For The 6xc Guru's

[Maggiesdraws]

I've decided to rebarrel with the 6xc. So, I've been reading many threads on this form about chambering for that cartridge.

I've been trying to get my head around the 6xc I and the 6xc II and Norma brass. I've followed some the reamer print links and also the link to the company that makes the Redding or should I say, sells the Redding 6xc II FL bushing die. Still not enough info to satisfy me.

I decided to go to the SAAMI details and drawings to see what I could see. I looked at the 22-250, 308 and 242Win. details. Now this is where my questions began to form. The difference on the 22-250 brass/chamber dimensions .2000" from the base is .0013". The 243 and 308 difference is .0011" for both.

Regarding the same dimension at the same location for the Norma brass equals .4685".

The recommendation by many on the forum is to have a reamer dimension of .4714 at the same dimension to relieve "sticky bolt" So if that is in deed the case, why would the 6xc require .0029" chamber/brass clearence, over twice the difference of the 22-250 and 308 dimensions? (the 22-250 and 308 being the brass that has been reformed for the 6xc).

Any help will be greatly appreciated in clearing up the fog in my brain about this. Thanks

 

[AckleymanII]

Foggy Brain, go with Norma brass, and make life simple, CIP, not SAAMI. Now start looking at your reamer prints again.

 

[Petey]

I'm running Norma brass with no issues and my reamer print shows .4723 at the point I believe your concerned about. What's the concern with only "about" 3 thousandths expansion in the web area? I also mic'd a loaded case ran through a FL bushing die and it's at .4685 (on spec) and a fired round shot last night and it's about .469 so there must be a lot of spring back in that area. I'm by no means an expert but is the concern "too much expansion and crush" when firing and resizing FL? Apparently even with my chamber at .4723 the case is springing back to .469 and I'm only sizing .0005 (5 ten-thousandths) which is nothing.

This brass is on it's 5th reload btw.

Maybe we're not talking about the right dimensions, but I'd be more than willing to share me reamer print and experiences. BTW excellent choice!!!

 

[Frankr]

duno I have one that's .470 at .200 with a .274 neck and I like it..I also have the 6XC II LT chamber I like it..It is hard to say which one is more accurate. what seems to happen with the .470 after your cases have been fired a few times you run into cases that bolt in hard and come out hard like when you need to bump the shoulder another .001 but it is the base of the case where it is hung up..My theory is the Norma brass has a heaver thicker web area maybe..As far as the click at the top of the bolt lift, that can kind of be action induced and HOT load induced. I have a stiller tac 30 that has a click at the top of the bolt lift empty..so I don't worry about a click at the top of the bolt lift unless I have to lift real hard to get it to open as if you have a HOT load. my .470 they just kind of bolt in hard and come out hard not bad just like if you were neck sizing only and it only happens after I have fired 5 to 6 hot loads then they get a little tight.
You can hammer loads in the XC II chamber and get the same thing to happen or any cartridge really...So I really cant help you with your decision as I like both of mine.. I should also say I put the fuel to em' I don't baby them at all..full HOT ROD if I shot a mild load I don't know what would happen

 

[Frankr]

petey lets see that print
This is the print of my tight chamber.
My other one is the 6XC II LT you can see that print on 6mmar.com
I shot 200 yard groups with my XC II yesterday around .450 3 shot groups yep .225moa
best I have done is .330's at 200 yards makes me happy. This weekend I am ready to stretch it out a little.

 

[Petey]

Ah gotcha.. I run a dual port Bat M in one and dual port MB action in the other both of my cut from the same reamer. I've yet to have those issues and run both in Benchrest fashion. Can't speak much for the MB yet as I've just broke in the barrel and shot my ladder and have a load ready to go. After looking at the print mine is .470

Yours looks a heck of a lot like mine aside from your leade and throat. I only shoot 107's though and they are outstanding. I've yet to find a round so easy to tune. This barrel came in with accuracy nodes almost identical to my other Krieger, just both nodes .4 gr lighter. Must be just a tad bit faster barrel. During break in, on Saturday, I loaded up a light 38.5 grain of H4350 and shot a 6 shot group around 1.5" at 300 after scrubbing the barrel each shot! Which by the way was just above my lower accuracy node. I'm expecting that at 500 as my other gun does that all day long (5 shot groups)

 

[6xcshooter]

I use norma brass in all 4 of my 6xc's. no problem with any of them 2 are criterion prefits and 2 where chambered by Gra-Tan rifles. have no idea what reamer dimensions criterion uses , with the gra tan rifles i sent greg a dummy round and he made to fit. I believe the gra-tan rifles have a little less bolt lift than do the criterion barrels. all shoot unbelievably well . Absolutely nothing wrong with norma brass, some have 8 reloadings on them.

 

[Maggiesdraws]

FJIM, My reamer print is similar to your tight reamer with the exception my throat is .275 and my lead is .105, same .470 at .200.

This all started when I read the 6mmar.com link. I was under the impression my chamber was the larger 6xc size based on the info from where I bought the barrel. Finally called the barrel mfg. and they sent me the reamer print and saw it didn't match the 6mmar.com drawing.

I then wanted to make sure I bought the correct FL sizing die and of course I had already ordered 200 pieces of Norma brass. I looked at several on line sites to find a die, none of them noted if their die was a 6xc I or II and the folks there didn't seem to know. Finally called Redding, sent them the reamer print and they gave me a mfg. number for a sizing die seating die set but wouldn't say if it was 6xc I or II, only that it would work. Not much joy there.

My warm fuzzy feeling about this wasn't so warm and fuzzy anymore. So now I'm thinking maybe I need to resize 22-250 brass to get more room in the chamber to not get the "stick bolt" thinking thats not a good thing either. After some thought about doing that I figured I have no idea how to do that either.

As you might have figured out by now, I'm new at this and I don't know anyone who knows more about this than I do.

Any insight is greatly appreciated.

By the way, what is CIP?

 

[Petey]

If yours is similar to both our prints aside the neck then the standard Redding 6xc FL sizing bushing die will be just right with Norma brass. If your neck is .275 might I suggest starting with a .268 neck bushing as I use a .267 with a .274 neck and have great results.

I've cleaned up the necks on all my brass to .0125 thickness. (Not that you have to but it's a good thing to do). Well measure your neck wall thickness to actually determine your bushing. The .268 bushing recommendation is for that thickness listed above

I also own a Tubb sizing die that I've never used as it does tend to crush the web area more than needed but is a full neck/shoulder bushing die. I just used my Redding... Not sure why I even bought the Tubb die. It's still in the box!

 

[Frankr]

Norma is CIP, European SAAMI Yep you need the regular redding FL Bush die.. yea a .268,.267 bush and see what works best..I do not think you will have a problem. I do not have a problem with mine only thing I experienced was some tight cases that I have fired hot loads on them 5 to 6 times and it has never been a big issue but it is a reason that the 6XC II has a little more clearance in the web...Now an old instructor of mine used to hold his fingers together and say you want to see .001 thousands then he never moved and said now you want to see .002 thousands...
.0014 so is so small...like a piece of paper is .007...run .0014 off on a mic and see how little it is..I don't worry about stuff I just shoot...If you have a problem yo could have a reamer run in or have a smith polish the back of the chamber out .0014.

 

[dantiff2]

To ease your mind, I have an older reamer based off the 22-250 brass. This works out perfect with the new Norma brass. There is minimal working on the brass with a standard Redding FL die. No issues at all. The free bore is absolutely perfect for the 105 VLD bullets.

Dan

 

[TAJ45]

To ease your mind, I have an older reamer based off the 22-250 brass. This

Norma is CIP, European SAAMI Yep you need the regular redding FL Bush die.. yea a .268,.267 bush and see what works best..I do not think you will have a problem. I do not have a problem with mine only thing I experienced was some tight cases that I have fired hot loads on them 5 to 6 times and it has never been a big issue but it is a reason that the 6XC II has a little more clearance in the web...Now an old instructor of mine used to hold his fingers together and say you want to see .001 thousands then he never moved and said now you want to see .002 thousands...
.0014 so is so small...like a piece of paper is .007..."

.007" ? Unless the paper is very hvy bond or vellum, you will see high .002", just under .003 to .003+" for std paper thickness.

I use a piece of paper to clean my anvils. Just ease them down to contact and slowly drag the paper through.

 

[Frankr]

well TAJ45 I just mic'ed a piece of normal white printer paper with a 0-1 mic and I get .004 to .0044
not to argue with you but the idea was that .0014 is a very small amount. as a normal piece of paper is twice the thickness. a .002 thick paper might be trace paper. hey maybe my mic is off . NO I checked it.
Maggiesdraws you will be fine I think with what ever chamber you choose.most of the fired 6XC brass mic's at .469 to .4695 when you get one and I have them that mic at .470 then you have no clearance and it is sticky, hence the 0014 clearance allows the extra or enough clearance to come out easy. But I am sure light loads may never cause a problem, new cases never a problem. But I do have some brass that is .470 fired so they are the sticky ones.
My question is always why not a small base die with a little tighter sizing at the base?
but I don't know the answer actually I don't know too many answers. But there is the 6XC II chamber I am shooting one of each and honestly can't really say but if you load hot on a .470 chamber you will get some sticky cases but it is not bad I would call them slightly tight you would not want that on a bench rifle and try to run with it but for me it is not a REAL problem.

 

[TAJ45]

well TAJ45 I just mic'ed a piece of normal white printer paper with a 0-1 mic and I get .004 to .0044
not to argue with you but the idea was that .0014 is a very small amount. as a normal piece of paper is twice the thickness. a .002 thick paper might be trace paper. hey maybe my mic is off . NO I checked it.
Maggiesdraws you will be fine I think with what ever chamber you choose.most of the fired 6XC brass mic's at .469 to .4695 when you get one and I have them that mic at .470 then you have no clearance and it is sticky, hence the 0014 clearance allows the extra or enough clearance to come out easy. But I am sure light loads may never cause a problem, new cases never a problem. But I do have some brass that is .470 fired so they are the sticky ones.
My question is always why not a small base die with a little tighter sizing at the base?
but I don't know the answer actually I don't know too many answers. But there is the 6XC II chamber I am shooting one of each and honestly can't really say but if you load hot on a .470 chamber you will get some sticky cases but it is not bad I would call them slightly tight you would not want that on a bench rifle and try to run with it but for me it is not a REAL problem.

Dayam, I must be buying cheap paper -

 

[AckleymanII]

If you want to see some serious groups in the zero's and 1's, get a Mike Ezel tuner, Gunsandgunsmithing.

Jeez, unbelievable. NO rocket science involved, tunes quick, not much to fix. Service after the sale is the best!

 

[Dave Marshall]

If you want to see some serious groups in the zero's and 1's, get a Mike Ezel tuner, Gunsandgunsmithing.

Jeez, unbelievable. NO rocket science involved, tunes quick, not much to fix. Service after the sale is the best!

Thank you for resurrecting a five year old thread with information that has absolutely nothing to do with the OP.

 

[Capt. Oblivious]

Lmao