400 to 600 PD options?

[urbanrifleman]

Honestly, I had fantastic results from the older 75gr Amax in .223 Wylde chamber in muy service rifle when I shot high power. I was able to reach almost 3,000 fps accurately with a max charge of N540. Coming off of 600 at Camp Perry, my windage was as much as 30% less than the folks shooting 69gr pills. I never tried anything heavier because the velocity from a 223/5.56 drops FAST after 75gr, so the heavier stuff ended up spending a lot more time in the air and getting pushed farther than the 75s.

My bigger concern with the 224 stuff is barrel life. The big .224 stuff seem to be a lot more overbore than the 6mm. Even though they may not be pushing as much powder, I would think the barrel would get hot faster, and the barrel life would be limited. I can see myself putting 300 rounds through this rifle on a 3 day trip, or maybe 500 rounds in a year. It would be nice to get more than 2 or 3 years from it. Then again, barrels are supposed to be consumable right?

My barrels are $319 currently. 22xc or 6xc should get to about 2000 or 3000 rounds. I don't think there is much difference between them.

You really need to look a CURRENT AVAILABLE bullets. Not what guys USED to shoot. There are very few choices now. Probably should stick to Hornady.

 

[Lefty2506]

6x47 brass is basically unobtanium. Go 6xc. Tubb always has brass.

Graf & Sons is showing it in stock as well as the 6XC. The 6XC is a little less expensive, but not much.

 

[jghoghunter]

A mile... on a pdog....

Okie dokie.

I take it you're one of them armchair shooters since you can't do it no one can. There are many of us that have prairie dog kills past 1 mile and past 2,000 yards. I've had these arguments 15-20 years ago with armchair shooters and I refuse to do it again. This is also why you are on my ignore list. So as not to become an ass I will not respond here anymore to this post. Lefty2506 please PM me if you have any questions I will answer anything that I can. You will get a lot of good information here even from Urbanrifleman. He sells a lot of good products at reasonable prices. I will refrain from my personal opinion about him.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Graf & Sons is showing it in stock as well as the 6XC. The 6XC is a little less expensive, but not much.

I would not base my choice on Lapua brass availability. I just wouldn't. Too sketchy. Tubb is $82 per 100. Either small or large primer.

I am being very practical these days. If a person is not already well supplied, he will need to make some decisions. Not a good time to get exotic.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Graf & Sons is showing it in stock as well as the 6XC. The 6XC is a little less expensive, but not much.

6XC Peterson Brass w/small primer pocket (Per 100)

www.davidtubb.com

Grafs is $140 for 6x47.
Tubb is $82 for 6xc.

A 6xc is a 6x48.

 

[Lefty2506]

My barrels are $319 currently. 22xc or 6xc should get to about 2000 or 3000 rounds. I don't think there is much difference between them.

You really need to look a CURRENT AVAILABLE bullets. Not what guys USED to shoot. There are very few choices now. Probably should stick to Hornady.

I'd be looking at Hornady, Berger, and Nosler. All three of them have 95gr to 108gr options that are currently showing in stock from at least 2 major retailers. Prices per hundred range from $42 to $52. I'd try Hornady first because they are normally more economical and they usually shoot well for me. However, I HAVE had a few occasions where I just couldn't get one of their bullets to shoot well. I've never had that issue with Berger or Nosler, and I've never had trouble getting Bergers so long as I was willing to spend the money. Then again, I've really only bought Hornady since 2020, so my perspective may be a little skewed...

 

[Kracken McGraw]

6x47 brass is basically unobtanium. Go 6xc. Tubb always has brass.

6.5x47 Lapua brass available nearly everywhere, no trouble to neck down to 6mm.

 

[urbanrifleman]

I'd be looking at Hornady, Berger, and Nosler. All three of them have 95gr to 108gr options that are currently showing in stock from at least 2 major retailers. Prices per hundred range from $42 to $52. I'd try Hornady first because they are normally more economical and they usually shoot well for me. However, I HAVE had a few occasions where I just couldn't get one of their bullets to shoot well. I've never had that issue with Berger or Nosler, and I've never had trouble getting Bergers so long as I was willing to spend the money. Then again, I've really only bought Hornady since 2020, so my perspective may be a little skewed...

Berger is no longer actively supporting their varmint bullets. There are smatterings available. But they haven't made 80 Berger flat backs in several years. And when asked about them a customer was told they are not even on the schedule.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Even if a person can't stand the 6xc i would still get the 6 Creed, or the 22 Creed. It's not going anywhere.

I can't say the same for some of these cartridges.

 

[L.Sherm]

If your looking for barrel life a hotrod 22 would be my last choice, a good P.D patch you will toast a barrel quick unless you have multiple rifles you can switch out.
Bucking the wind, LR I would go 6BRA or 6BR, spending a few more bucks on Lapua brass is good money spent.
6x47 would be high on the list also

 

[urbanrifleman]

My first customer that bought a 22xc was from South Dakota. That one barrel sold me half a dozen more 22xc barrels as all of his buddies ordered them. They all shoot the same load.

38.5 H4350
75 ELDM
3350 fps
Jump 20 thou.

No one has burned one up yet.

 

[Lefty2506]

6XC Peterson Brass w/small primer pocket (Per 100)

www.davidtubb.com

Grafs is $140 for 6x47.
Tubb is $82 for 6xc.

A 6xc is a 6x48.

Grafs was showing 6x47 and 6xc for about the same price, but $82 from Tubb is a MUCH better price! I'd likely try to buy around 400 pcs of brass. Spending over $500 just on brass is a painful thought. Spending over $300 is also painful, but it seems like it would only hurt about half as much

 

[Tommie]

There’s more to the picture than pure ballistics. The issue I almost never see brought up is recoil. When the trigger is pulled the gun moves backward the exit pupil is momentarily gone from sight. By the time the gun returns to battery and the shooter can once again see through the scope, bullet impact has already happened. I’ve recorded this in slow-motion with a buddy firing a 17 pound 6XC shooting 87 grain bullets. It happens fast but I promise it does happen. The result? You don’t see the hit or miss. So unless you have a full time spotter it’s a bear trying to determine windage & elevation adjustments after a miss. And if you can’t watch the impact where’s the fun? I know plenty of people will jump in and swear they watch impacts with their favorite boomer and I’ll not get into an argument. But like I said, it’s a real issue.

So my vote goes to a 20 cal 55 grain Berger bullet moving somewhere in the 3600-3800 FPS range. It really works.

 

[Rook 6]

Way late to this party. Lots of good input. @urbanrifleman is a great resource for set up. Lots of caliber options but for me personally for the application you describe, 6BR, 6BRA, 6 Dasher with 75 gr VMAX. Drop the mike and walk away.

EDIT: I have had excellent results in high wind at those distances with this bullet.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

IF, Sierra put, a Bigger Hole in the end of their 107 SMK's they would BE, the Perfect 600 Yard, PD and Yote Bullet !
107's Shoot Amazing, in my 6 XC with, a Light Jam ! The 95 gr Berger Classic Hunters have better Expansion on Sage Rats, but I haven't tried them past, 300 yds ,. YET ! I'd also, like to try the 75 gr. V-Max in my 6 XC at, 600 yds.
I agree with Rook 6, go with a 6MM and 75 V-Maxes as,.. First choice

 

[urbanrifleman]

Grafs was showing 6x47 and 6xc for about the same price, but $82 from Tubb is a MUCH better price! I'd likely try to buy around 400 pcs of brass. Spending over $500 just on brass is a painful thought. Spending over $300 is also painful, but it seems like it would only hurt about half as much

That is 2/3 of a barrel.

 

[Lefty2506]

My first customer that bought a 22xc was from South Dakota. That one barrel sold me half a dozen more 22xc barrels as all of his buddies ordered them. They all shoot the same load.

38.5 H4350
75 ELDM
3350 fps
Jump 20 thou.

No one has burned one up yet.

Interesting. I know a couple of guys that run 6mm AR Turbos and they put well over 1,000 rnds on each of their rifles in a season, and they are driving out there from Indiana. I would have thought someone in the dakota's who bought a rifle specifically for sage rats would put close to 2,000 rounds on their rifle in a single season.

 

[Lefty2506]

There’s more to the picture than pure ballistics. The issue I almost never see brought up is recoil. When the trigger is pulled the gun moves backward the exit pupil is momentarily gone from sight. By the time the gun returns to battery and the shooter can once again see through the scope, bullet impact has already happened. I’ve recorded this in slow-motion with a buddy firing a 17 pound 6XC shooting 87 grain bullets. It happens fast but I promise it does happen. The result? You don’t see the hit or miss. So unless you have a full time spotter it’s a bear trying to determine windage & elevation adjustments after a miss. And if you can’t watch the impact where’s the fun? I know plenty of people will jump in and swear they watch impacts with their favorite boomer and I’ll not get into an argument. But like I said, it’s a real issue.

So my vote goes to a 20 cal 55 grain Berger bullet moving somewhere in the 3600-3800 FPS range. It really works.

No argument there. Even out of a heavy AR running 40gr or 50gr vmax, it can be hard to see your hits. Its not hard to see if you're off by a fair amount, but when you only miss by a few inches, it can be really frustrating trying to figure out what to hold.

I'm just not interested in trying to run a 20 cal out to 600 yds.

 

[urbanrifleman]

There’s more to the picture than pure ballistics. The issue I almost never see brought up is recoil. When the trigger is pulled the gun moves backward the exit pupil is momentarily gone from sight. By the time the gun returns to battery and the shooter can once again see through the scope, bullet impact has already happened. I’ve recorded this in slow-motion with a buddy firing a 17 pound 6XC shooting 87 grain bullets. It happens fast but I promise it does happen. The result? You don’t see the hit or miss. So unless you have a full time spotter it’s a bear trying to determine windage & elevation adjustments after a miss. And if you can’t watch the impact where’s the fun? I know plenty of people will jump in and swear they watch impacts with their favorite boomer and I’ll not get into an argument. But like I said, it’s a real issue.

So my vote goes to a 20 cal 55 grain Berger bullet moving somewhere in the 3600-3800 FPS range. It really works.

Tubb brake.

I've shot Davids 6xc ATR at 1200 yards and watched the bullet splat on the plate.

I've also called wind on ELR out to 2800 yards. And he has plates at 4400 yards. It took 15 minutes to crawl the Polaris to 2800 yards btw. The Polaris does have an armchair.

He is currently working on a 5/8 24 version. I plan on keeping those in stock if I can.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Interesting. I know a couple of guys that run 6mm AR Turbos and they put well over 1,000 rnds on each of their rifles in a season, and they are driving out there from Indiana. I would have thought someone in the dakota's who bought a rifle specifically for sage rats would put close to 2,000 rounds on their rifle in a single season.

They shoot a lot. Yes.