6mm BR for tactical use?

[Lonnie]

Is the 6mm BR ever used for tactical use? If so, what bullet,s) are being used?

Thanks

 

[M700]

Couldn't tell you for sure Lonnie - but I doubt that the 6mmBR is used much in a tactical role.

Two main uses for tactical precision rifles - in the real world. Military and Law Enforcement.

Military is pretty much stuck on the 7.62 NATO as the standard round, although some special long-range rifles in .300 Win mag, .338 Lapua and of course the .50 BMG are in use with western countries.

Law enforcment is largely using the .308 Winchester, although some do use the .223 Remington.

LE relies on readily available, factory built rifles and ammo, so the .223 and .308 are solid contenders. Real easy for a police administrator to order up a Rem 700 Police rifle and a couple of cases of 168 grain Federal .308's. Also, that combination has done very, very well over the years, so it is a proven combo that can deliver both the accuracy and the power needed. Often the bad guys are behind glass, or a car door must be shot through. The .223 is a good "open air" cartridge, not real good against intervening barriers.

The 6mmBR would pretty well split the difference, offering extreme accuracy, but would be well down on power compared to the .308 Winchester. It would however, offer more punch than a .223 Rem.

Different rounds have been used by LE agencies. Some that I know of include: .243 Win, 6mm Rem, .270 Win, .30-06, and of course the .300 Win mag. A few also have .338 Lapua Magnums and .50 BMG's in their inventory, although the chances of those being used are much less. They do offer tremendous stand-off range. Rifles in something other than .223 or .308 are very rare in LE agencies.

Might be worth noting that the typical LE sniper shot in the U.S. is only about 50 yards, according to the American Sniper Association. This organization of military and LE snipers compiled statistics of police sniper shooting over 20 years to come up with this and many other interesting facts. Long range is not typical - which is understandable, since most SWAT operations occur in heavily built up areas which don't offer a long-range alternative.

Nothing wrong with the 6mmBR per se, but the logistical support for the .223 and the .308 is firmly in place, making it an uphill battle for any other cartridges.

Regards, Guy

 

[USAPatriot]

FWIW, I doubt if the bad guy has a preference. He's going to have a BAD friggin day no matter if he's hit with a .223 from an AR during a kick-down, a .308 from the next block, or a .338 from a 1/4 mile.

As was mentioned, the 6BR isn't the best choice from the PD's point of view. It's not really an off the shelf item in any of it's aspects.

For tactical competitions if that's what you're into, why not? No, it won't have the wind-bucking abilities of the .308 but if you're like me, not large and dislike getting kicked around all day, any of the 6's will be preferable to a 30 from a purely comfort point of view, and after a lot of rounds, comfort does become an issue.

Myself, I'd happily pick a 6 over a 30 for tactical use, be it going after the bad guy or targets at unknown ranges. It's NOT going to be suitable for all purposes. Plate glass, for instance. Car windows. Car doors. But no caliber is suitable for all purposes anyhow. My .03. -Rod-

 

[flatlander]

Getting the short BR case to feed & eject reliably in a tactical situation could be a problem. I know there are guys shooting tube gun repeaters chambered for the BR in across the course highpower competition, but they've probably had to do at least a little tuning to get reliable ejection. Neither my M70 or M700 eject 100% of the time,more like 50% for the M700, and almost never for the M70), though both feed pretty reliably. This sort of thing would be a real stumbling block for any PD or LE agency, though individual civilian shooters who want to take advantage of the BR's great accuracy potential would probably be more willing to tackle the problem. On the other hand, many would probably just prefer to go with a 6XC and not have to worry about reliable function in a repeater.

 

[M700]

Dennis is right - if it can't feed & extract reliably, with the action being worked fast and hard in less than optimal conditions -,think rain, snow, blowing sand) then it's not going to work for a tactical rifle.

Guy