6.5x47 or 6mmbr - Which one for "Precision Varminting" up to 600m?

[paperslayer]

"...coyote, groundhog and crow..." Highly unlikely you'll be able to spot any of 'em at 600.
"...720 yds on a gopher..." Fluke. More like a miracle. Hitting a 3" or less target at that distance. Hold over measured in yards.

18500 posts and this is your opinion? When mirage allows and with a BR, you can hit gophers all day long out to 700. Longer than that, first shot hits diminsh with distance, but they happen as often as not. 36+X weavers, nightforce and sightrons make it dead simple, especially early morning.

 

[Fire306]

18500 posts and this is your opinion? When mirage allows and with a BR, you can hit gophers all day long out to 700. Longer than that, first shot hits diminsh with distance, but they happen as often as not. 36+X weavers, nightforce and sightrons make it dead simple, especially early morning.

18500 posts, and 99% of them are this kind of useless drivel. That's how to get your post count so high.
I wish we (I) had more areas to hunt long range varmint here in Ontario, for me the 6mmPPC is an excellent performer out to 500 + yards.
I would agree that the varmint bullet selections are better in 6 mm over the 6.5.

 

[Slug870]

Thanks once again for the information. Another question if I may...

Would I be limiting myself with a 1-12 twist in a 6mm barrel? Some would say (taken with a grain of salt) that a man's first 6mmbr barrel should be a 1-8, however I am not too certain if that would limit me to the heavier end of the bullet selection, and thus introduce problems feeding from a mag. Having said that, the 1-10 seems to be a suitable medium, however it would seem to be "yet unproven" to some shooters. Essentially, I am looking for the best choice of twist for a barrel, while not limiting myself to peak accuracy below 200m. I wonder if you (and indeed others in this thread with 6mmbr experience) could comment on twist rates?

6BR is mostly known for its incredible precision in F-Class and ISSF shooting. Those shooters like to use high BC 105-107 grain VLD bullets. Long bullets make mag feeding more tricky because the bullet tip tends to push against the chamber when the round is at an angle leaving the mag. shorter bullets don't have the same issue.

In benchrest, the single most popular (and precise) cartridge ever devised was the 6 PPC. This is a cartridge that is untouched using bullets in the 60-70 grain range and there are MANY offerings. for varmint hunting you don't need anything special. You want fast and precise. The light bullets for the PPC used in a BR cartridge make this one of the ultimate varmint cartridges. People shooting 6.5's use them for hunting or for long range and thus the light bullet selection is not as good as for the BR.

...have a good look at what you read here. People make recommendations primarily because they they bought/use what they are recommending, not because it is objectively the best... more about validating their own choices. The other crowd are those that have "just what you need" in stock.

 

[Mystic Precision]

the 6BR does wonderfully with the 10 twist with bullets to around 95gr (depends on the make and style).

One of the more popular LR varmint bullet is the 87gr from a variety of manf. 10 twist is ideal and I have shot these to 1000yds without issue.

Jerry

 

[Slug870]

Thanks for your post Jerry. Can you comment on the 1-8 or 1-8.5 twist barrel and the performance of the lighter bullet offerings (60-70gr) up to 95gr?

the 6BR does wonderfully with the 10 twist with bullets to around 95gr (depends on the make and style).

One of the more popular LR varmint bullet is the 87gr from a variety of manf. 10 twist is ideal and I have shot these to 1000yds without issue.

Jerry

 

[Mystic Precision]

The lighter bullets will not care in a faster twist but they will not like the throat commonly cut with the fast twist.

You are always working on the compromise of bullet seating/OAL vs throat length. 1 size rarely fits all - See common Rem chambers

For the best possible performance, narrow down what you want to shoot and how you want to use the rifle. Peak performance always necessitates focusing on specific choices.

The 87gr bullet would be my choice for a varmint set up to 600m. Work great in F class too.

If you want to use the over 100gr match bullets, then set up the chamber/barrel accordingly and not worry about the lighter options.
Jerry

 

[duceman]

my first br barrel was to be an experiment into short range benchrest, but the quest was trumped by f-class before it got off the ground.
i ordered a heavy 10 twist barrrel at 22 inches. for the move to f-class, i ran 90 target bt's and had good results with them to 600m.
i then aquired an 8 twist on pierce action, and left my 10 twist in limbo for f-class, and no real time to go heavy into benchrest as well.
i had the 10 twist re-contoured to simulate a winchester feather weight contour , and because it was savage threaded, put it on a model 11 dm action. i have taken two deer with it this fall, and a few coyotes, with barnes 85 tsx's. it feeds fine, as long as i don't put the cases all the way to the rear of the mag as you normally would. with 80 gr b-tips, is feeds fine loaded normally in the mag, the extra length helps with feeding.
if f-class was shot at a max of 500 m and and only 10 rds for score, this configuration nearly keeps up with my 'real' f-gun for accuracy.
the most pleasurable deer/varmint thumper i have shot!