6AI with light bullets,loads needed)

[wheeler]

I am putting together a 6AI for my main coyote rifle. I will be using a Broughton 1/13 5C barrel. I am looking for loads in the 55, 58, 65, and 70grn weights. 95% of shots will be under 300 yards. Currently I am using a .243 w/ 58grn V-max @~3900 which has been great. I went to 6AI to hopefully attain 3800fps with the 70gr Nosler for less wind drift. However, I have no problem shooting the lighter pills,as I have yet to lose a coyote with the 58s, most of which were bang flops.

Thanks

 

[Cheechako]

Wheeler

I have a 244 Ackley also so I'm not bad-mouthing the cartridge. But if you say that 95% of your shots will be 300 yards or less, do you realize the barrel life that you are scraficing for only about 1 1/2" of less wind deflection over a cartridge like a 6PPC or 6BR shooting the same 70 grain bullet at 3300 fps? And both of those would be much more accurate than a 244 Ackley. For that last 5% of shots beyond 300 yards you are still talking less than 6 inches.

It would seem to me that learning to read and compensate for the wind will quickly offset any real or imagined benefit that you may get from a barrel burner like you are suggesting.

JMHO

Ray

 

[AckleymanII]

Wheeler, I have had only two Custom 6 AI's made with a minimum spec zero freebore leade reamer. I shot the 70g Nosler BT's fireforming with Win brass, 50.5g of Win 760, 9 1/2 primers at 4050 fps shooting 1/2" groups at 100 yards. Formed loads were with 51.5g of 760 and shot clover leaf groups at 4150 fps using Shilen 26" barrel.

A friend used my reamer and shoots the 80g Sierra Blitz BT at 3800 fps using a max charge of R#19.

All the 6 AI's feed like a dream in a repeater action.

One heck of a yote rifle no doubt!

Good luck!

 

[wheeler]

Wheeler

I have a 244 Ackley also so I'm not bad-mouthing the cartridge. But if you say that 95% of your shots will be 300 yards or less, do you realize the barrel life that you are scraficing for only about 1 1/2" of less wind deflection over a cartridge like a 6PPC or 6BR shooting the same 70 grain bullet at 3300 fps? And both of those would be much more accurate than a 244 Ackley. For that last 5% of shots beyond 300 yards you are still talking less than 6 inches.

It would seem to me that learning to read and compensate for the wind will quickly offset any real or imagined benefit that you may get from a barrel burner like you are suggesting.

JMHO

Ray

Ray,
Thanks for the input.
Barrel life will not be too much of an issue since I will be using this as a hunting rifle. I do not shoot more than 150rds per year through my hunting rifles. From what I have read, barrel life should be around 1000-1500 rds before accuracy starts to fall off. This should give me quite a few years of hunting. I am not saying the 6ppc or 6br comes up short, but I am one of those guys that prefers as much velocity I can get while still achieving sub moa accuracy. If I was building a strict 300 or less bench gun it would probably be a 6br. When I started my project, I wanted large cased 6MM, but it still had to fit and function well in my SA 700. This is why I have chosen the 6AI.


Keith-
Those loads do look very promissing, and it looks like 3800 should be pretty achievable.
Thanks.