6PRC or plain Ol’ vanilla 6-06AI

First off FNG here been a lurker reader for a couple yrs . Thanks for the add look forward to discussing, learning , and sharing. I'm a 10 yr die hard veteran over at Castboolits. Now I want to brake some speed limits with - big 6 . Been reading to the point I can't keep everything separated and straight . I've been looking at all the Big 6's I can find 240Weatherby , vanilla 6mmRem and AI , 6-284 , 6 sst, all of them have expensive or tedious case work . I don't know enough about the 6PRC , I don't know if the case is cut down , if shoulder is moved or anything . If it's just neglect down great sounds fun . The 6mm-06AI sounds easy and comfortable. So , anybody have experience here or 1st hand knowledge about the 6PRC , I would love to hear from you . I would like to push the Berger 108 Elite Hunter , maybe the Berger 115 VLD Hunter. According to the twist calculation on Berger I would need 3200 FPS out of the 115grn to stabilize in a 1:8 twist out of a 26" SS tube (long action Rem 700) I would like the 1in 8 so I can maybe shoot some of the 70 HP Speer bullets tha I have 1500 of for my 6mmARC's . Lighter bullets most often be shot in ARC and heavies in the Big 6 . But you know it'll be fun to later some lite weights and watch them detonate of vermin . So what did I forget to add ? Any questions plz ask . Any information or help please share . Least expense and headache with brass is the winner . I like the idea of the 6mmsst but I just can't get on board with paying over $2.00 a piece for a brass casing you guys that can't do that more power to ya I'm 51yrs old 2 wks ago and I'm all over some 06' once fired . I've got a 6mm RCBS 108 grain mold with a gas check and powder coating I can fireform 400 rounds of brass and never burn the throat a bit . Thanks for any input and positive help . If you can't be positive just don't chime in please . Momma always said if you ain't got nothing nice to say just don't say anything at . All you negative entities just go reload or something. Thanks

If you already have a lot of .30-06 brass the 6mm-06AI would seem like the way to go.

leadjunkie said:

(long action Rem 700)

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What bolt face is in it? That's going to drive 6-06AI (standard) vs 6 PRC (magnum).

FWIW I would fo the 6-06AI. I have reamers for 22, 6, 6.5, 25, and 30 cal -06AI variants, plus several Gibbs designs, because I'm ever so slightly biased towards the Springfield case Can get Lapua and Peterson brass, both have worked well for me.

Lapua has a larger web dia, BEWARE.

Lead junkie, welcome. An 8 Twist will spin the jackets off of a Speer TNT. 70g Nosler ballistic tips are a choice that does take the RPMs, BUT I would use a 14 twist and throat the chamber for that bullet, the 6 Rem AI has an accuracy node at 4100 fps, and the 70g Nosler is a deer killing son of a gun along with its (80, 90g, AND 95G brother) NEEDS FASTER TWIST. A guy here is shooting the 6 Gibbs with the 70g Noslers at some unreal speed that I would have to see to believe, I heard 4500 fps.

Forget lead bullets, will make your life much easier.

Then you speak of 115s. You need to figure out what you want and specialize in it, instead of wanting to do it all with one, it is a WORST CASE compromise. You need a much faster twist and a much longer throat for the 115s. I have a 31" 6 XC that shoots the 105 vld hunting at 3150 with ease in Lapua Palma brass with Rem 7 1/2 primers using H4350. When you want to go with the 115s and do warp speed, the 243 AI will do well at speeds/rpm the 115 will handle, 7.5-7.75 twist for the Tubb Detacs

When pushing the 115s it is really hard in these super big cases, the boat tail caves in from rotational torque as the bullet engages the rifling and starts to twist. From Reloaders and shooters that I trust, the Nosler solid base 70,80,90, and 95g ballistic tips will take the insane RPM's of the Gibbs. I know one guy that shoots a 6 Rem AI with the 95g Bergers at 3500, not 8t

Sounds like the Quiet Texan could help you out immensely, and I would consider having two barrels chambered at the same time, your first barrel will be shot out by the time you complete your load development if you only use a couple of bullet choices. These big fire breathers are not easy on barrels. Unlike shooting Cast bullets in your barrel, these high-velocity jacketed bullets demand you clean your barrel frequently. I shot cast bullet comp for a while with 308 win, pure linotype bullets, with gas checks, heat treated.
After shooting jacketed bullets in a smooth SS Barrel, the bore will get rough and tear up cast bullets, so do not go there.

You have brass on hand, once fired which may give you fits in terms of fitting in the new barrels chamber, there is a learning curve to doing this. Small base size the parent brass prior to fire forming to the smaller caliber. There is an old saying, new barrel, use new brass...keeps the aggravation down.

Another source of aggrivaton is dies which are scarce as chicken lips in some calibers. Maybe Quiet Texan can help you out also.

Also, when using these huge wild cats, you have to become a dedicated hard-core rifle barrel cleaner, powder fouling and copper fouling accumulate very, very quickly.

Look before you leap, find your dies first, then I will mention for the second time, you can adapt your brass to a new chamber dimension by Small base sizing in the parent case Before fireforming to your wild cat. Winchester brass is pretty tough, and maybe plenty good enough for your use. Federal is junk, soft in the case head.

Lead junkie, this is a complex and time consuming wild cat to get involved in. Neck Turning will be part of your routine. Pencil out the costs and stick with it.

I would do a 6-280AI in a heartbeat. Good brass and easy to neck down.

7 twist for the 115 Bergers. This from Berger and Krieger engineers. I run them in my 6 CM in a Krieger 7tw with great results.

So as I said I've got three 6 Arc to run lite weight bullets in at 3000-3200 fps . I cannot make an 6 arc run fast with the heavy bullets . I can download a 6AI with 70-75 grain bullets . I don't have to try and run them @ Mach 4500fps with their boat tails on fire . I can run them 35-3600 fps second and I'm only talking about doing this less than 15-20 times a yr . No you cannot run a 243 Winchester with 115 grain bullets anywhere near 3200 fps , not in Sammie specs . Yes I've done outside neck trimming on 6 ppc , 22-250 (tight neck) 375 Raptor. I'm not building a bench rest gun I'm building something to carry in the truck and tractor and shoot heavy bullets moderately most of the time . A 24 friggin 3 with 115's if any load book had that in it I'd already own the rifle . That's why there all these overbored big 6 Wildcat cartridges cuz 24 friggin 3 ain't got the stones to get there with out blowing Sammi specs out the window you run your lil 6xc with a 30" tube that you need a 10 ft area to turn the barrel around . Your not getting that 30" tube in and around the deer stand comfortably and you run that sucker hot all you want and I'll run my over bore 06'AI moderately and I'll get 3-4 times the barrel life same with that 243 run that thing till the bolt lugs fall off at 600-900 rounds . I know WHAT I can do with the 6-06'AI I know that MidwayUSA has dies for it . What I don't know is about the 6PRC or about dies and I still don't . This is why I don't join and don't post is because there's got to be that one know it all somewhere that assumed I'm new to this sport . He assumed that he knows better for me about what I should be running and how I should run it . I've been shooting and reloading since before I was in kindergarten I've been casting bullets since b4 I was reloading b4 I started learning school work . I'm now 51 yrs you run yours ragged and hot I'll get one big enough that I can run it moderate and I'll still be shooting dimes after you've burned 2 barrels . If anyone knows anything about the 6 Prc that yes runs a larger (magnum) bolt face I would really like to learn about that cartridge and where I can get dies . If I like what I learn . So if I went with the 6 PRC and the magnum bolt face . Did you know that they make 7mm mags and 300 Win mags by the thousands ? They come in a long action in REM 700's and they have that magnum bolt face on them all ready for a barrel swap after face the reciever and maybe polishing the lugs . I've even got a 375 Ruger that I don't shoot anymore and it's a long action with that mag bolt face that the 6 PRC would need if I decided to go that direction . Thanks to everyone that wasn't a turd . And ppl wonder why we loose so much in this 2A struggle that we're in . The Demoncrats are winning and not being prosecuted because they stick together and they are all on the same page . We in the 2 A fight struggle because we don't hold together. How many of these web sites have to say don't be ugly don't belittle don't treat your fellow man like crap . That's why we loose because so many are so much more , or better , smarter , or richer , or whatever it is that's makes them act like a turd . You got the rich and the poors. I absolutely detest that distinction ain't nobody taken it with them , you can't buy your soul into heaven . Then you have the new shooters or reloaders vs the veteran shooters and reloaders . How many times does a veteran reloader or shooter tell the new guy he shouldn't shoot that cartridge he should get this benchrest loudenboomer. Or the veteran reloaders tell the new guy he can't reload with Lee stuff he needs to bite the bullet and get a Dillon you'll be so much better off . We as a community need to come together not drive a wedge at every possible opportunity. These websites are full of ppl that just want to drive a wedge every chance they get . Sighhh

Also from the Berger twist rate chart . If I can get the 115 to 3150 it said I would be stabilized. With the 1 in 8 twist . If I can't I can't and I'm ok with that because I'm ok with running the 108's . If I use 1:8 twist maybe I don't have to download as far as I would with a 1:7 twist where rpm's would yes , spin the jackets off . Can't run the 105's in a 1:9 twist much less the 108's or 115's . Just trying to make a compromise. Something a lot of ppl are unwilling to do .

SAC makes the dies you need. They're a PRC modular die. Hold onto your checkbook though.


I think PBB will chamber a barrel for you and they call it a 6-6.5PRC. If you use their website and go through the order process it will give the options to select 6-6.5PRC. Best to call/email Bryce at PBB to discuss.


I had considered building one, and did some research, but never ran the down the rabbit hole. Some info here also on RS forum with firsthand experience.


Good luck!

115g bullets need a .189 freebore
70g bullets need zero freebore to .050

Good luck to you, and Happy New Year!

Hey man, just read all of this. Was curious if you have built your 6mm yet? Which one did you go with? How do you like it? I am in the process of building a 6 PRC now, it should be done in about 2 months or so from now. I have a friend building a 6-06ai, we plan on comparing them and posting some of the rough data and results from our builds. A cheaper option for dies would be to buy a Hornady match grade set of dies in 6.5PRC that have a bushing in them and get the proper bushing(s) for your brass and dies. I plan on running 108 ELD-M's, 110 A-Tip's, and possibly 115 DTAC's, all around that 3400-fps range.

My

MagMan said:

I would do a 6-280AI in a heartbeat. Good brass and easy to neck down.my dad had a 6-270 AI that shot like a house fire but back then the heaviest he could get was the 105gr RN Partition but I saw him take a texas heart shot on a big Julie buck at about 350 yds . Broke its right hip bine and we found the bullet under his jaw. Now that penetration.

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