Favorite 6mm BR Loads

[Longone1]

I have also found that 30.4 grains of N-150 shot very well, but for me the velocity was in the mid 2700 range. The next load that would shoot took considerably more powder to get in the 2900 fps range. I'm using a 30" Bartlien with a .236" and 8" twist.

I've been wondering how some of the 2950+ fps load on the 6BR page get their speed with the same load?

Longone

 

[comagutsa]

6BR Krieger 1.8 twist 30" SS barrel with .105 freebore and .272 no turn neck, weatherby vanguard action, lapua brass, 105gr berger hunting vld jammed .010, CCI BR4 primers, using 29.5gr of reloader 15
just got a 1.949" group at 500m on our fly shoot and I haven't finished load testing yet

 

[Schandler]

anybody out there use a berger 88gr vld bullet - this is the bullet the smith suggested and i just bought several - i have had several boxes for years - or since i have owned the rifle and never shot anything else - dont even know if berger still makes the actual bullet but all i see is heavier bullets being shot - just wondering if anyone uses 88gr and what powder

 

[22DASHER]

12 Twist Trued Rem 700 6BR
One hole groups at 100 yards and flings prairie dogs sky high.
Lapua Brass
65 Grain V-Max
33 Grains of N135
205M Primers
.020 jam

 

[Richard Jones]

anybody out there use a berger 88gr vld bullet - this is the bullet the smith suggested and i just bought several - i have had several boxes for years - or since i have owned the rifle and never shot anything else - dont even know if berger still makes the actual bullet but all i see is heavier bullets being shot - just wondering if anyone uses 88gr and what powder

Yes, I've shot some of them. Haven't shot the rifle in years. I'll check my notes when I get home and let you know what I used.

Rich

 

[Richard Jones]

Checked my logs: 30.5 gr Varget with the 88 Match Grade High BC FB, not VLD.

Berger lists an 87 VLD, but not an 88.

They shot the best out of 6 or 7 bullets. I only have 100 rounds through the barrel.

Time to start shooting again, I've been away too long.......

 

[Dan Hall]

anybody out there use a berger 88gr vld bullet - this is the bullet the smith suggested and i just bought several - i have had several boxes for years - or since i have owned the rifle and never shot anything else - dont even know if berger still makes the actual bullet but all i see is heavier bullets being shot - just wondering if anyone uses 88gr and what powder

I’ve got a 1-10 twist Douglas barrel on my Dakota Predator in 6BR and I shoot Berger’s 87 Gr VLDs. I use 32.0 gr of Varget and it shoots .3”-.5” 5 shot groups at 200 yards regularly and this is a sporter, not a BR rifle.

 

[comagutsa]

new load in my weatherby vanguard 6BR 1;8 twist 30" krieger HV using 105gr berger hybrids and 30.6gr of 2208/varget running at ave 2939fps ES of 9 and a SD of 7 with CCI BR4 primers in Lapua brass no turn .272 neck and 105 freebore seated .014 off lands
500m or 547yards 1.865 inches

1st group was going to be a 1.8 inch group also put i pulled the last shot

 

[powderbrake]

I have a new prairie dog gun, Stiller Predator action, Krieger 1:8 barrel, Jewell trigger, Pillar bedded McMillan stock.

Berger 88 gr Varmint, 31.7 gr Varget, CCI BR-4 primer, Lapua stock brass, 3091 fps, 12.3 SD

Those are 1/4 inch squares

 

[ASbobcat]

Favorite 6mm BR Loads,20 Merged Posts)



NOTE: I have no doubt this is a good load for Jarhead. Some rifles can handle this much RL15. However, this load will be WAY hot for some other guns. Much depends on the freebore of your chamber and your bore dimensions. With RL15 and 105s we recommend you start at 29.5 grains and work up. A practical max load in many 6BR rifles will be 30.5-30.7 grains.

I concur. I maxed out at 30.7 gr in a factory Savage with naked 105 Berger's jumped .015.

 

[Rpbump]

28" barrel, 1" dia, no neck turn chamber, laminated 3" benchrest stock, & Savage 110 action with Basic trigger. 30.1gr Varget, Lapua cases, 107gr SMK, Weaver T36, Bullets.com slingshot rest. Shot 4" clays at Mexia,TX (500m) for the first time at a distance over 200yds. Got 8 out of 10 with an E to W 5 to 12mph wind. I've been reloading for over 40 years and never loaded a cartridge as accurate and easy to load for.

Rpbump

 

[DennisH]

Easy round to dial in.

Below target states all.

 

[1raggedhole]

Savage LRPV action, Criterion 28" 8T prefit 6BR w 272 no turn neck:
1. 105 a-max, 29.8 Varget, cci 450, jump .010" = 2850 fps
2. 87 v-max, 30.3 Varget, cci 450, jump .010" = 3000 fps
Both consistently shoot "1raggedhole"

 

[GrocMax]

27" .237" bore 6 groove 12 twist, CIP 6BR Norma chamber (no-turn for blue box, .093" FB I think), blue box brass, 450's, 33.3g AA2200, 58 vmax, 2.140" OAL (substantial jump and bullet only 1/2 way down neck) 3900FPS muzzle, stupid accurate. 55 Nosler BT same load is 4000FPS.
Near max for hot weather but does not stress brass. Ejector wipes and occasional sticky bolt lift was at 33.8g.

 

[Mozella]

Re: Favorite 6mm BR Loads,20 Merged Posts)

My latest 6BR rifle..... snip........
Lapua "blue box" brass, 38.9 g H2O, neck turned to .267 loaded
Sierra 107 MK Moly, 2.380" OAL, -.012"
CCI 450
31.1 IMR 8208 XBR
~2930 fps, 9-13 ES, 4.5-5.5 SD

.......... snip........Pressure seems reasonable. I just fired the eighth load in these 50 pieces, annealed twice. Primer pockets are still tight.

I've done some load tests with similar equipment (except for my 28" barrel) and identical bullets and powder; however, at MUCH lower charge weights. IMR lists the maximum load for this situation as 26.7gr producing an estimated pressure just over 50K psi. I've tested up to 28.84gr which is 108% of max load, and 108% is usually as high as I feel comfortable for initial testing.

Your load of 31.1gr is more than 116% of max published load and Quickload claims this amount of powder is well into the "DANGEROUS LOAD DO NOT USE" territory producing an estimated pressure of 70,064 psi.

I don't want to sound like the "safety police" and you are certainly free to do what you like. But I imagine some folks new to reloading might be impressed with your very accurate results and claimed lack of over-pressure issues, and without consulting any other authority simply copy your recipe. This may (or may not) result in unpleasant results, so I'll just say if you're new to this, please consult with what IMR and other sources say about appropriate loads for IMR 8208 XBR pushing SMK 107gr bullets and start somewhere below their max recommended charge before working up to higher charge weights.

Sorry to sound like a wet blanket, but 31.1gr IMR 8208 XBR sounds like a LOT of powder to me. Did I miss something?

Or perhaps I'm turning into a chicken in my old age. Two months ago I was shooting next to a guy who launched about 20 HOT rounds from a 300 Win Mag and each and every case blew right in half. He had to fish the brass out of the chamber in two pieces. He just keep on shooting and commented that he might have to back off a bit on his next batch. Me.... I stepped aside for a while since I failed to bring my flak vest to the range that day.

 

[Oldschool1]

I see H4895 was listed in the accurate loads data http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/6mmbr/#6BRloads

But only see a single reference to it on this entire thread. Is it "outdate" would no longer be considered a favorite, or does it still compete with powders listed in this thread, or other reason it may not be used?

 

[Steve Blair]

Sorry to sound like a wet blanket, but 31.1gr IMR 8208 XBR sounds like a LOT of powder to me. Did I miss something?
Or perhaps I'm turning into a chicken in my old age.

Both are likely true. You missed the fact that factory load manuals address a specific set of parameters that may or may not be similar to those you are using. Following a methodical load development regimen, acquiring knowledge of how powders react when temperature changes and continually monitoring for pressure signs ensures safety. Brass in that rifle has never failed to deliver less than thirty loads. I've shot through three barrels. Do you think pressure that cannot push brass into plastic deformation somehow will cause high strength steel to fail?

That little rifle, with its "unsafe" loads, has won a lot of matches. It opens with a flick of my index finger and the brass drops cleanly out the bottom. No two rifles are alike. Powder lots show considerable variance in effective burning rate, requiring changes in load. None of the charges that I have listed on Accurateshooter are maximum in my rifles. Maximum loads will not usually perform well in long strings of fire.

 

[Mozella]

Both are likely true. You missed the fact that factory load manuals address a specific set of parameters that may or may not be similar to those you are using. ............snip.......

Well, you're wrong there. I'm fully aware that factory loading books normally list a set of parameters which often don't match the exact situation a reloader faces when working up a load for a particular barrel length, twist rate, temperature, etc. In fact, an exact match with "the book" is probably quite rare. Nevertheless, the folks who test these loads and go on to publish their findings in a reloading book take that into account. In many, if not most situations the published loads are conservative enough so that they can serve as a safe starting point even when the reloaders rifle specifications don't exactly match the test rifle.

Still, every reloading book I have advises beginners to start at less than the maximum published load and carefully work up from there.

What I missed was seeing anything in your post mentioning that this particular favorite load of yours (which is significantly in excess of the published safe load for that powder and bullet combination) might not be suitable for others, especially beginners. Your comment that it doesn't exhibit any over-pressure indications could very well lead a beginner to think that it might be safe in his gun. That's the point that I was making and I think anyone publishing what most people would call "hot" loads owes it to the public to mention that fact. Actually, most people who post recipes in excess of published maximum safe loads, do exactly that.

Of course, you're free to do as you like. And that includes putting as much powder in your cases as you wish and then publishing that data without any warning in on-line forums like this one. Suit yourself.

I just hate to see someone surprise or possibly hurt themselves.

 

[Steve Blair]

Well, you're wrong there.

Worth noting that you proposed the two possibilities and I just agreed with you. Regardless, your main objections seem to be that my empirically derived data, validated over thousands of rounds fired in temperatures from 40-100°F, do not agree with your source and that I did not post a disclaimer. I think you must be either a lawyer or Democrat. Does the phrase "personal responsibility" mean anything to you? Your assumption seems to be that anyone reading the post has no sense and does not understand basic reloading practice. I tend toward more optimism and believe that readers of this forum have more acumen than you credit.

If it bothers you that much, provide what you think is an appropriate disclaimer and a link to that specific post, and I will amend it. It is my sincere hope that doing so will unbunch your panties.

 

[GrocMax]

Reloading manuals more than 4-5 years older than powder lots are to be eyed with heavy suspicion, powder, and methodology changes over time.

Mozella- Take a look at current Western Powders load guide to see the difference between SAAMI spec and 'high pressure', they cover SAMMI/'high pressure' loads for several different cartridges, for instance look closely at the 223 SAAMI/5.56 NATO data sets. They also cover quite a few common wildcats others don't.

The 6BR Lapua case is on a totally different level of upper pressure limit and still be good for 30+ reloads, 63K PSI piezo is child's play.

6BR published data (mostly on Remington cases, gotta be the softest brass ever made) is a hoot, no connection to reality.