6x50 Mo' Better first groups UPDATE 1/9/21

[snert]

I recently acquired an old Superior (Ross Sherman) LV/HV BR rifle. After some research, it appears it once belonged to Becky Sinclair in the early 1980's. When I got it, it had an unknown barrel chambered by Bib's Machine in CO in 6x50. I kept asking myself "What is it"? So it became a 6x50 Whatsit in my mind. After some research I learned it was likely a 6mm neck up from a 5,6x50RWS Mag case. @DaveTooley first lent me a single case to confirm my suspicions, then sold me 120 cases when it appeared the case was the proper fit. I located a used set of dies here on AS. I sent the brass to @MrMajestic who annealed them for me.

Yesterday I put together twelve rounds to test.

I used the FL RCBS dies and a tapered button from Huntington to neck up. A Sinclair mandrel die followed, and I could feel a donut at the shoulder. I turned the brass to .011 and went into the edge of the shoulder to get rid of the donut. (Several test fits with 68 grain Rubrights without cutting into the junction resulted in a NO GO, so I went ahead and turned to the shoulder, which allowed any bullet to fit. ) I only did twelve to start with, as the cases are pricey.

I stole some medium loads from 6x47 load data and settled on trying 26 grains of H322 and a Fed GM, under a Cheek 66 grain FB.
At the range I wanted to accomplish three things: Shoot safely, get on paper, see how the brass fared.

I was very pleasantly surprised as I accomplished that, and more. I did not have flags, but it was a calm day. However I was shooting over snow with sharp sun, and mirage was causing the target to move all around.

When I seated the bullets I had tested the fit in the rifle at home. Four chambered very easily, no resistance. Another 8 had varied resistance, making me realize that I had not completely dealt with the donut. Hey, I am new at this! I used two to get on paper, reserving ten for group, "scientifically" separated into "easy" and "not easy" piles.

I bore sighted it with two rounds, and went to target at 100. The results are below. The small target are the cases that fit easily.

I have deduced that:
I think it is going to shoot
I need to deal with brass differences
I will stick with those Cheek bullets
and lastly, the rifle is no longer a Whatsit, but I have christened it the 6x50 Mo'Better, since it be Mo Better than a 6x47, if only 3mm.

Fun little rifle with some history behind it that I did not know until I bought it. I think I will keep it as a 6mm until this brass quits.

 

[357Mag]

I recently acquired an old Superior (Ross Sherman) LV/HV BR rifle. After some research, it appears it once belonged to Becky Sinclair in the early 1980's. When I got it, it had an unknown barrel chambered by Bib's Machine in CO in 6x50. I kept asking myself "What is it"? So it became a 6x50 Whatsit in my mind. After some research I learned it was likely a 6mm neck up from a 5,6x50RWS Mag case. @DaveTooley first lent me a single case to confirm my suspicions, then sold me 120 cases when it appeared the case was the proper fit. I located a used set of dies here on AS. I sent the brass to @MrMajestic who annealed them for me.

Yesterday I put together twelve rounds to test.

I used the FL RCBS dies and a tapered button from Huntington to neck up. A Sinclair mandrel die followed, and I could feel a donut at the shoulder. I turned the brass to .011 and went into the edge of the shoulder to get rid of the donut. (Several test fits with 68 grain Rubrights without cutting into the junction resulted in a NO GO, so I went ahead and turned to the shoulder, which allowed any bullet to fit. ) I only did twelve to start with, as the cases are pricey.

I stole some medium loads from 6x47 load data and settled on trying 26 grains of H322 and a Fed GM, under a Cheek 66 grain FB.
At the range I wanted to accomplish three things: Shoot safely, get on paper, see how the brass fared.

I was very pleasantly surprised as I accomplished that, and more. I did not have flags, but it was a calm day. However I was shooting over snow with sharp sun, and mirage was causing the target to move all around.

When I seated the bullets I had tested the fit in the rifle at home. Four chambered very easily, no resistance. Another 8 had varied resistance, making me realize that I had not completely dealt with the donut. Hey, I am new at this! I used two to get on paper, reserving ten for group, "scientifically" separated into "easy" and "not easy" piles.

I bore sighted it with two rounds, and went to target at 100. The results are below. The small target are the cases that fit easily.

I have deduced that:
I think it is going to shoot
I need to deal with brass differences
I will stick with those Cheek bullets
and lastly, the rifle is no longer a Whatsit, but I have christened it the 6x50 Mo'Better, since it be Mo Better than a 6x47, if only 3mm.

Fun little rifle with some history behind it that I did not know until I bought it. I think I will keep it as a 6mm until this brass quits.sh

Snert -

Howdy !

A really cool rifle !

I shot in a competition against Fred, Becky and others.... over @ the Blue Creek Range, just West of Willshire, OH.

At that particular shoot, Becky had her scope mounted w/ the crosshairs in an " X " pattern.
She shot well, and not even close to last place. So much for scope cant !
Mighta even been the same rifle ?!


With regards,
357Mag

 

[AlNyhus]

It's great to see these vintage BR guns live again.

Nicely done! -Al

 

[6ShotsOr5?]

@snert Thanks for this post. The historical side of the sport is way too interesting and useful to forget. I enjoyed reading this post very much and I’m looking forward to reading the other things that I know you will share with us in the future. I could easily see some history articles fitting nicely on the AccurateShooter.com’s home page, along with the cartridge guide stuff. Why not a tab called BR History, and maybe some Links to the BR HoF, etc.?

 

[sawcarver]

Very cool! Glad you got it up and running. Its going to be hard to kill that RWS brass

 

[butchlambert]

A nice rifle and it shoots!

 

[AWS]

That round was popular in AU, Huntingtons usually have brass. I shoot the 5.6x50R Mag in a combo gun for coyotes. I did some research on it when I was looking to build a small based 6mm but went with the 204 Rugger case when it came out and ended up building a 22-204,6mm-204 and 25-204.

There are a couple articles about the 6x50 in Wolf's "Wildcat Cartridges Volume II"

 

[snert]

Snert -

Howdy !

A really cool rifle !

I shot in a competition against Fred, Becky and others.... over @ the Blue Creek Range, just West of Willshire, OH.

At that particular shoot, Becky had her scope mounted w/ the crosshairs in an " X " pattern.
She shot well, and not even close to last place. So much for scope cant !
Mighta even been the same rifle ?!


With regards,
357Mag

Well that explains it! I didn't mention it, but I had just slapped the scope on it in my basement, and guestimated level. At the range it was sorta crooked, which is another scientific term...
I zeroed it while it was wonky at 50 yards, but couldnt stand it at 100, so took a chance, loosened it, leveled it, and tightened it. Zero changed only 1/4 inch left. Maybe Fred was watching over?

 

[snert]

@snert Thanks for this post. The historical side of the sport is way too interesting and useful to forget. I enjoyed reading this post very much and I’m looking forward to reading the other things that I know you will share with us in the future. I could easily see some history articles fitting nicely on the AccurateShooter.com’s home page, along with the cartridge guide stuff. Why not a tab called BR History, and maybe some Links to the BR HoF, etc.?

Maybe someone should hit up our Forum Boss? My knowledge is skin deep. There are guys here who lived it. A similar thread exists on BR Central, but it isn't curated. I think a lot of the work done there would be a fine fit here...but they had it first. Not wanting to create a hard feelings thing. I am grateful to several guys over there who helped me align the dots on the history of the rifle to 1980. Now I need the 1960-1980 background!

 

[OKyote73]

Mo' Better... like it

 

[snert]

Mo' Better... like it

Ya, I had a Sgt. once who we called Mo' Better. I saw a fox once on patrol. He saw one when it jumped over the hood of his car, bigger than a wolf...You get the idea. His was always Mo' Better.

 

[snert]

UPDATE: 1/9/2021

I did a little load development today. I loaded a series of 25 cartridges, n 5 shot groupings from 26-27.5 grains H322 and the Cheek bullet, lit by a Fed GM. All in .5 grain increments. I also did a little brass "forming" with 26 grains of H3222 under a 60 grain Sierra.

i will post photos of the load development. I also had ten rounds of 26 grain loads, already fired 1x. The rest were unfired cases.

I found that the 27 grain load seemed easiest to "call", but frankly that could have been a matter of conditions. It did seem to shoot where I wanted it to, with less hold off in the rapidly changing conditions. I "picked" and didn't "run" till I shot the ten round group. I barely held off for the conditions with the 10 shot group, but made 9 of ten without a goof.

I honestly think most of the groups were weather reports more than load development. I got burned by switches and mostly straight from behind then straight from in front with a little left wind. I kept getting a little left-right and stacking them as the quartering wind went full on or aft.
I do not have flags (yes I know I know...but I don't have the cash). So I used a couple old arrows and surveyor tape, and at least i could see some changes. All in all I think i am going to be satisfied, except that now I have to buy custom bullets. Ain't never going to be satisfied with production bullets.

See targets in next post. Thanks for following along...

 

[snert]

Photos of load tests:

 

[snert]

That ten shot target is mis-labeled. It used Cheek 66 grain bullets, not 60 grain Sierra. Those went into about 1/2 inch groups.

 

[snert]

Today I found a lonely box of 55 Gr NBT in my cabinet. So I popped open a new bottle of N133, tossed 26.6 grains of it in the 6x50 Mo' Better case over a FGM and seated bullets. Didn't do any depth work except to make sure the bullet as seated wasn't in the lands.

I shot two groups. One three shot, with an 18 X Leupold, and then a 6 shot group with the magnetospeed attached. I think it is gonna rock. 3280 FPS average.

Photo to follow

 

[snert]

IDPA sticker, about 95% an inch.

 

[snert]

I did 26.6 cause i didn't want to fart with the powder measure to get 27

 

[OKyote73]

Wow, nice shooting ol'snert! Believe it will shoot very well

 

[JSH]

What barrel length?
I have a little 6TCU will have to measure but I think it is a bit over 26”. I have some 55’s loaded up but have yet to chrono them. Barrel is a 1-8” twist, a bit faster than I wanted, but gives more splat factor with 60-70 grain bullets.
AA2200 is the speed king from what I have found. Book shows 3500 and change with the 6x45 and 24” barrel.

 

[snert]

19.5 inches, HV. I am not trying to drive it hard, though 3500 would be cool Im just using powder I have on hand and had 2 pounds of N133 I have never tried.

The chrono gave me 3280 average. ES was high, but that's because I did nothing to clean necks from Imperial. At 300 a groundhog is not going to notice.

Id try 2200 but don't have any in my piles of partial pounds I have in the closet.