6XC for white tails ??

[lttac]

Building a 600 yard rifle in this caliber and really like the reports I have read. Anyone ever built a hunting rifle in this caliber and if so how do you like it?

 

[Milo 2.0]

Maybe I'm not qualified because I no longer hunt, but I would have used my first XC shooting 105 hybrids to 500 yards on deer on all but the windiest days.
Today I shoot 2 XC's, both 110 Sierra's and I don't think I'd use that bullet hunting, it has a tight tip.

 

[lttac]

I was thinking the 115gr Berger VLD hunting bullets would be awesome for white tails

 

[AckleymanII]

600 yards???

I think that I would hedge my bets with a 6.5x47 lapua or Creed and call it done. I killed a few large bucks in Kansas and Nebraska out to 375 yards with a 243 loaded with 95g Partitions. These deer went 220-280 lbs.

I just think that your caliber is kinda light and you WILL have deer run off. You really don't know what is going to happen to a bullet when it hits a shoulder blade or rib. At 600 yards, hydrostatic shock will be nill. So, you are going to poke a hole in an organ and the animal will slowly bleed out. It is amazing how far a buck can run in 8 seconds.

 

[lttac]

I think you may have misread the post. The 600 yard rifle is going to weigh 16lbs and is for punching paper. I was inquiring about whether anyone had used the 6XC for white tails.

 

[Clancy]

There’s a rifle in the pride and joy section that took an enormous whitetail just a couple years ago. It is a 6 XC.

But really for all practical purposes it’s a 243, and of course it will work great.

 

[Frankr]

Yes I built two of them one I sold to a forum member that one was a 1-7 twist XC set up to shoot the 115 VLD I only shot one with it at 410 Yards It never moved. I believe the guy I sold it to loves it. I still have my 1-8 twist 6XC I shoot the 105 HVLD it leaves my 26" #3 sporter barrel at 3,150 FPS and I do feel the velocity is your best friend at 500 yards and beyond. I have 7 one shot never moved Kills on whitetails with it. It is 6BR Accurate and at 3,150 FPS I feel confident out to 700 Yards even in some bad wind. beyond 700 to 1K I need good conditions. My furthest one was just over 500 yards well placed shot went right down never moved bullet did pass clean through. My Buddy's girlfriend uses a HB 243 1-8 twist 105 HVLD at 3,000 FPS she shot one 610 Yards with it and it took like four steps and went down bullet did not pass through. That is where I feel the extra 150 FPS makes a difference. Two doe taken at 175 Yards first one hit the ground so hard the other one just stood there looked around, I had time to slowly run my bolt wait a few and she was still standing there and I had tags so I took her too, same thing she never moved they laid 10 feet from each other. I dont think you would be disappointed in the 6XC with the 105 HVLD with a well placed shot.

 

[6xcshooter]

My son has shot 2 mule deer and an pronghorn with his 6xc. uses 105 grain berger hunting vld. 1 mule deer was 350 yards antelope was out 400. they all were shot in the crease behind the front leg. all were done within 5 seconds. The 6xc is a great deer gun.

 

[Frankr]

I seen I video of a cow elk taken with a well placed shot from a 105 HVLD out of a 243 win at 600 yards and it went right down never moved. After Hunting with one for a few seasons and I have seven one shot DRT with the one rifle. One with the other rifle. My buddy shot one with my XC, His girlfriend shot one with her 243 plus the Videos I have seen with others. I dont know what it is maybe it is nothing more than that 105 HVLD is so accurate and the recoil is so mild that you just are able to hit more accurately or maybe the spin that 1-8 twist puts on it. Dont know but it does work like a much larger caliber. I actually hunt wit a 270,280AI,7mag and have seen good hits with them right where it needed to be and sometimes they run. But I have also seen good hits with the 270's and 7mm where they never move. But there is no doubt in my mind on any hoofed animal that the 6 bore with the 105 HVLD hit in the boiler room is done right there.

 

[lttac]

Thanks for the responses guys ! I think I may just go ahead and get the parts together and try it out while I am developing loads for the target rifle I can try the hunting bullets in the sporter gun !

 

[Racebannon3855]

I would do it in a heartbeat. After looking at the results my cousin was getting with a 240 Weatherby and the 105 Berger I picked up a 1:8 twist 6 Ackley and it drives the 115 Berger at 3150 from a 28" Pac-Nor. If I could do it over I would do a 1:7 6 XC and stick with the 115 Berger. The 115 exits, the 105 usually does not from our experience. Internal damage is similar, and the 115 has a fantastic BC.

I am not convinced that driving the 115 at higher velocity would work out. People who have successfully driven the 115 above 3200 talk about it coming apart. My accuracy node was 3150, a 1:7 might shoot at more velocity. If I remember correctly you should be able to hit 3100 with a 115 from a 6 XC. Feeds from AI mags, great brass, what a sweet hunting rig!

 

[Frankr]

Well I built a 1-7 twist 6XC In a Hybird hunting rifle/tac style..Stiller tac 30/ AI mag.26" #4 sporter/Mcmillian Game scout. I could drive a 115 HVLD at 3,150 FPS with RL26 and it shot very well but in my testing under hunting conditions the RL26 was too temp sensitive in cold weather with that load. like 20 DEG F to 60 DEG F. I could not get that speed with other powders. RL17 has proved to be the best powder under cold weather hunting conditions. But any way I did sell that rifle and at times I wish I had not and have considered building that same rifle again. But I would never give up my 1-8 twist 6xc the one in the pic above. Blue printed rem700, jewell Trigger, Pac Nor 26" SSM Mcmillian Rem Hunter. I hit a doe at 410 yards right on the top shoulder bone with the 105 HVLD and it completely shattered that shoulder actually blew bone out the entrance hole went clean through exited and broke the shoulder on the opposite side where it exited. I was very impressed. But I do feel that 3,150 FPS makes a difference and not shooting a powder like 4350 where when you are hunting and the speed falls off to 2,950 FPS your dial is off and bullet performance is off. I did shoot one with the 115 and seen no difference over the 105 and that is a poor sample. I don't think you can go wrong with a 115 but the 105 works. If more is needed then there are much bigger calibers and cartridges to take. Yea my 6XC has shot .300's groups at 200 Yards, I had one like 2" group at 700 yards. So it has kind of been my play target rifle at the range, My Varmint and Big Game rifle. Yea they are just too much fun. But the rifle set up the way it is scoped is 10.5 lbs. Now I could use a light weight scope and stock and get it down but I like it how it is real stable platform.

 

[rcol317]

Yes I built two of them one I sold to a forum member that one was a 1-7 twist XC set up to shoot the 115 VLD I only shot one with it at 410 Yards It never moved. I believe the guy I sold it to loves it.

I'm the guy that bought FJIM's 7 twist XC, Yup he's correct, I love it. I shoot 5 different 6 XC's one in an F class rifle. The 115 VLD's will work well for deer. AS noted "well placed shot" is key. I did have one surprising experience had a friend shoot a whitetail @ 105 yds with a 105 VLD hit him in the shoulder and buck ran off. Found the buck 5 months later day after it died (on my private ranch) from infection etc. and verified shot didn't penetrate shoulder blade. Guessing just a bad bullet because should have dropped the buck. That's the only failure I've heard of with the 6 XC and VLD's. Have killed many with her with one shot. Furthest was 645 yds coues deer never got out of his bed!

 

[lttac]

Thanks guys for the info !

 

[hawkeyeshoooer]

I have one built off of a Winchester 770 action (an older, bargain version of the post-64 win). After fireforming Winchester 22-250 brass, I threw together some loads with 107 SMKs. If the 5, 5-shot groups that I've fired, none were greater than 0.4", with the smallest group being in the uppper 0.2's.

I REALLY like this round so far. I've had a number of 6mmBR's, and for what I do, I think the 6XC will trump the 6mmBR. The 6mmBR has a bit more accuracy potential, but the reliable feeding of the 6XC is more important to me in a hunting rifle. I've been strongly considering pulling apart my remaining 6mmBR and making a lightweight 6XC.

For what you are describing, the 6XC sounds perfect.

 

[Capt. Oblivious]

Have killed truck loads of game with 243, 6SLR and 6XC loaded up with an array of 105gr bullets. 105gr HVLD around 3100-3150 is quite devastating

 

[WyleWD]

Building a 600 yard rifle in this caliber and really like the reports I have read. Anyone ever built a hunting rifle in this caliber and if so how do you like it?

I built a 6xc on a Remington 700 about 6 years ago. Mine is a 10 Twist 26" stainless Lilja barrel in a 5 or 6 contour. It feeds without issue, is accurate with the weight range of 70-95 gr bullets that I use in it for varmints and predators. Wouldn't think twice about loading it up with some of the accurate and dependable 85gr Sierra HPBT for deer or hogs, it'll do the job. I have a couple of br rifles in 6xc and use the tired brass in it so that I don't cry when I shuck out a piece of new Norma brass and can't find it.

My guess is that if you do it you'll be happy with it. I love my 243, but its been my experience that the xc is more accurate, even easier to load for and doesn't give up much whallop to the 243. JME. YMMV. WD

 

[STOMP442]

The 6mmXC has become one of my most requested hunting calibers. I have built four or five of them this year already and just finished up my own. The 105 Berger Hybrid has been proven very effective and deadly on deer out beyond 700 yards. I believe the longest kill so far has been 743 yards on a very nice 100" Coues deer last year. I have never seen deer die as instantly as I have with 6mmXC. I have seen deer shot with .300 ultra mags that didn't die as quickly. I believe the 105 Berger hybrid to be the perfect mix of great BC and terminal performance. Every deer that has been shot with one has exited with at least a nickel sized exit wound and incredible internal damage, even those at 700 plus.

 

[hawkeyeshoooer]

Might want to look around for the Tikka in 6.5x55. Several for sale on the forums.

If you want to rebarrel. I would look at the creedmoor, simply from the fact of factory ammo.

I have the 6.5x47 and most of the 6.5s like 6.5x47 and creedmoor are doing very well with the 130 and 123 grain bullets and 8.5 to 9 twists versus the longer throats and 8 twists for the 140 class bullets.