My specs for my first ever 6BR

[Jake31]

Hello all, well I have decided to go with a 6BR for my new long range varmint rig. I just sent all the parts to the gunsmith, so it will be about 4 to 6 months until I get to have fun with the 6BR. I have never owned a 6BR, but I have been told it's an awesome cartridge!

I was originally going with a 6x284, however, after finding this site and doing a ton of research, I decided the 6BR would be the better cartridge. The rifle will be used for small varmints like squirrels and PDogs at ranges from 100 to 1000 yards. Most of the varminting will be done from 400 to 600 yards. Here are the specs;

1. Chamber, no turn 6BR, neck dia .272, chambered for the Lapua brass, with a .060 lead,free bore).

2. Action-Nesika Model L, 1.70 Diameter. I know long for the 6BR, however, it had a 308 bolt face and I got a great deal on it.

3. Barrel-Krieger, 30", 1-8.5 twist, .236 lands, 1.450 straight taper.

4. Stock-McMillan Tooley MBR, 5 pounds lead added to rear.

5. Jewel 2oz trigger.

6. Vias muzzle brake.

7. Davidson 20 MOA Base.

8. Kelby 30mm rings

9. Nightforce NXS 12x42x56mm NP-2DD Reticle

10. Total weight will be 33lbs.

I chose Clay Spencer to do all the gunsmithing. I can't wait to get it.

As you can see, the rifle will be heavy and it will also have a brake, so there will be no felt recoil. I will be shooting bullets from 70grns to 105grns. I am looking at the 70grn Ballistic Tip and the 75grn V-Max for my 100 to 600 yard varminting and the 105grn Lapua Scenar for shots past 600. I went with .060 free bore because it was the best option to allow me to shoot all the above mentioned bullets.

I am going to try VV N135 for the 70grn to 75grn bullets and VV N150 for the 105grn bullets. I am thinking the CCI 450 is the primer I should go with. Any thoughts form you all would be great.

Anyhow, I am looking forward to finally owning a 6BR.

Jake

 

[Forum Boss]

Jake,

Sounds like it will be a great shooting rig. Some thoughts however--

1. If you haven't gotten the barrel yet, I would definitely consider a lighter profile. 1.450" straight taper is massive and very heavy and will make the rifle harder to balance. I think 1.250" straight taper is plenty big, and you might prefer a #19 or similar barrel. 28" is probably long enough for the 6BR case too.

2. Think about bringing the gun in at 22 lbs, and have a weight option so you can shoot it in the 17-lb class. Trust me, the recoil is pretty mild with a 17-lb 6BR.

3. I prefer a longer freebore. I know Clay likes the .060 freebore, but I think the trend is toward longer freebore. Even with the lighter bullet, it lets you load more powder in the case and you can get GREAT accuracy as long as you have 0.180 or more shank in the case.

 

[Jake31]

Moderator, thanks for the info. I already bought the barrel and had the stock inletted for the 1.450 diameter barrel. I know it's a long and large barrel, but I wanted this rifle to be heavy. I had McMillan add 5 pounds of lead to the rear of the stock, so it should balance out pretty well once its put togather. Its mainly gong to be used for varminting and sometimes in the 1000 yard heavy gun bench rest class.

The free bore decision was tough, but I thought the .060 lead would be the best choice. I will stick with it and see how it works.

Jake

 

[wnroscoe]

My 6BR had a 30", 1.250" straight taper barrel and took 5 pounds of weight to balance the rifle with the pivot point at the receiver/barrel juncture point. I left it with no weight and the pivot point was about 8" down the barrel in front of the receiver. Five pounds of weight for a 1.450" straight will have the pivot point out in front of the receiver also. FWI, mine shot lights out that way. I just set my barrel back after 2,200-2,500 rounds. It's now 28" long and 30.0 grains of Varget with the F205M and 107 SMK shot a three shot .083" and a five shot .166". I think the shorter barrel works better with this chambering and a 27" HV taper would be just about perfect. I think your rifle will be a shooter, especially with Clay Spencer doing the work, good luck.

 

[Ackman]

The 6BR is a great cartridge. With 55's or 65's it'll replace a 22-250 and do it with a lot less powder. You're wanting to have an "ultimate" gun and you've got all the buzzwords covered. But I think your premise is flawed and you're going off the deep end.

A 6BR case only holds so much powder and just doesn't need 30" of barrel. You won't be getting any extra velocity, And barrels that long, even longer with a brake, are horrible unwieldy things. At 1.450", do you have any idea how unpleasant that thing will be to handle? It's entirely unnecessary. A 26-27" max at 1.2" or so diameter and braked it won't even move.

Have you spent much time shooting groundsquirrels or pd's? Prairie dogs aren't very big and groundsquirrels are much smaller. At 1000yds you can barely find one with binocs. No matter what they say, at that distance people are mostly shooting AT them. So take plenty of ammunition. Groundsquirrels are real dumb and 200yds is long range for those things. I nailed one with a golf club. Do you have any idea what the trajectory is at long distance with a 6BR shooting heavy bullets? And if/when that 105 match bullet connects it'll just drill a hole. Plus using 105gr bullets on a 2-lb-or-less creature is pretty silly. Target shooting is a whole different deal and paper at that distance with the the 6BR is one thing. Varmints with a 6BR to 400-600 you'd be better off with 75's and for that you don't need a real fast twist. Past that with a 6BR and the whole thing becomes nonsense.

 

[457ciSBC]

Hi, I kind of agree along with the others. I had my first 6BR built about 8 yrs ago for 250-450 yd varminting. It's a .065FB; 1-14" LV contour 26.5", McM A3, sniper fill. I would not want it to be any heavier and recoil is almost nill. I shoot 58-72 grains bullets, my typical varmint load is as much Varget that I can get in the case using a drop tube which sends the 55 Blitz or 58 VMAX out at 3740-3750 fps. This is THE PERFECT cartridge for these ranges, however when the wind picks up, it's no 6mm Ackley.
A few yrs ago I aquired a second 6BR; .090FB, 1-8", Shehane Tracker, 27" LV contour for paper punching. I've used it varminting with 65-75 VMAX bullets with velocities in the 3600-3625 fps range and while it's make nice varmint rig as well, at 500-600+ yds it's no 6mm Ackley. For shooting at live critters I like speed and accuracy but there's only so much powder you can get the BR case. As much as I love the 6BR as i'll never be without one, but IMHO I don't think it's the best 700 yd 6mm varmint cartridge regardless of which bullet is used. Thus, I had a 1-12" twist 6mm ackley built based around the 75 gr VMAX.

Enjoy and welcome to the 6BR club.

 

[Jake31]

Ackman, I am sorry you think my premise is flawed and you think I am falling of the deep end. I happen to like my project and the components I have picked out.

I think you are flawed and have some sort of issue to go as far as to say such comments. I think you should think before you write something that is offensive.

I want the rifle to be heavy, that's why I am having it built this way. If I wanted a carry rifle, I would have went with lighter components. I have owned many custom rifles, some weighing 7 pounds and others all the way up to 70+ pounds. I know what I am doing, this is not my first rodeo with a custom rifle. I like my rifles heavy. My last 6x284 weighed 25 pounds. This rifle will weigh right around 33 pounds, that's light compared to some of the monsters I have seen on varmint trips.

The reason I wanted the rifle built like this was because on my last squirrel hunting trip a guy had a 6BR built up just like my current project. It was awesome to watch him shoot. His set up was deadly accurate. I knew right then that it was time to do the research on the 6BR and have one built. Sure, I could have went with different components, however, I wanted it to be set up this way.

Ackman, If you think it's nonsense, than that's your opinion. I like it.

Anyhow, I am looking forward to having a 6BR. I have always been impressed with how accurate they are at long range.

Jake

 

[Jake31]

457, I agree with you when it comes to the long range varminting with 6BR. I think it's best at ranges from 100 to 600 yards. Must of my shooting will be done from 100 to 600 yards, with occasional shots out to 1000 yards, so the 6BR will be perfect for my needs.

I have been reading and hearing the 70grn Ballistic Tip and 75grn V-Max are working very well. I am thinking I should be able to push them at around 3600 to 3650fps out of my 30" 1-8.5 twist barrel. I am thinking these bullets should work pretty well on small varmints from 100 to 600 yards. I will also try the 105grn Lapua Scenar and 105grn A-Max for the longer shots.

Jake

 

[Jake31]

Wnroscoe, thanks for the information regarding the balancing issue. I think the rifle should balance out pretty well do to the fact the Nesika Action is a Model L and 1.70 in diameter. The action is big and heavy, so it should work. I am sure Clay will be able to get it perfect.

Thanks for the reloading info. Like I said, this will be my first 6BR. I am looking forward to having one for varminting. They seem to be a real blast to shoot. I spoke with a gentlemen who told me, once he switched to the 6BR for varminting, his hit ratio went way up compared to the other cartridges he had used previously during his other hunts. Is this true for some of you too.

 

[chino1969]

Ackman, I am sorry you think my premise is flawed and you think I am falling of the deep end. I happen to like my project and the components I have picked out.

I think you are flawed and have some sort of issue to go as far as to say such comments. I think you should think before you write something that is offensive.

I want the rifle to be heavy, that's why I am having it built this way. If I wanted a carry rifle, I would have went with lighter components. I have owned many custom rifles, some weighing 7 pounds and others all the way up to 70+ pounds. I know what I am doing, this is not my first rodeo with a custom rifle. I like my rifles heavy. My last 6x284 weighed 25 pounds. This rifle will weigh right around 33 pounds, that's light compared to some of the monsters I have seen on varmint trips.

The reason I wanted the rifle built like this was because on my last squirrel hunting trip a guy had a 6BR built up just like my current project. It was awesome to watch him shoot. His set up was deadly accurate. I knew right then that it was time to do the research on the 6BR and have one built. Sure, I could have went with different components, however, I wanted it to be set up this way.

Ackman, If you think it's nonsense, than that's your opinion. I like it.

Anyhow, I am looking forward to having a 6BR. I have always been impressed with how accurate they are at long range.

Jake

It's your money and your choice. The bottom line is that you are the only person that needs to be happy with your choices.
Chino69

 

[Jake31]

Gunamonth, I never asked for anyone to tell me what a great job I did on picking my parts for my project. I did not ask for any praise, I simply wanted to tell everyone about my new project.

 

[Jake31]

Chino69, thanks. I am really happy with my choice of components and project decisions.

 

[Ackman]

The whole point of going through what you're building is for praise. You want people to pat you on the back and congratulate you on what a wonderful gun it'll be. Well the components are great, it's all the good stuff.

I have a bunch of heavy barrelled guns that are leaded to weigh 20-22lbs. They're chambered for cartridges that burn 45-60gr powder. Braked, they'll just sit there and don't even move when fired. When you start talking about a 6BR,which burns about 32gr powder) with truck-axle sized barrel, 33lbs, 105gr bullets, for 600/1000yd groundsquirrels, it's pretty obvious you're unclear on the concept. If this isn't what you wanted to hear, then it just isn't.

 

[Jake31]

Ackman, next time I build a rifle, I will make sure I get clearance from you on components, NOT!!!!

Here is my concept, I wanted a Heavy, very accurate rifle for shooting small ground squirrels from 100 to 600 yards with the occasional 1000 yard shot. I wanted it built this way. Thanks for your comments, but I know what I am doing and what I want.

 

[DMAC67]

Jake 31,
First I would like to say that I am happy for you building a dream rig and that you are choosing some top notch equipment. good show.

I only want to ask a couple of questions and maybe add some helpful advise that could enhance your ownership of such a fine rig !

First, what part of the country do you live in ? Do you have access to a range past 100/200 yards. If you are unsure just reply with your city and state. I'm sure I or one of the other members can let you know about a club close to you with 600/1000 yard line that are active in competion.

I, my self started out as a varminter and built my first 6mm BR 4 years ago. Then I found the wonderful world of NRA highpower competion ! I thank my luck stars that I had my rifle set up so I could go right into F-class competion. I have found it both challenging and very rewarding ! The 6mmBR is very, very good in this game. I have two of them and three weeks ago came within 1 point of a perfect score at 1000 yards using the 6m BR and a 105gn Berger.

My point is, your new rig is a perfect fit for this game except for a few minor details and I think it would be ashame for you to spend all that money and have no versitility to use your rig but only one very small season a year and put it in the closet to collect dust. You can compete year round if you want. F-class is one of the fastest growing shooting sports in the country and matches range from informal club events to an NRA sponsored yearly National Championship, of which I just competed in two weeks ago at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton New Mexico. It was an incredible experience that everyone with a rig like yours should experience !

There are only three things you have too change;

1) The weight limit for F-class is 22 lbs. My 6mm BR is a Barnard action and Mastin lamente stock,MTguns.com) with a Krieger 1/8 twist with a 1.250" straight 30" barrel. With scope it wieghs 19.5 lbs. When I shoot it at 1000 yard targets, the recoil is so light that I can watch the bullet contrail and with the bullet impact at the target berm ! Trust me, you do not need a 33 lbs rifle for good rifle control.

2) you cannot have a muzzle break in F-class because you are shooting prone off of rests next to other competitors. The dirt blast would be no fun, just as it won't when you are by yourself in the prairie dog fields. Besides, as I mentioned above they are really an unneccesary. Also in a match I shoot 60 shots plus sighters and have never noticed the recoil !

3) My first 6mm BR had the gunsmith talked me into the .060 freebore and it would not shoot the 105/107 bullets for shit. They were seated where seated so deep and the pressure was thru the roof ! I believe he talked me into it because thats the reamer he had in his tool box and didn't want to spend $100 to get the proper reamer. I bought one from Dave Kiff that I had spec.ed as .272" no turn neck, .100 freebore with a 1 degree leade. This was perfect for the 105/107's and it still shoots the varmint bullets very accurately. The 88gn Bergers shoot in the .20" at 100 yards and into 1" at 300 yards! Consider this, you have a 1-8 twist that is perfect for the 105/107 bullet then you go with a piss poor .060" freebore that won't work with those bullets. Save yourself the heartache. Heck I would be willing to let you borrow my reamer to use if your smith doesn't have one just to see you not go through what I did.

Hope I was helpful. I always appreciated the other shooters that have help me along the way, I just like to give back and keep fellow shooters from wasting good money.

 

[Jake31]

DMAC67, first of all, great post. I had this rifle set up for basically varmint shooting out to 600 yards. Plus, I got a great deal on all of my components, that's why I went with them.

I know it's a heavy gun, trust me, but I think it will be just fine for me. I went with .060 free bore, because I am mainly going to shoot the 70gn Ballistic Tip, 75grn and 87grn V-Max. If the 105 and 107 don't work with .060 free bore, I can always have it reamed out.

If I do any bench rest comps, it will be in the heavy gun class.

Jake

 

[DMAC67]

Jake,

You never did say where in the country you are at ?

Can you really shoot varmints at 600 yards that often ?

Benchrest may be interesting to some.... Spending trvel time, gas money, and my saturday just to shoot five or ten shots kindda sucks. You need to read up on NRA highpower F-class shooting. A typical match consists of unlimited sighters and 3 twenty shot matches for a total 60 shot aggregate. These are typically shot at 600 and or 1000 yards. There are many great articles on this sight just do a search.

Don't be intimidated by a rifle match or be afraid of being the "new guy". You will find that they will welcome new shooters with open arms and all the help you need. New shooters are our life blood. We all bitch about our gun rights being encroached upon but we don't properly support the NRA or get involved with organized competitions that will perpetuate the legitimate use of firearms, increace revenues for the NRA, promote comraderie that will bond shooters that will make us a stronger entity and show the public our relavence and prove us to be shining beacons of all that is good and right about gun ownership.

Think of the bigger picture here. And hey it only took me three years and I shot in the top twenty out 100 of the worlds best shooter from 6 different countries at the National Championships.

 

[memilanuk]

DMAC,

While I second the recommendation for F-Class... :wave:

BR is hardly 'five or ten shots'. Thats one group. At one yard line.

I'm not really a BR type, but I'm pretty sure they have these things called 'aggs'... five 5-shot groups at each yard line,plus sighters)... I think they get plenty of rounds downrange :thumb:

Monte

 

[Jake31]

DMAC,

I live in California.

Yes, I get to shoot at varmints,Ground Squirrels) at 600+ yards from March to around November.

Jake31

 

[george]

only thing different i would do is a barrel block ! to take a little stress off the action......