recommendations for Ruger 77V 6mm Rem.?

[Proud Dad]

Have just made the commitment to get my first dedicated dual-purpose rifle and will be looking to set it up with a lighter bullet (70-85 gr.) for prairie dogs/coyotes and a heavier bullet (90-105 gr.) for deer and antelope. Anyone have any suggestions as I get started? I have started looking for various 6mm bullets to test, but haven't bought any yet.

Assuming I do my part behind the rifle, what level of accuracy should I expect out of this rifle? I have several Ruger 77's in larger calibers that I like, but this is my first with a bull barrel. I will be setting it up with a Harris bipod and a Bausch & Lomb Elite 4000 4x16 scope.

Thanks.

 

[357Mag]

PD-

Howdy !

My best friend used an M-77 24" .250 Savge w/ light-wt barrel ( my gun ) for many years... on "Soy Beanus Digestus".

The thing shot like a house on fire, w/ only the barrel channel cleareance from the barrel; and the retro fit of a Canjar single set trigger.
We used a Leupold 12X on the rifle, perhaps considered a lower-power by today's prevailing standards.

We shot 39gr H-380 and Fed LR Match under Sierra 75HPs, and the thing was a " Death Ray ". We were good for nigh unto 450yds, and bullet hits ( that we did hear ) sounded like the animal was being hit w/ a wet dishrag.

As for your 6mm Rem.... too bad that Hornady doesn't makes an 80gr SX.

In my 6mm wildcat ( case capacity approx 2gr < .243 Win ), the plain-Jane Sierra 85HPBT is just stupid accurate.
After weighing 3 boxes of the 85s, I gave further weight checking up...... each box only varied a max of .2gr over each 100 bullet measuring exercise ! No wonder they're accurate !!

I found Berger 88s to be "flighty", and fairly susceptible to "wind". I confess that I've more 6mm target-type bullets w/ my 6mm wildcat; than I have the varmint offerings.

Now, my 6mm rifle has a 29" 1-8 "5-C" rifled SS barrel.

I too, like a dual-role' gun.... shooting both targets and live varmint . Berger 6mm 95LD's seemed to me, a great middle-of-the-road
compromise ( for lack of a better term ). It gave nothing up on performance in either shooting venue. I killed 4 groundhogs w/ 4 shots
back in NE Indiana, @ ranges of 100 - 375 yards; over a scant 45min period. Those 95s worked ! The 375yard 'hog was " in defilade ", and I had to drop the bullet in on him; as he was almost out of sight & obscured by an intervening small rise in the terrain.

Using the 95s at shoot in North Central TX, I was able to hit 3ea 2" square swinging clangers @ 500... using 3 shots.
I had not previously even tried shooting targets so small @ that distance, and was somewhat proud of my first-time accomplishment
( shooting my 6mm wildcat ).

My point... w/ the correct case capacity and correct twist.... Berger 95s can shoot ! Sierra 95MKs have grouped for me, nearly as well.

IF you intend to do the predominance of your shooting @ 500 and under, the 88-95gr weight span should provide you w/ some great choices... barrel twist allowing.


With regards,
357Mag

 

[Proud Dad]

357 Mag -
Thanks for your reply and details. The more I read about the 6mm's the more anxious I get to shoot mine. Most of my shooting will be at 500 or less, although there is a 600 yard range at our local club that I will have to give a try. Thanks again and best wishes.

 

[calib]

i am not familiar with the 6mm cartrigde, so i will tell you the bullets i am using and then you can take it from there if you want to pusue them in use or not.

i have two 243 ai's

1- is a 1:9 twist that shoots 95 grain bergers .5 moa to 900 yards. probably would do well further out just have not shot it past 900 yet.

2- is a 1:12 twist shooting 70 grn ballistic tips at around 3650fps. it shoots tight groups and is accurate at range. i have shot two consecutive shots 3" apart from eachother on a rock at 826 yards. i dropped a dog in its tracks at 546 this winter and many more with it. i think you would be happy running the bt due to speed and bc.

i dont know what twist you have on your barrel, but i would think you could almost run 87 vmax's out of the 6mm with some good velocity and down range energy that would devistate an antelope, coyotes, pd's, rock chucks, what ever you can effectively make shots on

 

[vlcakc]

The Remington 700 6mm's I've had experience with were not too fussy about the loads that shot well. Several loads shot very well in either factory barrels or 1/10 twist custom barrels. Probably the most consistently accurate out of several rifles was with Sierra 70 gr. MK, H380, R9-1/2M primers and RP brass. If you don't want to spring for the match bullets, Sierra 80 gr. Blitz or 85 gr. BTHP with H414/WW760 also worked well in several rifles. Check the Hodgdon website for load data. Vic

 

[Proud Dad]

Thanks for the additional information, guys. Really appreciate the help and will look up more of the load data. Had a chance to shoot a friend's 700 6mm today using 95 gr. Berger bullets and was VERY impressed. Shot steel targets at 400 yards in windy conditions and they seemed to handle the wind pretty well.

 

[Flybuster]

I'm going to subscribe to this thread. I just inherited a Ruger 77 in 6mm Rem. sporter and haven't done much load development.

I measured the twist rate and it looks like I have a 1-9.25" and it does stabilize 105 grain bullets. It's problem is the short action with this long C.O.A.L. .

I've tried 70 grain before and got them under an inch. Two powders I've tried are H-4831sc and H-4350.

 

[Proud Dad]

Flybuster - I will share results as soon as I get my rifle in and start doing some testing. The rifle I shot yesterday had a Leupold VX-3 6.5X20 on it and I was sure impressed with it. First time to shoot with glass that nice. Sure a lot easier to get things dialed in when you can see things that well.

 

[bheadboy]

i had both my two sons shooting rem 6mm in rem rifles, factory bbls, the best 70 gr loads would be Sierra blitzking and IMR4064,- today the powders are different but i found the mid speed ones worked best, look at varget, 4064, h335, 4895 and i think you will find they shoot under .5 if your rifle is set up and bbl. capable,

I have little good sucess with the one 77 i had so bedding and trigger caused me to git rid of it and stay with rem..

Bob

 

[40X Guy]

Great caliber is the standard 6MM, make sure to try some IMR-4350. 2 years ago I acquired a 6MM on a 700 chassis for the action but decided to play around with some Winchester brass and 95 grain BT's and use it for deer hunting. I used same bullet and same Fed. primer but tried about 6 different powders of which most are mentioned here, but the IMR-4350 shined above all the others in my rifle and with good velocity also. I was lucky as the barrel was in very good shape upon borescoping it and I did end up using the action for a build but still have the little sporter barrel in my stash.

Frank

 

[calib]

in my guns i am using the reloader 22 for the berger 95 grn and winchester 760 for the 70 grn ballistic tips. both loads shoot raged little holes at 100 yards.

 

[okbob51]

I have an older 77 flatbolt in 6mm Remington that is very accurate. I shoot both the 87 v-max and nosler 90 with IMR 4350. Soooo, another vote for I-4350.

 

[Flybuster]

Great caliber is the standard 6MM, make sure to try some IMR-4350. 2 years ago I acquired a 6MM on a 700 chassis for the action but decided to play around with some Winchester brass and 95 grain BT's and use it for deer hunting. I used same bullet and same Fed. primer but tried about 6 different powders of which most are mentioned here, but the IMR-4350 shined above all the others in my rifle and with good velocity also. I was lucky as the barrel was in very good shape upon borescoping it and I did end up using the action for a build but still have the little sporter barrel in my stash.

Frank

I think you're on to something there. I borrowed this gun before it was mine to shoot in a sporting rifle match, the load I worked up was IMR-4350 and 70 SMK. Shot OK.

 

[40X Guy]

I took the IMR-4350 load right out if the Lyman 49th edition load manual, worked well for me. I used 100 grain bullet data for the 95's I shot.

Frank

 

[LIUNA]

I shoot a 243 Win in a 1 in 12 twist, and I shoot a 80 gr Nosler, pushed by 39.3 gr of Varget, shoots .100 to .200

 

[Dave T]

I have a 6MM Remington, 700 BDL action, Lija 26" barrel, barrel work and action tuned by Clay Spencer, stock work by Tom Merrideth and I have always shot IMR4350 with 70gr Ballistic Tips @ 3650FPS with .3 groups or better. Since Nosler started to gouge us on prices for Ballistic Tips I changed to Hornady 65 V-Max's but I have also recently changed to ReL 17 with over 3700FPS with great accuracy. What ever you do, please give Rel17 a try in your 6MM.
Dave T

 

[SShooterZ]

Great timing on this topic as I too just picked up a Ruger 77V in 6mm. (Tang Safety)

Only have done a little load development so far but IMR-4350 and 75gr Sierras show some promise.

Also. Rifle Basix makes a nice replacement sear that really makes for a decent trigger. Inexpensive and easy to install.

 

[jaygorski]

Ive used 70MKs & 75 Sierra HPs as well as 75gr Hornady HPs with 39.5grs H4895 with very good results in my Rem 700, 24" factory barrel. Here's some nicer groups Ive shot with them.

here's a group @200yds with the 70MK.

Last hear I started working on the Hornady 105HPBT and got this two 5 shot groups or one 10 shot group, throw out the flyers and the 8 shots go 2 3/8" @300yds. This is with 4000MR powder.

 

[Proud Dad]

Thanks to all of you for the recommendations. My rifle came in this week and I have a few bullets to begin testing and more on the way, so I will post results as I get started. Let the fun begin!

 

[NDCheetah]

Enjoyed all the reading on the 6mm Remington. My father in law gave me my first centerfire rifle a 6mm in Ruger 77V HB. That was in 1981 and still shoots about as good as ever. My pet load for years was H380 @ 40gns with Corbin 73HP bullets. About 10 years ago the groups were getting to be 3/4 inch from the days I could always cover 3 shots with a dime. Tried different load and bullet but still didn't shoot very good. Then check seating depth and the 73HP bullets wouldn't JAM anymore. Had to go to making some Corbin 89HP bullets. That did the trick groups back to the dime again. All the years hunting had burned my barrel out. Shoots good enough that I always include it in my pdog or yote hunts. At one time I used for deer hunting a 100 soft point. Gave up on that years ago as the 73HP bullets worked good. Always been a fan of the 6mm Remington. Read the post brought back a lot of hunting memories with my Ruger 6mm. Thanks