Help me get started reloading 6BR.

[zanemoseley]

I used a Hornady OAL gauge to determine my seating depth. I know using bullet comparators to measure to the ogive is more consistent but I measured to the Amax tip as I don't have bullet comparators yet. I did measure 5-6 different bullets to get a good average OAL to lands.

 

[Tim Singleton]

Hard to say this.
But all the pains you are taking in you case prep and loading methods will be for not without a bullet up to the task

 

[zanemoseley]

Well I've heard from a few people that shoot Amax bullets great. It they don't perform I'll jump up to bergers but i figured I'd start cheap and go expensive.

 

[HTSmith]

The beauty of a 6BR is that it is so stinking easy. I used to just load the Lapua brass right out of the box. Now I do run them over a Lee 243 mandrel first, but that's it. Use a .267 bushing after the first loading. 30.0 Gr of Varget +/- a leedle bit shoots well in a bunch of guns. With most bullets, seating depth makes a lot of difference. I never could get the Hornady bullets to shoot as well as Sierra or Berger, but I've heard some folks have had good luck with them. You are in for a bunch of fun, but don't over-think it

 

[Cory porter]

Well I've heard from a few people that shoot Amax bullets great. It they don't perform I'll jump up to bergers but i figured I'd start cheap and go expensive.

I just started with 6br also. I got a savage 12 benchrest and am currently shooting the 105amax. First two 5 shot groups at 100 with 29.2 varget and oal of 2.350 were in the .3s I took that same load to a varmint shoot and did extremely well at 300. This was with cci 450 primers, I've been told they much prefer these over the BR primers and brand new lapua brass. I did zero prep the the new brass. Took it out of the box and loaded it. I'm going to shoot some groups at 300 with 29.5, 29.8, 30 and 30.2

So far from what i gathered if you get a 105g bullet and and 29-30g varget you're going to get good Results. I want to try some vld's but honestly the amax are super cheap and they shoot great for me. Cableas is having 20% Hornady bullets for Black Friday. Might be a good time to snag a box and give them a try.

 

[Tim Singleton]

Well I've heard from a few people that shoot Amax bullets great. It they don't perform I'll jump up to bergers but i figured I'd start cheap and go expensive.

Bullet seating depth is probably the most critical thing we do.
Starting at a depth that has been reported by others to work is what a lot of people do. Even tho your chamber free bore length and barrel itself is different. This may or most likely will not work out for you
You need a method to find the seating depth for the bullet and barrel

The method I use is what a lot of people do.
Once fire formed. Size a piece of brass do not prime it. Seat a bullet just long enough to engage the lands fully. Measure and record the cartridge base to ogive. Try to chamber this dummy round if the bolt won't close adjust seating die a few thousands remeasure and repeat. Once the bolt closes and the case will extract with out sticking the bullet. Measure and record the base to ogive again. We are looking for the "jam" length the point where the bullet is seated slightly deeper when the bolt is closed. Check this three times. I then follow the below method each new barrel

On the same piece of heavy paper. I use old Manila file folders. Make a graph with 3 charge weights across the top from light to medium to upper end.
After finding the jam length for this bullet by loading longer and longer until the bullet is pushed back in the case. Check this several times measuring base to ogive of the dummy round. After this is determined go down the page with 4 different seating depths going from jam in .003 increments. In some cases you can move in .005 increments depending on the bullet type.
Fire three shot groups at each powder weight and seating depth. 9x out of 10 the seating depth can be found in less than 50 shots. Then confirm with 5 shot groups
It's completely amazing when you see this for yourself.
Seating depth is the key. This by far has been the most important thing I ever learned about loading for accuracy

 

[MarkS]

I



I was lucky and learned that before i spent much money. Years ago I learned that after id only bought one 3 die set. Sold it, and only buy a good full length neck bushing sizers, and a wilson inline seaters!

+1 on that. I F/L with 0.002" shoulder bump every firing, with a Harrell bushing die http://harrellsprec.com/index.php/products/full-length-die. Seat with a Wilson seater and arbor press. Redding Comp dies are good dies, but for what they cost, could buy the arbor press and dies. Use what you have, it is good stuff, this is what I use.

Mark Schronce

 

['Freak]

Bullet seating depth is probably the most critical thing we do.
Starting at a depth that has been reported by others to work is what a lot of people do. Even tho your chamber free bore length and barrel itself is different. This may or most likely will not work out for you
You need a method to find the seating depth for the bullet and barrel

The method I use is what a lot of people do.
Once fire formed. Size a piece of brass do not prime it. Seat a bullet just long enough to engage the lands fully. Measure and record the cartridge base to ogive. Try to chamber this dummy round if the bolt won't close adjust seating die a few thousands remeasure and repeat. Once the bolt closes and the case will extract with out sticking the bullet. Measure and record the base to ogive again. We are looking for the "jam" length the point where the bullet is seated slightly deeper when the bolt is closed. Check this three times. I then follow the below method each new barrel

On the same piece of heavy paper. I use old Manila file folders. Make a graph with 3 charge weights across the top from light to medium to upper end.
After finding the jam length for this bullet by loading longer and longer until the bullet is pushed back in the case. Check this several times measuring base to ogive of the dummy round. After this is determined go down the page with 4 different seating depths going from jam in .003 increments. In some cases you can move in .005 increments depending on the bullet type.
Fire three shot groups at each powder weight and seating depth. 9x out of 10 the seating depth can be found in less than 50 shots. Then confirm with 5 shot groups
It's completely amazing when you see this for yourself.
Seating depth is the key. This by far has been the most important thing I ever learned about loading for accuracy

Did you shoot another set with changes in smaller increments, looking for and the width of a most forgiving zone, evidently centered about or to either side of 28.5 grains and - .011”, or .011” shorter case base to ogive length than what was measured after hard jammed?

 

[RonAKA]

All I can tell you is how I load my 6BR, which will be a bit different from yours as I have a 12 twist barrel and can't shoot the heavy/long bullets. I use a Forster Bushing Bump Die with a .267 bushing, and also a 0.2423" expander ball. It gives me about 0.002" fit on the bullet. The die is set to bump the shoulder back 0.001" on fired cases, and only resize 2/3 of the neck. Best powder so far is Varget, and best velocity for the 68 or so grain bullets is 3400 fps. Best accuracy is with a 0.010" jam. Most accurate bullet is a Berger 68 grain flat base target.

While I have deburred the flash hole on other cartridges I have, I leave the Lapua stuff alone. The 6BR has a smaller flash hole and my flash hole debur tool does not fit in any case.

 

[Tim Singleton]

Did you shoot another set with changes in smaller increments, looking for and the width of a most forgiving zone, evidently centered about or to either side of 28.5 grains and - .011”, or .011” shorter case base to ogive length than what was measured after hard jammed?

I did do a little more testing to confirm the .011 seating depth
On another trip I shot the .011 drill at the same three powder charges and shot them at .015 off jam. The .011 shot as well as the prior trip
So I then screw on my tuner and tuned this depth at 28.2 gr with the tuner

 

[manitou210]

nobody mentioned but neck turning is a must for me, bullets 105gr Berger hybrid & Varget works great

 

[SheepDog]

Isn't neck turning done only on close tolerance chambers to give the minimum clearance for neck bullet release? In a standard chamber there is already plenty of room for the neck to expand to release the bullet - often too much. Turning the neck would just introduce more alignment error. Or am I wrong here?

 

[Dgd6mm]

Isn't neck turning done only on close tolerance chambers to give the minimum clearance for neck bullet release? In a standard chamber there is already plenty of room for the neck to expand to release the bullet - often too much. Turning the neck would just introduce more alignment error. Or am I wrong here?

Sheepdog, I believe you are partially correct here. There is plenty of clearance in a standard chamber. Some like to clean the necks up a little, making a more concentric neck and also achieving more consistent bullet tension and release. My .308 Criterion has .008 clearance over a loaded round, to say it is spacious is the least. This is using Remington brass.

 

[SheepDog]

That is about what I figured and it's why I only size as much of the neck as I have to in order to hold the bullet. The unsized portion of the neck helps keep the rounds centered with the bore. I've never had a match chamber in any of my rifles, I'm a hunter first, but I made a barrel for my brother in 30-30 6mm and sizing the brass down required turning the necks slightly. He's a hunter too but his style is head and neck shots most of the time. Light bullets very fast do a lot of damage in those small spaces. I prefer the heavier bullets into the heart and lungs but it doesn't stop either of us from taking game.

 

[zanemoseley]

Well I got some of the 105 Amax loads to the range, .010" jump, 29.5 - 30.3 Varget. Unfortunately the local range is only 50 yards but still got good results. Everything except the 30.3 shot well, the 30.3 was over pressure, even blew one primer. Best group was .15" or .3 moa (5 shot group), average of the groups omitting the 30.3 over pressure loads was .46 moa. If I'm being honest even with my NF benchrest scope my eyes and trigger finger had to work pretty darn hard to get that .3 moa group, essentially I'm not sure if I have the ability to out shoot the Amax bullets however I'm definitely going to try some VLD's at some point. If anyone's curious I shot with a Rempel bipod and Edgewood rear bag.

I'm likely going to settle on about 29.7 grains of Varget, now I need to play some more with seating depth. If I can keep my real world average below .5 moa (not just the pinup groups) out of a stock Savage barrel with no action work except for bedding with $.25 bullets I'll be tickled. I could also do better with 3 shot groups but I'm one of those guys that believe anything under 5 shots isn't a group.

 

[SheepDog]

You will find that your accuracy will drop as ranges increase due in most part to the inability to hold on the same point of aim exactly as the round is fired. I do like the one hole group even at 50 yards. I use five rounds to make a group but I know a lot more people like 3 shot groups.
Keep up the loading and shooting! you did well!

 

[noload]

I like 5 shot groups......but the 1 shot group sure looks good.