Range Report **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

[JC Steel]

Hey guys, I am looking to build my wife a rifle. I would like it to be in some 6mm cartridge. But I am not sure what yet.

What I am looking for here is some experience of different 6mm cartridges and the barrel life attached the them.

For instance, .243 Win-roughly 1200-1500 rounds.

What I am looking for is a 6mm that will get great barrel life but still be able to perform well out in the matches. I am also looking to keep recoil down.

Thanks again for the help. Much appreciated.

Jake

 

[95LTZ]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

I have a 6xc barrel that still holds slightly better than 1/2 MOA @ 400 yards with 3100 rds. down the tube. My other barrel in 6xc quit shooting at around 2800 rds. I only shoot 115 BN DTAC's & H4350. I feel the recoil would be quite tolerable for most. Easy to load for, start with 37.5grs. H4350 & slowly work up to an ejector mark. Drop down .5 gr. from the ejector mark & load'em & shoot'em. Just my opinion. Everybody has one & they are all different.

 

[Rob01]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

1200-1500 for the .243 is pretty low. I would double that. When i sold my last one it had over 1800 rounds thorugh it and it was still a solid 1/2 MOA rifle.

Something you might think about is having a practice rifle and a match rifle. I shoot my .308 at home for practice and only shoot my Creedmoor and .243 for matches. That's how I can get the most out of them. If I didn't I would be going through a barrel a year in each. My rifles are all set up pretty similar so they feel the same going from one to another. Only thing that changes is the ballistics.

 

[KYpatriot]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

Rob what stock setup do you shoot for tac matches?

I didn't know the .243 had that much barrel life...might have to get one of those going for my daughter and steal it from her lol. 243 is the first high power rifle I ever shot, and there are lots of reasons to keep shooting it really.

 

[thespecialist]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

Given any thought to the 6x45? Neck 223Rem brass up to 6mm and roll with it. Easy and cheap to load for, and barrel life that should be on the unreal side of round count. I'm getting 2950fps with 87gr BTHP's and IMR8208 out of my 24" AR with zero pressure signs, just can't get any more powder in there

A bolt gun with a 9 or 8 twist barrel could handle the bigger VLD's and probably get enough speed to reach way out there. Of course, it's all dependent on the max range she'd be shooting at.

 

[Rob01]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

KY I use Manners T3s on my match rifles now. Just need to swap one more out of it's Mcmillan and they will all wear T3s.

 

[JC Steel]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

What about a 6x47 Lapua?

 

[sgtusmc_nc]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

I love my 6br, from what ive seen they have excellent barrel life even with shooting 107's.

 

[bohem]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

6mm-250 or 6-250 AI is a great little round that's been winning High Power XTC matches for a few decades.

It's essentially a 6mm version of the 6.5CM

If you run Lapua 22-250 brass through an elliptical expander module up to 6mm the prep work is done. Load it and shoot it.


Barrel life for a lot of the HP shooters that I know running similar sized 6's are in the 3000-3200rd realm with 1/2MOA or better requirements.

Another option is the 6x47Lapua, essentially the same thing. That's a super accurate, easy to shoot little round.

 

[Bronco]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

Take a look at the 6BR improved, 6 Dasher, BRX, etc. Push 105 class @3000 with 33gr. of 8208. Haven't worn one out yet, but was told 3000 plus rounds.

 

[richardj]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

6BR is good but you'll be beating yourself to death trying to get it to feed from a magazine.

I have recently moved over to .243Win and when I had my rifle built I had a second barrel completed so when the barrel is done all I have to do is spin off the old one and then spin the new one on.

Seriously, I'd investigate the 6mm x 47 round also (they do feed).

RJ

 

[steve123]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

I'm biased...wait for it...wait for it...you know it's coming...and here it is... <span style="font-size: 14pt">6x47L</span>

Get the barrel melonited, pick a slow powder like H4831, pick the low node and you'll probably get 3500-4000 round barrel life. I'm using the high node and had .004 throat erosion at the 900 round mark. Bout time for another measurement at 1300 rounds but it seems to be shooting better than ever.

 

[Jeffvn]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

LOL.. I'm with Steve. I love my 6x47L. It runs like a champ from a standard AI Magazine with either Berger 108 BTS or the DTAC 115s. It's got several hundred rounds through it at this point (I spend a huge chunk of my time behind the 7WSM), so I can't speak to barrel life at this point.

Jeffvn

 

[WTW]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

I like my 6XC, dont know what the final round count will be but I am about 900 rounds on the barrel and it is shooting well under 1/2 MOA. 38.5 grains of H4350 under a 105 A-Max averaging around 2975. Put a break on the end and you can spot your own shots. Tried RL17 and was getting close to 3100 but the accuracy wasnt there. Brass is easy to form from 22-250 and it feeds from AI mags.

 

[sandwarrior]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

6mm-.284 NOT VERY DAMN LONG! Twice now I've had to set the barrel back about an inch and a half. 500-600 rounds? Each time.

 

[MTETM]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

What I know,

We torched a 6mmAI at 900 rounds shooting very warm loads with 87 Vmax's.

Torched a 6mm Creedmoor at 3400 rounds shooting 87-105 loads behind Varget and 4350 at moderate pressures. I set this barrel back and it is shooting well enough to consistently hit 1.5 moa steel at 975 with warm loads of 4350...I don't expect it to last long, but it is fun for now..

Have 2 6mm Creedmoor's, 1 is at 950 rounds the other is at 2000. Both have shot 115 Dtacs with 4831 and are both going strong. I expect 500 more from the one with 2000 rounds before I set it back.

My opinion: Chamber which ever 6mm you like and can get brass for...Load it at moderate pressure: ie Dtacs at 2950ish and you will have great performance and won't have short barrel life.

If you load them all to run fast, expect barrel life to decline and accept that barrels are consumables and don't worry about it.

My wife loves her 6mm Creedmoor...

 

[Jeffvn]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

MTEM - well said. When you run anything fast and hard the barrels are indeed consumables. If you look at barrels that way you'll not be disappointed when they only last a year no more than 2.

Good choice by your wife on the Creedmore...it has a strong following these days.

Jeffvn

 

[seven mm]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

I too prefer the 6x47L, excellent brass. Very similar to the 6xc, just slightly shorter and the xc uses large primers. If you want more barrel life than those can offer a 6mmbr as bronco said is very accurate, has excellent brass as well (Lapua) and can feed 100% reliably out of a modified aics 223 mag.

 

[JC Steel]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

im leaning towards the 6X47 Lapua for her. Shooting 105 grain VLD's is probably a pretty good start for her!

I am thinking I will keep it VERY mild with the loads. Maybe 2850 FPS or something like that. It will increase barrel life, lessen the recoil, and I am sure I can find a nice accurate load in the FPS range.

 

[Jeffvn]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

If you make the call on the 6x47L for her there is lots of 6x47L load date in the reloading section. I have a bughole shooting load for the 108 Berger BTs using H4350 in that velocity zone out of a Surgeon Short action w/ 27" barrel.

JeffVN

 

[KevinU]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

I'm in the process of having a 6mm built. Beanland has my parts, should have the barreled action soon. Sifted through all the options, going with this http://www.6mmar.com/Super_LR.html Like having a couple brass choices. Easy to form brass.

Plan on 4831/dtac's or Berger 105 hybrids.

 

[shoepop]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KevinU</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Plan on 4831/dtac's or Berger 105 hybrids. </div></div>

Don't get hung up on a few bullets and powders there are a lot of good 6mm and powders out there try them. I can't get the Hybrids to shoot as well as others in a Bartlein or Krieger that will shoot dang near anything. The DTAC is a different story it hammers in both.

 

[distantfoe]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

I love a 6mm but keeping up with the throat erosion is a pain.

Had a krieger chambered in 6br that would move the rifling .001 every 20 rounds running 105 vlds.

 

[psinclair]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

My 6XC still shoots .5 moa with 2000 rounds through it. I'm hoping for another 5 or 600. The throat looks like ass through the borescope, but it still shoots...mostly I've shot 115 VLD's at 30000fps with IMR4350. It's a 27" Bartlein, MTU, 1-7.5" 5R.

 

[kyreloader]

Re: **6mm cartridges and corresponding barrel life**

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KevinU</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'm in the process of having a 6mm built. Beanland has my parts, should have the barreled action soon. Sifted through all the options, going with this http://www.6mmar.com/Super_LR.html Like having a couple brass choices. Easy to form brass.

Plan on 4831/dtac's or Berger 105 hybrids. </div></div>

I too went with a 6SLR, I am working with the 105g Berger Hybrids and it has shot well with H4831 from 5 thous off the lands to 25 thous off. I will like the opportunity to load at 5 thous off and shoot them for awhile while the throat lengthens. I dont want to chase the lands.

I am shooting 43.5g H4831. That is a mild load that shoots very nicely for me. Should have good barrel life due to shoulder angle and neck length.