Best 6mm cartridge*

[Dthomas3523]

I think a lot of it has to do with how hot it gets in some locations.

During the summer here you can’t touch your barrel if the sun has hit it at all. That’s without even shooting. Then going and putting 10-20rnds in 90 seconds. Probably not a recipe for barrel life.

 

[Rob01]

My .243 above I spoke of was shot a lot in hot temps. Don't think it all has to do with ambient temps.

ETA: What powders you guys use? Velocity and bullets?

 

[Dthomas3523]

My .243 above I spoke of was shot a lot in hot temps. Don't think it all has to do with ambient temps.

ETA: What powders you guys use? Velocity and bullets?

I only used hornady factory ammo in any 6cm.

This isn’t and isolated incident. Lots of people down here having them burn out at 900-1200.

And I promise you don’t shoot your rifles in 110 deg weather for 6mo straight unless you’re in Texas, AZ, Nevada.

I’m from the east coast and have lived all over. The heat in these areas ain’t the same.

 

[Rob01]

Yup that .243 shot most all of it's life in TX, AZ and Idaho when it was 100+. You aren't the only one to shoot matches in hot temps

 

[Dthomas3523]

Yup that .243 shot most all of it's life in TX, AZ and Idaho when it was 100+. You aren't the only one to shoot matches in hot temps

Well, then you have miracle barrels. Cause ain’t no one I know that shoots any amount getting consistent 1500 or more from a 6cm.

 

[Rob01]

No idea. Doubt it's miracle barrels. That was my .243. My 6CM hasn't spent as much time in the heat and it's been shot with all factory ammo.

 

[Lunchbox27]

6Creed for me. I might go 6BR for my next barrel but I still haven’t made up my mind.

IMO, if you wanna play in the 6mm world, get yourself an action that takes prefit barrels and forget about barrel life. Once it goes, spin another on.

 

[sierracharlie338]

6Creed for me. I might go 6BR for my next barrel but I still haven’t made up my mind.

IMO, if you wanna play in the 6mm world, get yourself an action that takes prefit barrels and forget about barrel life. Once it goes, spin another on.

Thats the game plan and the reason I'm not concerned about barrel life so much as I am a couple of the other things Ive already mentioned.

 

[47guy]

I only used hornady factory ammo in any 6cm.

This isn’t and isolated incident. Lots of people down here having them burn out at 900-1200.

And I promise you don’t shoot your rifles in 110 deg weather for 6mo straight unless you’re in Texas, AZ, Nevada.

I’m from the east coast and have lived all over. The heat in these areas ain’t the same.

i live in nevada...i just shot out a 6Creed in 758 rounds over last summer but it was run hard...i shot 5 other 6Creed barrels one went 1500 the other 4 went between 1200 and 1400 but at the end they were 3/4" barrels at best.

 

[Possumpete]

Pick one I have 6 creeds,6bra and now a 6GT,they all are hammers but I love the quick 30-34 grain charges of 4895 I load in tne latter two

 

[47guy]

Thats the game plan and the reason I'm not concerned about barrel life so much as I am a couple of the other things Ive already mentioned.

if i had the money thats all id run is a 6creed at 3200+fps and just have 6 barrels a year spun up...im shooting a 6BRA right now...105 hybrid at 2975ish with 10 grains less powder.

 

[b6graham]

if i had the money thats all id run is a 6creed at 3200+fps and just have 6 barrels a year spun up...im shooting a 6BRA right now...105 hybrid at 2975ish with 10 grains less powder.

And how does the barrel life compare? Real world results?

 

[sierracharlie338]

if i had the money thats all id run is a 6creed at 3200+fps and just have 6 barrels a year spun up...im shooting a 6BRA right now...105 hybrid at 2975ish with 10 grains less powder.

Im definitely not made of money but I also don't mind paying for something I am getting full use of. Id probably hit 12-1500 in a two year time period. If thats the case and every other year I'm spinning on a new barrel and tweaking a load, Im good with that.

 

[Diver160651]

I wond

Not sure what happened to your barrels. My Bartlein 6 Creed is at about 950 now and still sub half moa. My old .243 was at 1880 when I sold it and the same for accuracy. That .243 was only run at matches and when not all strings were 10 rounds in 90 seconds. Shot many 20 round stages and some were timed out in 60 seconds. I don't kill my 6mm with speed. Keep it in the 3000fps area. Great ballistics and barrel life.

If you want great barrel life then no 6mm is the answer. Get a .308.

Wonder what the difference of one 6 running 43grn of 4350 is vrs another running 35grn of Varget both near the same speed on the first 4” of barrel??

some 6mm are surely easier on barrels than the 6CM - just how it is. Don’t worry Rob soon Hornady will have factory 6GT ~

 

[LawnMM]

just to toss this out I’ve had my 6CMs Bartlein go in 800 rounds.. fire-cracked to crap. @Dthomas3523 and a few others around the same

just not something close to the planned 1500. To get really good do you have to send a lot of stuff down range.. not sure the 6CM is a good choice for that guy and not for me.

It's a high performance barrel, not necessarily high round count. IMO, you need a secondary training barrel/caliber of you're really trying to improve.

I think a lot of it has to do with how hot it gets in some locations.

During the summer here you can’t touch your barrel if the sun has hit it at all. That’s without even shooting. Then going and putting 10-20rnds in 90 seconds. Probably not a recipe for barrel life.

Meh. Shot mine in Craig this year and was hotter than the 7th circle of hell. Including one 12rd stage I used a Mulligan and put 24rds through it in less than 3 minutes or so. I think operating temp/pressure is more important.

If you run a 6mm at/below 3000fps I think 1500-2000rds is a reasonable expectation. If you're running 3150+ yeah... might be done in 800rds, might be 1200, might be 1400, doubt it'll be more.

I only used hornady factory ammo in any 6cm.

This isn’t and isolated incident. Lots of people down here having them burn out at 900-1200.

And I promise you don’t shoot your rifles in 110 deg weather for 6mo straight unless you’re in Texas, AZ, Nevada.

I’m from the east coast and have lived all over. The heat in these areas ain’t the same.

He's already said he's running his at 3000fps. That makes a world of difference.

Well, then you have miracle barrels. Cause ain’t no one I know that shoots any amount getting consistent 1500 or more from a 6cm.

Download the velocity to around 2950 and you'll get AT LEAST 1500.

 

[b6graham]

Still sitting here with my 6XC running good speed AND good barrel life with good cheap brass

 

[Rob01]

I wond


Wonder what the difference of one 6 running 43grn of 4350 is vrs another running 35grn of Varget both near the same speed on the first 4” of barrel??

some 6mm are surely easier on barrels than the 6CM - just how it is. Don’t worry Rob soon Hornady will have factory 6GT ~

Some are but none are as good as a .308. Again if you run the 6 Creed at near max then you will get less. Run it at similar velocities to the other stubby cartridges then you can get more.

As for the powder not sure. Also I only run 41.4grns of H4350.

And I wouldn't hold your breathe on GT ammo.

 

[Diver160651]

Guys the 6 creed is not magic, 1- 2 years from now you guys will be shooting something different. I have one 6CM barrel left and 4 6.5s with @MarcS from spartan delivering another 6 but not in 6CM.

just saying

 

[Scott Smith]

About to build a new bolt gun on a Tenacity action. Looking at getting back into the 6mm family. I’ve got 223 and 25-338 covered. Regrettably sold my last 243 a few years back.

Some chambers I’m considering are:
243 win
6cm
6xc

Looking to shoot 105-115’s and maybe even get into PRS matches at some point.

So what say the Hide?

Thanks
SC338

I've used and have had all of my boys harvest whitetail with the 6mm Remington. I personally feel its one of the most underrated cartridges. It might be something to look into.

 

[Rob01]

Guys the 6 creed is not magic, 1- 2 years from now you guys will be shooting something different. I have one 6CM barrel left and 4 6.5s with @MarcS from spartan delivering another 6 but not in 6CM.

just saying

Who said it was magic? Don't see anyone saying that. Shoot whatever makes you happy. a 6mm bullet going 3000fps doesn't know whether it came from a Creed or a Dasher or a GT.

 

[47guy]

And how does the barrel life compare? Real world results?

so I’ve only got 540 rounds through this barrel and this is my first BRA but I have shot a few BRX and BR barrels...the BRX I just sold had 1800 through it and still shot in the high .2s and the BRX before this one was at 2100 when I pulled it...the BRA is running 1+grain less powder and making the same speed so I full expect 2200-2500 rounds at 1/2” or better but we will see.

 

[LawnMM]

If you look at what folks are doing in competitive circles with regards to caliber choice it's really different ways of skinning the same cat.

There are some who would have you believe you can't get 1800rds out of a 243/6CM/6x47 and you have to switch to a BR case to get the longevity out of the barrel.

Then there are those of us who realize it's cheaper to run the same cartridges at a little less blistering speed to accomplish the same goal.

The BR cases are smaller, so you don't have the case capacity to blowtorch the throat in 1100rds like you do in a bigger 6mm. It's not a miracle caliber, in fact it usually comes with its own issues like feeding problems, mag kits, fireforming brass, etc. Not saying it's not a viable cartridge, just that it isn't any more perfect than shit we were using at matches years before.

If you want to believe you need a new caliber, that doesn't feed well, which requires fireforming brass and new dies and startup costs to get 1500-2000rds from a barrel, have at it.

It makes for a good laugh for the rest of us that just lowered our MV, and are shooting the same brass with the same cartridge that DOES feed to accomplish the same objective.

 

[LawnMM]

Who said it was magic? Don't see anyone saying that. Shoot whatever makes you happy. a 6mm bullet going 3000fps doesn't know whether it came from a Creed or a Dasher or a GT.

This x100000000 ?

 

[b6graham]

This x100000000 ?

But guys.

Body taper. Shoulder angle. Neck length.

 

[Dthomas3523]

I’m pretty happy with 6gt so far.

I can load up 24.0 varget with a 109 berger and be fine without any load testing.

It also feeds better in my AI than anything I’ve run. Including 6cm and dasher.

 

[LawnMM]

But guys.

Body taper. Shoulder angle. Neck length.

 

[LawnMM]

I’m pretty happy with 6gt so far.

I can load up 24.0 varget with a 109 berger and be fine without any load testing.

It also feeds better in my AI than anything I’ve run. Including 6cm and dasher.

That's because it's nearly identical to the Lord's Caliber, the 6x47L ?

 

[Diver160651]

Who said it was magic? Don't see anyone saying that. Shoot whatever makes you happy. a 6mm bullet going 3000fps doesn't know whether it came from a Creed or a Dasher or a GT.

This x100000000 ?

You know that cases run best when full, lower ES lower SDs. You know some case designs are better than others. Unfortunately, the 6CM needs evolution, just as the 243 basically became the 6CM..

No reason to stand with your sword defending the 6CM by trying to use less case capacity etc, my 6br can go as fast as a really slow 6CM loaded to save barrels, but it will have lower SDs and ES.

Keep your 6CM who cares, but it a long ways from the best 6mm - let’s see what you say in 2 years..

BTW my 123s in a 6.5 going 3100, have the same basic BC as the 105.. and I never get “no visual”. My 6br is just silly to shoot.

The 6x47 is way under rated!!! Needs George to get behind it! Opps he did 6GT

 

[Rickstir]

6SLR

 

[Rob01]

You know that cases run best when full, lower ES lower SDs. You know some case designs are better than others. Unfortunately, the 6CM needs evolution, just as the 243 basically became the 6CM..

No reason to stand with your sword defending the 6CM by trying to use less case capacity etc, my 6br can go as fast as a really slow 6CM loaded to save barrels, but it will have lower SDs and ES.

Keep your 6CM who cares, but it a long ways from the best 6mm - let’s see what you say in 2 years..

BTW my 123s in a 6.5 going 3100, have the same basic BC as the 105.. and I never get “no visual”. My 6br is just silly to shoot.

The 6x47 is way under rated!!! Needs George to get behind it! Opps he did 6GT

Cases are plenty full when running the bullets at those speeds in the .243 or 6 Creed. Numbers are good too. Lots of assumptions n your part.

Stand with my sword? LOL Now that's funny. I have only been shooting the Creed for a couple years. I still run a .243 too. I am not holding a sword for anything but I know what works for me and saying that. Got a lot telling me it doesn't which makes me laugh. Shoot your stubby cartridge and have fun.

Oh and where did I say it's the best? Please show me.

 

[LawnMM]

Hey @Diver160651

? If you can beat a 3-5fps SD that's great, but it's not great enough for me to change calibers!

I kid I kid, I know that wasn't what you were saying ?

 

[Rob01]

That can not be a 6 Creed or .243 because everyone knows they can;t run that speed and have good numbers. You must be a liar! LOL

 

[LawnMM]

It's God's caliber!

 

[rookie7]

You know that cases run best when full, lower ES lower SDs. You know some case designs are better than others. Unfortunately, the 6CM needs evolution, just as the 243 basically became the 6CM..

No reason to stand with your sword defending the 6CM by trying to use less case capacity etc, my 6br can go as fast as a really slow 6CM loaded to save barrels, but it will have lower SDs and ES.

Keep your 6CM who cares, but it a long ways from the best 6mm - let’s see what you say in 2 years..

BTW my 123s in a 6.5 going 3100, have the same basic BC as the 105.. and I never get “no visual”. My 6br is just silly to shoot.

The 6x47 is way under rated!!! Needs George to get behind it! Opps he did 6GT

Serious question here: what evolution does the 6cm need? Or how do you think it could improve? thanks

 

[b6graham]

Serious question here: what evolution does the 6cm need? Or how do you think it could improve? thanks

It could be a 6XC

 

[LawnMM]

Serious question here: what evolution does the 6cm need?

??

 

[Steel head]

??

 

[Dthomas3523]

For raw horsepower and factory ammo, it’s tough to beat 6cm.

Will be interesting to see how things go when 6gt factory ammo is available.

It’s a bit slower than 6cm as far as top end. Will see if the barrel life claims for 6gt are what they say.

 

[Rangemaster]

I also had a 6 creedmoor, I was running it 3050 to 3150 near the end of its life. Got about 1600 rounds through it. The two things I dont like with this design is the amount of powder it takes and the constant replacement of brass every 4 to 5 firings. I switched to a BRA last year, and my other two rifles running dasher running at 3050 fps. My brass on my dashers are going past 10 firings without pushing them too hard.

 

[jakelly]

If you’re handloading, all cases are fire-formed. The ability of case to supercruise with H1000 is very important to me. Barrel life being the only reason. I’m a practical shooter, I don’t compete or look for extreme accuracy. If I can get a 1/4 MOA rifle to agg 1/2, I’m willing to trade that for 2-3x the barrel life. If I was competing the small sixes and maybe the 6.5s would probably hold my attention. For me and what I do, the comp match and 6.5 SAUM are very tough to beat.

 

[sierracharlie338]

Just saying 6CM is the “best” needs lots of qualifiers.. that’s my point

I think we established you’re not a fan of the CM.

 

[Rob01]

Just saying 6CM is the “best” needs lots of qualifiers.. that’s my point

And no one, including myself, said it was the best 6mm. That was my point.

 

[patscrazy]

The 6GT seems to be very polarizing cartridge in its early stages. Despite all the very funny gay tiger memes, as a total newbie, with very limited reloading experience, if I was going to do a 6 mm and wanted to reload, the 6GT seems like a great cartridge to go with. Maybe you guys with more knowledge can enlighten me too why the Dasher or the other mini 6’s are better.

Looking at the numbers, the 6GT will do everything the dasher can, more velocity than the br, bra, etc, all while having better/easier feeding from mags with no spacer kits necessary. And likely more barrel life than bigger 6’s. Plus pretty straightforward reloading, with easy to find brass. Seems to check a lot of boxes. What am I missing?

 

[sierracharlie338]

The 6GT seems to be very polarizing cartridge in its early stages. Despite all the very funny gay tiger memes, as a total newbie, with very limited reloading experience, if I was going to do a 6 mm and wanted to reload, the 6GT seems like a great cartridge to go with. Maybe you guys with more knowledge can enlighten me too why the Dasher or the other mini 6’s are better.

Looking at the numbers, the 6GT will do everything the dasher can, more velocity than the br, bra, etc, all while having better/easier feeding from mags with no spacer kits necessary. And likely more barrel life than bigger 6’s. Plus pretty straightforward reloading, with easy to find brass. Seems to check a lot of boxes. What am I missing?

For what it’s worth from the guy that built it.

 

[Dthomas3523]

The 6GT seems to be very polarizing cartridge in its early stages. Despite all the very funny gay tiger memes, as a total newbie, with very limited reloading experience, if I was going to do a 6 mm and wanted to reload, the 6GT seems like a great cartridge to go with. Maybe you guys with more knowledge can enlighten me too why the Dasher or the other mini 6’s are better.

Looking at the numbers, the 6GT will do everything the dasher can, more velocity than the br, bra, etc, all while having better/easier feeding from mags with no spacer kits necessary. And likely more barrel life than bigger 6’s. Plus pretty straightforward reloading, with easy to find brass. Seems to check a lot of boxes. What am I missing?

That’s about the gist of it. If you aren’t already set up for a BR based cartridge, it’s probably the best route to take. If you are already set up, it’s just a personal preference if you want to try it. I did and I’m switching over from dasher to GT.

No forming (yes, now alpha makes dasher brass, but it’s definitely showing pressure earlier than lapua). Hornady brass is pretty good and you won’t care if you lose a piece after a few firings.

My dasher feeds fine in my AI with mag kit, but the GT feeds smoother.

No one is really running it all that much faster than dasher, but the ability to get another ~100 fps is there.

It’s not finicky at all. Very easy to load for.

Uses varget if that matters.

Most of the polarization is from people who always grumble about new stuff. Or people running 6x47 already that don’t see a need.

 

[Rob01]

It's funny that people are all about jumping on new now. When the 6.5 Creedmoor came out in 2007 to early 2008 it was talked down and no one wanted to try the new round even though it had a lot of pros for a new cartridge over what was being used. Took almost 4 years for people to start warming to the Creedmoor. Now if you aren't on a cartridge in the first 6 months you are behind the curve and not open to change. Just something I find funny. LOL

The 6GT is a good cartridge for sure. Actually my team mate is going to be getting one made up soon. I have a bunch of 6 Creed and .243 stuff and already set for those so I don't see a need to change. If I wasn't and didn't like the option of having factory ammo then it would be a good choice for a straight loader. I would take it over any of the BR cases or Dasher for sure.

 

[308pirate]

I’ve had some make it to 13-1500 and others go at 900 rnds.

I like 6cm a lot, but it’s a crapshoot on barrel life.

Here’s how one shot after 900 rnds. Firecracking over halfway up the barrel or more. Only factory hornady 108 through the barrel.

This is at 100yds.

View attachment 7244105

The answer is 6mm Competition Match. Yes, even with fireforming.

Or, hell, just load straight up 243 Win with H1000 or Retumbo and get about 80% of the 6 Comp Match's benefits without the hassle.

 

[Rob01]

Yup the .243 is a very viable option. Over looked with all the options today.

 

[sierracharlie338]

It's funny that people are all about jumping on new now. When the 6.5 Creedmoor came out in 2007 to early 2008 it was talked down and no one wanted to try the new round even though it had a lot of pros for a new cartridge over what was being used. Took almost 4 years for people to start warming to the Creedmoor. Now if you aren't on a cartridge in the first 6 months you are behind the curve and not open to change. Just something I find funny. LOL

The 6GT is a good cartridge for sure. Actually my team mate is going to be getting one made up soon. I have a bunch of 6 Creed and .243 stuff and already set for those so I don't see a need to change. If I wasn't and didn't like the option of having factory ammo then it would be a good choice for a straight loader. I would take it over any of the BR cases or Dasher for sure.

Im more of a...

kinda guy ? but been shooting one since before the CM existed also.

But I love my 6mm as well hence the thread haha

 

[Rob01]

.260 is a good caliber but Remington dropped the ball and Hornady picked it up and drove it home with the Creedmoor.