6mm-06 What are your thoughts?
Retrieved: 08/22/2016
Last Post: 09/03/2013
Just wanted some input from you guys on this round. What has been your experience. I'm looking to put together a nice chuck/coyote single shot rifle that can buck the wind and still be fairly flat shooting.
jim johnson
01-20-2010
Look at the 240 Weatherby ballistics and you will have just about the same round. They need long barrels to bring to make them shine. I have two different versions that use a blown out 25/06 case with 30 degree shoulders, a 240 Weatherby, and two 6mm AI's. with heavy bullets and the right twist they are very effective. Barrel life isn't real long but they shoot very flat.
ASSASSIN
01-21-2010
How fast are you wanting to your 6mm bullets and what weight bullets are you wanting to shoot?
6mm-284: 1-14" twist rate / 3-groove / 30" barrel length / 80 gr. bullet / 4,200 fps.... 6mm-284: 1-13" twist rate / 3-groove / 30" barrel length / 85 gr. bullet / 3,962 fps.... 6mm-06: 1-8" twist rate / standard groove / 30" barrel / 105 gr. to 107 gr. bullet / 3,390 fps.... 240 GIBBS: 1-10" twist rate / 4-groove / 30" barrel / 100 gr. bullet / 3,519 fps.... 6mmX444 Improved: 1-10" twist rate / 3-groove / 27" barrel / 95 gr. bullet / 3,300 fps.... 240 Weatherby Magnum: 1-13" twist rate / 3-groove / 30" barrel / 85 gr. bullet / 3,812 fps.... 6mmX30-30 Improved: 1-15" twist rate / standard groove / 55 gr. bullet / 3,780 fps....The listed velocities are not necessarily the fastest but they were the most accurate... There is not a whole lot that that cannot be done with a good 6mm and an ACCURATE 6mm is a sight to behold - especially in the hands of a man that knows how to use it...
spitfire_er
01-21-2010
I know several people that shoot 6mm-06 customs. Most of them shoot 105 gr high BC bullets. They shoot everything from deer, to coyotes. My fiance's relative just shot a coyote the other weekend at 620 yards with this round. These guys are a little above average shooters with many years of bench rest and custom rifle building experience though.
Paradox23
04-03-2013
A friend was looking for more reach than his Swift.
Went the 240 Gibbs route. Very happy with it.
William A. Reed
04-03-2013
The 240 Gebby Super Varminter: We had three rifles built thirty years ago. Mine was on a 40X action with 30" Shilen barrel with 1:12 twist. The throat was cut with a custom reamer by Bill Pahmayer, a local gunsmith. We supplied dummy rounds. The idea was to use 75-85gr. bullets. The rifles proved to be heavy but extremely accurate.
My standard load was a heavy charge of H4831 with 85gr. Sierra bullet @ 3700 fps. This load did not wreck brass etc. Cases could be made by necking down 270 brass. It was suggested using 240 Weatherby data to work up loads. This rifle was made up in the last days of the "bull gun" with long heavy barrel. All loads were chronographed on an Oehler 33. This information was gathered in 1982 and 1983. We learned quickly to work up loads and that not all published data was accurate or safe.
jim love
04-05-2013
I had a 240 Super Varminter also, I bought Jerry Gebby's after he passed away in Tucson. It was built on a pre war Model 70. He had put in in a beautiful piece of walnut. The 240 SV is made off of the 270 Win case and it will hum. This one would shoot groups in the .300 range. I let a friend have it that collects Model 70s,and he has never fired it. I think if I ever build another 6mm this would be it.
old roper
04-06-2013
I think the 80's was good time for lot of different wildcats my choice was the 6x284. I want to take a 68gr Berger and do at least 4000fps. I had K&P build rifle on 700 action the K was Ken and he got his start making barrels at H&S.
I read an article back then about 240 Super Varminter get 4100fps with 75gr bullets. I used 1/14 twist barrel it was 28" long and I got to 4200fps and bullet held together and it was a hot load. I'd called Walt told him about his bullets and he had my address as I buy from him later got a 1K 68gr bullets from him told me have a good time and he hope bullet last the barrel life. I think that barrel lasted 850rds and I when thru few barrels then moved on to others.
My pet project today is the 243AI with 80gr @ 3700fps and that's not too bad using less than 50gr of powder. Since that first 6x284 I must of had 12/13 wildcat 6mm build and largest case was the 284 smallest was the 222mag.
swampdoc
04-06-2013
If you use a 1-14 rifling twist then you will not be over bore. I used the 244 Ackley Improved with 1-14 twist for Benchrest Competition and for 800 yard crow busting. Heavy for caliber bullets did exceptionally well in my gun, though there is no way of knowing how your barrel will act. My most accurate powder was RE-19. H4831SC was a super accurate powder but there is no loading information available that I know of. I experimented with it because of how well it performed in the 6.5 calibers for myself. Slower powders can turn in some amazing axccuracy with Hot Rod 6mms.
William A. Reed
04-07-2013
I could not find all my notes for the 240 SV but had some loads that were in excess of 3700 fps with the 85 gr. Sierra. It was our understanding that the SV was the 270 or 30-06 case necked down without other changes. We had good results using 75gr. bullets both Hornady and Sierra. We could duplicate Swift performance (not velocity) using the lighter 243 bullets of the time with top loads in 243, 6mm or 257 Bob. That was then-this in now. One of the old timers said that even with a super hot cartridges you would wear out more shoe leather varmint hunting-meaning ground hogs-than rifle barrels. It was unsettling to realize that I am the only surviving individual from those folks involved.
William A. Reed
04-11-2013
RE: 240 Gebby, Thanks for the private message but lost the message. Nice thoughts on some interesting rifles. The old rifles are the most fun. My current project is getting a .35 Whelen M70 running gain. This old rifle was rebored from .22-250 to 35 Whelen by Robert West some thirty years ago before the cartridge was desecrated by being put into factory rifle. Take care and be safe.
jpretle
06-04-2013
Nothing wrong w/ a 6-06. A 100g bullet at nearly 3400fps is a hammer for deer and antelope. I use a 10 twist and have since 1985. The bbl is far from worn out, but it is used only for big game, not varmints or target. If this bbl quit me, I would build another in a heart beat.
fred243
6-04-2013
The 6mm-06 really duplicates the 240 Weatherby Mag and both are a good 350+ fps faster than the 243 win equal bullet weights are used, especially in the 90 gr and up range. It's well known the 240 is more or less a 30-06 shouldered differently and a belt added. The 243 will hold 52.8 grs on water and the 240 holds 63.1 grs of water and from an article I read that said the 6mm-06 actually had a 1/2 gr more water than the 240 Weatherby did.
jpretle
06-21-2013
The 6mm 105's, 107's, 108's and 115's will stretch out w/ great accuracy to 1000yds, and you don't need a hopped up chambering to do it. Competition shooters run the 105-108's at around 2900fps from cases as small as the 22- 250, necked up to 6mm.
Big 5
07-25-2013
I built and shot a 6x30-06 Gibbs, and found it no better than a .270 Win. on deer so I sold it. I'm not much of a 6 or 6.5mm fan on big game. I know the old 6.5mm with 160 gr. bullets had a good rep in Africa, but several of the Brits got ate using it. It had great penetration with proper bullets and slow velocity, so it general worked well... souping it up has never seemed to work all that well. I've seen too many animals die hard when shot with the .243, even with good bullets. Many swear by it... but I would opt for a 25-06 or better yet a .270 for big game. Even the old 250-3000 has a better record than the 6MMs on big game.
swampdoc
07-30-2013
I have loved the 244 A.I. for 29 years which is a 6mm A.I. with a 1 in 14 rifling twist. I have been wishing for more speed for 29 years too, and although I have seldom experienced severe throat errosion, it can and does happen with this round. That is the primary reason that I have never gone to the 6mm/06 for more speed because I have learned to live with what I have. But if someone can give me 400 FPS more speed but without more throat erosion then I would be willing to try a 6mm/06. Swampy. PS The slower twist allows me to push 100 grainers faster and they are super accurate despite the slower twist.
GIBBLERELK
09-03-2013
The 6mm/06 is a real close relative to the 240 Weatherby mag. I have taken several whitetails with the 240 WM. I use the 85 grain partition bullet and I haven't had to shoot a second shot at any of the deer i harvested. I had one frontal (neck) shot that i was sure I would recover the bullet. It went front to back with a half inch void in every one of my chops and out the back door. The other three were either quartering or broadside. No looking for blood drops on the ground. There dead, right there. These hyper velocity cartridges are for hunting, not plinking. Get it set up properly and take it hunting. Don't overheat it, clean properly and it will serve you well for a long time.