6 mm project

[Cort]

I have decided to replace the .308 barrel on my Savage model 12. After perusing the site for days, I have narrowed my focus to a 6 mm variant. I am only punching paper at short ranges consequently any one of the 6's should work. I reload so availability of commercial cartridges is not an issue but I would like to stay away from cartridges that require a lot of work to get the initial brass up and running.

Which 6 mm normally gives the longest barrel life?

Thanks,

Cort

 

[golfer2b2000]

Cort, I have 2-6mmBR's and a 6 dasher. I would stay away from the dasher basically because of brass prepping, but the 6BR's are probably what you want. You can purchase the brass made by Lapua which is a bit on the high side, but it will last you a long time. Have a no neck turn barrel in either a 1-12 twist or a 1-14. With the 1-14 you can shoot up to and including the 70 grain bullets. I shoot mine at 300 yards even with lighter bullets and can still group nicely. And this cartridge is a very easy cartridge to reload for. I will probably not consider anything else anymore but a 6mm because of the wide choices I have...good shooting..Gene

 

[cmillard]

why not try the 30BR? you will get unbelievable barrel life and it will be a tack driver at the ranges you will be shooting.

 

[1000yardstare]

I have owned a lot of target rifles over the past 50 years and the cartridge that remains my short range favourite (out to 300) is the 6mm/250. Just run a tapered expander ball through a .22/250 case and you got `er. Use reasonably priced North American brass (I prefer Win) and you have a sweet little rifle in your hands. I have never been fascinated by expensive Euro brass but to each his own.

One caution I would give is using too slow a twist thinking you will use only light bullets. If you decide to try a heavier bullet later on it may not stabilize. A faster twist will stabilize a lighter bullet but a slower twist will not stabilize a heavier bullet.

 

[Mikem]

No question about it, I would vote for the 6MM BR, easy to load for, long barrel and brass life, and vary accurate.
Just order a barrel from Pac-Nor, 1 in 8" twist, 26" heavy varmint, no turn neck for Lapua brass, to fit a Savage 12, and install it all your self. You wont even need to change the bolt head.

 

[tiny68]

I have 3 6BRs barrels. A 1:8 for distance, a 1:10 for mid, and a 1:14 for short. Based on what you state you want, I would recommend a 1:12 or 1:14 twist no-turn (0.272 neck) 6BR. Why? Good brass (Lapua) right of the box, no prep and it last forever (almost). Tremendous accuracy. Get you some good 62-68 match bullets, some N135, Fed 205 primers and you will be shocked at the groups you can get. If you want to shoot up to 75 gr bullets get a 1:12 twist. There are tons of great reloading data available for the plain jane old 6BR.

Just in terms of barrel life, the faster twist barrels shooting the longer bullets will have a shorter barrel life due to increased bearing surface. Don't shoot a longer bullet unless you need it.

That's might opinion and it cost what it is worth. Luck in your choice. tim

Oh, BTW - All of my 6BRs are on Savage platforms. For $300 you can get a premium prefit barrel with the freebore you want and start having fun. Only warning is that you will likely need to shoot it as a single shoot with a follower. The 6BR cases wouldn't feed well from a 308 magazine.

 

[fdshuster]

Cort: All great suggestions, your only decision is what cartridge, and I gotta admit I'm biased toward the 6BR, (have 4 chamberings). I went in the opposite direction. One of my 6BR's is a 1-14 twist, and I had a switch-barrel done using a new, unfired Tikka 308 barrel, built on a Rem. 700, so it's a switch : 6BR to 308. Another is a 1-8 twist that does extremely well with bullets as light as 70 gr., proving, at least to me, that the "fast" twists will shoot the lighter weights. No-turn .272" neck ( 2 chamberings) is proving to be everybit as accurate as my .265" tight fitted necks, ( 2 chamberings). My oldest 6BR is coming up on 1K rounds fired, and as seen with my "Hawkeye" borescope, no signs of throat erosion: looks like the day it was cut. Some of my Lapua brass has been loaded 25 to 28 times ( I keep count), and it's still going strong. Have yet to discard a Lapua brass, so the higher cost is off-set by the extreme long life, when properly sizing. Have yet to find a reason not to like the 6BR.