6mm's marginal for deer? Not with a .240Wby!

marcoman

marcoman

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I've just returned from a special license hunt in Camp Wainwright. Despite the bitter cold, I tagged out on bucks the first day. In the morning I shot a nice Mule Deer buck that scored 169", and later a 5x4 Whitetail that goes 143". I am not posting this to brag, rather to express how impressed I was with the performance of the .240 Weatherby. The rifle is a Weatherby MkV Synthetic that I dropped into a take-off stock from an Ultra-Light Weight. It's topped with a Kahles AH 3-9x42 in Talley rings/bases and weighs in at 7.5 lbs total. After a couple of frustrating range sessions trying to develop a fast yet accurate ("hunting rifle" accurate) load the .240 languished in the gun safe not to see light of day for a couple years. After serving penance, and re-bedding the fore-end pad this thing decided to shoot! 95gr. Ballistic Tips over 53gr of H4831 produced 3300fps and 4 shots into .582". Why 4 shots? because the shooter buggered the 5th to open the group to just over 1.25", excitement got to me! Anyhow, the the Mule Deer was shot at 493 yds with the second shot. First shot stopped him from his run after striking him in the horn. I think I led him to much and held too high. Second shot was broadside and struck the spine behind the shoulder, again I underestimated how flat this thing shoots! The Whitetail was shot on the run quartering away at 285' ish yards. Bullet struck the vitals and dropped him so hard he broke his jaw when he hit the ground. Now I know taking two deer dont lend enough credibility to judge the .240 as a world beater cartidge but considering bore size and the finality of the shots delivered I'm impressed.

Thanks for reading my ramblings, just still excited from the hunt!
Heres a couple pics:

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P1010893.jpg
 
Good work at Camp W.

I love my 6mmRem. It is my favorite for 'yotes and will be my sons first deer rifle. I just finished preparing some test loads of 87 V-max over Reloder 17. Alliant predicts over 3400fps with 46 grains - should be interesting.
 
it has about a 100 yard edge over a 243. Amazing how 'weak' cartridges can kill, with good shot placement! :D nice buck!

PS I popped a 150" mulie in the chest 2 yrs ago with a 55gr Nosler BT @ 3800 fps, 75 yard shot. Buck made it only about 50 yards on wobbly legs before toppling over! 243 Win!
 
Your quoted load of 3300 with a 95 grain bullet is so close to a 243 that it would be hard to tell teh difference in thefield.
 
Thanks for your comments. As a side note, bullet performance was very satisfactory considering this is a not a bullet known for weight retention. Granted, impact velocities were well within its capabilities, but it did surprise me to see an exit wound on the Whitetail.
 
H4831 said:
Your quoted load of 3300 with a 95 grain bullet is so close to a 243 that it would be hard to tell teh difference in thefield.
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Agreed, I'm sure the deer didn't notice either;) The rifle/cartridge combo can push 90-100gr. pills 3400fps comfortably and has had 85gr. TSX's leave at 3600. None of these loads showed excessive pressure.... nor excessive accuracy.
 
Well done!

"6mm's marginal for deer? Not with a .240Wby!"

Or a .243 or 6mm Rem, either :D

Every deer that I've shot with the .243 has hit the dirt ASAP! I use nothing but 85gr TSX bullets at 3250fps.
 
when has a .243/6mm ever been a marginal deer caliber?

H4831 said:
Your quoted load of 3300 with a 95 grain bullet is so close to a 243 that it would be hard to tell the difference in the field.
Click to expand...

but it's a Weatherby. this has the advantage of giving the owner the ability to be pretentious and arrogant around his hunting peers. (should he choose ;) )
 
Pickles said:
Just curious as to what your load is that will push a 95 grain @ 3300?
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A 95 grain bullet with muzzle velocity of 3300 fps, = 2297 ft. pounds of energy.
I loaded the 100 grain in the 243 Ruger 77, with 22" barrel to 3100 fps, as shown with a 33 Oehler chronograph.
This equates to 2134 ft. pounds of energy.
These figures are at the muzzle. So down range the 100 grain bullet would gain over the 95 grain, until at the long range quoted in the original post, the 100 grain would likely have more energy, if not more velocity, also, than would the 95 grain bullet.
Will any game recognize any difference?
 
H4831 said:
A 95 grain bullet with muzzle velocity of 3300 fps, = 2297 ft. pounds of energy.
I loaded the 100 grain in the 243 Ruger 77, with 22" barrel to 3100 fps, as shown with a 33 Oehler chronograph.
This equates to 2134 ft. pounds of energy.
These figures are at the muzzle. So down range the 100 grain bullet would gain over the 95 grain, until at the long range quoted in the original post, the 100 grain would likely have more energy, if not more velocity, also, than would the 95 grain bullet.
Will any game recognize any difference?
Click to expand...

I guess I'm bad at interpreting peoples posts.:D
Your first post just claimed it is "so close" to a 243.
 
H4831 said:
A 95 grain bullet with muzzle velocity of 3300 fps, = 2297 ft. pounds of energy.
I loaded the 100 grain in the 243 Ruger 77, with 22" barrel to 3100 fps, as shown with a 33 Oehler chronograph.
This equates to 2134 ft. pounds of energy.
These figures are at the muzzle. So down range the 100 grain bullet would gain over the 95 grain, until at the long range quoted in the original post, the 100 grain would likely have more energy, if not more velocity, also, than would the 95 grain bullet.
Will any game recognize any difference?
Click to expand...

Would depend on B.C. of said 100gr. bullet (whether it would "gain" on the 95). This is all academic, I agree that game will never tell the difference.
 
Amphibious said:
when has a .243/6mm ever been a marginal deer caliber?



but it's a Weatherby. this has the advantage of giving the owner the ability to be pretentious and arrogant around his hunting peers. (should he choose ;) )
Click to expand...

..and dont forget costing 4x the price to shoot.

Almost brings tears to your eyes when in the heat of the moment you eject a spent weatherby casing and loose it in the long grass. Forget that big buck you just shot. Better start digging around for the $2 piece of brass you just dropped.
 
Pickles said:
I guess I'm bad at interpreting peoples posts.:D
Your first post just claimed it is "so close" to a 243.
Click to expand...

That's what happens when y ou take words out of pretext. Here was the remainder of the sentence.
so close to a 243 that it would be hard to tell teh difference in thefield.
 
I have harvested many deer with the 6mm Remington, using either the 95 or 100 Partition. I have usually got around 3170 - 3200 with the 100 and slightly more with the 95. Deer die quickly when slapped with one of these, and penetration is usually complete. [out the far side] I was hunting deer with my 6mm once when an immature Bull moose showed himself at around 150 yards. I had the tag, and decided to shoot him. My hunting partner at the time immediately told me I couldn't kill a moose with that "popgun." I sent the 100 Partition on it's way, and got a nice quick kill on that delicious young animal. This Partition exited as well, the shot was only slighly askew of broadside. Don't underestimate the ability of a well placed 6mm Bullet to kill well. Regards, Eagleye.
 
Mad_Mikee said:
..and dont forget costing 4x the price to shoot.

Almost brings tears to your eyes when in the heat of the moment you eject a spent weatherby casing and loose it in the long grass. Forget that big buck you just shot. Better start digging around for the $2 piece of brass you just dropped.
Click to expand...

I laughed a bit when I read this because I did actually spend time sifting through the snow to find one of the spent cases:D
 
marcoman said:
Would depend on B.C. of said 100gr. bullet (whether it would "gain" on the 95). This is all academic, I agree that game will never tell the difference.
Click to expand...

Yes, I am well aware of such things. The 100 grain pointed Speer bullets I was using would would travel through the atmosphere with teh best of them.

People have argued over paper ballistics of rifle cartridges for as long as I can remember. And I can remember for a rather long time! The difference between paper ballistics and the performance of the cartridge on game, is often so different to what one expects, that it is sometimes comical.
Case in point. Years ago I took a young son mountain hunting and he shot a mountain goat. He used his 243 Krico, with factory loaded IVI Imperial, with a 100 grain soft point bullet.
For those not familiar with goats, they are considered hard to kill. Much harder than a deer. If you look at charts recommending cartridges for various game, the calibre often stated for mountain goats is the 300 W mag.
This goat was standing broadside at 1oo yards. Son took a good rest, shot and the goat rolled down the mountain, never to move again. When we skinned it out, the bullet was under the skin on the far side, in text book mushroom pattern. The biologist who checked the horns said the billy was above average size.
Later at home, I decided to chronograph the factory cartridges he used. Five of the Imperial IVI averaged 2540 fps over the Oehler!!!!!
Without changing a thing, I checked five of my hadloads with 100 grain Sierra bullets. They averaged 3094 fps.
I am now looking at my note book on it. Everything is correct and the way it happened, including just reaching for a new batch of ammo to test, exactly the same way, without even moving from the shooting bench.
So, if I had known this, would I have let the young son take a rifle goat hunting that just fired a 100 grain bullet at 2540 fps, 12 feet from the muzzle?
Absolutely no way! But, we didn't know this, so he just shot the goat and it quickly died!
 
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