Anyone Shooting a 6mm Rem?

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FTSESQ

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Hi Guys,
I have a chance to pick up a Rem Model 788 in 6mm Rem from an old timer at work for what seems like a good deal. I checked gunbroker.com and he wants about half of what they are going for there. It's a weird little rifle that has the locking lugs on the rear of the bolt, but seems like a light, nimble little thing. I just don't know much about it or the 6mm Rem cartridge. Any thoughts?
 
Been shooting one for a long time. Mine is a Remington model Seven. It's a little faster than .243 and as long as you're not buying all your ammo at Wal- Mart i've found 6mm at a lot of places, but usually order mine online. It's not very expensive, but if I had time I'd reload for it. I've used Remington, Winchester and Federal in 100 grain and Hornady in 95 grain. They're all flat shooting and pack enough punch for whitetail, pigs and coyotes. I've found I prefer the 100 grain. I may try the Superformance from Hornady though.
My brother, sister and Dad also shoot 6mm often. Nothing bad to say about it!
 
im a fan of the 788, though it has some limitations, but it has an incredibly fast locktime. i have one in .22-250...one of my favorite guns.
 
Thanks guys. I appreciate the info. It seems like a nice little rifle.

Lowerunit, What are the limitations that you know of. I would most likely just use it for deer.
 
My first ever rifle was a Ruger M77 MKII in 6mm Rem. I loved that rifle, wish I still had it. I used it for deer, coyotes, and Pdogs easily out to 400+ yds. If you handload, 65 grn work great for varmints and I used 87 grn and 100 grn speer grand slams for deer with no problems. 100 grainer at 3100 fps is nothing to snort at.
 
Ruger No.1 in 6mm Rem... one of the favorites in my collection.

Shoots fast, flat, and slaughtered many sage rats.

6mmRemRugerNo1.jpg
 
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Naahhh! You don't want that thing. Tell you what I'll do, I'll give you what you paid for it...:)

Seriously, I got a 788 in 6 mm Rem in about 72. I've killed over 30 deer with it. It fed my roomates and me when I was in college and after. I learned how to shoot from a bench (and cured my flinch) with that gun. I learned how to handload for accuracy with that gun. With its favorite target load, it will shoot 0.5" groups (honest groups) all day long. With my favorite deer load, it will will go about 0.875". The stock finish went soft after a couple of years and I stripped it and refinished with TruOil. I also pulled the factory iron sights off. It is a really great little gun.

Given my experience, my brother asked me to find something similar for his then teenage son to hunt with. I found one in 243 Win, but he WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES let me buy it back. I think that it is intended for his son's new son here in about 11 or 12 years.
 
Ive got an old rem model 700 classic thats killed more deer then all my other guns combined. Its my loner gun and about every one at camp and there wives and kids have shot deer with it. Ive killed at least 20 with it myself. Weve never lost a deer shot by it. I went through a stage of handloading for it but found that it shot under an inch at a 100 yards with cheap old factory rem corelocks and for years thats what its been fed.
 
A 6mm is a very good cartridge.
A tad hotter than the .243.
Mine is an old Remington 600 vent rib.
Very accurate rifle that has taken it's fair share of deer and hogs.
In fact I killed my best buck(151 B&C) of 46 years of deer hunting with that very rifle.
A lot of rifles chambered in that caliber are going for a premium,especially in Remington models 788,700,and 600.
 
FTSESQ, The trigger is not adjustable and I dont know anyone who makes an aftermarket trigger for them. The bolt handle is brazed on and combined with the short leverage travel to extract the case from the chamber can spell trouble. there are 9 locking lugs on this gun but as for me i cannot see how this affects accuracy. i love mine and it is one of the guns that i would classify as a "keeper".
 
Inspect the barrel very closely.

In my part of the country, bores are practically never shot out, but can be pitted easily due to humidity. Most guns in S.E. USA are ususally ruined due to neglect, not worn out.

However, a rifle from the Western US can easily be "shot out" after a hot afternoon on a prararie dog town. A former co-worker shot out the barrel of his Savage M110 Varminter in .22-250 in one afternoon with about 400rds of 40gr Nosler B.T.'s over about 39.0gr of Varget on a prararie dog town in Colorado. He fried the first 2" of his throat/rifleing by over exuberent shooting. (didn't clean the rifle from previous day, either......)

I've seen a Win. Mod70 in .225Win that had likewise been "fried" with factory and reloads. It would still shoot 1.5moa, if kept clean (like every 20rds or so).

If bore is bright and smooth (especially the first 2" of the throat/bore) and likewise no pitting or dings to the muzzle area, it'll likely make a decent antelope/deer rifle.

It's possible to "wear out" a 6mmRem in an afternoon likewise with some 55gr or simular loads on a prararie dog town if one isn't careful to keep the bore clean and barrel cool.
 
+1 for BamAlmighty. I have the same Ruger 1B in 6mm and it is my favorite "go to" rifle for anything bigger than chucks. Deadly accurate with a 80 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet and either IMR4831 or IMR 4064> Both will give me a three shot group under 1''. I'd go for that Remington, never saw one that wouldn't shoot.
 
I know of a bench shooter who loves the 6 mm Remington for hunting. He loves it like theres no tomorrow. ANd he was the same person who recommended me to get the .25 06 vs getting the more powerful 270. Long story short, i love the 25 06.
 
I just recently bought one in a Parker Hale Mauser and to be honest don't really care for the cartridge (but to be fair I am not a big fan of .243Win. either). I just happen to have the reloading gear, some brass, and a few boxes of projectiles, so I plan to shoot it for a while, but mine is destined to become a .280Rem. at some point in the near future.

FWIW, I think it would be a much better deer cartridge if necked up to 6.5mm.

IMG_5796.jpg
 
Well, a 6 mm Remington is actually a 6 x 57 which is a necked down 7 x 57 which is a necked down 8 x 57. And the 6.5 x 57 is a factory loaded round in Europe........

And a 6.5 x 57 would likely be a tad more powerful than a 6.5 x 55 which is a standard round for almost anything that moves in Northern Europe. <ed. note: The 6.5 x 55 has less taper and may have a bit more capacity. However the case head is of a different size than the * x 57 and -06 derived cartridges. Thus a conversion to 6.5 x57 would be a bit easier). There is something about that 160 gr. 6.5 mm roundnose bullet that is nearly as long as a pencil.

Note; S&B lists a 131 gr bullet for the 6.5x57 at about 2500 fps. See http://www.sellier-bellot.cz/rifle-ammunition-detail.php?ammunition=12&product=485
 
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Wow! Thanks guys. I think that I'm going to pick up this neat little rifle. I just want to test fire it first. I'll post some pics if it follows me home.
 
maverick i used to own the identical twin to that rifle and you may want to shoot it first. Mine was a tack driver.
I have shot it, but only to test the action and a few preliminary loads (prior to scoping it). I intend to get it sighted and do a little medium range plinking this weekend. If that turns out to be the case I may elect to leave it be, but I doubt it.

:)
 
I have been shooting the 6mm Remington for about 20 years or so. It is one of my favorite rounds. It severed me well in my TX days as a general ranch rifle round. Mine is in a nice Remington 700. It has taken everything from pidgeons to pigs with good results. I can't tell you how many coyotes I have shot with it.

I would say pick it up, you will love it.

The 788 has a big following to boot.
 
The 788 does make a nice ranch rifle. Mine has many, many pickup miles on it from knocking around on our ranch out southwest of San Angelo. I learned to appreciate clip magazines: Just slide the magazine in when you first roll through the gate onto your property and slide it out when you leave. Only single shots are faster to take out of battery.
 
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