Best choice for new caliber after rebarrelling

[Goofycat]

I am planning to replace the barrel on my .22-250 Remington. When I do, I am considering something in a large-case,obviously) chambering for perhaps a 6BR, a 22 BR, 20PPC, etc., since short & fat seems to be "where it's at." What with the slew of new wildcats that have appeared in recent years, is there a consensus as to the "best" caliber I might consider? I don't particularly want to have to neck down the cases.

I know I am asking a lot, but I am after good inherent accuracy, fairly low barrel heat, minimum case powder capacity, a reasonably good availabiity of bullets, and a caliber that is good out to 300 yards for PDs, ground squirrels and, once in a while, for coyotes.

I can pick any caliber as long as it is of the large-case variety that will be easily adapted to the existing .22-250 chambering. Also, it would be a plus if the brass for that caliber were offered by Lapua.

So, what's your vote?

Thanks,

Barry

 

[treeman]

22br accurate and loader freindly

 

[EAtts]

Use factory Lapua brass with 6mm BR. With 22 BR you will have to neck down. I love my 6mm BR for chucks as far as I can shoot them. I rebarrelled my 700 varminter with the 6BR chambering and couldn't be happier. 12 twist PacNor and 55 Gr Sierra blitskings and 32.5 grains of H 322.

 

[6BR]

Go with the 6BR and a 1-8 twist barrel for shooting the bigger bullets. The 1-8 twist barrel will allow you to shoot bullets from 60grns to 107grns. If you decide to go with the 1-8 twist and want to shoot the longer bullets like the 87grn V-Max and the 105grn bullets, I would go with a .80 or .100 lead. The 6BR will kill Pdogs and Squirrels out to 1000 yards with the 105grn type bullets. The 6BR is the most accurate cartridge, out to 600 yards, I have ever shot. It has excellent Lapua brass to reload with and a large amount of bullets to choose from. If you do go with the 6BR, go with a match chamber for Lapua brass and a .272 no-turn neck chamber. I am having a 6BR built right now with a match chamber and .272 no turn neck with a .100 lead. I plan on using the 87grn V-max, 105grn A-Max and 105grn Lapua Scenar. I can't wait to go varmint hunting with it during the 09 varmint season. Like I said, I highly recommend the 6BR for your new re-barrel job.

 

[Forum Boss]

22 BR or 6 BR would both be good choices. I've shot 'em both,and the Dasher variants). 22BR will shoot faster overall and will shoot flatter with same-weight bullets. 6BR probably be a little more accurate, or at least you'll find a super-accurate load more easily.

I would chose 22BR vs. 6mm BR based on shooting known distance,6BR favored) vs. unknown distance,22 BR favored).

Also with 22BR you can go down to VERY light bullets,e.g. Berger 30s) for the ground squirrels. If you'll be doing a lot of squirrel shooting, that would favor the 22 BR,or other 22 caliber).

 

[M700]

I was thinking the same thing, a standard 6mmBR... Superb accuracy, no recoil, off-the-shelf components and good results on target... What's not to like?

 

[squirrelduster]

I shoot a 6br at ground squirrels and have been really happy with the performance. I have a Hart barrel with 1:8 twist and only shoot 75gr. VMAX's. It shoots dime size groups at 200 yards.

I shoot a lot and have been able to be very consistent at fairly long range. 400 to 500 yard shots are fairly easy if you have a mildot type scope. These type of ranges still provide dramatic squirrel expansion.

I had a 22-250 and the 400 to 500 yard shots were pretty hard to be consistent with. The accuracy of the 6br more than makes up for loss of speed. I don't know what kind of groups it shoots at long range but I do know if you have a squirrel at 450 yards and you put the second dot on him he doesn't have a chance.

 

[Goofycat]

WOW! Thanks, for the info, guys. I guess that narrows it down to either the .22BR or the 6mmBR. Now, I have to decide which one to get. Each cartridge has its good points, and I don't believe I could go wrong with either one. Since I have a .222, a .20 VarTarg and three very accurate .22 rimfires in my stable, a rifle for the longer ranges might be the better choice.

The next question is: I read several years ago,in Precision Shooting, I believe) that the 6mmBR bullets had to be seated out of the case quite a bit, due to the fact that it was customary to use a longer reamer for chamber-forming for accuracy of this bench rest cartridge. The article suggested that if I ordered a 6BR to make sure a "short reamer" was used by the barrel maker so that if,when) erosion occurred, I could avoid the situation where the bullet would have to be ultimately seated almost out of the case when reloading. I never forgot that advice.

Do any of you agree that a short reamer should be used so as to allow for more bullet "grab" by the case, or does it make any difference? I want to make bullet-seating as easy and as accurate as possible. It seems to me that there would be plenty of seating room, provided that longer bullets,in the upper weight ranges) were used. This leads to another question: what would be the minimum bullet weight allowed for the 6BR, and what twist would be in order. And....what, if any, differences are there for different bullet weights? Are they pretty much all the same, or is there a particular range of bullet weights that seem to have the best accuracy?

 

[6BR]

Goofycat, when I decided to build a 6BR I had all the same questions. Once I picked a gunsmith,
1. I told him what I wanted to do with the rifle.
2. How far I wanted to shoot it
3. And the type of bullets I wanted to use.
This is what I told him,
1. I wanted the rifle for Pdog and Squirrel hunting.
2. I wanted to be able to shoot all the way out to 1000 yards if the shoot arouse.
3. I wanted to use the following bullets 87grn V-Max, 105grn A-Max, 105grn Lapua Scenar.

This is what my gunsmith told me to do and parts to use;
1. I went with a 28" Bartlein, 1-8 twist, .236 bore diameter barrel. This twist would allow me to shoot the bullets that would be very accurate out to 600 yards and also allow me to shoot the bullets that would allow me to be accurate out to 1000 yards.

2. He told me to go with a Match Reamer for Lapua Brass with a .272 no turn neck.

3. He informed me a .100 lead would allow me to seat the longer bullets farther out for extra powder capacity and still allow me to shoot the 87grn V-Max and 88grn Berger type varmint bullets.

I would inform you to at least go with a .080 lead, but I highly recommend you go with the .100 lead so you can shoot the longer VLD bullets.

I used to shoot the smaller bullets at higher velocities, but I finally learned speed is not everything and BC is the most important thing when it comes to accuracy and consistency at longer ranges. The 6BR, with a 28" barrel, will push the 87grn V-Max at 3150fps and is deadly accurate out to 600 yards. My buddy uses the 87grn V-Max out of his 6BR and that bullet blows squirrels into tiny pieces and even does a number on them at 600 yards.

However, the 105grn A-Max is very impressive too, especially for consistency on long range shots. The 6BR, with a 28" barrel, will push the 105grn A-Max at around 2900fps and that bullet will get you out to 1000 yards with ease and with enough kill power for varmints like Pdogs and Squirrels.

The awesome thing about the 6BR and what really turned me on to this cartridge after many years of shooting cartridges like the 220 Swift, 6MM AI and 6x284, was how accurate it is and easy it is to find a load. Plus, the recoil is so low, it makes shooting varmints super fun. Go with the 6BR, a 1-8 twist barrel, and go with reamer that will give you a .100 lead.
Anyhow, good luck and let us know what you decide on.

 

[Forum Boss]

6BR did a great job explaining the advantages of the do-it-all 8 twist. I would only add that, with the 6BR's nice long neck, you can easily get the shorter flatbase bullets into the lands, even with a .100 freebore. The one exception is the Berger 95gr VLD which has an exceptionally short freebore. You'll have to hang those out there.

The 8-twist will shoot the 80gr flatbase bullets and even the 68s with remarkable accuracy. Don't believe you must have a slow-twist to shoot the 80s with sub-quarter-MOA accuracy.

 

[Goofycat]

You guys are nothing short of great. You should all have PhDs in this stuff. I think I will go with the 6BR, since I have rifles that shoot with benchrest accuracy,with Remington 40X blueprinted actions and barrels, etc.), but only at the shorter ranges. A 6BR would certainly extend the range and would be a step up for coyotes at the longer ranges, as well as close up. I will take the great advice you have offered. Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

 

[Ackman]

The 6BR is a perfect varmint cartridge. But groundsquirrels are dumb and it's not necessary to shoot them very far away....I got one with a golf club,10* driver), it flew about 25'. For those things I'd rather use a .22cal with smaller case, it doesn't take a 6mm bullet to just demolish a target that small. Prairie dogs are something else. You really need to decide how the gun will be used and what bullets you'll be will best do the job. That'll determine what twist to get and what freebore to go with it.

I would only add that, with the 6BR's nice long neck, you can easily get the shorter flatbase bullets into the lands, even with a .100 freebore. The one exception is the Berger 95gr VLD which has an exceptionally short freebore. You'll have to hang those out there.

Whether or not a short flatbase bullet - or any short bullet - will seat to the lands is entirely dependent on freebore. Caseneck length has nothing to to do with it. Neck length only relates to how far down a bullet can seat before the base extends into the case body.

My 6BR has 0 freebore. Here are some numbers. A 55gr Bal Tip,a boattail) seated to the lands is .170" into the caseneck......about 1/2way down. With .100" freebore there'd be .070" into the case. But since that bullet is a boattail, it would only be held by about .010" bearing surface. A 70TNT - flatbase - seats .220" into the neck which is about 2/3 way down. With .100" freebore the bullet would be closer to about 1/3way down the neck. This is easy to see with a split neck case.

This 6BR has a 24" barrel 14" twist and the load is 55/58's at 3919. The gun is zeroed at 250yds. With 55's the midrange trajectory is +1.4". The 87VMax at 3150 would have a mid range of +2.4". At 600yds the 55 drops 37".....the 87 drop would be 51". At zero range,250yds) the 55 has .3" more wind deflection, which is nothing.....at 600yds the 55 has 3" more wind deflection, 25.5" vs 23.5". This is figured for 6500' elevation, 80* temp, and 1.8" sight height. The load is 35.5/AA2230....shoots those 55's into the .1"s.

Decide what you want the gun to do and with what bullet, then build accordingly.

 

[ozzz169]

let me just through in the 204 rug... very flat shooter out to 300 yards if thats where you shooting... will take a coyote no problem.with a my stock savage varmint low profile, is less then 1 moa, when I do my job right its around .5 moa. Recoil is very minimal.. so you can watch impacts. also does not heat up too bad with the long heavy barrel,smaller bore means more metal to "soak up" the heat...) got to respect 4000+ ft/s with a 32 gr. thats a lot of energy. cheep bullets cheap brass low recoil... 204 rug rocks.

Though I will admit that its not as sexy as a 6BR, and past about 300-400yards 204 will probably loose too much energy to take out a coyote..

6br would be second choice.. If you did not want a .20 for reasons other mention.

but for what you are talking about 204 would be great.

Eli