I'm looking at another rifle and debating between 6 br, 6brx, 6 BR a, 243, 6 mm Creedmoor and potentially maybe another 22 250 . I already have 2 6.5 Creedmoor and a 243 as well as 6br. The use would be anythong from Target shooting to prairie dog hunting, good accuracy and easy to reload. Another main criteria would be easy to tune and accurate. Shooting range would be Primarily from 300 yards on out and maybe a thousand yards on occasion. I already have dies for all of these except the b r a and 6 mm Creedmoor. I'm interested in the Bergara and considering that anyone have any experience with that brand. I have several Savage builds already.
Which caliber
- Thread starter ranger3
- Start date
Consider a 6mm Rem too.
Good size case if you want to push it hard and a long neck that offers lots of option for seating depths.
A buddy pushes his hard and gets 2000fps and 1000ftlb @ 750yds with 105 G7 Bergers and sufficient accuracy for rabbits @ 800+ yds.
IIRC 3250fps muzzle velocity.
Good size case if you want to push it hard and a long neck that offers lots of option for seating depths.
A buddy pushes his hard and gets 2000fps and 1000ftlb @ 750yds with 105 G7 Bergers and sufficient accuracy for rabbits @ 800+ yds.
IIRC 3250fps muzzle velocity.
Ledd Slinger
Silver $$ Contributor
Well a 22-250 isn't gonna work out very well at 1K so you can scratch that one off your list. None of the others will give you any ballistic advantages over the 243 you already have. Neither will any listed be more tunable than the 6BR you already have.
A good happy medium between the 243 and 6BR would be a 6 Dasher or 6BRA. Both accurate and will get you out to 1K while maintaining that accuracy then can be loaded with lightweight explosive bullets for PD hunting.
A good happy medium between the 243 and 6BR would be a 6 Dasher or 6BRA. Both accurate and will get you out to 1K while maintaining that accuracy then can be loaded with lightweight explosive bullets for PD hunting.
I would think in this day and age of computers and data base driven algorithms, someone would have developed an AP where you answer a few questions, and it would use bullet trajectory information, cost, ease of hand loading or buying off the shelf ammo, etc. to make a recommendation based upon desired use.
I know there are at least a couple of math geniuses here, maybe they will chip in on the practicality of writing such and AP.
FWIW, I'd say a good 600 yd cartridge is what you're looking for and to me, 6BRA seems the logical choice given your requirements.
I know there are at least a couple of math geniuses here, maybe they will chip in on the practicality of writing such and AP.
FWIW, I'd say a good 600 yd cartridge is what you're looking for and to me, 6BRA seems the logical choice given your requirements.
hogpatrol
Gold $$ Contributor
Ledd Slinger
Silver $$ Contributor
Yeah but that would take away the learning process from the research a person normally puts in.
You can ask me all those questions and I'll spit out an answer for you right here, but you still wouldnt really know anything about the cartridge without reading experiences and reviews about real world performance and accuracy.
Alex Wheeler
Site $$ Sponsor
Thats not correct. I dont sell anything. JGS or PTG sell reamers, Harrells and Whidden sell dies. I get nothing out of their sales. I have released my 6BRA #1 reamer through JGS and Whidden has the print as well. It also works with a Harrells D3 with .085 cut off. If you want a not turn just change the neck to .272 on that print. Its all between you and those companies. All I sell is gunsmith labor and stocks. I have ordered a few reamers and dies for customers only as a courtesy and did not make a penny.
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The OP said 300-1000 yds, good accuracy, sounds like PRS to me.
Thats’s why I just ordered one of what he said in a 26” 8 twist cut-rifled barrel on an ARC Nucleus action, gonna shoot way better than I can. At least I’ll know the problem lies with the shooter.
Thats’s why I just ordered one of what he said in a 26” 8 twist cut-rifled barrel on an ARC Nucleus action, gonna shoot way better than I can. At least I’ll know the problem lies with the shooter.
Why a 6BRA. I have a 6BRX. Just load a shoot 6BR cases to FF. Same ballistics as the Dasher and other variations. No false necks needed to ff. Shoots under 1/2" when FF. I bought my dies from Whiidden abt $90, includes a bump gauge.
Another shooter I know has a 6 BRX, He uses his 6BR dies and says it's the easiest fireforming to make the cases. Thanks for the heads up, it's a logical choice and less recoil than 243 or 6mm Creedmoor. My 6BR dies would work and some use a 308 sizing die if the base of the brass needs an adjustment.
I have a Bergara Hunter b14 and I'm happy with it so far. I can't speak too much as I'm only a few batches of load development deep but was shooting a lot under .5 and 1 at .214 with my 270win. I'm sure it's a capable gun but the hunter model would need a stock upgrade IMO. I bought it because I wanted the aftermarket support of a rem700 but the match barrel (or at least one with a good rep) out the box to get me started as a first rifle. I've been had by flashy marketing more then once and notice afterwords and generally I find reviews that I seemingly overlooked before I bought it... I do not feel that way about the Bergara.
I'd also like to mention that the 6mm creedmoor is essentially the same powder capacity as the 243. I believe the creedmoor's win win was the hype existing for the 6.5 version not to mention they could basically reinvent the old 243win out the box with a faster twist for those heavy for cal bullets. Would a custom 6mm creedmoor outshoot a custom 243win? Not sure, maybe some one can chime in on that? I've wondered about that.
I'd also like to mention that the 6mm creedmoor is essentially the same powder capacity as the 243. I believe the creedmoor's win win was the hype existing for the 6.5 version not to mention they could basically reinvent the old 243win out the box with a faster twist for those heavy for cal bullets. Would a custom 6mm creedmoor outshoot a custom 243win? Not sure, maybe some one can chime in on that? I've wondered about that.
For those that have 'Cartridges of the World' note the closing comments on 243 Win. All the 3 editions I have repeat them.
Essentially they imply that in factory guise it's pretty well max'ed out and handloaders trying to reinvent the wheel with it can obtain unexpected and unpredictable results.
Not at all saying it's a bad cartridge at all, just it doesn't offer the scope of improvements some other calibers can.
For long range you need something predictable and consistent so a cartridge with a little more space in the boiler room might be a better choice.
Essentially they imply that in factory guise it's pretty well max'ed out and handloaders trying to reinvent the wheel with it can obtain unexpected and unpredictable results.
Not at all saying it's a bad cartridge at all, just it doesn't offer the scope of improvements some other calibers can.
For long range you need something predictable and consistent so a cartridge with a little more space in the boiler room might be a better choice.
The Berger I'm looking at is the B14HMR, I have been at matches where top shooters use a 243, they are second to none.
They are not just a Win 243. They are probably custom $4000 rifles, custom barrel and a $2500 scope. For under 600 yrds you don't need that power, recoil and barrel wear.
The winner last year used a 243 shilen rifle barrel and it was on a Remington 700 action, shooting at 1k.
I use a .22-.250, (1-7.7 twist) with 75 Amax's - soon to try 75 ELD's and a .243 (1-8 twist) with the new Nosler 105 RDF and 87 VMAX. Both rifles work fine at long ranges. A quick twist.22-.250 with long pointy bullets is much different than a 14 or 12 twist .22-250 with 50's to 55's. I sort of favor the .22-250 over the .243 for rodents because it uses 8-10 grains less powder and bullets are cheaper. Barrel life is limited with both but the .22-250 might provide better barrel life having powder charges of about 18% less than the .243 - this is with medium slow burning powders like the 4350's. I can shoot more 300 yard plus rodents with my .22-.250 than my .20's.
Possibly you might consider getting 2 rifles - a .20 Practical or .204 Ruger with 1-11 twists and a 1-8 twist .243. The .20's have lighter weight ammo enabling lots of rounds to be carried, improved barrel life, very little recoil and cheap components would be the best for rodents and the .243W be used when the rodents were way out there, like over 600 yards. For only one rifle it would be either a .22-.250 (8 twist or so) or a .243 (8 twist).
I have always owned multiple .22-.250's and .243's but am not into fine long range bench shooting but should I be pushed into stuff like that, my .243W would be used. For BR, I probably would not prevail over the many shooters using 6mm Dashers with 105's but out on the rodent fields the flatter trajectory of the .243, in my hands, would give more hits. I can live with the .243's short neck, slopey shoulders and 63 year old existence.
Possibly you might consider getting 2 rifles - a .20 Practical or .204 Ruger with 1-11 twists and a 1-8 twist .243. The .20's have lighter weight ammo enabling lots of rounds to be carried, improved barrel life, very little recoil and cheap components would be the best for rodents and the .243W be used when the rodents were way out there, like over 600 yards. For only one rifle it would be either a .22-.250 (8 twist or so) or a .243 (8 twist).
I have always owned multiple .22-.250's and .243's but am not into fine long range bench shooting but should I be pushed into stuff like that, my .243W would be used. For BR, I probably would not prevail over the many shooters using 6mm Dashers with 105's but out on the rodent fields the flatter trajectory of the .243, in my hands, would give more hits. I can live with the .243's short neck, slopey shoulders and 63 year old existence.
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