravo]

6slr all the way. It's what the 243 should have been. 30 degree shoulder and long neck. No fire forming. Just once through the die and shoot. Very accurate round. Will send 105s 3100
in a 26 in barrel and good barrel life.
The next pick would be 6creed. It's just easy and they shoot great.
Shep

shoulda been ?
6mm competiton match has a 31 degree shoulder more capacity than an SLR and according to Joe Hendricks can give the shooter 2-3 thousand round barrel life is you use single base powders and swab the first few inches of the bore with bore paste every 300 rounds
Google the cartridge and his name Joe Hendricks

 

[25WSM]

I know all about the comp match. I prefer the long neck I get on my slr. My slr will run the slow powder too and gives great barrel life. I don't need to fireform an slr. If I'm going to fireform I will go to my other favorite the 243ai.
Shep

 

[25WSM]

Denobravo I shoot 1000yd br and I'm a gunsmith. I'm pretty well versed in all the 6s. I have shot most of them. For the average person the slr is a very nice round that just needs to go into the die. Out comes a brass that has a long neck and 30degee shoulder. Like a long 6br. Far better than a regular 243 on barrel life. Same speed still feeds perfect. I use lapua brass in mine and have had zero issues. I shot alot of 5 inch 10 shot groups with it at 1000 yards so it is plenty accurate.
Shep

 

[Velvet]

Denobravo I shoot 1000yd br and I'm a gunsmith. I'm pretty well versed in all the 6s. I have shot most of them. For the average person the slr is a very nice round that just needs to go into the die. Out comes a brass that has a long neck and 30degee shoulder. Like a long 6br. Far better than a regular 243 on barrel life. Same speed still feeds perfect. I use lapua brass in mine and have had zero issues. I shot alot of 5 inch 10 shot groups with it at 1000 yards so it is plenty accurate.
Shep

Hi Shep
Currently I have a 243ai that works very well, but I have the limitation you mention about the short neck, and the OAL. For the 105gn bullets, I have to sacrifice internal space of the case, putting the bullet deep inside.
I am presented with the choice of buying the throat extension reamer, or adopting this new 6 SLR.
Currently the 105gn ones come out at 3150 / 3200fs with accuracy (Bartlein 1:7.5, 26").
I have quite a few cases already formed at 243ai, so I wanted to ask you if the change from 243ai to 6 SLR will really be worth it, or if simply lengthening the throat is enough.
Thank you for your advice.
V
PS: Could you put a photo with the two cases next to each other?

 

[25WSM]

I would absolutely just throat what you have. Make up a dummy round that fits your box and had good bullet grip and have a smith throat it to your cartridge.
2 good things will happen. You get a fresh throat so you might get an accuacy bump. And you will get bullet out of the donuts. And as a bonus you will gain capacity. The slr shoots same speed as 243 if they are throated equally. The 243ai will out run both by 100 to 150 fps. I only use the ai for 115dtacs. I use 105 class bullets in the slr. Go to 6mmar.vom to see cases next to each other.
Shep

 

[Velvet]

I would absolutely just throat what you have. Make up a dummy round that fits your box and had good bullet grip and have a smith throat it to your cartridge.
2 good things will happen. You get a fresh throat so you might get an accuacy bump. And you will get bullet out of the donuts. And as a bonus you will gain capacity. The slr shoots same speed as 243 if they are throated equally. The 243ai will out run both by 100 to 150 fps. I only use the ai for 115dtacs. I use 105 class bullets in the slr. Go to 6mmar.vom to see cases next to each other.
Shep

Thanks for the advice. I'm going for the throat lengthening option. I saw a PTG kit to do it manually and yourself.
I asked you for a comparative photo between 243ai and 6mm SLR. I wanted to see what the shoulders and necks looked like.
Thank you
V