Hello all. I reside in the great white north. Canada. I have been a long time lurker here for the wealth of info. I put together my first rifle in 6mmBR Norma with a 25 inch barrel with a 1:13 twist. It finishes at .950 at the muzzel. So shes very heavy. I have a no turn neck chamber diameter of .274. I had it short throated as I really only plan on using it for 100 - 300 yard shooting. My plan was to put together a short range tack driver for a local sniper/precision competition that I've been competing in for the past 3 years. I really have no intention of using any of the heavy 90+ grain bullets.
I purchased 300 rounds of factory Lapua brass and started with Varget and 75 grain Sierra hp Varmint bullets. I am using CCI BR4 primers. So far I am super impressed. Consistantly getting groups in the high 4s to low 5s, yet still producing quite a few in the 2s and 3s If I do my part. I have read lots of load info but would really like your help on what to do when I start loading. I have a set of Redding neck bushing dies. I have a 267 size bushing as it was all the local shop had in stock. I know of the standard rule of working up powder charges to see pressure and group size sweet spots, but nobody ever gives an Over All Length when they list their loads. Is this not important to dialing in the loads or is it secondary to the powder charge?? Or is it different to every rifle?? I have made a dummy round for the 75 grain Sierra HP and the 70 grain Sierra MatchKings. The 75s touch the lands at 2.160" and the 70s touch at 2.207". I don't have a stony point OAL guage so I am using s pent brass case to gently place a bullet in the mouth, chambering the "dummy round" and measuring how far the bullet gets pushed back into the case. Am I wrong in doing this. My current loaded ammo is 75s at 2.145" and 70s at 2.200". I have tried up to 32 grains of Varget, 31grains of H-4895 and 31 grains of H-322. The 4895 was starting to crater primers at that charge.
The custom 68 gr bullets are difficult to get in Canada. All the import export permits create a lot of red tape and extra fees. I would like to stick to on the shelf kind of components to try. Sorry for the long winded post. Im hoping to learn more from your experience than my experimenting if at all posiible so I dont end up wasting a lot of ammo when I do start loading for this thing.
Thanks
I purchased 300 rounds of factory Lapua brass and started with Varget and 75 grain Sierra hp Varmint bullets. I am using CCI BR4 primers. So far I am super impressed. Consistantly getting groups in the high 4s to low 5s, yet still producing quite a few in the 2s and 3s If I do my part. I have read lots of load info but would really like your help on what to do when I start loading. I have a set of Redding neck bushing dies. I have a 267 size bushing as it was all the local shop had in stock. I know of the standard rule of working up powder charges to see pressure and group size sweet spots, but nobody ever gives an Over All Length when they list their loads. Is this not important to dialing in the loads or is it secondary to the powder charge?? Or is it different to every rifle?? I have made a dummy round for the 75 grain Sierra HP and the 70 grain Sierra MatchKings. The 75s touch the lands at 2.160" and the 70s touch at 2.207". I don't have a stony point OAL guage so I am using s pent brass case to gently place a bullet in the mouth, chambering the "dummy round" and measuring how far the bullet gets pushed back into the case. Am I wrong in doing this. My current loaded ammo is 75s at 2.145" and 70s at 2.200". I have tried up to 32 grains of Varget, 31grains of H-4895 and 31 grains of H-322. The 4895 was starting to crater primers at that charge.
The custom 68 gr bullets are difficult to get in Canada. All the import export permits create a lot of red tape and extra fees. I would like to stick to on the shelf kind of components to try. Sorry for the long winded post. Im hoping to learn more from your experience than my experimenting if at all posiible so I dont end up wasting a lot of ammo when I do start loading for this thing.
Thanks