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Help me w first PRS 6mm build- Competitors Only

D

D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷

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Minuteman
Sep 11, 2014
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Yuma, AZ
Hoping to get some sound advice from those of you that have actually shot events. Not trying to be rude but it doesn't help me if a guy who has never shot a comp steers me in a direction that doesn't make any sense in a comp.

So so far I have all the bare necessary items.
-R700 action
-Older non-folding AI Chassis
-M24 6mm blank

Im wanting to know what caliber I should go with. I'm 2 years into reloading. I have a 243 and a 243AI for hunting. I was looking very hard at the 6mm Creedmoor but then I would need to buy new dies and brass. I recognize the better barrel life of 6mm creedmoor but is it worth the cost of new brass and does?

Just looking for some advice.
 
Last edited:
Since I'm not a competitor, you can disregard my input that you're not going to want to haul that pig around a long event. An M24 barrel and AI chassis make for a heavy rifle.
I'll also point out that you already have the caliber chosen, it is the cartridge that you need help with.
More important than the cartridge, is the twist rate. Is it sufficient to stabilize the 107 SMK's or the 115 DTACS?
There is nothing wrong with shooting a straight .243 winchester and 107 SMK's
 
The 6mm Creedmoor doesn't have any better barrel life than a .243. They both are pretty close and neither is great. LOL Comes down to what you want. The .243 can be made to shoot very accurately and works fine. It was used in the early 2004 when people started going away from the .308 and looking for a light recoiling rifle with better ballistics. The 6mm Creedmoor is a very good round also. A little less powder and the same velocities and now with factory ammo and rifles available it will become more popular. No real wrong choice between the two.

As to your build, the contour of the barrel is fine. What twist is it?
 
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You are fine then. You can use any of the heavy 6mm bullets. Pick a caliber, get the rifle built and get to shooting it.
 
There isn't much difference between any of the common 6mm's in velocity that you can take advantage of, meaning most matches have a velocity cap of 3200 fps and some 3100 like the SRM now in NM.

So what's left, considerations??? Length of case for seating long bullets like the 115's or 110 with "plenty" of latitude in the mag. Strength of the case at the heel to get as many cycles as possible. Amount of powder being burned or efficiency. Intrinsic accuracy like the 6BR or improved versions. SR primers vs LR primers. Drilled vs punched flash holes, along with flash hole diameter.

6x47L strikes a great balance, especially case life, it has a nearly 64,000 psi pressure rating. Over 30 firings on my brass and 10 years of service in my case, pun intended. Highly regarded as a match round.

Even so, 6 Dasher is the one I'm most tempted by in a 6mm if I were to make a change.
 
If you don't mind lugging around a 18-20 lb rifle at two day comps then you are headed in the right direction. 243 and 6 Creedmoor are very similar. Both are going to give you around 1100-1600 rds before velocity drops off and you are chasing the lands.

Chamber up this barrel and get out and practice with it. I would place an order for another barrel now so that it has arrived by the time you burn this one out.

Try a medium Palma on the next barrel.
 
really lots of good 6mm out there. you have to look at the components available. and what you want/are willing to do. right now, lapua just came out with the 6.5 cm brass, which means, you can run it through a 6mm die and have 6mm creedmoor lapua brass with a small primer. the .243 is a tad faster, but will burn a little more powder doing it. it also has great brass. or maybe you want to be able to shoot factor ammo and have less expensive (and doesn't last as long) brass. the 6mm Creedmoor does that.

I have a 6mm CM in a gas gun and love it. so, I will prob get a 6mm CM barrel for my AI at some point (shoot 6.5x47 in it) just cause if have everything to load the 6mm creedmoor. really they are both great and will shoot fine. so, I would look at what dies cost or brass if that matters. or which ever name you like better (.243 or 6mm CM). prob as good a reason as any.

or, I would ask the person who is going to chamber it what they recommend. maybe they have a better reamer for one that always shoots or something. some smiths change things a little and give little advantages. so if it doesn't matter to you, and your smith feels he chambers one better than another, go that way.
 
I'd say go with a round that fits into mags easily and eliminate those problems.
6 creed is one choice that does this well.
Berger 105 at 3130 has solid ballistics.
Factory ammo, as mentioned above, isn't all bad either.
Good luck

R
 
Lowest cost option... 243AI, use your existing dies, fireform Lapua brass, use H1000 powder for extended barrel life, shoot 115 DTAC's because you've got the twist rate for it. If you can get it to feed well from a magazine even with the 40 degree shoulder then you've got a winner. Positives IMO... heavy rifle yes, but that will mitigate recoil of the 115's vs 105's. Going H1000 can dramatically change barrel life... don't overdo it with excessive rate of fire and keep the pressure/velocity down in reasonable levels (maybe 3000-3050 with a 24-26" tube?) and you could reasonably expect 3,000 round barrel life. Same concept as the 6 Compettion Match.

Starting from scratch and you want to buy new dies? I'd say 6XC because of the large primer and you're shooting a R700 which would likely need the firing pin bushed for small primers. Positives, no fireforming, Norma brass is good, shoot the 105's at 3070fps or so, it's a proven winner.

If you want to also bush the firing pin, then probably 6 Creed with the new small primer Lapua brass. I do like the Dasher, but not sure if you'd be totally trouble free with feeding/ejection from a straight R700.

Note that any of these are competitive rifles that are pretty functionally equivalent. You can win or lose with any of them.
 
Sheldon N said:
Lowest cost option... 243AI, use your existing dies, .....
Click to expand...

I take it you neck size only?
I'm currently putting together an 243AI, already have standard 243 dies but I was under the impression I needed to pick up some new dies. I don't plan to full length resize.
 
He said he already has a 243AI setup, so I was assuming he had full length sizing dies for 243AI. I'm a strong proponent of full length resize every firing, so my recommendation would be to obtain a set of FL dies for the 243AI if you're going that route.
 
Sheldon N said:
He said he already has a 243AI setup, so I was assuming he had full length sizing dies for 243AI. I'm a strong proponent of full length resize every firing, so my recommendation would be to obtain a set of FL dies for the 243AI if you're going that route.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I missed that in the first post.
 
II am really appreciating all the feedback.

I do do have a set of Redding FL dies for the 243AI. I'm also just now fireforming 50 pieces of Lapua brass for my hunting rig. First time using Lapua and I know why everyone likes it. So much softer and easier to work with.

I think i might might just go w another 243AI. Money saved on dies out of the gate. Seems every cartridge leads to more purchases...bushings, brass, projos, powders.

I think I need to just focus on getting started and that means more shooting and less putting things together. I'm sure I'll learn some hard lessons along the way but I just need to jump in with both feet already.

Thansk guys.

 
I run a 6CM in my comp guns. I was considering changing to 6x47L on my next rebarrel but with the new 6.5CM Lapua brass there's no need. I'll be able to squeak out a bit more velocity with the small primer pockets before pressure signs. Just gotta neck it down and of course get my firing pins bushed. Definitely not the most cost effective way to go for you but it's the path I'm on.
 
If you already run a .243, I'd look at doing a 6slr. I've ran one for the last year and a half and love it. If you have some extra .243 brass laying around, get some dies and your off to the races.
 
If I were you I would do a 6xc or a 6x47L. I found the 6 creed a bit finicky in comparison. Could've been my barrel, but I've heard it from others too.
 
noisewaterphd said:
If I were you I would do a 6xc or a 6x47L. I found the 6 creed a bit finicky in comparison. Could've been my barrel, but I've heard it from others too.
Click to expand...

Not finicky at all in my five 6 Creeds. Four are boltguns, one is a GAP10. I run the same load in all four boltguns.
 
When I first started competing, I went with a 243. 2 barrels running DTACs at 2950 and 105's at 3000 both went 2000 rounds. New gun, new cartridge, 6XC: running 105s at 3100, 2 barrels went at 1200. Now, Im into a 6mm Creedmoor running RBT DTACS at 2950 with a slow powder. I have over 1500 on it now and the throat and lands look awesome. I fully expect to get 2500 plus out of it.

The bottom line is, if you push the 6mm hard it is going to go quick. If you run slow they (and your brass) last a long time. They also tend to shoot more consistent for longer with milder loads.
 
Well I had some things in my life change so my build is going another way. My best buddy and shooting partner has taken ill and it's serious. His liver is failing. We were going to build similar 243AI's for hunting rigs. Mine is done but he never got started. He sold off his firearms to pay medical bills. I bought his R700. Im building this rifle for him now. He prob won't ever get to shoot it and that saddens me. It's crazy how quickly his health has declined. After he passes on I'll be using his rifle as my dedicated PRS rig. I know this isn't the place to put all this out there but I just need to vent. My buddy is barely 24 and has a new baby. Life isn't fair. One day God willing I will be able to pass this along to his son all polished up and looking brand new.

I appreciate all all the help you guys have offered on this but I know this is what I'll be doing.
 
Stick with 243AI. Buy dtacs and H1000 and run them around 3-3100. 2500 rounds later rinse and repeat


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Yeah they're hard to find in stock. Just gotta keep looking or check the reloading exchange on here. I've seen them pop up a few times.


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