I have had a want for some time...

[CWLONGSHOT]

I am a hunter first and a shooter second.
I have wanted a 6mm Remington.

I have had a few 243's and they have been fine. I know they are close cousins and not "really" enough difference to seperate. I just like the 6mm Rem better.

Last month speaking with a buddys buddy. He was speaking the 6mm Creed preformance lock step with the 243/6mm Rem but with ability for the new long for caliber bullets. Last week I saw Ruger Americans (which I very much appreciate and own a few.) offer the Predator in this 6mm Creedmoore.
Some thirty years ago my father was selling off guns and wanted to sell his "deer rifle". It was a M77 in 308. But wore a walnut stock he made himself. Think 1960/70 style with ebony tip & Grip cap ivory diamond in the cap roll over montecarlo stock fine figure and deep oil finish. I bought a Fajen stock and we swapped. I still have that stock.

Last week I was offered a old M77 Ruger Varmint in 6mm Rem and a nicer 4-14 Nikon scope in Ruger rings. Cost is a bit high, but not ridiculous.

Like everyone, I enjoy a accurate rifle and despise a inaccurate bolt gun. I have owned four m77's, NONE where overly accurate. My lil brother has 2 also one is good one is outstanding. Only one I have ever seen actually shoot 1/2 moa.
I have a few Ruger Americans EVERY ONE will shoot MOA or better two if them alot better. This is a sub500$ rifle.
If I went Creed I would need dies and brass. If I went 6MM Rem, I already have both. Optic is already in the cabinet. Would need bases and rings for RA & M77 comes with.

Not something I must do nor something "needed". Im just kinda thinking outloud and seeking like minded opinions.
CW

 

[Ian]

I'd look real close at downrange velocity, BC, and AVAILABILITY of high-quality hunting bullets that would do what you need.

 

[Walks]

I've had 5 M77 Rifles, no MKll's. Kept only the most accurate, the first I ever bought.
A .250-3000; 1776-1976 bbl. It will keep 5 rounds of Nosler 100gr PT in an 1 1 1/2" at 100yds. Often 3 shots into one inch.

The most inaccurate was a 6mmRem. I was lucky if I got 3 rounds into 2" at 100yrds with Any Powder/Bullet combo.

Just goes to show you that Every Rifle is a law unto itself.

 

[CZ93X62]

The Creedmoor calibers seem to be optimized for long-for-caliber bullets, given their rapid twist rates. They strike me as javelin-hurlers, which is quite fashionable these days. Such bullets cater to long-range shooting venues. In those niches, the Creedmoors seem to excel.

Working from memory here--the 6mm Remington's predecessor--the 244 Remington--kinda fell on its aspirations as a competitor to Winchester's 243 Win owing to the 1/12" twist of the 244 barrels being unable to stabilize the 100 grain deer bullets that the 243 shoots like a laser. The 6mm is the same case as the 244, but its barrels were given a 1/9.5" twist to support the 100 grainers. But that stink never lifted for the 244/6mm, and the 243 remains popular as a light-recoiling varmint-to-deer caliber. I have owned several 243s, and every one of them shot 1 MOA or better with decent bullets. The 243 has done EXCELLENT work with castings as well, its 1-10" twist staying accurate to the 2K FPS level for me.

ETA--the 6mm/244 case has a bit more capacity than does the 243, and you might be able to strain 100-150 FPS more from a given bullet weight in the 6mm than from a 243. The longer neck on the 6mm case (vs. the 243) is viewed as a better feature by some folk, much like the difference between the 222 Rem and 223. FWIW. I have always gone the 243 route.

 

[Spindrift]

To me, it sounds like you need a 6mm Rem

I’ve never owned any 6mm’s myself. But one of the 6mm cartridges I find interesting, is the 6XC. Not because it is the fastest, or loudest. But it is quite powder-effective, giving very good performance considering the amount of powder consumed.

 

[david s]

One of my bucket list items is to play/experiment with all the various rounds based off the 7-8X57 mm Mauser brass. The 6mm Remington I played with was mostly used a a varmint round and was more gun than needed by me. Still a very nice dual purpose rifle though. The 243/6mm and 257/25-06 cartridges don't seem as common as they were 30 or so years ago. Lots of new in that cartridge class arena. Being left handed and really liking the original Ruger 77 rifles tang safety I've owned a few, a half dozen or so 220 Swifts, my first centerfire a 270 Win and a 338 Win. Still have the 338. During the tang safety era Ruger outsourced there barrels (Wilson?) and the barrel quality was always hit or miss. I had a factory light barreled 220 Swift model 77 that had it's chamber at an angle and Ruger replaced the barrel. Another Swift had primer extrusion with relatively light loads. Ruger said send it back so I did. They returned it saying it had a weak firing pin spring that was replaced. Before reshooting the rifle I thought this was B.S. but after shooting it the problem was gone, so they knew what they were about. Those have been my problems with Ruger 77's.

 

[david s]

OH, and the earliest tang safety models that also featured the bolt lock had nice adjustable triggers.

 

[waco]

I own two tang safety M77’s. A 1978 .22-250 and an early 80’s .257 Roberts. Both were my Uncles rifles. He passed in 1999. The .22-250 shoots pretty good with 50-55gr Nosler Balistic tips and Varget. The .257 really hasn’t seen a lot of use by me yet. 85gr Nosler BT’s show some promise. I also have a box of Speer 100gr Hot Cores I need to try. The rifle really needs a trigger job/new trigger, and the action bedded. Never tried either myself as of yet.

 

[Rick H]

I own a 6mm Remington and love it. Accurate with 80-105 jacketed bullets. My hunting load is a 100gr. BTSP at a touch over 3000 fps out of a 22" bbl. The antelope in my picture went about 5 yds after being hit with it at 265yds. As much as I like it I still feel it is a bit light for big whitetail and muley bucks. Mine is in a left hand 788 Remington rifle. If I had a 243, or a 6mm Creedmore I sure wouldn't get my panties in a bunch about the 6mm. For any practical purposes there is two little difference to notice in the field.
That said: What does practical have to do with wanting a new rifle?

 

[waco]

What does practical have to do with wanting a new rifle?

If this were the case I think we would all have three to four long guns in the safe.

 

[Ian]

Try 42. Sadly the safe is at the bottom of a lake thanks to that terrible boating accident.

 

[fiver]

just don't put the 6mm in a short action, you'll regret it, plus it sucks. [littlegirl figured that out at 14]
put it in a Mauser or in a long action and use the magazine.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I dug around and pulled out 6mm cases and dies. (Brand new RCBS but made in the 60's ir very early 1970's. Factory lube in and on the threads.
I have a good supply of bullets for a guy mot owning a 243 cal at all. I have 2 boxS of Sierra 85 BTHP 4 boxed of 95g partitions, 2 box of 85g Partitions, 2 box of 100g Hornady RN and a box of 75g HP speers.

I have about 100 pcs of mixed 6mm Rem brass. I have have about 5-600 Rem plusP 257 Roberts new brass.
Id lean to 6mm Rem but the Creed is attractive simply cause I am always drawn to less popular unique calibers.

 

[fiver]

Remington was putting out 6mm brass pretty frequently before their crash.
I was buying it and using it for everything else but the 6mm, Rem. after mine went down the road.
it makes wonderful 6.5 x57 cases BTW.

 

[todd]

i think everybody but me, luvs the .243" caliber. i used several 243 win in deer hunts(mid '90's) and it left me wanting. didn't matter if the shoulder was shot or behind the shoulder, it left me with a tracking job(125yards and up). i was only shooting deer about 50+/- yards, most were 25+/- yards. i was and am a close cover deer hunter. (the avatar was shot at 12 feet shot with my 270win) my friend still hunts with a rem m788 in 243 win and 100gr factory loads(remington, federal, winchester... as long as its cheap and 100 grains). the furthest a deer has ever run that he shoots is 25+/- yards. he is also a close cover guy too.

i used a 25-06 on deer, but i quickly sold that black plastic rifle(tc venture) and got another blue steel and walnut rifle. my rifle that needs to built is a 93 mauser in 257 roberts. i got the action but its put on the shelf because of other rifles(my youngest son's 93 mauser with 6.5x55 swede).

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Im gonna just bide my time longer. I did not know Ruger chambered some Americans in 6mm Remington!!
So altho it dont help my pop ol gun stock a American in 6mm Rem would be most appealing to me.

CW

 

[RBHarter]

Not to fear I'm not keen on the 6mm dia either .
Dad had a passion for the 25-06' and 257 .
I see the appeal of the 6.5s , I don't understand it . You have a stupid fast twist for long heavies and nobody uses them cause' speed kills , fast and flat .

Now im just rambling ......

 

[JWFilips]

Love the .243 Win in my 1980's Tang safety Ruger 77V....Not so much the 6mm Rem
Just doesn't look as sexy! Just looks like a plain Jane to me !

 

[Ole_270]

I've never played with a 6mm Rem though it's bigger brother .257 Roberts is my 2nd favorite whitetail cartridge. I have 3 Ruger M77s , The 257 and 22-250 in MkII sporters, and my favorite an early Tang Safe 250-3000. All Wood and blue. I have a nice M70 Fwt. in 243, built just before the move to South Carolina, but have a couple things against it. For one, the muzzle pressure I guess makes it really loud for what you get out of it. The other, the throat seems to wear noticably with each shot. Mine doesn't have all that many shots down the tube, but the throat is much longer than when new.

 

[RicinYakima]

My early tang safety 250/3000 was made with a .243 barrel and blew primers on every shot with factory ammo. I loaded 60 grain bullets with a light load that shot very well for called coyotes when they were selling for $100. Over the winter made enough to pay for rifle, ammo and fuel for the International Scout. Sold it to a Ruger collector in about 1980 for more than I paid. Had a beautiful stock with nice figure.