like some help saving $ and time on 6BR bullet selection

[Linko]

I have a new Savage F Class 1:8 6BR rifle.
( I understand the throat tends to be long on these rifles )

I yet to put one pill down the barrel. And never owned a 6BR rifle before.

200 to 500 are the distances I have available locally.
There is a 600 several hrs away

I would like some recommendations for a bullet selection to match these conditions. This site says this caliber is easy to load for.

Recommended components which seem to be the golden formula include:

Lapua brass
Varget powder
CCI 450 primers

The bullets recommended include bullets from:
Sierra, Hornady, Lapua, Berger

Popular Choices:
Berger 105 VLD Target
Berger 105 Hybrid Target
Berger 105 BT Target
Berger 108 BT Target
Lapua Scenar 105
Lapua Scenar-L 105
Hornady 105 A-Max
Hornady 105 Match
Sierra 107 MK



Question, Since this round is easy to find loads for, is there a recommended bullet and weight for the distances I am going to shoot?

 

[shootnjunky]

you didn't list the sierra 107's but for the price i'd go with those at that distance.

unless you want to shoot br and are planning on being in the full competition mode, there is no need to pay for the more expensive bullets.

 

[Linko]

you didn't list the sierra 107's but for the price i'd go with those at that distance.

unless you want to shoot br and are planning on being in the full competition mode, there is no need to pay for the more expensive bullets.

No, I do not plan on benchrest or full competition.

Yes I missed the Sierra 107

thanks

 

[spclark]

Almost forever the default load for 6BR has been 30 grains of Varget behind a Sierra 107 Match King bullet.

I'd start there if I were you.

Since I'm not my choice likely would be Berger's 105VLD or maybe 105 Hybrid & since Varget can be hard to find I'd try 29 grains of IMR 8208XBR, Hodgdon Benchmark or Vihta Vouri N140 since I already have all of those on hand.

Seat (whatever you choose) 0.020" off the lands & let us know how it shoots.

 

[JRS]

Add the best, to your list of bullets BIB's (Randy Robinett) 95 and 104 grain laser guided missiles

 

[drags]

you didn't list the sierra 107's but for the price i'd go with those at that distance.

unless you want to shoot br and are planning on being in the full competition mode, there is no need to pay for the more expensive bullets.

If it were me I would by the best components I could afford. You have bought a high end rifle so I am guessing that you want the best accuracy possible and it usually can't happen if you are buying components based on price, If you use that logic why not just buy a cheap rifle that will go bang.
Joe

 

[Keith Glasscock]

you didn't list the sierra 107's but for the price i'd go with those at that distance.

unless you want to shoot br and are planning on being in the full competition mode, there is no need to pay for the more expensive bullets.

If it were me I would by the best components I could afford. You have bought a high end rifle so I am guessing that you want the best accuracy possible and it usually can't happen if you are buying components based on price, If you use that logic why not just buy a cheap rifle that will go bang.
Joe

I'll disagree. The price of the bullet (or rifle) has nothing to do with its potential accuracy. I would start with a tangent ogive bullet (107 SMK, 108 BT as examples) and take advantage of their inherent forgiveness to seating depth.

If you are just starting out and have to build skills or technique, lower cost ammunition will give you more of what you really need.

 

[Linko]

Here is my take on what I am looking to do. I have the same rifle in 223 (F TR) that one is for learning skills etc.

This rifle I want the most accuracy and a little flexible in the range for the chosen bullet (ie 200 and 500). I dont want to waste time and money working up loads for more than one bullet if I can help it.

so
Question 1. Can I get consistant results using a 105 or 107 weight at both 200 and 500yds?

Question 2. If I can settle on one bullet which one is my best choice?

my top contenders based on reading only ( w/o ever shooting 6BR) for starting are these:

Hornady 105 A Max
Berger 105 VLD
Sierra 107
Lapua Scenar 105

Again I would really like just one or two bullets to test.

I have a box of Lapua 105 Scenar factory ammo
and a box of Hornady 105 A Max bullets

I was planning on finding some of the Bergers and some Sierras, but that makes 4 loads to workup.
How does that sound?

 

[hogpatrol]

Precision Ballistics 103,105 & 108 Low drag.

 

[Linko]

Precision Ballistics 103,105 & 108 Low drag.

Ok, just beat me!

I am sure they are great, but geeze I never heard of them ( no wonder since I am not the most experience shooter). I checked out the precision balistics website and they are handmade! precision is back logged.

 

[Keith Glasscock]

The vld can drive you batty if you aren't using a good technique for load development. I fought them for quite a while before I learned. Once developed properly, they are hard to beat.

 

[Linko]

The vld can drive you batty if you aren't using a good technique for load development. I fought them for quite a while before I learned. Once developed properly, they are hard to beat.

Are you referring to neck tension?

 

[spclark]

The vld can drive you batty if you aren't using a good technique for load development. I fought them for quite a while before I learned. Once developed properly, they are hard to beat.

Are you referring to neck tension?

More likely seating depth, or how far they need to 'jump' if seated off the lands or how hard they're jammed into the lands.

Conventional wisdom had held that VLD-style bullets shoot best when jammed. Effective jamming means relatively high neck tension as otherwise you're just using your rifle's bolt handle as a seating press handle. Lessen tension & you have the middle-road "soft-seating" or on the lands.

I discovered the 105VLD from Berger shoots best (for me in my equipment) seated 0.030" - 0.020" off the lands with minimal neck tension. Touching or jamming just doesn't work.

Accept that there IS no best until you've picked one & used it for awhile, then tried maybe one or three more to see if there's something better.

If you're new to 6BR just pick one from your updated list & get shooting with it, see what happens. Or find a load formula that shoots good in somebody else's identical rifle.

I know which choice will take less time & trouble.

 

[Linko]

The vld can drive you batty if you aren't using a good technique for load development. I fought them for quite a while before I learned. Once developed properly, they are hard to beat.

Are you referring to neck tension?

More likely seating depth, or how far they need to 'jump' if seated off the lands or how hard they're jammed into the lands.

Conventional wisdom had held that VLD-style bullets shoot best when jammed. Effective jamming means relatively high neck tension as otherwise you're just using your rifle's bolt handle as a seating press handle. Lessen tension & you have the middle-road "soft-seating" or on the lands.

I discovered the 105VLD from Berger shoots best (for me in my equipment) seated 0.030" - 0.020" off the lands with minimal neck tension. Touching or jamming just doesn't work.

Accept that there IS no best until you've picked one & used it for awhile, then tried maybe one or three more to see if there's something better.

If you're new to 6BR just pick one from your updated list & get shooting with it, see what happens. Or find a load formula that shoots good in somebody else's identical rifle.

I know which choice will take less time & trouble.

"I know which choice will take less time & trouble" which one?

 

[Ghansen]

You might have to go through the fun of load developement. I have used 105 VLD and just playing with 107SMKs now which I havent fine tuned yet. At 100 the 105VLD with Varget or RL15 can give me sub. .3" groups of 5 shots, and Both have won me small group at 1000 & 550. (they call that a fly shoot here in Australia) The 6BR is fun to shoot at both those yardages and at 200 has got the goods as well. I have used 30.2 varget and 30.3 RL15 WITH THE 105's but I started at 29.8 @ the lands.with new brass. Neck tension is moderate for my best results. 26" 1:8.5 twist.

 

[Linko]

I think I will be doing more load development than I hoped I would.

My plan for loads is this:

Hornady 105 A max (I have some already)
Berger 105 VLD
Berger 105 Hybrid

all with Lapua brass/Varget/450

 

[newbieshooter]

Almost forever the default load for 6BR has been 30 grains of Varget behind a Sierra 107 Match King bullet.

I'd start there if I were you.

Since I'm not my choice likely would be Berger's 105VLD or maybe 105 Hybrid & since Varget can be hard to find I'd try 29 grains of IMR 8208XBR, Hodgdon Benchmark or Vihta Vouri N140 since I already have all of those on hand.

Seat (whatever you choose) 0.020" off the lands & let us know how it shoots.

I too have a Savage F Class 1:8 6BR rifle. But, I can't run more than 29.2gr of Varget (lapua brass, cci450, berger 105 hybrids) before the bolt is hard to lift and the case is hard to extract. This rifle shoots great with Berger 105VLDs jammed .010 or Berger 105 Hybrids jumped .005.

 

[22DASHER]

I would start with two of the most reliable bullets (Berger 105 VLD and Berger 108 BT) ... No reason to go all crazy when you will likely find what you need with either the Berger 105 VLD's about .020" in or the 108 BT about .010" off. Chances are pretty darn good you will not have to look any further.... just have to fine tune from there

 

[Deleted old_dood]

you didn't mention them but I get my best results, 1/2 MOA or better (200 yds), in my Savage 12BR with Berger 90g target BT over 30.5 g Varget.

 

[spclark]

I too have a Savage F Class 1:8 6BR rifle. But, I can't run more than 29.2gr of Varget (lapua brass, cci450, berger 105 hybrids) before the bolt is hard to lift and the case is hard to extract. This rifle shoots great with Berger 105VLDs jammed .010 or Berger 105 Hybrids jumped .005.

"I know which choice will take less time & trouble" which one?

What newbieshooter's posted here oughta be a good start. His experience is with basically your rifle, so he's ahead of you on the load-development thing. Strike up a dialogue via PM here with him, you can both get back to us with what you've learned together.

No need to go it alone, or re-invent the wheel. Load development, where there's already well-established data out there, just wastes components, barrels and time.