Rechamber a 6PPC Rem 700 Action

[Reloadron]

Attached are a few images.

About 10 years ago I took a NRA smith course at Montgomery Community College in NC. The instructor was a James Messer who was great to learn from. At the time I had an interest in the 6 PPC cartridge so that became my project rifle to build. I built the rifle on a Remington 700 short action.

James thought it would be a good idea to use his reamers rather than my own. This involved a tight case neck. You end up with a paper thin case neck which is great for accuracy. The downside is when you form cases from .220 Russian brass you need to hand turn the necks of every case. Hold that thought.

The original bolt (now deceased) was a .223 bolt face. I opened the bolt face and added a Sako extractor by milling a slot in the bolt body. The rifle worked fine and was accurate. Well fine right till.... I failed to get a good neck trim and had a fired case stuck in the chamber. I tapped the bolt, then tapped harder, then tapped with a small (I swear it was small) hammer. The bolt handle left the bolt!

My first exercise in brazing on a bolt handle did not go well. This is best practiced on junk parts and not a prized rifle. So much for the learning curve. Bottom line, bolt body destroyed. Good lessons learned though.

So after a decade away from my love of shooting I am digging all my old toys out including this once nice rifle. The barrel is 24" full contour with a 1:12 twist. I think it was Shilen but figure what is there is a 6mm hole in about $300 in stainless steel. Thus I would like to stay 6mm.

So what to do? I can buy a good .308 bolt for the action. I was thinking 6mm Remington. I have my barrel vise and my Remington 700 wrench. I can buy 6mm Rem. reamers, twist off the barrel and re-chamber it. The rifle also uses as can be seen an oversize lug.

I am open for ideas here as to a new caliber. Thoughts, suggestions are most welcome.

Thanks Much
Ron

 

[rcmodel]

Although it lost the caliber war with Winchester through no fault of it's own.
The 6mm Rem is the best of the standard 6mm calibers, and exceeds the .243 Win as a reloaders cartridge.

Since you don't have a working bolt??

Might I suggest a new one-piece bolt body & reamers from Pacific Tool & Gage for a starting place.
You won't break the handle off of that one I betcha!

http://www.pacifictoolandgauge.com/pdf/ptg_catalog_08.pdf

rc

 

[243winxb]

Remington 700 short action = 243 Win. But with 1-12 twist, light/short bullets only.

 

[Reloadron]

Thanks, thought about a .243 Win in the lot also. Never had one, shot a few but never had one.

Thanks
Ron

 

[Reloadron]

Although it lost the caliber war with Winchester through no fault of it's own.
The 6mm Rem is the best of the standard 6mm calibers, and exceeds the .243 Win as a reloaders cartridge.

Since you don't have a working bolt??

Might I suggest a new one-piece bolt body & reamers from Pacific Tool & Gage for a starting place.
You won't break the handle off of that one I betcha!

http://www.pacifictoolandgauge.com/pdf/ptg_catalog_08.pdf

rc

Those were the bolts I was looking at.

I just had this thing about the 6mm Remington, despite it having lost the war. I figure it should work. I have machine shop access and the cost of a bolt was reasonable enough from Pacific as well as what looks to be a darn good bolt. I figure I'll lap the new bolt in, true the action again and ream the barrel. Trying to figure out what I am missing?

Thanks
Ron

 

[Kp321]

Go wild and hot, 6-284!
By the way, I have had very good luck with all PTG products. Their reamers are the best I have used.

 

[Jim Watson]

Keep the PPC chamber, just ream the neck to take unturned brass.

 

[Reloadron]

HiJim

I had given that some thought. I still have my 6 PPC reamers. I also have my 6 PPC head space gauges. I would need to get another .223 bolt and open it up which is really not a big deal. Maybe if I talk to PTG they would work up the bolt for me. Lord knows I still have a pile of 6PPC brass formed from .220 Russian as well as new Lapua .220 Russian.

Also thinking it might be fun to try the 6mm Remington. There is also KP321's suggestion.

Thanks
Ron

 

[dsink]

If I may offer a suggestion. Get yourself a new bolt with the .473 bolt face and ream your chamber to 6 BR.
I love the 6ppc and its a great cartridge but unless you shooting benchrest you will never notice the difference if there is any at all in accuracy.

I cant begin to tell you how many BR's I have built for customers but probably 1 out of every 3 rifles we build is in a BR.

 

[NCsmitty]

The short action receiver would be a better fit for the 243 Win than the 6MM Rem, unless you make it a single shot, so you can seat the bullets out. You would need to seat the 6MM Rem bullets a bit deep to fit the 2.80" magazine. You'll also need to keep bullet weight under 90gr in the 1in12" twist.

As mentioned, retaining the 6mmPPC would entail reworking a bolt for it, and neck reaming for standard PPC brass to fit. It should be worth the effort, and you'll get much longer barrel life with the 6mmPPC, as you likely know.


NCsmitty

 

[Reloadron]

Thanks guys, maybe all things considered the .243 is a good way to go. While I shoot at a bench rest range (thus the 6 PPC love affair) I am not really a BR type.

I was for years a member of Kebly's here in Ohio home of the super shoot in the BR world. I plan to take out another membership in the next few weeks. Hard to believe I let my shooting slip for almost 10 years. Getting into all the cool things I packed away is fun.

I had thought about the rifle ending up a single shot with the 6 mm Rem. Can't say I was fond of that. Then too, as a 6 PPC I always fired it single shot. The 243 is beginning to look good.

Thanks Again
Ron

 

[GJgo]

Since it is 12 twist I'd stay PPC or maybe BR. My Sako PPC is a 12 twist & loves 80gr pills. The hotter 6mm cartridges all tend to like the 8 twist for the heavier pills, just a thought.

 

[LeonCarr]

6BR would be sweet.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr