6mm BR

[Schütze]

I’m a new reloader 60y old, so take this with a grain of salt

Recently got my first br, impact / exodus 27.5” barrel. Mdt mags work flawlessly. Rd. count 300 as of last Friday.
Only shooting cheap 105 Barnes match burner’s, can’t get myself to spend double the amount for berger’s or even more for a-tips. May try some down the road but worried I’d like them…

I’ve tried h4350, Staball, Varget and SW Precision. Very similar results with all 4 powder’s, it makes it difficult to decide what to use in this gun. All work very well.
I tend to use h4350 for now, 33.4 dropped with a 4”tube resulting in 2885 avg last Friday. I got to this speed by accident shooting slightly compressed 33.5 and 33.6 @ 2870 avg. So I plan on backing up more. Ideally I’d like to be in the 2830 - 2850 range for longer case / barrel life. Absolutely no pressure signs or heavy bolt lift with everything I’d used so far.

With my limited knowledge, I’m often wondering why people chasing higher speed. I see that my gun is capable running close to 2900 with h4350 or Staball, possibly even higher. With 105’s of course. If you like a hotrod, try Staball…

I’ll try the 108 eld’s and 112 mb’s down the road just to see how they do in my br.

I can’t believe there is an easier and more fun caliber out there as the 6br and would not own a 6.5 creed if I would have known.

 

[Mike Casselton]

I wasn’t clear. One of the guys at a range I go to tried it. I’ll try and find out if he did anymore work with it.

I don't think he'll answer any questions regarding CFE 223 because it meters so nicely and is fairly easy to get...


There are so many powders that work well with the 6- BR. Some are better than others but they all work.

Anything from slightly above or below Varget just works.

As @Schütze pointed out, H-4350 and Staball also work well and produce very good velocity.

 

[Hardshot]

When Varget got so hard to find I read that the benchrest shooters in England we’re using Vittavori N-150 with great success in 6 Br . I can confirm that it to be true . Works great in BR, BRA ,6 xc and 6.5 creedmore. I may never shoot my Stockpile of Varget again.
105 ,108 and 115 Berger’s in 6 xc . 8 twist barrels 28-29 “

 

[Tokay444]

Has anyone tried with success, Hodgdon powders other than Varget or H4895 in the 6BR? I'm interested in trying some CFE 223 as its burn rate is near the Varget area. So is Leverevolution, which my 6Arc seems to enjoy.

H4350 here also.

 

[Safariman]

H4350 here also.

Not trying to hijack, but this group would know. . .

New build. 6BR, 6 Dasher, or 6GT?

 

[padom]

Not trying to hijack, but this group would know. . .

New build. 6BR, 6 Dasher, or 6GT?

This is a 6BR load data thread. Start a new thread or use the search this has been discussed to endless degree

 

[DownhillFromHere]

Has anyone tried with success, Hodgdon powders other than Varget or H4895 in the 6BR? I'm interested in trying some CFE 223 as its burn rate is near the Varget area. So is Leverevolution, which my 6Arc seems to enjoy.

Hoping for a mild, inexpensive practice load, I have done a little testing with CFE223 - which I have a lot of, sitting unused for a couple of years - and 105gr Barnes Match Burners - which I got a pile of cheap:

30.2gr CFE-223
1x-fired Alpha brass, (AMP-annealed, trimmed to 1.550")
CCI-450
105gr Barnes Match Burner (seated 0.060" off lands)
28" Bartlein 5R 1:7.5" twist barrel

Five-shot 100-yard shots average ~3/8" with the occasional 1/4" 5-shot nice one. I saw 2-3" of vertical at 540 yards on paintd plate, viewed through 36x scope (no mirage). Three shots at 400 stacked on the painted plate. I'll do a paper-target test at some point.

Temperature: 45 F. (Temp sensitive powder...?)
Shots in velocity test: 18 (LabRadar)

Avg: 2683​

Hi: : 2697​

Lo : 2664​

ES. : 33​

SD. : 8.2​

Note: this is aggregate of two different "lots" (loaded a day apart) of this load. First nine ES=27, second nine loaded/fired a day later (same temp) ES=20. These are not the "single digit ES" bragging numbers I see here so often, but when I look at my 6.5CM and 6BR aggregate numbers - thousands of rounds for former, hundreds for latter - 30 and under AGGREGATE ES is fine with me. I can find plenty of 5-shot single-digit-ES sequences, but they don't show the real spreads over time. The 6BR, with Varget, is ~25 ES so far (~200 rounds after brass/barrel breakin).

CFE223 is slightly slower-burning than Varget and 30.0 is the top of Hodgdon's published load, so I should be able to get substantially higher velocity. Maybe I'll mess with that later.

 

[Rick7353]

Running 26” Stuteville 1-7.5 twist barrel. Planning on Varget with CCI 450s. Looking for some starting loads for 107 SMKs and 105 Nosler RDFs. Any helps appreciated. I’ve tried searching but not seeing a lot on 6br loads so I figured I start a thread. Thanks for any help.

I've done some extensive load development with my 6BR. I have a 26 1/2in Bartley with a 1-7.5 twist w 5R rifling in RH. In the beginning I thought Of shooting 115 gr Berger for long range. Target below is with the 115 Berger. I have also shot the Barnes 112 match burners BTHP which are very good for the $. Im now into the Berger 105VLD. IM LOADING THEM AT 2.400COAL. I have used several powders as powder being scarse. I have used Accurate 2495 with 28.8 gr with the 112 Barnes., Win 760 Ball, Varget is the best for me with 105 grain Berger VLD LOADED WITH 30.2 gr Varget. I have about 15 loads on the Hornady 4DOF APP. if you're interested in seeing them let me know.
There's a great bunch of info on the 6mmBR website.

 

[Oldmauser]

Where do you guys find the node for 105gr Hybrids using N140? I am usually within 29.7-30gr but will be testing 31-31.3 to see how it groups. 1:8 twist.

 

[4O6shootist]

@DownhillFromHere what's the loaded nk diameter of your alpha ocd 6br brass? Curious if it's the same as lapua or not.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

@DownhillFromHere what's the loaded nk diameter of your alpha ocd 6br brass? Curious if it's the same as lapua or not.

I don't have any live rounds loaded just now but my dummy round with a tight slip fit measures exactly 0.269" with bullet in place. My recollection is live round also measured 0.269".

I did measure brass thickness in top half of the neck of a virgin case: 0.013". This measurement was taken with a caliper, not a ball micrometer, so actual thickness may be a few ten-thousandths less but 0.013" is pretty darned close.

Hope this helps.

 

[4O6shootist]

I don't have any live rounds loaded just now but my dummy round with a tight slip fit measures exactly 0.269" with bullet in place. My recollection is live round also measured 0.269".

I did measure brass thickness in top half of the neck of a virgin case: 0.013". This measurement was taken with a caliper, not a ball micrometer, so actual thickness may be a few ten-thousandths less but 0.013" is pretty darned close.

Hope this helps.

Sounds right, my alpha gt and bra is also 269 loaded. Believe lapua is around 268.

 

[Gharms]

Hoping for a mild, inexpensive practice load, I have done a little testing with CFE223 - which I have a lot of, sitting unused for a couple of years - and 105gr Barnes Match Burners - which I got a pile of cheap:

30.2gr CFE-223
1x-fired Alpha brass, (AMP-annealed, trimmed to 1.550")
CCI-450
105gr Barnes Match Burner (seated 0.060" off lands)
28" Bartlein 5R 1:7.5" twist barrel

Five-shot 100-yard shots average ~3/8" with the occasional 1/4" 5-shot nice one. I saw 2-3" of vertical at 540 yards on paintd plate, viewed through 36x scope (no mirage). Three shots at 400 stacked on the painted plate. I'll do a paper-target test at some point.

Temperature: 45 F. (Temp sensitive powder...?)
Shots in velocity test: 18 (LabRadar)

Avg: 2683​

Hi: : 2697​

Lo : 2664​

ES. : 33​

SD. : 8.2​

Note: this is aggregate of two different "lots" (loaded a day apart) of this load. First nine ES=27, second nine loaded/fired a day later (same temp) ES=20. These are not the "single digit ES" bragging numbers I see here so often, but when I look at my 6.5CM and 6BR aggregate numbers - thousands of rounds for former, hundreds for latter - 30 and under AGGREGATE ES is fine with me. I can find plenty of 5-shot single-digit-ES sequences, but they don't show the real spreads over time. The 6BR, with Varget, is ~25 ES so far (~200 rounds after brass/barrel breakin).

CFE223 is slightly slower-burning than Varget and 30.0 is the top of Hodgdon's published load, so I should be able to get substantially higher velocity. Maybe I'll mess with that later.

Fantastic information. Thanks for sharing. I’m surprised at the slow velocity it was producing, especially with your 28”.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

Fantastic information. Thanks for sharing. I’m surprised at the slow velocity it was producing, especially with your 28”.

My observed velocity is in line with Hodgdon's published data, taking barrel length and perhaps ambient temperature into consideration. Considering temperature... the ammo becoming cold-soaked over the course of testing may have had some effect on ES... as I recall, a couple of buddies showed up while I was puttering with notes and such, so it took longer than one might expect to fire a relatively few rounds. It will be interesting to test with warmer temps.

Note the low "maximum" pressure in the screen shot from Hodgdon's site. I also included Varget for comparison. It's pretty common knowledge that 30.0 grains of Varget is the "golden" charge for 6BR, and the table below shows 29.0 as max (and it's compressed, with the SHORT listed COL of 2.250 inches). My point is that, based on common knowledge with Varget, I could theoretically add another full grain of slightly-slower-burning CFE223 and still be safe. Time will tell on that.

 

[Gharms]

I was wondering the same about adding a grain. If you didn’t have any pressure signs at 30.2, they’d have to creep in pretty quickly for 31.0 to be too hot. Thanks again for the info.

 

[ballisticdaddy]

Where do you guys find the node for 105gr Hybrids using N140? I am usually within 29.7-30gr but will be testing 31-31.3 to see how it groups. 1:8 twist.

N140 and Varget are about equal burn rate so 29.7 to 30 should be a good starting point with the 105

 

[Beeckie]

Guys new to the BR
With all the problems getting components lately my choice is limited to
90 Scenar-L
105 Scenar-L
108 ELD-M
The gun will be used out to 400 yards
Wil be using my X47 and 300NM further out

Which one would you suggest for this application.

 

[ballisticdaddy]

Guys new to the BR
With all the problems getting components lately my choice is limited to
90 Scenar-L
105 Scenar-L
108 ELD-M
The gun will be used out to 400 yards
Wil be using my X47 and 300NM further out

Which one would you suggest for this application.

Would also try the Sierra 107 MK they have worked well for me and you might be surprised how well 6BR performs past 400 yards

 

[Beeckie]

Would also try the Sierra 107 MK they have worked well for me and you might be surprised how well 6BR performs past 400 yards

Problem is that the 107SMK is hard to get at the moment in Europe.
Those 3 where the ones that where available.

 

[lash]

I would definitely use Scenars in your situation. The 90s will work great out too 400 yards/meters and beyond even. If shooting at all to 1000 and beyond, the 105s and 108s will be more consistent. I’m rather partial to Scenars and find them to be very consistent.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

I would definitely use Scenars in your situation. The 90s will work great out too 400 yards/meters and beyond even. If shooting at all to 1000 and beyond, the 105s and 108s will be more consistent. I’m rather partial to Scenars and find them to be very consistent.

I too found the 105 Scenars to be very accurate as I was breaking in my new barrel and brass. I had bought a couple hundred of them on a whim at a brick&mortar store and shot them out to 1000. They're a little chubby, so they take a mil more "up" at 1000 compared to 105 Berger Hybrids and 108 ELDMs.

 

[Doc Stone]

105 berger match hybrid target for 6br 6bra 6brx 6 dasher they all love them

 

[lash]

105 berger match hybrid target for 6br 6bra 6brx 6 dasher they all love them

I think that he knows that the 105 Bergers are good, but I got the understanding that only the three he listed were actually available where he is in Europe.

 

[Gharms]

Guys new to the BR
With all the problems getting components lately my choice is limited to
90 Scenar-L
105 Scenar-L
108 ELD-M
The gun will be used out to 400 yards
Wil be using my X47 and 300NM further out

Which one would you suggest for this application.

The 105 or the 108 will do well. I would lean towards the Scenar as I believe they will be more consistent than the Hornady.

 

[slickshot223]

Have put together a 6BR Rem, 24: med wt. Shaw barrel, for varmint hunting, slow twist 1-10 shoots 55gr, 70gr and 80gr all into .375 groups , or better, if I do my part, at 100 yrds
55BT are the ones I shoot the most, 25gr 4227 std load length! Fun gun to shoot!!

 

[Dildobaggins]

Ordering varget next week if it's still available, but I have over a pound of H4350 and some 100gr game changers, 105 Hornady bthp and 107smk, and 108 eldm. Wondering if anyone has shot any of these with H4350?

If so I'll probably use it to fireform the brass and break in my new barrel. First 6br I've owned. Wondering what a good starting charge would be?

Thanks fellas

 

[MilSpecOkie]

It will be slow and low pressure.

That was my experience trying to run 105 hybrids in a 26” barrel. I filled the case until I was compressing the load. Maybe it was my powder, maybe my barrel, I don’t know. I didn’t use a drop tube. All I know is 4166 and Varget worked best for me.

 

[Tokay444]

33 grains of H4350 got my Berger 105s up to 2900fps.

 

[Schütze]

It will be slow and low pressure.

Statements like this are ridiculous

 

[MilSpecOkie]

Statements like this are ridiculous

In my 26” BR it was slow. I couldn’t get enough powder in there to make it fast. I was sharing my experience with trying to run H4350. Edit: I was using 105 Hybrids.

 

[kthomas]

I'll be running out of H4895 soon and will have to start the H4350 experiment for my 6BRA's.

 

[Schütze]

In my 26” BR it was slow. I couldn’t get enough powder in there to make it fast. I was sharing my experience with trying to run H4350.

28” barrel and use a drop tube to charge your cases. But then this higher speed everyone is chasing ( me included), isn’t really needed. Only my late opinion of course. If you think you need it, try Staball…

 

[Shootnstraight]

I'm running Barns 112s @ 2790 with 32.2 of H4350 (work up your own load) in 26" tube.
ES is 15, SD is 4.6 over 10 shots.

 

[MilSpecOkie]

@Shootnstraight

What free bore are you running?

 

[Shootnstraight]

MilSpecOkie,
I'm not 100% sure but it's a Bartlien shpuldered prefit from Altus. 7.5 twist.
.010 of lands

 

[Schütze]

@Shootnstraight

What free bore are you running?

But…. “It will be slow and low pressure”

Sorry, couldn’t help it

 

[Dildobaggins]

I'm running Barns 112s @ 2790 with 32.2 of H4350 (work up your own load) in 26" tube.
ES is 15, SD is 4.6 over 10 shots.

What would you say would be a good starting load?

 

[Shootnstraight]

What would you say would be a good starting

What Bullet? What lenght and twist barrel?
I started at 30.5 because I wasn't sure where pressure were going to be at. That's with 112s

 

[Dildobaggins]

What. Bullet? What lenght and twist barrel?
I started at 30.5 because I wasn't sure where pressure were going to be at.

26" Criterion 1-8 twist. Probably 105 Hornady or 107 smk.

 

[Shootnstraight]

I'd start somewhere around the low 30s and work up from there

 

[4O6shootist]

H4350 works.......just need a long drop tube and freebore to keep bullets in the neck. 33.7gr in my BRA with 105s runs 2980 from a 28" and shoots consistently sub half moa at 500y, some groups in 2s and 3s.

 

[Mike Casselton]

Statements like this are ridiculous

Lack of experience speaking

 

[MilSpecOkie]

But…. “It will be slow and low pressure”

Sorry, couldn’t help it

I don’t think I could have ran the 112 in my .104” free bore. Not without giving up valuable case capacity.

When I ran out of Varget I tried H4350 and RL16 because I had them. They didn’t work for me.

Apparently I’m the odd duck here. Hell, I am crunching powder with 37.1 grains of H4350 in my GT running 115 DTACs. I don’t know how some of you guys are getting that much powder in a BR? Some day I will pull that barrel out of the safe and put it back on and try again because I’m curious about it now. Of course I’m on to different lots of bullets, Powder and primers so maybe I’ll find success?

 

[lash]

I don’t think I could have ran the 112 in my .104” free bore. Not without giving up valuable case capacity.

When I ran out of Varget I tried H4350 and RL16 because I had them. They didn’t work for me.

Apparently I’m the odd duck here. Hell, I am crunching powder with 37.1 grains of H4350 in my GT running 115 DTACs. I don’t know how some of you guys are getting that much powder in a BR? Some day I will pull that barrel out of the safe and put it back on and try again because I’m curious about it now. Of course I’m on to different lots of bullets, Powder and primers so maybe I’ll find success?

As mentioned, get and try a drop tube.

 

[kthomas]

What length of drop tubes are guys using to stuff their BR cartridges with H4350?

I'm going to order an Area419 drop tube to go with my funnel, I see they come in 3" sections. Curious how many sections I'll need.

 

[Shootnstraight]

What length of drop tubes are guys using to stuff their BR cartridges with H4350?

I'm going to order an Area419 drop tube to go with my funnel, I see they come in 3" sections. Curious how many sections I'll need.

I don't use a drop tube, only my RCBS funnel. I spin and tap case in shelholder before seating bullet.

 

[4O6shootist]

What length of drop tubes are guys using to stuff their BR cartridges with H4350?

I'm going to order an Area419 drop tube to go with my funnel, I see they come in 3" sections. Curious how many sections I'll need.

3x3" pieces aka 9" tube here, pour powder kinda slow, spin a419 funnel as you pour it in.

 

[Hardshot]

I use a 8” drop tube the same as I need to load PPC .When I ran out of Varget and H-4895 I switched over to Vihtavuori N-150 and will never turn back .The boys in England have been using it in the benchrest world for years. I don’t know why it took so long to hear about it over here .

 

[Tokay444]

No drop tube.

 

[slickshot223]

33 grains of H4350 got my Berger 105s up to 2900fps.

This is neither slow nor low pressure.!!!!