Load Advice - 6BR PD Hunting

[bobcat1506]

What do you guys run and what gives you the best accuracy and show?

My dad and I are both building 10” twist 6BRs for PD hunting and are looking for advice on loads to try. One is a Savage 12 Target with Shilen tube and the other is a blue printed Rem 700 with a Krieger barrel. We both have lesser rifles for < 400 yard shots and would like to use the 6BRs for > 300 yards targets. From my research the 75-87 grain V-MAXes seem to be the sweet spot of drift and drop for targets and varying ranges.

We have Lapua brass, CCI 450’s, Varget, 8208, 75/87 VMAXs, and some 90/95 grain Berger VLDs. We are open to buying other components. Has anyone tried the 58 grain V/Z-MAXes?

 

[NWnewguy]

I have tried everything you mentioned except the Bergers. I am sure they are great, I just don't want to try them for fear that they will be too good, and then I will have to buy them all the time. They cost a pretty penny more than the Hornady. I have been impressed with the performance of the 75 and 87 grain offerings from Hornady and think that with a dose of that 8208, you will be impressed with the results. I wouldn't hesitate to try a different primer if you don't get the results you are looking for initially. I have gotten better results with Rem 7 1/2 with the 8208 and lighter bullets.

The 58 gr vmax is a smoking little round on varmints, and if there isn't any wind would be my first choice, although 1-10 twist is obviously a bit less than ideal for such a light bullet, it will work. If the wind is blowing the 87gr will work pretty well at longer ranges. Just remember that it is speed that produces the spectacular results on varmints. Of course, you do have to hit them to get those results, and if the wind is whipping, it can be tricky to hit them with the lighter bullets. That's why I got my reloading setup mobile so that I can load for the conditions.

 

[gmorganal]

I'd go with the 58 grain Hornady V-Max or the 55 grain Noslers. Unless you have full value, high velocity winds, drift won't be a big problem out to 300 yards. The polymer tips make this bullet drift a lot less than hollow point projectiles of the same weight.

 

[mmcu]

The 80 grain Berger Match Varmint is hard to beat. Very accurate in every 6BR I've had. Not quite as explosive as the 75 grain Hornady V-Max, but still devastating on the PD's.

 

[oldhoward]

Hi, The Nosler or Hornady 55/58 grain bullets at about 3700 fps are deadly to 500 yards even in a mild wind. If your going to shoot past 500 yards step up to the 80 to 90 bullet range. 87 grain vmax should work well or one of the Bergers 90'ish grain vld's. Might want to try a few Sierra 75 to 85 grain hpbt's as well, might save a few bucks. See what your rifle likes.

 

[bobcat1506]

What powder are you guys running with the lighter bullets?

 

[DennisH]

Hi, The Nosler or Hornady 55/58 grain bullets at about 3700 fps are deadly to 500 yards even in a mild wind

Howard, what twist are you using with the above?

 

[NWnewguy]

I still like the 8208 with the 58 grainers. TAC is the only other powder I have actually tried, and it worked well. I would like to try the bottle of CFE 223 that is on my shelf, but so many rifles, so little time.

 

[jerrschmitt]

My short range (Under 400 yds) rifle is a 14 twist 6BR and I use 65VMAX with H322 powder and CCI 450 primers. I think the 65VMAX gives a good balance between velocity and weight. I tried the 55 NBT and the 58 VMAX but accuracy and splat factor were better with the 65s. I use the 87 VMAX in my 8 twist 6BR along with 105 AMAX. They are great at longer ranges.

 

[quartermaster]

Varget and the 80gr FB Bergers shoot great for me in my 12" twist. My experience so far with my 6BR is that it shoots everything good and it was hard to settle in on one load, You always feel that you can always do better even when you shoot in the .1s

QM

 

[AckleymanII]

I shoot the Nosler 55g with AA2230 at 3900+ out of a 12" twist lilja. The groups smoke all other bullet weights at 300 yds...that is an understatement....hard to believe, I know. I have tested it time and time again in different conditions against 65 and 75g V max.

In our quest, we normally just jump on the highest BC bullet, but a little speed makes up for a lot of bC out to a certain yardage....400-450.

In my dog shooting, the 80g Berger is crap for an explosive bullet on dogs. I shot untold thousands of the 60g Sierra, 60g berger, 60 and 62g Watson's and GTB's and they all worked will because of the speed. H335 is a fantastic powder with the lighter bullets, in fact NBRSA director Gene Harwood set a World Record with the 6 BR using H335 with his own 60g HPFB bullets at 3700 fps.

The 6 BR with the 55's using AA2230 at 3900 fps is the equal of a 220 swift shooting the 55'sg Nosler BT at 4000 fps, no one would ever call that swift load a wimp load. AA2230 and H335 gives unbelievable barrel life in a 6 BR compared to N135.

 

[oldhoward]

Hi Dennis,
The barrel is a Shilen 26 inch heavy varmint with a 1:8 twist. I generally use Varget powder due to high temperatures in Texas.

 

[areaone]

My 14 twist shoots 55 gr noslers and 58 V Max with Ramhot xterminator in small groups, a great PD load and easy to load volumes of rounds. GTG at 400 yds if you dope the wind, shoots 65 gr bergers very well with H4198 also.

 

[bouddha]

At the tail end of my p-doggin' days, I was shooting an XP-100 chambered for 6mm Talldog (6PPC-.100"). My buddy and I had shot with everything from .220 Swift, .17 Rem, .45-70 Govt., .22-250, everything that was suitable. I put this barrelled action in a highly modified stock, and found that s l o w e r was a nice change of pace! With an arrival speed of 1700-2000 fps, those 58 gr Hornadys would launch a pasture poodle 25 feet or more if he were walking perpendicular to bullet flight. Not only that, it would send doggie parts back toward you big enough to hear plopping on the ground! Might say we went from misters to chunkers...

 

[woolenmammoth]

If you go with a heavier bullet, I have had best results with lapua 90 g scenars w N140 or varget in a 10 twist krieger 6br. The 80 berger is great but it took a real long time to tune it. The 90 scenar was MUCH less fussy to tune in my rifle.