New 6mm BR Hunting load

[7stw]

Guys, I just jumped into the 6mm game. I've picked up a beautiful 6br, 26 in Shilen, six groove, 8 twist heavy barrel, Savage action, in a BC tactical / varmint stock with aluminum block.
Rifle shoots awesome, and I'm chomping at the bit to try it out on whitetail. Shots will be around 300, or less, and was wondering what if any, loads and bullets someone may have tried.
Just throwing out some feelers. This thing is fun! Thanks in advance.
Thoughts?

 

[7stw]

Tried to attach to above, but pics got hung up. She's a shooter. Bought unfired.

 

[B-LOT Banga]

I used to hunt with a friend here in Hawaii who used his 6mm BR for hunting sheep. His favorite load was 30.5 gr of Varget and Berger 105 VLD hunting with a velocity of 2890 fps if I remember correctly. I remember he tried the 115 VLD hunting but it wasn't to his liking. Good luck

 

[yorke-1]

I used to hunt with a friend here in Hawaii who used his 6mm BR for hunting sheep. His favorite load was 30.5 gr of Varget and Berger 105 VLD hunting with a velocity of 2890 fps if I remember correctly. I remember he tried the 115 VLD hunting but it wasn't to his liking. Good luck

That 30.5gr of Varget load works with pretty much any 105gr bullet in a 6mm BR! I've used that with the A-Max, Berger, and 107 SMK with excellent results in an 18" specialty pistol and a 30" rifle.

I use the 90gr Gamechanger and the 88gr Hammer Hunter in the 6mm BR pistol for hunting. I use IMR 8208 with both and the charges are right around 32.5gr with both bullets. I get about 2900 with the 90gr Gamechanger and 3025 with the 88gr HH from the 18" barrel. My barrel is a nitrided, 1:8" twist, 3 groove Benchmark and has always been fast, so I don't know that my speeds will translate to any other barrel.

I've shot a few coyotes with both bullets and they worked well. I think either of them would do well on deer inside of 300 yards.

 

[7stw]

That 30.5gr of Varget load works with pretty much any 105gr bullet in a 6mm BR! I've used that with the A-Max, Berger, and 107 SMK with excellent results in an 18" specialty pistol and a 30" rifle.

I use the 90gr Gamechanger and the 88gr Hammer Hunter in the 6mm BR pistol for hunting. I use IMR 8208 with both and the charges are right around 32.5gr with both bullets. I get about 2900 with the 90gr Gamechanger and 3025 with the 88gr HH from the 18" barrel. My barrel is a nitrided, 1:8" twist, 3 groove Benchmark and has always been fast, so I don't know that my speeds will translate to any other barrel.

I've shot a few coyotes with both bullets and they worked well. I think either of them would do well on deer inside of 300 yards.

This one of mine loves xbr8208. One of my fav powders. Does well with 4895, dupont flavor too.
The 90 grain gamechangers shoot into a .337 group, that I belive should be at or around 2950-2975. I don't think a whitetail would appreciate it much.

 

[BEEMAN]

So far I've shot the 103 eldx and 105 Hvld. Not in a 6BR but it is a 6 dasher. Found the Hornady very explosive out to 300 yds. No on game experience with the Berger yet. I think the next one I want to try is a hammer in the 70-80 gr range.

 

[jrock]

I've shot the Berge 105s in my Dasher really well. I also have taken many deer with the Hornady 100 grain interlocks and they have done very well. I use XBR 8208 and get 2950 out of a 24" barrel.

 

[lyle2231]

Mine shoots 107Match kings with 27.5 Benchmark. I tried the 30.5 of Varget load,
wayyyy too much for my rifle. Brux barrel @ 26 inch . HTH

 

[orkan]

Stick with H4350 on the powder. Your choice of an 8 twist is a little slower than what I typically run, but should still work.

The berger 108 Elite Hunter seems like a compelling new bullet to try. I wouldn't be afraid to try the 88gr Hammer Hunter either. You'll definitely pull more velocity out of that little case with the Hammer than you will anything else in a good big game hunting weight.

The Hammers seem to really bring a different class of performance to smaller cartridges. The reduced weight, yet relatively slippery design, lets you launch them fast. Yet they penetrate very well for how light they are. I would think that combo would be great when using small cartridges to take bigger animals than the cartridge is typically used for.


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[Toecutter]

30.0 Varget and a 105 Berger give me around 2990 and one ragged hole. Got a shilen select match and the same stock. Used to be my egg gun in another life.

 

[jrock]

In my Dasher, I get 3250 fps with the 88 HH and 3050 fps with the 101 HH. I've tried IMR 4350 and couldn't get enough powder in the case to match the performance of 8208. That added with temperature sensitivity, I couldn't get a cold weather hunting load out of it. H4350 might be a better ticket there. I didn't have H4350 or Varget to try at the time I was doing load development.

 

[orkan]

I've tried IMR 4350 and couldn't get enough powder in the case

H4350 will do a little better, but it stands to reason that the Hammers will require a little faster powder than what would be used for heavies in every case.


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[jrock]

That's why I'm building a .243 AI to shoot the heavy hammers at light speed!

 

[BEEMAN]

In my Dasher, I get 3250 fps with the 88 HH and 3050 fps with the 101 HH. I've tried IMR 4350 and couldn't get enough powder in the case to match the performance of 8208. That added with temperature sensitivity, I couldn't get a cold weather hunting load out of it. H4350 might be a better ticket there. I didn't have H4350 or Varget to try at the time I was doing load development.

Any experience on deer sized game with those hammers? My dasher is 22" with a 7 twist.