Is the 6ppc right for me?

[LAKESNAKE]

Recently found out, a local gun range offers Benchrest matches. Bailey's House of Guns. Houston, Texas. I gave up F-class, due to arthritis pain, from shooting prone. But shoot for the bench very comfortable. I reload & have a NF NXS12- 42×56.
Is the 6ppc the way to go?

 

[LHSmith]

"Benchrest" match means different things to different people. What is the course of fire?

 

[LAKESNAKE]

I emailed them today, trying to find out more. I'm sure it's 100 or 200 yards.

 

[INShooter]

YES! You will love it.

 

[rkittine]

I had to go to a Straight 36x Scope to make weight unless I wanted to shoot in the Unlimited class. Most of the matches around me are Light or Heavy Varmint so you have 10.5 or 13.5 pounds max all in. I have a couple of NF 12x42s and I think they are 26 ounces. My 36X fixed scope is 17. Makes a difference.

Bob

 

[LHSmith]

If the club only has a 100 yard range.......I highly recommend the 6mm Beggs......220 Russian necked up to 6 mm without the case forming hassle of the ppc.

 

[powderbrake]

Recently found out, a local gun range offers Benchrest matches. Bailey's House of Guns. Houston, Texas. I gave up F-class, due to arthritis pain, from shooting prone. But shoot for the bench very comfortable. I reload & have a NF NXS12- 42×56.
Is the 6ppc the way to go?

I suggest that you Google Bailey's House of Guns and read the comments regarding the 100 yard range. Also, are you going to reload at the range? Do they have space for that? Better to go there and shoot at least once to evaluate the range.

 

[LHSmith]

Forget Baileys, Google NBRSA. You will find that you are in the midst of several bona fide match venues on the Gulf Coast that hold several registered matches each year. You are a lucky man as their game is real Benchrest and new shooters are always welcomed.

 

[LAKESNAKE]

Thanks, & I will Google NBRSA.

 

[DOGCAPPER]

6 PPC is the way to go. If you want to avoid fire forming brass, Norma makes PPC ready to shoot. Brass seems softer and stretches less with less than maximum loads.
Popular powders are 133, 322, Benchmark, and LT32. Primers Fed 205M, (cant be found) Rem 7 1/2, CCI BR4. Need a Custom barrel 14 twist uses 62-66 grain flat base, 13 twist 67-68 grain bullet. Any of the above can be competitive out to 300 yds.

 

[RonS]

I'm in the same boat as Lakesnake, can a 12 twist barrel work with the 6PPC as an all around rifle? If so, what bullet range should I be using? I'm looking to use it for plinking, club matches and maybe some varmint shooting...

 

[snert]

Don't be shy about talking with guys who are at the match shooting. And a used PPC is the way to start, in my opinion, as usally you can get one that will still outshoot you for some time before it "quits" and then you are at the point where you can honestly shoot with a new PPC barrel. Of course if you have the funds, put a new tube on it and away you go. The Beggs is a fine way to avoid all the case making. But I can say the PPCs i have shot are just spooky good.

 

[WyleWD]

I'm in the same boat as Lakesnake, can a 12 twist barrel work with the 6PPC as an all around rifle? If so, what bullet range should I be using? I'm looking to use it for plinking, club matches and maybe some varmint shooting...

For what you're saying you are going to use it for, yes it will work. I've got a couple of them in 12 twist, and the 68-75gr bullets seem to work best. And you'll probably have to try a few different ones to see what it likes. The 70gr SMK, Nosler ballistic tips, 68gr bergers, would be a good place to start. JME. WD

 

[Tim s]

I'm in the same boat as Lakesnake, can a 12 twist barrel work with the 6PPC as an all around rifle? If so, what bullet range should I be using? I'm looking to use it for plinking, club matches and maybe some varmint shooting...

Not ideal.

 

[ebb]

In answer to the OPs question, the 6ppc is right for everyone who likes to shoot groups in the 1s and on occasion the 0s.

 

[RonS]

Tim s, are you saying it's not ideal for what I'd like to use it for or the 12 twist is not ideal? What would you suggest to be best selection for my usage?

 

[birdog]

With the 12 twist you can shoot a 80 gr Berger Flat Base that are spooky accurate

 

[Tim s]

Tim s, are you saying it's not ideal for what I'd like to use it for or the 12 twist is not ideal? What would you suggest to be best selection for my usage?

You stated that you're likely going to shoot club BR matches at 100/200 yards.
That would presume you're likely going to be using bullets in the 63-68 grain range.
A 12 twist will over stabilize the bullets. You would be far better off with a barrel in the 13 1/2-14 twist range which is why the majority of purpose bulit BR guns have them. Remember, nobody makes perfect bullets or barrels, you over stabilize them and every little inconsistancy gets magnified which is why you want to be somewhat on the edge of bullet stability at given velocities.
Barrels are not very expensive and you'll likely go through a couple over time......buy a 13 1/2 twist and be happy.

 

[RonS]

Thanks Tim, I actually have a 14T barrel I was thinking of selling to fund this build or re-chambering it to a 6PPC. When you say I should stay on the edge with bullet stability at a given velocity, do you mean closer to the unstable end, somewhere around 1.4 stability factor? Ron

 

[Tim s]

Thanks Tim, I actually have a 14T barrel I was thinking of selling to fund this build or re-chambering it to a 6PPC. When you say I should stay on the edge with bullet stability at a given velocity, do you mean closer to the unstable end, somewhere around 1.4 stability factor? Ron

Yes. Thats why for slugs between, say 62-68 grains the ovewhelming majority of PPC's get chambered with 13.5-14 twist, mostly 13.5, and coming on strong are gain twists with only a little gain, 1/4" or so.
If you never shoot 200' a 14 is fine but some, repeat some, are on the edge of stability at 200 yds.