6x45 Who's using it?

[Dentite]

The .223/5.56 case has a lot of merit for something like this IMHO.

As a 6.5Grendel and 6.8SPC user, special cases and bolts get a bit old over time for use outside their specialized applications where they really excel over 'standard' offerings.

100's of yards isn't where I do much shooting and, sourcing ammunition right now is another issue. Sure, for feral hog plinking the 6.8SPC works well and the 6.5G would do the same at greater ranges very well.

However, the 6/.257 .223/5.56 variants are easy to form and relatively cheap. For a youngster or recoil shy or someone who doesn't need massive overkill, these "quarter bores" have a lot of attractiveness to me. Heck, I still look occasionally for a 257 Roberts!

Yeah I hear you, that makes sense. I put together a .20 Practical (basically a .223 case necked down to .204) recently just because it was different and fun. And it is kinda nice that the original AR bolt and mags work with it.

 

[John Klingenberg]

I built one last year, super easy to load for. One pass of 223 brass in the die. Easy conversion from any 223 rifle. I shoot mostly 75s but the old standby 87gr .243 bullet is my favorite, it's just harder to get these days. You can load heavier or lighter. It will run 100s at 2650.

 

[JRJ448]

I'm thinking about this for my daughters, I like the the concept. What information do you guys have on application, hunting, accuracy, ease of loading?

Mine is in an AR with a 1 in 9 twist X- Caliber 22" barrel. Like others have said, IMR 8208 XBR is my favorite powder, but everything that I tried seemed to work fine. 75 grain bullets do best in mine. Great round and just as easy to load for as .223.

 

[Liberator]

Go either 6x45 or 6TCU , you will be very happy. Just a simple barrel swap in the AR. 6TCU is just an Ackley Improved 6x45 basicly. Gives slightly more room for powder if you are using longer slugs. Fire form shooting regular 6x45 , which are very accurate, and go. Great bullet selection on 6mm [normally] and great performance. In fact, you should build one of each. :-} The powders listed are all good. I would add Tac and W748 to the list.

 

[ducky]

I really like the bullet selection, but what about the new 105-108 heavy for caliber rounds, any one used those yet?

I think you'll run into COAL issues with a lot of VLD bullets and higher BC bullets. I loaded some dummy 6X45 rounds with 105 RDF bullets and they were tough to get to a length to function 100% in the magazine. The Hornady 105 gr BTHP or Sierra 100 gr GK was about the longest bullet that I'd want to try in my Savage rifle. I kind of settled on the 85 gr SGK and 70 gr NBT for most of my shooting.

 

[Hard rock]

I built a 6.5 Grendel with a Saturn 1-8.75 twist -20 in cut rifled barrel . I didn't skimp on any part of the build ,Seek-ins Lower , Seek-ins hand guard , Barrel-nut. M42 buffer and spring , match trigger , supplerative adjustable gas block ,precision arms side charger etc.etc. All that being said I'm still a bolt action guy by heart , so the easy thing for me would be too rebarrel a 223 rem too the 6x45 from one of my interarms mark x 223 s , anyone else ever done that.

 

[ducky]

so the easy thing for me would be too rebarrel a 223 rem too the 6x45 from one of my interarms mark x 223 s , anyone else ever done that.

I haven't used the Mini action, but that should be all you would need to do. That's all I did for my Savage 10 in .223 that I converted.

 

[Hawkeye Pierce]

After looking at the 6x223 and its similar counterparts, I would humbly suggest the 257 Raptor or its similar near-twin the 257 Ocelot.

From Arne: As a pure hunting cartridge, the 257 was the clear winner with the abundance of hunting bullet offerings between 100 and 120 grains.

257 RAPTOR - RAPTOR SHOOTING SYSTEMS

The 257 RAPTOR is a .257 caliber / 6.35mm cartridge that is an effective medium game hunting cartridge out to 300 yards.

www.raptorshootingsystems.com

Interesting ideas, i did think about 257.

 

[rdsii64]

I have had 3 6x45mm AR's and one Cooper bolt gun in that caliber.
Great cartridge always have wondered why it's not been standardized but am guessing due to risk of confusion with 223 rounds.
It will definitely be a good round for kids for deer sized game.
I killed several with my ARs with 80 gr bullets

Here is my chance to learn something. With that out of the way, wouldn't a 223 with 75 grain gold dots give you just about the same performance?

 

[John Klingenberg]

Here is my chance to learn something. With that out of the way, wouldn't a 223 with 75 grain gold dots give you just about the same performance?

Because the bore is bigger you get better performance for any given grain weight. A 223 77 grain at 3100fps vs. a 80 grain 6x45 at 3500+. Pretty significant.

 

[Termite I]

If you go with the AR you can get ASC Stainless Steel Mags and increase your COAL from 2.26" to 2.3". It gives you a little more room for powder. Just make sure you aren't jamming the bullet into the rifling.

 

[Dentite]

Because the bore is bigger you get better performance for any given grain weight. A 223 77 grain at 3100fps vs. a 80 grain 6x45 at 3500+. Pretty significant.

Can you confirm these numbers? 80 grain bullet out of a 6x45 at 3500ft/sec?

 

[lyle2231]

Can you confirm these numbers? 80 grain bullet out of a 6x45 at 3500ft/sec?

Maybe 2500. ….

 

[snox801]

6.5 Grendel is a great caliber but components are more difficult to find. I'm not knocking the caliber but 6.5 Grendel Brass, if you can find it, is going from $0.65 to over a dollar a piece for Lapua where 223 brass is plentiful and a lot cheaper.
The same, to some extent, with bullets. From what I've seen 6mm bullets are less expensive and easier to find than the 6.5's for the Grendel.
The 6x45 is easy to convert from 223. I use a Redding Small Base body die then use a 6mm mandrel to expand the neck. Redding also makes a 6mm/223 Rem die set if you want to go that route.
The one down side is that the 6x45 looks like a 223 so you need to be careful to use the correct ammo. I went to using nickel plated brass for my 6x45's.

Yep I specifically went with lapua brass for mine after while only to not confuse them.
That was before I was using hammers. I never plan to use hammers in the .223 so then it was easy and pmc brass didn't matter just be careful