Tell me about the 6BRA

[Islas82]

Am currently contemplating moving from the 6 creedmoor to the 6BRA, not that am unhappy with the CM but just to try something new.

What powders aside from Varget have given shooters good results? It seems like that’s the one component that there might be difficulties getting.

How have companies manage to tackle the magazine issues and in your opinion who makes the better product?

How’s the pre-fit support for this cartridge? Am thinking of using my defiance tenacity (maybe getting a barrel spun up for a R7, not sure) And over all what would be the benefits of switching over?

Lastly and this is probably a “noob” question but that still runs on a 308/standard bolt face?

Thank you guys!

 

[Sheldon N]

What powders aside from Varget have given shooters good results? It seems like that’s the one component that there might be difficulties getting.

How have companies manage to tackle the magazine issues and in your opinion who makes the better product?

How’s the pre-fit support for this cartridge? Am thinking of using my defiance tenacity (maybe getting a barrel spun up for a R7, not sure) And over all what would be the benefits of switching over?

Lastly and this is probably a “noob” question but that still runs on a 308/standard bolt face?

Besides Varget H4895 has been my other go to. I know some have had success with Vhit N140 or N150 I think. Any Varget speed powder will probably shoot good.

Magazines = HRD kit for AW, Primal Rights spacers for AICS.

6BRA prefits are common, at least for the common prefit actions. I've only used Impact and Bighorn TL3 prefits, not sure what support is like for Tenacity actions.

Yes, standard 308 bolt face.

What are the benefits of switching to 6BRA? It's a low recoiling, super accurate and efficient cartridge with good barrel life. Easy to load for, almost everything shoots 1/2MOA or better. If you're going to fire form, those loads also shoot super accurately and the process is pretty fool proof.

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

There's about 30 pages of load data over at accurateshooter under the 6Br/Improved forums. I had really good luck with 8208.

Most big shops have a BRA reamer and can cut a pre-fit, if they usually do prefits for your action. There are a couple different BRA reamers - make sure you don't get a benchrest special if you don't neck turn.



I moved from 6BRA to 6 Creed. Great little round, but feeding issues drove me nuts. CM has been trouble free since round one.

 

[Rocketmandb]

More advantages:

- Fire forming is a breeze - no false shoulder, no jamming, just a light load and normal seating (and it's accurate)
- @Sheldon N says everything is 1/2 moa or better. If you try, it's 1/3 or better.
- The shell casings make a very satisfying sound when they land on something hard - not the "ting" you get with larger cases. Is that an advantage? No, but it's cool.
- Far less powder than your 6 CM, and you only give up 125 - 150 fps (I shoot 105s at 2940).
- Far more barrel life than your 6 CM
- A bad day for me is getting higher than mid-4 SD.

EDITS:
- You can get MDT 12-round 6 short mags. Not sure why they call them 12-round mags, I can't get more than 10 in.
- Mine is on a Deviant action. No feed issues whatsoever - do your research and make sure your action is okay with short 6s.

 

[Islas82]

There's about 30 pages of load data over at accurateshooter under the 6Br/Improved forums. I had really good luck with 8208.

Most big shops have a BRA reamer and can cut a pre-fit, if they usually do prefits for your action. There are a couple different BRA reamers - make sure you don't get a benchrest special if you don't neck turn.



I moved from 6BRA to 6 Creed. Great little round, but feeding issues drove me nuts. CM has been trouble free since round one.

Thank you for the info.

 

[Matt_3479]

Mdt just released a gen 2 of tbere br mags and they have been flawless. I had 3 mags prior that cause issues from time to time and mdt reached out to anyone who bought there mag and offered them free upgrades. Within a week the new mags arrived and 0 issues have been had since.

I own both the 6 creed and 6 bra. I much much prefer the bra. Super super simple, stupid accurate, crazy easy to load for!

 

[oldnewguy]

Recommendations for 6BRA dies?

 

[Rocketmandb]

Recommendations for 6BRA dies?

I use a Whidden sizing die and an LE Wilson seater with my arbor press. I so love the LE Wilson seating dies...

 

[4O6shootist]

Recommendations for 6BRA dies?

Harrells D2.5, D3, D3.5, D4 depending on reamer specs and how hot you run it. Or the Wilson bushing die, its same dimensions as D3 Harrells. Another simple way, is run 6 dasher die with 82k removed from base. Any dahser or 6bra seater will work. For perfect fit die to your chamber, fire 3 cases 3x with no resize other than neck sizing, Harrells will measure brass and get you specd die. My smith is bout done with my 6bra barrel, its a 274nk 140fb chamber, loaded alpha brass is 269nk, loaded lapua is generally 268, most no turn lapua brass 6br chambers come with a 272 nk and 104fb. I'm currently set to run accurate mags with primal kits, but want to try an aw with hrd kit. If you plan to use aw mags, they can be very height sensitive in relation to bolt presentation. A chassis or bottom metal that allows mag height adjustment is almost essential to tuning in AW mags in non AI rifles/chassis.

 

[Sheldon N]

I've been running Forster 6 Dasher dies cut down about 85 or 90 thou (can't remember exactly how much, it ended up being a touch more than normal so I could run them easily on my Dillon). Forster 6 Dasher micrometer seating die.

I had a Whidden full length 6BRA die but I stuck with the Forster because it suited my workflow and chamber better - Forster had slightly more base sizing and slightly less neck sizing due to having the die honed to my spec.

 

[Rocketmandb]

Just to add some more to this conversation. Went out to the hills yesterday and shot a wide variety of rifles out to 1900 yards - from the 6 BRA to 416. Wind was an issue, ranging from ~6 mph to 15 mph. We had targets at 760, 1600 and 900, along with a tumbler at 250 and a reactive at 350.

Care to guess which one was most accurate at 1600 and in?

 

[4O6shootist]

Just to add some more to this conversation. Went out to the hills yesterday and shot a wide variety of rifles out to 1900 yards - from the 6 BRA to 416. Wind was an issue, ranging from ~6 mph to 15 mph. We had targets at 760, 1600 and 900, along with a tumbler at 250 and a reactive at 350.

Care to guess which one was most accurate at 1600 and in?

6bra boi!

 

[Rocketmandb]

6bra boi!

How did you guess?

To be fair, it had been dry for a while, and this was one of my favorite spots due to its clay-ish dirt which creates very easy-to-spot misses (and hits for that matter). I harbor no illusions that with any kind of "normal" ground it would have been much tougher.

 

[4O6shootist]

How did you guess?

To be fair, it had been dry for a while, and this was one of my favorite spots due to its clay-ish dirt which creates very easy-to-spot misses (and hits for that matter). I harbor no illusions that with any kind of "normal" ground it would have been much tougher.

Its an extremely accurate cartridge, 1600y is def pushing it! In normal random shooting conditions in new terrain, these lil 6mm br variants are 1k yard guns for decent hit percentages. Once with wind is up especially in funky terrain that causes odd flows, they start to fall apart. It's the tradeoffs you get with the low recoil medium ballistics. I usually pack to rifles to a match, the 6mm gt(running 2900) or my 25 creed(2900 w/ 135s 334g7) if the forecast is light wind 8mph avg forecast or less, I grab the 6mm. Windy conditions, I grab the 25. Granted trace is harder to see, but your wind call margin is a lot better for first round impact. I can still see bullets at target to read corrections on the 25, just miss a lot of the in-flight time getting back on target.

 

[Rebel Rooster]

I have a couple of 6 creeds, a 6 gt, and my newest rifle is the 6 bra. I love the cartridge. I just shot it at the Koenig match in Cameo, Colorado in a match with a course of fire out to ~1200 yards. At those ranges, the bra is money. It's so easy to load, not picky, and just a hammer. I won't be switching for awhile.

 

[owyheerat]

I have a couple of 6 creeds, a 6 gt, and my newest rifle is the 6 bra. I love the cartridge. I just shot it at the Koenig match in Cameo, Colorado in a match with a course of fire out to ~1200 yards. At those ranges, the bra is money. It's so easy to load, not picky, and just a hammer. I won't be switching for awhile.

I'm in the process of building a 6bra right now. Can you share what bullet you like best?

Thanks

 

[Rebel Rooster]

I'm in the process of building a 6bra right now. Can you share what bullet you like best?

Thanks

I only use Berger 105 hybrids. My buddy uses 109 hybrids, and he likes them alot. I've shot the 109s through my rifle, and at just about every distance, I just have to dial back 1/10th a mil to be exactly the same as my 105s. Either bullet drives tacks. They are hard to get though, and I have heard that the Hornady 110 A-Tips are good as well. Jump is just a bit different with those.

 

[4O6shootist]

Through a freind and I's experience using the 110 Atip vs 105/109 Berger, the bergers have tuned in ans held better consistency than the atips. This is between a few 6gt and dasher barrels.

 

[Rocketmandb]

I only use Berger 105 hybrids.

Same here. I played with the 109s, but not enough to get a good load. The 105s just plain work.

 

[owyheerat]

Thanks guys. I have about 3k of the 109's, but I keep hearing most are shooting 105's in their bra. I may have to do some bartering.

 

[Rebel Rooster]

Thanks guys. I have about 3k of the 109's, but I keep hearing most are shooting 105's in their bra. I may have to do some bartering.

The 109s really work about as well. Honestly they should work even better. The ballistic coefficient is better in the 109s, and my friend's 109 load uses exactly the same amount of varget as my 105 load, 30.8. My 105s run a bit faster, but that's about it.

 

[Rebel Rooster]

Through a freind and I's experience using the 110 Atip vs 105/109 Berger, the bergers have tuned in ans held better consistency than the atips. This is between a few 6gt and dasher barrels.

I've heard the same thing about the A Tips compared to the 105s. If it ain't broke...

 

[OREGUN]

SAC decapping mandrel die, alpha brass, 105 hybrids, H4895.

Varget was ok but slower, 109s shot good too, it’s cool to have Harrells fit your brass to their die if you want to run old school bushing dies but the SAC die mandrels at the same time so...it’s better.

 

[Rebel Rooster]

SAC decapping mandrel die, alpha brass, 105 hybrids, H4895.

Varget was ok but slower, 109s shot good too, it’s cool to have Harrells fit your brass to their die if you want to run old school bushing dies but the SAC die mandrels at the same time so...it’s better.

love the SAC die. It's what I use too. Also, I like a little slower for my BRA. I'm at 2907, and it's a great node, but I wouldn't mind being even slower than that.

 

[OREGUN]

love the SAC die. It's what I use too. Also, I like a little slower for my BRA. I'm at 3907, and it's a great node, but I wouldn't mind being even slower than that.

Ummm…2907 I hope.

I run the 105s at 2905. It’s faster but not out of control or hard on brass. There’s an argument for slower…but then why not just do BR?

 

[Rebel Rooster]

Ummm…2907 I hope.

I run the 105s at 2905. It’s faster but not out of control or hard on brass. There’s an argument for slower…but then why not just do BR?

lol 2907. fat fingered that one

 

[owyheerat]

The 109s really work about as well. Honestly they should work even better. The ballistic coefficient is better in the 109s, and my friend's 109 load uses exactly the same amount of varget as my 105 load, 30.8. My 105s run a bit faster, but that's about it.

Scott, thanks for that info. I will give them a try once I get the rifle put together.
I just received my SAC die. Can't wait to put it to good use

 

[Sniperwannabee]

How about brass? Easy to get ? Who makes it?

 

[4O6shootist]

How about brass? Easy to get ? Who makes it?

You can get 6bra brass from alpha, or super easy fireform of lapua 6br to bra. Most people experience half moa or better accuracy fire forming. 30.5-31gr varget and a 105 20k off lands will likely shoot excellent forming.

 

[Rocketmandb]

How about brass? Easy to get ? Who makes it?

If I can get Lapua, I get Lapua. You start with 6BR, shoot it once (I do so at a reduced load - 29gr H4895 vs. 30.6), and it's ready to go - and the forming rounds are pretty darned accurate.

The Lapua 6 BR brass is in stock at a lot of retailers.

 

[owyheerat]

If I can get Lapua, I get Lapua. You start with 6BR, shoot it once (I do so at a reduced load - 29gr H4895 vs. 30.6), and it's ready to go - and the forming rounds are pretty darned accurate.

The Lapua 6 BR brass is in stock at a lot of retailers.

Is Peterson 6 BR brass any good? I'm asking because I found it in stock at a decent (now days) price.

Thanks

 

[Lightning8]

Is Peterson 6 BR brass any good? I'm asking because I found it in stock at a decent (now days) price.

Thanks

I won a certificate for 100 Peterson brass and cashed it in on 6BR. Doing very well in my 6BR. I plan on buying more.

 

[Sniperwannabee]

Is Peterson 6 BR brass any good? I'm asking because I found it in stock at a decent (now days) price.

Thanks

Peterson has a great reputation

 

[Baddog 0302]

From reading the posts on the 6 BR section, and other internet search's on the 6 BR-A, I've come to the conclusion that with realist ie; not trying for WARP -4 speeds, the BRA offers about 100 to 130 FPS over the BR and the 6 Dasher offers around 200 - 230 FPS of the BR .
With a 22 BR all ready set up in a "bench gun" the BRA with it's 40* shoulder if nothing else makes it easy to identify each case. That said, I might just have to add a 6 BRA Bbl. to my "swap barrel" set up.