6mm problems

Curt

Curt

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I have a 6mm rem. 22" barrel 1in10 twist. I can't seem to find a load that will print decent groups. Action is bedded, barrel floated and trigger set to just over 2#. I know that I am on target when I let it fly, but with terrible results. Anyone have a pet load for 6mm for me to try. I am using 95 grain Hornady SST bullets and H4895 and H4350 powders. Worked from published minimums up to maximums in 1/2 grain increments. I am quite frustrated and if I can't get this thing to group, I am going to throw it in the lake. Somebody please help !!!!! :(
 
I am getting 1.5 - 2.5" groups. Sometimes they are strung out horizontally. Other times they are just all over the place. Is the barrel twist not fast enough to stabilize the bullet? Maybe?
 
My 6mm is a 1 : 9 twist and I found to have better groups
with a little bit lighter grain bullet.
Actually, the 75gr. shot just wicked out of my Ruger No.1.
But, by how you are describing your groups, I would check
other things aswell. This may sound elementry but I'm mentioning it
'cus it happened to me. Make sure everything on your rifle is TIGHT.
The action is set at it's most rearward position, the scope at it's
most forward. Rings N' bases. . . My scope base was just a tad loose
and it took awhile before I figured out that it was.
What kind of scale are you using ? All your reloading components are the SAME, except for the powder charge (working up or down) ?
Eliminate as much as you can rite off the bat, then look at other posibilities.
Good luck
 
I would suggest trying a few different bullets after checking for the obvious problems that WithoutWarning mentioned. I have owned a couple of fussy rifles that didn't shoot boat tail bullets that well, so trying a few different weights / styles might help determine if it is your rifle or your load that isn't shooting well. Actually I don't think 1.5" groups is that bad out of a hunting rifle, but you should be able to get better than 2.5" groups I would think. Any chance your barrel is badly fouled?

One of my buddies used to have the same rifle, a 6mm Rem 700 with 1 in 10" barrel. His rifle seemed to have a fondness for 95 gr Nosler Partitions and the discontinued Nosler Solid Base bullets.
 
I thought that 95 grain bullets were a good starting point. Everything on the rifle is tight. The barrel is fairly new, replaced recently. I keep it very clean. The scope is proven on other rifles. I use a RCBS scale and every charge is measured to the last kernel of powder. All other components are the same, primers, brass, bullets. I have tried a couple of different powders as I have mentioned. I am going to try a 87 grains PSP bullet and maybe a
70ish grain Nosler. :confused:
 
6mm Rem

Older 244 Rems had a slow twist rate for lighter bullets, the newer barrels renamed 6mm Rem have a 1 in 9 twist rate. you might try lighter bullets if indeed it is a 1 in 10
 
6MM Problems

I have a Browning 78 in 6MM what twist do they have?

Anyone ever shoot a 6MM Browning 78 with an octagon barrel?

I looked at the stats on the 6MM and they should be comparable to the 243. I would rather have had one in 243 because of the availability of ammo.

I haven't shot the 78 yet but I can hardly wait to try it out. I have a selection of reloads that a guy loaded for me and I hope to try them out this week. That is if I am physically able to get there.
 
I have been loading and shooting 6mm's for 4 decades. Whatever the 243 will do, the 6mm will do slightly better, but the two are not a lot different. The 6mm has a 100 fps advantage with heavy (95-105) grain bullets and up to 150 fps with the lighter offerings. The Standard Remington twist for their 6mm's is 1-9¼" which will handle any weight up to 105 flatbase bullets, but may not shoot the 105-107 grain match boattails. Many other makers of the 6mm rifle them with 1-10" twists, which are still fine for most hunting weights and usually shoot the lightweights slightly better. The old 244 Remington Rifles were rifled 1-12" and did not always stabilize even 95/100 gr flatbase bullets. Those SST's are plenty long for weight, perhaps your 1-10" twist does not quite cut it with this bullet. I would try a shorter bullet in that weight range and see what happens. Try IMR 4831, H4831, RL 19, RL22, and IMR 7828 with these heavier bullts (95 gr up) Start around 45 grains and you should be able to get to around 47-48 with IMR 4831 and up to 50 with IMR 7828. Regards, Eagleye.
 
Sometimes you get a gun that may not shoot any better. Try finding other 6mm shooters to trade bullets and powders to cut costs until you find what works the best. We had two Rem 700 varmit barrled 6mm guns, one would shoot a Ser. 85 gr BTHP and the other would not shoot the same as well.
 
I think it could be a couple of issues. If everything on the rifle is tight and scope is proven then I would say you might be getting flyers because of OAL of the rounds. I would try playing with the OAL (get the bullets closer to the lands) - Remingtons are notorious for having extremely long throats. If seating the bullet just off the lands doesn't work, I would take a hard look at your brass. If you are using mixed headstamps or brass from different lots I would try uniforming the brass. I would also try borrowing a friend's chronograph and check your velocities - inconsistent velocities can cause vertical stringing. Hope this helps.
 
Thanks guys. I am using a M77 (old style) with a new barrel. I bought some 87 and 70 grains to try out. I am also going to go closer to the lands. I would like to shoot deer with this rifle and was hoping to get a heavier bullet load worked out. I think that a 70 or 80 grain bullet may be too light for deer. Any thoughts on that. I understand fully that the shot must be placed properly and such. No sense starting up that conversation....... :)
 
I tried seating the bullets to the lands minus 0.005", but the magazine will not allow it. I had to seat the bullets so they would just fit in the magazine. I will try it out, but I believe that I am seating to roughly the same place that I was before. Anyhow, I loaded 70 grains bullets from min to max charge with H4895 and 87 grain bullets charged up the same way. I will give that a try and then same bullet weights, but with h4350.
 
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