Your free-bore recommendation for....

[tonyb]

Light bullets in a 6br. What are you guys running for light bullets (55 to 70 grain varmint bullets) getting ready to order a reamer for a varmint rifle. Also planning on running blue box brass. I want to neck turn for a nice concentric finish, so your recommendation on neck dimensions for the reamer, and bushing size would be great also. I will run a bushing neck die.

Thanks!

Tony.

 

[tclaunch]

tonyb, .012" will completely clean up the neck on my lot of bluebox brass, I use this with a no turn chamber with .271" mouth and .272" at neck/shoulder and a .266" bushing. A .060" freebore should be pretty close.

 

[tonyb]

Thanks Tim. Now, can you tell me what the idea or reasoning is of having a .001" taper on the neck from the mouth to the shoulder junction?

 

[tclaunch]

I like to offer the dreaded donut a place to live without bothering anyone!! I also shoot with some mighty fine IBS participants who have this same setup.

 

[jonbearman]

If you want to turn the necks to clean with the blue box reamer you will have to turn to .2675 so I had enough room for the loaded round. The blue box reamer is .2704. If you use a bigger reamer like .272 you don't need to turn. If I was using it for a varmint rifle I would go with a no turn neck. The necks aren't that bad on the lapua brass that you will see that much of a improvement as you are fighting the mirage and wind.I like running the 68 grain bullets and if you want to shoot heavier you might as well go to a 8 twist so you can shoot any bullet made today. I run a .265 bushing as my gun likes that. Freebore is a good question but with what you mentioned the .060 is plenty. PS At .2675 they all cleaned up for me.

 

[tonyb]

Thanks fellas.

Tony.

 

[BradY]

My 6BR reamer from PTG is a .272nk and 0fb. Shoots 55gr nosler BT's way more effectively than is needed, but no varmints complain. Trying 55 varmageddons and 58 zmax next for a bit of fun. You need to remember there isnt much bearing surface on the light bullets so keeping as much in the neck of the case was important for me.

 

[lpreddick]

what jonbearman said plus...the .2704 neck is perfect for blue box no turn and will probably be ok if you clean the necks oh so little. light bullets, long neck of the 6 BR and NO freebore should work. the no freebore gives you a lot of barrel life esp if you seat bullets to engage the lands .015- .020. my biggest regret has been ordering reamers with too much freebore and as the lands wore down, i barely have bullet in the case to continue .020 into the lands. i did not appreciate that there is some "hidden freebore" in that the chamber length is usually .010-.020+ longer than the case and there is the little 45 degree angle where the chamber goes to the bore...this is around .007. this "hidden freebore" isn't as big a problem if you jump but comes into play if you seat into the lands. my 6 BR 14 tw is my favorite varmint gun and really shoots the 65-68 gr bullets nicely.

 

[tonyb]

what jonbearman said plus...the .2704 neck is perfect for blue box no turn and will probably be ok if you clean the necks oh so little. light bullets, long neck of the 6 BR and NO freebore should work. the no freebore gives you a lot of barrel life esp if you seat bullets to engage the lands .015- .020. my biggest regret has been ordering reamers with too much freebore and as the lands wore down, i barely have bullet in the case to continue .020 into the lands. i did not appreciate that there is some "hidden freebore" in that the chamber length is usually .010-.020+ longer than the case and there is the little 45 degree angle where the chamber goes to the bore...this is around .007. this "hidden freebore" isn't as big a problem if you jump but comes into play if you seat into the lands. my 6 BR 14 tw is my favorite varmint gun and really shoots the 65-68 gr bullets nicely.

I appreciate the input. I am used to the longer bullets, so I had not even thought about the bearing surface in relation to how far they were seated into the case. I may just give Dave Kiff a quick call and see what he recommends. Thanks for all the help, and keep the recommendations coming please!

Tony.

 

[tonyb]

If you want to turn the necks to clean with the blue box reamer you will have to turn to .2675 so I had enough room for the loaded round. The blue box reamer is .2704. If you use a bigger reamer like .272 you don't need to turn. If I was using it for a varmint rifle I would go with a no turn neck. The necks aren't that bad on the lapua brass that you will see that much of a improvement as you are fighting the mirage and wind.I like running the 68 grain bullets and if you want to shoot heavier you might as well go to a 8 twist so you can shoot any bullet made today. I run a .265 bushing as my gun likes that. Freebore is a good question but with what you mentioned the .060 is plenty. PS At .2675 they all cleaned up for me.

Jon, I am actually wanting to build this rifle specifically for light bullets. My next build will be a dasher set up to shoot the "heavies" kinda hoping the new Norma dasher brass will be available by the end of the summer. ;D

 

[Ackman]

Lapua 6BR cases are fine as is, they don't need turning.

With no freebore, a 55BT touching the lands seats shy of halfway down the neck. The very accurate and explosive 70TNT seats to the same depth. A 70BT seats to about .075" above the neck/shoulder junction. For light bullets you don't want freebore, NO freebore.

BTW- through a 14twist you can get excellent accuracy with 55/58's anywhere from 3700 to over 3900. My load is a 55 at 3919......the 65VMax at 3700.

 

[tonyb]

Lapua 6BR cases are fine as is, they don't need turning.

With no freebore, a 55BT touching the lands seats shy of halfway down the neck. The very accurate and explosive 70TNT seats to the same depth. A 70BT seats to about .075" above the neck/shoulder junction. For light bullets you don't want freebore, NO freebore.

BTW- through a 14twist you can get excellent accuracy with 55/58's anywhere from 3700 to over 3900. My load is a 55 at 3919......the 65VMax at 3700.

Sweet! will the 14 twist still stabilize the 75gr. V-Max?

 

[Alex Wheeler]

A 55 Nosler bt will not touch the lands in a .060 fb. For light bullet I recommend a zero fb.

 

[CSM19Z5M]

I have a 10 twist 6BR w/ 26 in. barrel and shoot 55-75 grain VMAX's and Noslers. I like to shoot and don't like to turn necks on a varmint rifle so I have a .272 no-turn and .060 freebore, which is plenty if I wanted to shoot the longer, slightly heavier bullets in it. If you were just shooting the 55's I wouldn't spec any freebore in it. I'm sure there are guys reading this and grumbling about needing to turn necks but I shoot Lapua brass exclusively and it is plenty good right out of the box. The sage rats never have a chance to complain and the rifle will consistently shoot tighter groups than I can anyway. I'm not a reloading/benchrest purist I guess. I'm a varmint shooter who just happens to reload I don't know, maybe I need to be in rehab.

 

[A_Gamehog]

Nosler's online outlet has the Nosler 6mm 55 Grain Varmageddon FB Tipped (BLEM) 13$ per 100, 250 BC..

http://www.shootersproshop.com/nosler-products/nosler-blemished-2nds/nosler-blemished-bullets.html?caliber=6

It's all I shoot in my 12 Twist, X-terminator powder, CCI 450's, Norma Brass. Expect 3750+ FPS with a top load.

X-Terminator load data is interchangable with A2230, their website confirms this, it's the same.

Enjoying my chrono I left in Colorado Tony!?


Don

 

[tonyb]

Nosler's online outlet has the Nosler 6mm 55 Grain Varmageddon FB Tipped (BLEM) 13$ per 100, 250 BC..

http://www.shootersproshop.com/nosler-products/nosler-blemished-2nds/nosler-blemished-bullets.html?caliber=6

It's all I shoot in my 12 Twist, X-terminator powder, CCI 450's, Norma Brass. Expect 3750+ FPS with a top load.

X-Terminator load data is interchangable with A2230, their website confirms this, it's the same.

Enjoying my chrono I left in Colorado Tony!?



Don

Well I'll be damned, how are you Don? give me your mailing address, and I will get the chrono sent to you. Wasn't sure if you left it here on purpose or it was a accident.. give me a call sometime... 970-520-9820

Tony.

 

[A_Gamehog]

Long time no see Tony! I will catch up soon. The Chrono was a gift to you. You were right , the 6br is a very good Varmint cal. with the right twist and bullets. I live outside Sunriver Or. 25 miles from Nosler's outlet. I get these bullets cheap by the 1K lots. I shoot the 70's in the wind. 12 twist Savage, McGowen Outlet barrel, shipped from Montana to Oregon in 2 days. Life is good.. I shot 720 Squirrels last weekend in a 2 day hunt in So. Oregun. Already this year over 3,000 squirrels doa. Mostly .204 and .223 and 22-250ai, 6br. All 4 barrels hot at the same time is a good problem. In Oregun it's legal to shoot Non-Game Varmints from your rig. We setup in back.

Miss ya...

 

[tonyb]

Long time no see Tony! I will catch up soon. The Chrono was a gift to you. You were right , the 6br is a very good Varmint cal. with the right twist and bullets. I live outside Sunriver Or. 25 miles from Nosler's outlet. I get these bullets cheap by the 1K lots. I shoot the 70's in the wind. 12 twist Savage, McGowen Outlet barrel, shipped from Montana to Oregon in 2 days. Life is good.. I shot 720 Squirrels last weekend in a 2 day hunt in So. Oregun. Already this year over 3,000 squirrels doa. Mostly .204 and .223 and 22-250ai, 6br. All 4 barrels hot at the same time is a good problem. In Oregun it's legal to shoot Non-Game Varmints from your rig. We setup in back.

Miss ya...

SWEET! man, that's a lot of shooing. Consider yourself lucky!!!

Tony.