6MM Prairie dog gun

[pre64win]

I have prairie dog guns in 20 and 22 caliber and would like to play with a 6MM. I would like something that uses a little less powder than a 243 Win so the barrel life would be better. I probably would not shoot a bullet heavier than the 87 V-Max.
What would some of you that have experience with this recommend?

 

[expiper]

6mm BR...Roger

 

[Mark W]

You should consider a 12 Twist 6 BRA with zero free bore. Mine shoots good with everything from 55 grain varmint bullets to 80 grain boat tails.

If you want to shoot those 87 V-max I would change that 9 or 10 twist and add just a little free bore.

 

[stork]

If you're going to be handloading, 6 Dasher.

Had Dan Dowling put together a pasture rat rifle in 6 Dasher over 20 yrs ago & built it around the 87 vmax & no turn Lapua brass. Longest shot so far is just over 600. Cartridge & rifle a capable of 800+, but combination of wind conditions and very limited days that I can go has limited my testing on maximum effective range on the rat problem.
Al

 

[powderbrake]

I built up a 6BR prairie dog gun. It has a 8 twist Krieger, chambered with a 6BR, .272 neck, .104 freebore. I did .104 so it would also work with 105 Berger Hybrids, but you can use a little shorter freebore for just the 87 gr Vmax.

I could never get the 87V Max's to shoot well,(but that is me, others have had good luck with them) so I am using the 88gr Berger Flat base high BC varmint bullet. It is essentially the same shape as the 105 hybrids without the boat tail section. It works well on the dogs, and the 6BR has a much longer reach than those smaller bore bullets.

I am loading 32.5 gr of Varget, .007 into the lands, for a velocity of 3135 fps.

 

[Bill K]

6PPC or 6x45 would work very well.

 

[shoot4fun]

Back in the day when I shot 6PPC in BR matches I built up a bit of brass. It wasn't deemed match-worthy but has made great brass for the CZ527 I have chambered for 6PPC using an old BR barrel. It has surprised me a couple times just how accurate it can be well out past normal short range BR distance.

 

[BenPerfected]

I built up a 6BR prairie dog gun. It has a 8 twist Krieger, chambered with a 6BR, .272 neck, .104 freebore. I did .104 so it would also work with 105 Berger Hybrids, but you can use a little shorter freebore for just the 87 gr Vmax.

I could never get the 87V Max's to shoot well,(but that is me, others have had good luck with them) so I am using the 88gr Berger Flat base high BC varmint bullet. It is essentially the same shape as the 105 hybrids without the boat tail section. It works well on the dogs, and the 6BR has a much longer reach than those smaller bore bullets.

I am loading 32.5 gr of Varget, .007 into the lands, for a velocity of 3135 fps.

I built up a 6BR prairie dog gun. It has a 8 twist Krieger, chambered with a 6BR, .272 neck, .104 freebore. I did .104 so it would also work with 105 Berger Hybrids, but you can use a little shorter freebore for just the 87 gr Vmax.

I could never get the 87V Max's to shoot well,(but that is me, others have had good luck with them) so I am using the 88gr Berger Flat base high BC varmint bullet. It is essentially the same shape as the 105 hybrids without the boat tail section. It works well on the dogs, and the 6BR has a much longer reach than those smaller bore bullets.

I am loading 32.5 gr of Varget, .007 into the lands, for a velocity of 3135 fps.

I built up a 6BR prairie dog gun. It has a 8 twist Krieger, chambered with a 6BR, .272 neck, .104 freebore. I did .104 so it would also work with 105 Berger Hybrids, but you can use a little shorter freebore for just the 87 gr Vmax.

I could never get the 87V Max's to shoot well,(but that is me, others have had good luck with them) so I am using the 88gr Berger Flat base high BC varmint bullet. It is essentially the same shape as the 105 hybrids without the boat tail section. It works well on the dogs, and the 6BR has a much longer reach than those smaller bore bullets.

I am loading 32.5 gr of Varget, .007 into the lands, for a velocity of 3135 fps.

 

[BenPerfected]

Are you .007 into the lands or is the bullet seated deaper into the case?
Ben

 

[mongo chicago]

I have been shooting the 6mm Remington set up for the 87 gr. Hornady as my mid range rifle. Finally needed a new barrel but good quality brass in 6mm Rem. is questionable, so I went with the 6XC with Norma brass. Haven't had an opportunity to shoot it at 500 yards yet, but it is sub m.o.a. at 100 yards with the same bullet. It looks promising.

 

[Ackman]

A 6BR, 6BRAi, 6BRX with 12, 13, or 14 twist and shoot 55-70gr. bullets. Easy to find a real accurate load that's fast and very explosive on critters. OR, a 6mm TCU, or better, a 6mm on the .204 case - in other words a 6-204.

*** And as Mark said, ZERO freebore.

 

[stacy]

You should consider a 12 Twist 6 BRA with zero free bore. Mine shoots good with everything from 55 grain varmint bullets to 80 grain boat tails.

If you want to shoot those 87 V-max I would change that 9 or 10 twist and add just a little free bore.

DONT KNOW WHAT MORE YOU COULDN'T ASK FOR LISTEN TO MARK HE'S SPOT ON !!!!!

 

[troupe]

I had the chance to be invited to some great friends that are life long ranchers in the great state of South Dakota to shoot prairie dogs and maybe a coyote. I had a 6BR and I had never shot a prairie dog, let alone even seen one in the wild. I have grown up in W.Va and have been a groundhog hunter all of my life. 6 groundhogs was a great day of hunting. When I got to see the S.D. prairies it was amazing to this hillbilly. There were more shooting that I would have ever considered. The 6 BR with it's accuracy made shots so simple that a single prairie dog was no longer a challenge. I found myself waiting till the prairie dogs lined up for a double with one shot. After that was accomplished, I waited for a triple. The triple happened that day, what a life changing trip it was for me. Not only to get to shoot the prairie dogs, but to get to spend time with true ranchers and seeing S.D. in the way that I did. I got to go out with a 90 year old rancher that truly called a coyote out of the sky. We were backed up to giant stacked hay bales that the coyote came in behind us, climbed the hay bales, and jumped down 3 ft to my left. Needless to say my 6 BR did not connect on that dog, because both the coyote and I were both startled. When I told the elderly rancher that he was the best coyote caller that I had ever seen since I said that he could call them out of the sky, he really got a kick out of it.

Sorry to get off track and ramble but the 6BR has given me some memorable times, and I am convinced that it could do the same for you.

 

[AckleymanII]

You want long barrel life on dog towns. Simple answer:

H335 or AA2230

6BR, 6 BRX, 6 Dasher

Figure 6000 rounds bare minimum, I got 10, 000 on 6 PPC's, and at 8000, they would still average in the mid to high 2's, five, five shot groups with 14T that started off with short freebore of zero to .020.

Since you have the 20 and 22, I would go 6 BRX for more capacity to push the 70's at 3550, then if you want to go 87's, I would try the 6 XC and run AA2700, which is one of the coolest powders.

Dog towns eat barrels...think outside the norm....

 

[drover]

6 BR - 'nuff said.

drover

 

[7887mm08]

6 x 45

 

[Hohn]

For a gun that's not just punching paper, there's almost no justification for dealing with the extra brass prep beyond a basic 6br. The critter will never know the difference. 6br, 9 twist (in case you want to go a bit heavier), maybe 0.035-0.050 of freebore and you're set. The long neck of the 6BR gives you a ton of flexibility so if you go longer on FB it'll still shoot the light stuff.

The "improved" 6BRs are fine, but some are way too much work for the small benefit. I'd only consider a 6 BRA because even your FF loads will be useful critter getters and it's the easiest of the common variants to form by far. Dies and such are readily available. The 6 br itself is the most practical, but if you are going to improve on it, the BRA is the most practical option, IMHO.

 

[powderbrake]

Are you .007 into the lands or is the bullet seated deaper into the case?
Ben

I determine "touch" by the Wheeler Method, then I seat the bullet .007 farther out of the case, so that it is .007 "into" the lands.

 

[AckleymanII]

Fire forming the 6 BRX and 6 DASHER on critters is very, very accurate. You need the velocity for Air Time and WIND! These two cases will yield 200 fps more than the std BR, and really shine when you start shooting 70g. 65g V max at 3700-3750 is no joke on p. dog acrobatics with H335 and AA2230.

For distance and 18 mph days, you need some bullet weight, hence the 6 XC with AA2700 that burns so cool...87g for starters, short freebore. 18 mph is a normal Wyoming wind. Wind means multiple follow up shots, where the cool burning powder really shines in extending throat life.

Think outside the box...no, throw away the box.

 

[urbanrifleman]

If you have a Remington 700 I will have prefits in 6xc with 50 freebore in a few weeks for $235. Should be INSANE good on varmints. Also has the advantage of feeding perfectly in a repeater. Tubb has Peterson brass for $68 a 100.

I will also have 6br and 6bra. I will have the 6bra in 0, 50, and 104 freebores. All 8 twist.

I really, really LOVED the Sierra 85 HPBT on my last trip. Outstanding explosions and very impressive groups out to 600 plus.

I am told the 90 grain Gamechanger might be outstanding too.