Best rifle for an affordable conversion to 6mm BR

[ChesterS]

I always wanted a 6mm BR just for fun and shooting out to 300 yards. I don't want a heavy rifle, something I could shoot off hand. Thought of buying a used .243 and have it re-chambered. Is this possible and still shoot well?
Thanks / Chet

 

[Bill Norris]

I always wanted a 6mm BR just for fun and shooting out to 300 yards. I don't want a heavy rifle, something I could shoot off hand. Thought of buying a used .243 and have it re-chambered. Is this possible and still shoot well?
Thanks / Chet

If you went with an existing 243 you would probably need to re-barrel it unless the barrel was pretty long.

 

[LuvDog]

Buy a new barrel for an existing action/rifle that you have?

Otherwise, pick up an Origin, or a used Tikka and buy a prefit. Re-chambering would be almost as much as just picking up a criterion barrel

 

[Judd]

Feeding has always been a PIA for the little br. My suggestion, if you want consistent easy feeding buy a control round feed action (Zermatt is a good one, but there are others) and a bittom metal that will take AI mags…then get the primal rights spacer kit. That seems to be the most consistent.

If feeding single doesn’t bother you or dealing with finicky feeding, go another route. That’s my experience, lots of guys can screw with them and get them to feed…I struggle with that and 90% is it’s frustrating.

 

[Tesoro]

I have a 'fun' 6br with short barrel and it fed fine with the std Rem7 floorplate. I Think it had a spacer of some kind in it. I switched to Badger bottom metal + primal rights spacer kit + inletting + AI mags. Not a cheap venture at all! In retrospect I should have just kept the 3+1 factory setup as my little skinny barrel heats up fast.

 

[jkohler]

I would just plan on chambering up a new barrel and not waste money or time on a factory barrel. I’ve put quite a few bra’s together with Hawkins hunter mags with there spacer kit and they feed great.

 

[Fast14riot]

Go for a remage barrel. Tools to install them are cheap and it's not difficult.

 

[Will Henry]

It is possible to set back and rechamber a 243 to 6BR; providing the barrel has enough shank to allow the set-back. You have to come back about 3/4" to clean up the 243 chamber. You will see quite a few 6 BR's on the line at silhouette matches. Accurate, pleasant to shoot, and they will usually take the rams down. WH

 

[Dimner]

I would just go with a used Savage short action and then the criterion prefit from northland shooters supply.

 

[slowbalt]

I say do like me and get a Remington 783 for real cheap, and convert it. Will it work? Will it be worth it? Don't know yet, but I'll find out soon enough!

 

[Dimner]

I say do like me and get a Remington 783 for real cheap, and convert it. Will it work? Will it be worth it? Don't know yet, but I'll find out soon enough!

If you can convert it to a remage barrel nut system, I think that would work just fine.

 

[muleystalker]

First you need to figure out what weight bullets you want to shoot, that will determine the barrel twist you need. If you want to shoot the heaver bullets re-chambering the .243 isn't going to be a good option since most .243's are slower twist barrels.

 

[hoz53]

I say do like me and get a Remington 783 for real cheap, and convert it. Will it work? Will it be worth it? Don't know yet, but I'll find out soon enough!

I did that quite a few years ago. My R783 has savage tenon threads. I used a savage/shilen prefit barrel. Had to take a skim pass on the tenon threads so the barrel would screw in the action and also adjust bolthead- (bolt to breachface distance). Ggmac has done quite a few. I still have the gun which ive shot a bunch- it was my first 6br and was an accurate rifle. Still is but fire cracked now. I like the design of 783.

 

[ChesterS]

So if I buy a used Savage in 308 or 243 I just need the pre-fit? This seems doable. So the hunt is on!

 

[Dimner]

So if I buy a used Savage in 308 or 243 I just need the pre-fit? This seems doable. So the hunt is on!

Or 7mm08 or 6.5 creed in case u run into any of those as well. All four of these cartridges are going to be in short actions with a 308 bolt face.

 

[ChrisNZ]

.. If you want to shoot the heaver bullets re-chambering the .243 isn't going to be a good option since most .243's are slower twist barrels.

I thought most were 9-twist?

 

[dryhumor]

I have a Howa that began life as a 6.5 CM. It’s now a 10 twist 6br. Pleasure to shoot, accurate, and is my current close deer rifle.

Kept the factory bottom metal, and am feeding it as a single shot.

 

[SteveOak]

Go for a remage barrel. Tools to install them are cheap and it's not difficult.

For a budget constrained build, this is the way to go.

 

[urbanrifleman]

So if I buy a used Savage in 308 or 243 I just need the pre-fit? This seems doable. So the hunt is on!

I've probably sold 100 Savage 6br barrels to people who were doing just that very thing.

 

[Carl S]

Tikka 595's are ideal.fit a quality match grade 8T barrel and your good to go.they cycle 6br cases also.ive build quite a few.Tikka t3's also.