6mm-06 build

[Tweek]

New to the long range game. I want to build a 6mm-06. I have a few questions regarding the caliber. First should i use a long or short action? What twist should i get? (Will be reloading VLD 105 and 105 amax) Where can i get reloading data? what barrel length should i get?

I leaning towards a sporter barrel due to i will be using it for hunting deer/coyote/varmints. So weight will be on the lighter side. I'm also leaning toward a HART barrel due to the fact that they are located 30 min from where i live.

Any and all information is welcome. I open to suggestions/ideas.

Thanks

 

[rscott5028]

New to the long range game. I want to build a 6mm-06. I have a few questions regarding the caliber. First should i use a long or short action? What twist should i get? (Will be reloading VLD 105 and 105 amax) Where can i get reloading data? what barrel length should i get?

I leaning towards a sporter barrel due to i will be using it for hunting deer/coyote/varmints. So weight will be on the lighter side. I'm also leaning toward a HART barrel due to the fact that they are located 30 min from where i live.

Any and all information is welcome. I open to suggestions/ideas.

Thanks

I don't own one. It's a good bit overbore for my liking although I did own a 240Wby which was a barrel burner. So, I may not be the best to comment.

You'll want a long action unless you want to run it as a single shot.

You need an 8 twist for the 105's and possibly a 7.5 twist if you wanted to try the 115 DTACs.

The large case capacity will benefit from longer barrels 28-30". But, you could probably do fine with as little as 25" for a hunting rig.

Search the reloading forum here on LRH and/or post a request for load data. Always be wary of data from unknown sources. The powder and bullet Mfgs have are insured and will provide reliable starting loads.

Sporter weight will be fine for a hunting rifle. But, it'll heat up fast and stay hot. It may also be a little my phinicky to tune. You might want to consider going up a size or two and get it fluted by the mfg. Hart has a great reputation. They should be able to help you calculate the finished weight of the barrel.

Good luck!
- richard

 

[Tweek]

lol....just did some reading on a 6MM AI...i'm liking this a little better i think.....let me re title this thread:

6MM...

If you had one 6MM caliber you could choose and barrel life and all that crap wasn't a concern what 6MM based caliber would you choose. I don't want to hear the same old same old i have read in every forum when it comes to HOT 6MM rigs "Well why don't you get a 260 it's cheaper, don't have to fire form, won't burn out the barrel..." i hope we get the point. I want those people that love the 6MM to give me 6MM facts to build a real speed demon even if it does burn up the barrel in 500 rounds or a weekend of shooting.

have fun!

 

[Nimrod]

I have used several of the 6mm rounds from the 6mm Mach4 on down. The 6/06 and 6MM AI along with the 6mm-.284 and the .240 Weatherby are all in the same ballpark. I was able to better the Weatherby ballistics with the 6mm/06 by about 100 fps. with 100 grain bullets. To be fair my current hot 6 project (6mm-.284) only has a 17" barrel so the velocities are not what they could be with a longer tube. All of the ones I have used were very accurate and most were easy to load for.

If I had to choose one it would be the 6mm/06 in a long action or the 6mm-.284 in a short action.

Bob

 

[Outlaw6.0]

I have used several of the 6mm rounds from the 6mm Mach4 on down. The 6/06 and 6MM AI along with the 6mm-.284 and the .240 Weatherby are all in the same ballpark. I was able to better the Weatherby ballistics with the 6mm/06 by about 100 fps. with 100 grain bullets. To be fair my current hot 6 project (6mm-.284) only has a 17" barrel so the velocities are not what they could be with a longer tube. All of the ones I have used were very accurate and most were easy to load for.

If I had to choose one it would be the 6mm/06 in a long action or the 6mm-.284 in a short action.

Bob

Got to love the 6mm crowd! I have or have had the .243, .243 AI, 6mmAI & the 6-284. My baby is a long action 6-284 running the 107smk, I love this combo, very flat shooting, no recoil (albeit the rifle is 14.lbs) & as stated in Sierra's 5th edition manual, has set a world 1000yd benchrest record (which no longer stands). The 6mmAI is my varmint rig, 3 shot goups usually hover in the .3-.5 range @ 100, slightly heavier than sporter contour which I would recommend to you. The 6mmAI is a 1-12 twist so I cannot tell you if it can keep up with the 6.-284 or not.

The one thing you should consider is this: with the 243AI & 6-284 you can use Lapua brass, which doesn't mean much to some & means everything to others.

For me, I'd build another 6-284 before any of the other 6mm's i've had/ do have.gun)

 

[Freebore]

Tweek

With the '06 case or the 6mmAI case you will have to use the long action if you want a repeater. I have 243AI 1-9 twist and crank out the 105 A-max thru a 27" varmint sporter contour. It shot the 95VLD's into one hole but I had to slow them down to get there so I went to the 105's and never looked back. Better than 95vld velocity and groups are only .080 bigger. I'm using N-165 powder. Longest kill antelope buck 434 yards was trying for 800 yards but they were already shot at for 2 weeks and were just too closely grouped for 20+ Wy wind for that distance. Did the stalk thru a drainage ditch and 400+ was close enough. Took him with one shot DRT. As stated previously Lapua brass is nice and can take a beating. Watch your brass necks on these hot 6mm's. Annealing is a good thing. Lapua not as much 'maintenance'.

 

[Tweek]

Does 6-06 brass need to be fire formed? or do you just rung 25-06 brass through a FL 6-06 die

 

[Catahoula]

Hey Tweek,
I can tell by your responses to other posts that you have made up your mind. I respect that. This comes from experience with the 6mm-06. You are opening a huge can of worms. Reloading data is hard to find. When you down size the 25-06 case alot of case trimming is needed. There are other cartridges that will match the 6mm-06 with less effort. However my rifle would push the 60 Sierra HP at 4200 fps and shoot a tiny group. We all like different toys.
Good luck, Kirk

 

[Nimrod]

Does 6-06 brass need to be fire formed? or do you just rung 25-06 brass through a FL 6-06 die

I used new 30/06 brass and necked it down in a few steps, I think I started with a 7mm, .270 .25 and then 6mm06 . Mine was a long range Coyote gun, I used a 28" barrel with a 14 twist, I think a 12 twist would have been better as I was on the ragged edge of stability with the 80 grain bullets. 6mm06 data is scarce but it has slightly more case capacity than the .240 Weatherby, there is plenty of data there to start with.

Bob

 

[Tweek]

what about a 6MM AI?

Also what glass for $800 would you guys recommend?

 

[Danny1788]

I built a 6-06 last year, i built it on a LA model 70 action, 26in lilja 1-8 twist #4 sporter taper. it shoots the 105 berger vlds very nice, i shot the 115gr bergers too but i just couldnt find a lot as accurate as i did with the 105gr bergers . my load is 56gr of H1000 and fed gm215 primers it shot a group into one hole way less then 1/2 moa at 100yrds. it was built for antelope hunting and deer. i have a leupold 4.5-14x40mm with the BDC reticle mounted on it. i have had good luck out to 600yrds with it. i start with .270 win brass and run it the my FL 6mm-06 die then trim and neck turn as my chamber is a tight neck .269 i load the 105gr berger vlds .020 off the lands.

 

[strombeckj]

The 6mm-06 is very similar to the catbird. It is an easy round to reload for, simply neck down a 25-06 case with a neck sizing bushing die, 1 step. There is lots of load data out there, just look to its parent cartridge. There are many .25cal bullets with the same weight as 6mm bullets, just start 10-20% lower than the book. It is not a round I would recommend for long shot strings since it has a tendency to get hot. My smith has more than 1500+ rounds through his and it still shoots .5 It all depends on how you shoot it, it's not really a paper gun, you would be better off with a 6mmBR or 6XC or .243AI

Here's a write up by the smith who built mine. It's about the 6-06AI
24-06 Ackley Improved

I will send a 95gr VLD down the tube at 3500 fps and a 70gr NBT at 3900 fps..

I choose it over a 6-284 because it cycles smoother as a repeater.

Jon

 

[Tweek]

ive never seen a Neck sizing bushing die..is this what you are talking about?

200-249 Diameter Bushings | Reloading Die Bushings | Dies - Reloading | Reloading |

Also how is it used?

 

[strombeckj]

ive never seen a Neck sizing bushing die..is this what you are talking about?

200-249 Diameter Bushings | Reloading Die Bushings | Dies - Reloading | Reloading |

Also how is it used?

Yes, I use Redding the redding 3 die comp set in 25-06. You could get just the standard set, with a .270 bushing.

I use winchester brass and full length size in my die. Next I trim to length (same a 25-06). Deburr the flash hole, and neck. Finally I run it trough the carbide neck sizing die. The brass has been formed for your 6-06 at this point. Add primer, powder and bullet. On the next reload I will clean up the primer pocket and just run it trough the neck die.

This is pretty much the same steps I use for all my reloads along with brass sorting and weighting. It only takes one pass in the neck die (with imperial wax) because it is a very small step down and does not strech the neck out enough to require it to be trimmed again.

It is a great wild cat to begin with because it is so simple and requires no fire forming to create the 6-06 case.

If you wanted to use Lapua 30-06 brass you would need to step down the neck in 2-3 stages with different bushings. I personally do not feel Lapua performs any better in my rifles. It does however shorten brass prep time (no trimming, deburring, weighting, etc)
And I will get a few more reloads out of it, but not enough to make me jump right in buy it when brass like winchester is around.

My .02cents worth based on my experience with my 6mm-06. I use the rifle for PD's, coyotes, deer and antelope and load 70gr NBT, 85gr Speer BTSP, 88gr Berger FBV and 95gr VLD. 1:10 Krieger @ 26". It has done everything I have asked of it. I know there are similar rounds and I went with what was right for me.

Jon