Any experience with the 6mm Super LR?

[MarshallDodge]

I had a Remington 700 VS in 6mm Remington that was a good varmint rifle but sold it when I moved to Utah as I wasn't doing much varmint hunting. Last year I purchased another 700 in 308 but I am not enjoying the recoil when shooting from the bench. This one is a lighter setup so it is probably more perceived than anything.

Now I am thinking that I want to build something that would be the best for all worlds. Tactical, Long Range, and Varmint. The 243 seems like a good caliber for this if setup correctly but while doing some research I stumbled on the 6mm Super LR. This cartridge is based on a 243 but with a sharper shoulder and a longer neck, allowing for more variation in seating depth but without the barrel burning that the 243 is known for.

This would seem like the route I should go but before I do, what do you guys think?

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

I would look for a 788 Remington in 6mm Remington. I have yet to find a shortcoming with either one.

 

[chaser_2332]

6super is nice but I would look toward a 6mm creedmoor. All the ability of a 243 but with a more efficient case design.

 

[taliv]

i'd strongly recommend NOT using the 6 SLR

here's the thread where i started my build thinking it was awesome. www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=673777&page=2

it wasn't.

after changing out literally everything except the action (stock, barrel, firing pin and spring, brake, scope, rings) and trying 3 brands of brass, 3 brands of bullets and every powder charge from 40-46 grains.... AND bombing two major matches, AND wasting nearly 6 months screwing with that piece of crap, I realized the only thing that was consistent in this trainwreck was the 6SLR reamer, which was the one thing I really wanted to work most.

so i finally sent it to GAP to be rebarreled to 6 Creedmoor... they threw some cerakote on it too.
here's the "after it finally got fixed" thread www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=712100

I shot it this evening a few times. ended up with 3 hits on a 3" ipsc silhouette head at 600 yards (and actually, in the middle of the head ). it is shooting great now.

so... do yourself a big favor and go 6CM or 6XC or 243AI or just about anything else

 

[MarshallDodge]

Interesting experience taliv.

I did a little more research this morning and there seem to be happy users on a couple websites. What rate of twist was your barrel and what kind of bullets were you using?

 

[MarshallDodge]

I spoke to the local gunsmith today who specializes in long range rifles. He likes Bartlein barrels and said that I should do fine with a 243 to 800 and as good as a 308 to 1000.

He said that he really likes the calibers that taliv mentioned but his favorite right now is the 6 x 47 which is a necked down 6.5 x 47 Lapua. He said that the accuracy and efficiency are impressive. Is the 6.5x47 really taking off? I wouldn't want to build something that is so specialty with brass coming from one company.

Weight doesn't bother me but I would like to go with as short a barrel as possible. I think I will start out with a 26" but do you think I could get away with a 24"?

 

[taliv]

243 will smoke a 308 at any range.

Major difference in the 6x47 and the others is that it uses small rifle primers.

So primer availability would color my decision if I were starting from scratch.

With only one company making brass and with them having the same neck thickness their reamer dimensions are going to work well (in theory). If you pick a caliber like 243 where every body and their dog makes brass with different neck thickness, you should put some thought into neck dia.

I am assuming you want to get a little anal about your loading. If you're just going to shoot factory never mind.

Point is, I would get brass, measure it, and tell my gunsmith how much clearance I want I the neck, as that is less work than taking standard neck and working the brass too much or a tight neck and having to neck turn.

 

[taliv]

Get a 7.7 twist bartlein (an 8 twist will do) and use 105g Berger hybrids. Stick with 26-28" bbl.

 

[MarshallDodge]

Thanks for the input, a decision has been made.

26" 7.7 twist Bartlein barrel in 243. The action is going to be off of a Remington XCR that he is going to blueprint. The XCR has the 40X trigger and the stock is an H-S Precision off of a Remington 5R as I wanted something similar to my Remington VS. He is going to skim bed it.

I have reloaded quite a bit but never at this level so I have some learning to do. My success in reloading has been to full length size, trim, and seat the bullet based on measurements from a Stoney Point. Never have I neck turned, etc.

With that being said, I have 5-shot groups from my AR and Remington VS in 223 that you can cover with a dime. Not benchrest winning but good enough for the varmint hunting that I have done.

I "made a mistake" and handled one of his 6x47 rifles while I was at his shop. The Farley action was the smoothest thing I have ever felt on a rifle. His 14 year old daughter shot a deer with it last season at 440 yards.

The slippery slope has begun.

 

[taliv]

well, you don't have to get carried away with it like the rest of us messing with the necks is a lot of work for little gain. do some searches on "no turn necks"

oh, just fwiw, the things people don't like about the 243 are that you can't load out as long as you might want and still stay magazine length (though there are about a million things you can do to mitigate that).

and, umm.... oh yeah, most people prefer the 30* shoulder found on the creedmoor, 6XC, 6BR, 6.5x47 etc. to the 20* shoulder found on the 243/260/308. or you could do a 40* shoulder 243AI

 

[MarshallDodge]

This guy is a benchrest shooter, no doubt about it, and admits to loving anything having with the Lapua name on it. That being said, he thought I would be gaining very little by going with the 6x47 over the 243 and that the differences would have to be measured with a caliper.

He does like the efficiency of the 30 degree shoulder.

If I ever want a change, he said that there will be enough left in the barrel to re-chamber to 6x47.

 

[chaser_2332]

Good choice on the bartlein! My current rifle is on its second bartlein and they all have hammered. I have 2 new 6mm gain twist setting here ready to go on a gap Templar 2 in 6creedmoor.

 

[redneck2]

messing with the necks is a lot of work for little gain. do some searches on "no turn necks"

If you get nothing else from this thread, remember this wise quote. I have a neck turning tool that's been used once. There is a reason it's been used once. If you're set one getting one, I'll make you a great deal on it....

MY S-I-L has a Savage in 6BR that he's setting up for 1k yards with 105 VLD's. The .243 should have more velocity. I believe the BR holds about 30 grains. I believe yours should be in the 50-55 grain range.

Just remember that you get a 10% increase in velocity with a 25% increase in powder capacity. The extra powder costs more so you can burn up your barrel faster. Faster has it's price.

IIRC his Savage has a 30" barrel. Virtually zero recoil. Not something you'd carry around very long. Has a 8x32x40 Burris Signature with mil-dots