6X45 is there a reason why not?

dero338

dero338

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I like my 700P 223 for one reason, it shoot very well and its not expensive to feed. when the barrel get toasted, I am thinking about rebarrel in 6X45 to keep low cost with a little improved ballistic.

I tried my 223 with 69 smk this afternoon at 920 yards and bullets are almost hitting sideways.

supposed to be supersonic to approx 850 yards.

running numbers(theorically) 105 hybrids in 6X45 should be to around 1100 so it seems quite interesting. but I would like to get feed back from thoses who actually use(used)it to know what this little cartridge actually worth.

BTW, I already have bigger ones up to 338 but I want to keep one that all the family can shoot all day and dont cost to much to feed.

tanks
 
6X223 was used alot in SR BR back in the day. It is very similar in case volume to the PPC

223 brass is readily available and cheap but the longer 222 magnum might give you the extra oomph you want. You can neck up 204 Ruger cases to suit.

But an even less expensive option, run an 8 or 7 twist 223 Rem and launch 80 to 90gr high bc bullets. There is no problem getting to 1000yds and beyond. wind drift will be big but most of the 80/82gr bullets work well with some, even going subsonic.

The furthest I pushed a 223 was 1 mile... on a very calm morning, bullets were arriving in very small clusters.

Jerry
 
Not that I'm knocking the idea as I considered it myself at one time....

I figure the root problem with the 223 for long range shooting is maintaining consistent muzzle velocity. You can get away with it to about 600-700 yards but then it starts to fade,

If you get to thinking of all the contributing factors you see that the 223 is not challenged by bullet BC with heavy bullets... its realy challenged by inconsistent muzzle velocity.

If you have a scale accurate to 0.2 grains and you are loading for a 30-06, your loads are twice as accurate as for the 223 since the 223 takes half the powder.

by opening the diameter to 6mm, you can run faster burning powder and that's more efficient so you could get better velocity by bullet weight than the 223 with the same weight bullet

I think that as you consider all things needed for consistent velocity, you will see why youd be better off with a 6mm dasher or something along that line

Having said that, 6x45 would still be a cool caliber and I'm surprised its not more popular.
 
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The 6x45 was seldom used for short range BR "back in the day" and, in fact, mine was the only one I saw in use. The 6x47 (222 Mag necked up) WAS commonly used (I shot a couple of those as well) and showed the same limitations as my 6x45; the case capacity was just a little lacking and the brass was unable to handle the pressures needed to get the best accuracy. Just about the time you had the vertical tuned out, the primer pocket gave out. The Sako PPC brass( 220 Russian) had just a little more capacity and would handle much higher pressure. My best 6x47, which shot very well for the time and won me a bunch of plaques, trophies, and hearty handshakes, used 26.5 grains of 4895 behind a seventy grain bullet and the primer pockets loosened after about four firings. My best 6 PPC used 28.5 of the same powder behind the same bullet and the brass wore out the barrel.
As a fun target/varmint cartridge, the 6x45 would be fine but the only reason I can see for it is if one wanted to re-bore a 223. Of course, just because you want one, is a perfectly valid reason as well. I've made a couple of 25/223's and that was reason enough for those guys.
 
Just to throw an option on the table...

Ruger is now offering the RPR in 223 and I have one.

What's cool about this rifle is the magazine will feed rounds of up to 2.6 inches long... that's right... two point six inches long... and it has a 1:7 twist rate.

The jam length with 80 grain match kings is right about 2.5 inches, which is a full 1/4 inch longer than a standard factory offering.

In other words, with hand loads, you can run 80 grain SMKs at around 2800 FPS from a mag fed rig.

All you need to do to the rifle is polish the tool marks out of the left side slot on the bolt and most of the roughness is gone and it cycles much better.

And these Ruger 223 mags are AI compatible and they did a real good job on them. They actually feed really well... Better than AI 223 mags actually.

I'm not totally jacked up on the RPR rifle because of how crude the bolt is, but the 223 version is configured to mag feed the same load you might use for F Class, so with no custom gunsmithing you can play at mid to long range. Accuracy of this 223 rifle is 1/2 to 1 moa so that's not too bad for factory stuff.
 
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To really get the most out of the 223, you will need to invest in a quality milligram scale. These will read with +/- 0.02gr error. That resolves any issues with velocity variations and load tuning becomes straightforward.

This investment will help all cartridges sizes big or small so I feel a very important tool to own.

Another family to explore would be the TCU family which are wildcats based off the 223 and similar cases. Their popularity come and go but they are fun cartridges with a tangible increase in case volume.

having shot the 223 with fast twist barrels for a number of years, this is what I would suggest for ease of set up and cost of components. As a family LR plinker, there are far more options for low cost shooting in the 22cal bullets then in any other cal.

Varget as a fuel behind anything from 75gr to 90gr will get it done....

Jerry
 
I have a 6x45 that I built 2 years ago now? Love that gun. I shoot or have shot everything from 55gr up to 105gr. 105 see most of the target action and plinking I am using 85gr speers at darn near 3000fps.
 
tanks for your reply.

Jerry, your comments are always interesting to read tank you very much for the help you bring to all of us

hometownhero, how fast do you get with the 105 ( I guess berger hybrids)
 
dero338 said:
hometownhero, how fast do you get with the 105 ( I guess berger hybrids)
Click to expand...

I am using the vld target. Pn 24429. They are at 2611 right now with room to go warmer. According to my ballistics app they pretty much mach a 308 with a 175gr smk in trajectory.

Alpheus said:
3000fps with 85gr bullets?!? Holy smokes. What powder and charge?
Click to expand...

I am using imr 8208 xbr and hodgdon's data. I have a 26" barrel and throated for 105 vld so they are seated long.
 
Mystic Precision said:
To really get the most out of the 223, you will need to invest in a quality milligram scale. These will read with +/- 0.02gr error. That resolves any issues with velocity variations and load tuning becomes straightforward.

This investment will help all cartridges sizes big or small so I feel a very important tool to own.

Another family to explore would be the TCU family which are wildcats based off the 223 and similar cases. Their popularity come and go but they are fun cartridges with a tangible increase in case volume.

having shot the 223 with fast twist barrels for a number of years, this is what I would suggest for ease of set up and cost of components. As a family LR plinker, there are far more options for low cost shooting in the 22cal bullets then in any other cal.

Varget as a fuel behind anything from 75gr to 90gr will get it done....

Jerry
Click to expand...

I don't want to hijack the thread, but what's a practical scale to get this kind of accuracy? I've been thinking about this for a little bit and saw your comment.
 
I concur with Jerry - I used the Chargemaster - went to Gempro and now used the FX120i; really wish I'd skipped the Gempro experiment and gone straight to the FX120i
 
BadAsMo said:
Just to throw an option on the table...

Ruger is now offering the RPR in 223 and I have one.

What's cool about this rifle is the magazine will feed rounds of up to 2.6 inches long... that's right... two point six inches long... and it has a 1:7 twist rate.

The jam length with 80 grain match kings is right about 2.5 inches, which is a full 1/4 inch longer than a standard factory offering.

In other words, with hand loads, you can run 80 grain SMKs at around 2800 FPS from a mag fed rig.

All you need to do to the rifle is polish the tool marks out of the left side slot on the bolt and most of the roughness is gone and it cycles much better.

And these Ruger 223 mags are AI compatible and they did a real good job on them. They actually feed really well... Better than AI 223 mags actually.

I'm not totally jacked up on the RPR rifle because of how crude the bolt is, but the 223 version is configured to mag feed the same load you might use for F Class, so with no custom gunsmithing you can play at mid to long range. Accuracy of this 223 rifle is 1/2 to 1 moa so that's not too bad for factory stuff.
Click to expand...

All excellent info, and new to me. Is there a place where the RPR in 223 is discussed? I have one but have seen zero discussion on it.
 
adamg said:
All excellent info, and new to me. Is there a place where the RPR in 223 is discussed? I have one but have seen zero discussion on it.
Click to expand...

Surprisingly I haven't found a thing... Not even a YouTube video on the 223 version.

I'm just jamming the lands with 80 grain match kings with about 24-25 grains of Varget and seated to about 2.5"

I'm getting around 2800 FPS and run with it. Accuracy with the factory barrel is not likely to justify any further load refinement.

My plan is to run it for PRS shooting mainly for the light recoil so I can call my shots... Last time I ran a 308 and found that I was shooting blind and could never compensate for a miss because I couldn't see where they went. I figure the 223 will make it real easy to call the shots with this load having ballistics similar to a 308... sort of.
 
Great, thanks. I might suggest that you start your own thread here on CGN with any and all info / data points / experiences you have.
 
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