Hot rod varment cal.

[eddywitay]

Hi guys I need a little input i am wanting to build a custom 6mm for ground hog hunting I am looking at shooting berger 88 grain high b.c varment bullets to 105 A-maxs I was thnking about 234 AI or 6mm-284 I am after a high vel. chambering any input would help

 

[40X Guy]

You are on the right track with those 2. I have never owned a 6-284 but owned a .243 AI in the mid 90's that had a factory .243 heavy CM barrel that was rechambered to the AI version. I never played with heavy bullets in it and i think the twist was 10? Rifle loved 70 grain BT's and all critters shot with it expired quickly.

I am currently on my second 6AI which I think strikes a good balance between the 2 you mentioned. Uses less powder than a 6-284 (gives up nothing in the velocity department) and has a longer neck but no advantage of having lapua brass for it. I have used both Norma 7X57 brass necked down and Winchester brass (sorted) with great results in my 6AI's.

If wanting simplicity, go with the .243 AI and fireform the Lapua brass. No necking down operations etc. They are accurate!

Frank

 

[WyleWD]

Either of the two you mentioned would be fine. I've had a couple 6-284's and they were set up to just take 6.5-284 brass (Norma or Lapua), run them through the resizing die, load and shoot. Both were great shooters. Personally I'm not a big fan of fireforming on low barrel life rifles such as the 243AI, 6AI, etc but have seen a few of those that were fine shooting rifles too. WD

 

[BoydAllen]

A friend who has spent a huge amount of money and time working with AI cartridges, has said that the limiting factor for the .243 AI is the amount of pressure that a case with large primers can withstand. For that reason, if I were going to play the game, I might consider necking down and fire forming Lapua 6.5 x 47 brass, and using CCIs magnum small rifle primers. One advantage of necking down is that you can put the shoulder where you want , for a good fit when fire forming. I would probably have Hornady make a hydraulic case forming die.

 

[22turborimfire]

Yep 6 x 47 Lapua sounds like a good choice

 

[eddywitay]

I was just doing some looking around and what about the 240 Weaherby,to tell you the truth for some reason I am really leaning toward the 6mm284 I just knda like it

 

[BoydAllen]

You might ask someone who has had one about the barrel life.

 

[eddywitay]

i talked to a few shooters about the 6-284 and they told me that for 1000 yd bench rest they might get 1000 to1200 firings before the kind of accuracy they need drops off so if I got 1200 rounds that would be fine by me..

 

[Ironworker]

I shoot a 6x284 ! Its Bad to the Bone IF you get a triple AAA Gunsmith to chamber it.( who is going to build it and what barrel maker) Easy to load for run a 6.5 x284 in a FL die and that's it . In fact after reading this post I might take mine out in NV desert at shoot tomorrow morning.

 

[eddywitay]

Well it will be a Hart 28 inch barrel Remington varment taper1-8 twist and for the builder would prob go with RW Hart and sons in Nescopeck,PA or I was thinking of trying out a new smith Mountor county rifles

 

[MarkS]

Eddy,

I know you want speed, but I have been there and done that. I have had 2 6mmAI, 243AI, 22-250AI 8tw. All do great, but barrel life sucks. I shoot a 6BR and 6BRX, accuracy can't be beat. It is nice to take a head at 500 yds. Look at what they are doing in 600 and 1000yd benchrest.

Mark Schronce

 

[eddywitay]

I am currently shooting a 6BR now but I want speed and with the 6BR is not there for me the rifle that I am currently using is a custom made by RW Hart and sons,IT has a 26inch Hart barrel and a muzzle break the gun does not move when you pul the trigger and you can spot your own shots McMillian A-2 stock and a 4oz jewel trigger I am shooting 105grain A-max's @2667 if I push them faster poor accuracy and I won't compromise I even worked up a load with 87grain v-max but only picked up 100 fps and lost a bit of B.C in my bullet vs the 105 I wish I could pick up some speed with this 6BR but I know sped is not what it is all about that is why I like the 6-284 with a 105grain bullet I think It Is pretty safe to say I can get at least 3100 fps with a 27 or 28 inch pipe

 

[Nomad47]

You should do better than 3100. I get that in a 28" 6XC pushing 105 AMax boooletts.

 

[eddywitay]

I know what I should get but some times the accuracy and speed don"t come together but If I can get at least 3200 fps with a 105 and good accuracy to my standards than I will be happy the 2662fps just is not fast enough for me. Now another question what kind of speed are you guys getting out of your 6BR in a 26inch pipe maybe my barrel is just a slow barrel?

 

[bheadboy]

R W Hart do great work, ask Bobby about using the 6mm rem AI i think you will be surprised.

Bob

 

[Ironworker]

I can push 107 gr Sierra MK to 3400 with my 6x284. 30" Brux bbl

 

[dtucker]

I really like the 243AI. I have had several and 1 built for the heavier bullets and another for the 80,s down to the 70 grain bullets. Used Lapua brass and it is so consistant that it is not needed to prep any of the brass for the varmint rifles i am using. I always found a great load when fire forming my brass and went back and would load a few back up just to double check. After that i would load them all up the same. They have all been super accurate and easy to find a good accurate load without much work. I like the Sendero contour at 24 to 26 inches with the barrel fluted and any other thing to save a little weight as i do a lot of walking. Lots of other good 1,s out their as people posted and sometimes it is a hard 1 to choose. As far as i am concerned the big fat heavy long barrels are good for only 1 thing and that is sitting somewhere on a bench to shoot from at your varmints. Now this is just my opinion on that and had many of them in the past. For me the sendero contour is the all around perfect contour, not to heavy and not to lite. It just all depends on how and where you are going to shoot the rifle. As above, their are a lot of good accurate 1,s to choose from. Good luck and have fun with it.

 

[eddywitay]

all this talk has me all pumped up just ordered a barrel today stainless Hart 6mm 1-8 still not a 100% sure on the cal but I am really leaning toward the 6mm284 really sounds like just what the doctor ordered

 

[CJ6]

Send it out to Hart and have them fit the barreled action for you.......You won't be disapointed..........

 

[Leonardo63]

I second what Dan T said- My first varmint gun I had bult was 22-250AI on Win 70 action 27" and 1.00 at the muzzle- After a couple hours walking RR beds I was thinking how nice a donkey would be to carry this freakin sledghammer ....