Best 6mm-284 loads long range hunting 105gr or 115gr?

[Hbb6601]

I'm struggling a little bit with a new gun. I have perviously shot Retumbo and 115 VLD's in my older gun and they worked great. The new gun has a huge deviation in fps (70-100) so I swamped the primers from CCI 200 to CCI BR primers, a little better but still bad. At 300 yards it's shoots about 2-3" groups at best but at 100 yards it's 1.75-2.5" (horrible). Is it not stabilizing the bullet at a 100? I have Brux 1 in 8 twist in a 27.5" barrel; shooting 52.7 gr Retumbo. Also why the huge spread in velocity? I'm thinking about trying 105gr VLD's with a few powders (Retumbo, H4831, & H1000) any suggestions? I would like to take this gun to Montana in Oct. for deer and antelope but not if it's shooting like this.....

 

[dogdinger]

I am shooting 107gr SMKs @ 3250 fps with 45.5 grs of H4350 out of almost the same rig. shoots bugholes AJ

 

[learning]

With that big of a ES I would take the bolt apart and see if the spring is weak. I had a rifle give me terrible ES with a load know to have a good ES, a new spring and it was good as new.

 

[Hbb6601]

Well just got back from the range and I'm guessing it was stabilization problem. Worst 100 group of 8 different loads was .75" and best was .23". I took the one that was .23" and shot it at 300 yards (80 degrees with no wind) and shot a .85" group. It shot best with 52.7 gr Retumbo seated at the lands (sp?). Not quite the speed I was hoping for but it will work - 3120 fps with Berger 105 VLD's. It shot about .5" at 100 with a load running 3215 but I would rather shoot 100 fps slower and shoot bugholes. Also used Retumbo and BR-2 primer and had no problems with deviation, max deviation today was 16 fps with my end load. I'm happy now!

On another note is any one shooting the 115 VLD's from a 1 and 8 twist and having good luck or do you need a 1 in 7 or 1 in 7.5?

 

[Hbb6601]

I am shooting 107gr SMKs @ 3250 fps with 45.5 grs of H4350 out of almost the same rig. shoots bugholes AJ

Have you ever shot game with the SMKs? I'm wanting to use mine for deer and antelope and long range predators.

 

[Hbb6601]

With that big of a ES I would take the bolt apart and see if the spring is weak. I had a rifle give me terrible ES with a load know to have a good ES, a new spring and it was good as new.

Thanks for the tip. I'm not sure what is going on but it was consistent today. I'm wondering if it was a pressure jump because I was right at the lands and I notice the COL was varying by up to 15 thousands?? Either way it cleared up for me with the new bullet and load today. Thanks for the help!

 

[340ORHNTR]

I am shooting 105 Berger VLD's with RL22 at about 3120 FPS out of a 26" tube. The 105's work very well on Antelope and Deer.

 

[dogdinger]

hbb6601.....I have only killed one game animal with the 107 SMK's. it was a speedgoat @ 660 yds. the bullet completely penetrated both front shoulders and it was an immediate bang-flop.
Also killed several coyotes with the same bullet and they were the same. pretty tough on pelts though. AJ

 

[Hbb6601]

hbb6601.....I have only killed one game animal with the 107 SMK's. it was a speedgoat @ 660 yds. the bullet completely penetrated both front shoulders and it was an immediate bang-flop.
Also killed several coyotes with the same bullet and they were the same. pretty tough on pelts though. AJ

Very cool; thanks!

 

[cummins cowboy]

make sure and test your load I say out to at least 500 yards. I thought I had a load with the 105 berger and RL 17, it shot .75 at 200 yards. turns out at 550 yards I had about 5" of vertical spread, even more troubling was that it was 1 shot and 2 up or down, at the extreme ends of that 5" no shots in the middle at my aim point. I am sitting there looking at 3 different groups I fired with it and they were pretty much the same, I am thinking that will miss a coyote EVERY time. had to switch to another load with 4831 sc, that load ran at or less than 3.5" of vertical at 550 yards.

 

[rscott5028]

1:8" twist is on the slow side for the 115's.

That would affect stabilization/accuracy potential, but I'm not sure why it would affect the ES of your MV.

-- richard

 

[Hbb6601]

make sure and test your load I say out to at least 500 yards. I thought I had a load with the 105 berger and RL 17, it shot .75 at 200 yards. turns out at 550 yards I had about 5" of vertical spread, even more troubling was that it was 1 shot and 2 up or down, at the extreme ends of that 5" no shots in the middle at my aim point. I am sitting there looking at 3 different groups I fired with it and they were pretty much the same, I am thinking that will miss a coyote EVERY time. had to switch to another load with 4831 sc, that load ran at or less than 3.5" of vertical at 550 yards.

I plan on shooting drop data on 3 shot groups out to 600 yards this weekend so hopefully it will be ok. Did you chrony the load your were shooting and did it vary a lot? Also what primer?