6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game

[FredH]

What kind of impact velocities with the Speer 100 BTSP, terminal performance and penetration?

I bought a box to mess with in a 6x45. Thought they might make good shorter range bullets in that cartridge (?)...

Would have bought the 85s as well but they weren't in stock. Thinking the 85s might be a good, inexpensive bullet for that cartridge (?).

I have shot both in my 6 Grendel. I haven't shot anything with them though from this rifle. I would expect them to show some expansion down to 1800 fps.

 

[Taudisio]

Not my bear, but my rifle was used. 109 eld-m impact velocity 2750ish @150 yards. Standing quartering to. Entered his right shoulder, fragments made it to the offside hide, no bullet recovered or exit. Top of heart was destroyed. Lots of damage to the lungs. Bear ran approx 20 yards.

 

[Taudisio]

I didn’t have this photo earlier. I was unaware the photo was even taken. The heart just plopped out, no knife needed. You can barely make out my hand grabbing what was left in the thoracic cavity. Great shot placement, considering the unconventional angle and his first bear to boot.

 

[Kothliim]

This was my first rifle deer, back in '22. 100gr Federal Power Shok at 50~ish yards. Piled up after a 30yd run. Just joined RokSlide and saw this forum so figured I'd post here. I now shoot a 6Creed, 6Arc and .243 lol.

 

[FredH]

What kind of impact velocities with the Speer 100 BTSP, terminal performance and penetration?

I bought a box to mess with in a 6x45. Thought they might make good shorter range bullets in that cartridge (?)...

Would have bought the 85s as well but they weren't in stock. Thinking the 85s might be a good, inexpensive bullet for that cartridge (?).

Usually above 2000 fps as I have only killed deer with them with a 243 , here in Texas I rarely get a shot past 200 yards or even that far. As for terminal performance they are pretty soft, opening quickly . Penetration has been sort of 50/50 for exits. The other thing about where I hunt I often take not so perfect broadside shots. Recovered bullets weight around 50-60 grains.

 

[FredH]

View attachment 916509This was my first rifle deer, back in '22. 100gr Federal Power Shok at 50~ish yards. Piled up after a 30yd run. Just joined RokSlide and saw this forum so figured I'd post here. I now shoot a 6Creed, 6Arc and .243 lol.

It just isn't right, that standard factory ammo kills deer with aplomb! Even without plastic tips and great big BC's. Yes forums will cause your gun collection and ammo to become storage issues and money pits.

 

[Kothliim]

It just isn't right, that standard factory ammo kills deer with aplomb! Even without plastic tips and great big BC's. Yes forums will cause your gun collection and ammo to become storage issues and money pits.

Oh yeah brother. Those 100gr and 80gr Power Shocks are truly nasty. I've killed a handful of deer and a mess of coyotes, coons, and one bobcat with the same rifle. Everyone laughs but my BCA 20" .243 hammers everything dead as a doornail.

 

[ChrisAU]

18" 6CM, mule deer 0-500 yards, what bullet? I've loaded up some 108 ELD-Ms but have found my McGowen barrel is throated very short - I had to go 0.082" shorter than factory 108 ELDM ammo to be 0.020" off the lands. My first clue was a pretty hard to close bolt on factory ammo. I'm going to shoot them this weekend and if speed and accuracy are where I want to be then I'll go forward with them. But looking into alternatives to be prepared.

I also don't want to buy 500 115gr Nose Ring DTACs just to try a few, and kinda want to go lighter than the 108 anyway with the 18" barrel. I did order some 87gr VLD's to try, but curious what other leading choices are in 6mm?

 

[Natebonebusta]

18" 6CM, mule deer 0-500 yards, what bullet? I've loaded up some 108 ELD-Ms but have found my McGowen barrel is throated very short - I had to go 0.082" shorter than factory 108 ELDM ammo to be 0.020" off the lands. My first clue was a pretty hard to close bolt on factory ammo. I'm going to shoot them this weekend and if speed and accuracy are where I want to be then I'll go forward with them. But looking into alternatives to be prepared.

I also don't want to buy 500 115gr Nose Ring DTACs just to try a few, and kinda want to go lighter than the 108 anyway with the 18" barrel. I did order some 87gr VLD's to try, but curious what other leading choices are in 6mm?

90gr and 103gr eldx?
90gr Sierra TGK
The 95gr TMK is missing in action unfortunately.

 

[khuber84]

18" 6CM, mule deer 0-500 yards, what bullet? I've loaded up some 108 ELD-Ms but have found my McGowen barrel is throated very short - I had to go 0.082" shorter than factory 108 ELDM ammo to be 0.020" off the lands. My first clue was a pretty hard to close bolt on factory ammo. I'm going to shoot them this weekend and if speed and accuracy are where I want to be then I'll go forward with them. But looking into alternatives to be prepared.

I also don't want to buy 500 115gr Nose Ring DTACs just to try a few, and kinda want to go lighter than the 108 anyway with the 18" barrel. I did order some 87gr VLD's to try, but curious what other leading choices are in 6mm?

Mcgowan cut this chamber? That's pretty frustrating, I believe 108 factory ammo was 40k off on my saami chamber, you had to go roughly 100 off from where the saami 0.183 freebore would be. That's a pretty short chamber.

 

[ChrisAU]

Mcgowan cut this chamber? That's pretty frustrating, I believe 108 factory ammo was 40k off on my saami chamber, you had to go roughly 100 off from where the saami 0.183 freebore would be. That's a pretty short chamber.

Yeah I broke it in with some lighter Hornady and Sig loads, just pushing rounds through it, but noticed immediately when I chambered factory 108 ammo that something was amiss. Funnily enough though it shot the factory ammo pretty nicely, but I don't think seating the bullet back further in the case by jamming it into the lands is ideal for precision. I also never tried to eject a live round, I'm betting I could find myself with a chamber/mag full of powder and a stuck bullet if I did.

 

[ChrisAU]

90gr and 103gr eldx?
90gr Sierra TGK
The 95gr TMK is missing in action unfortunately.

Yeah I looked desperately for some 95gr TMKs. Just ordered some 90 gr TGKs to try as well. Not opposed to ELD-X but I think their ogive could compress loads as well. Which I don't even know if thats completely a bad thing, but hearing crunching while operating my press made me pucker a bit last night lol.

 

[kswaterfowl]

Yeah I broke it in with some lighter Hornady and Sig loads, just pushing rounds through it, but noticed immediately when I chambered factory 108 ammo that something was amiss. Funnily enough though it shot the factory ammo pretty nicely, but I don't think seating the bullet back further in the case by jamming it into the lands is ideal for precision. I also never tried to eject a live round, I'm betting I could find myself with a chamber/mag full of powder and a stuck bullet if I did.

I sent my mcgowen barrel back because I was having a hard time chambering factory ammo. I tried to eject a live round and ended up with an action full of powder. I received mine back and they said they corrected it, but I haven't tried it yet. You might get a hold of Sam at Mcgowen.

 

[ChrisAU]

I sent my mcgowen barrel back because I was having a hard time chambering factory ammo. I tried to eject a live round and ended up with an action full of powder. I received mine back and they said they corrected it, but I haven't tried it yet. You might get a hold of Sam at Mcgowen.

Was hoping to take this rifle on a Muley hunt in a few weeks, I'm definitely behind in load dev for it. Original plan was factory 108's but had that issue, then I just got into reloading. If I can't get it where I want it as-is I have other options for the hunt and will send this barrel back to them.

 

[Taudisio]

Was hoping to take this rifle on a Muley hunt in a few weeks, I'm definitely behind in load dev for it. Original plan was factory 108's but had that issue, then I just got into reloading. If I can't get it where I want it as-is I have other options for the hunt and will send this barrel back to them.

What about seating the factory ammo to your chamber specs? Is that what you were doing when you heard powder crunching? I went through my case of factory eldms and found the shortest one and seated them all to match. They were all over the place. I’ll have to find my sticky note of those measurements.

Edit to add-they were mostly within .005”, but the extremes were .010” different from each other.

 

[TxLite]

18" 6CM, mule deer 0-500 yards, what bullet? I've loaded up some 108 ELD-Ms but have found my McGowen barrel is throated very short - I had to go 0.082" shorter than factory 108 ELDM ammo to be 0.020" off the lands. My first clue was a pretty hard to close bolt on factory ammo. I'm going to shoot them this weekend and if speed and accuracy are where I want to be then I'll go forward with them. But looking into alternatives to be prepared.

I also don't want to buy 500 115gr Nose Ring DTACs just to try a few, and kinda want to go lighter than the 108 anyway with the 18" barrel. I did order some 87gr VLD's to try, but curious what other leading choices are in 6mm?

No terminal performance info personally yet, but my 18” loves the factory 108 Berger EH’s

 

[ChrisAU]

What about seating the factory ammo to your chamber specs? Is that what you were doing when you heard powder crunching? I went through my case of factory eldms and found the shortest one and seated them all to match. They were all over the place. I’ll have to find my sticky note of those measurements.

Edit to add-they were mostly within .005”, but the extremes were .010” different from each other.

I could try that but I was prepped and ready to load my own anyway. I’ll post a pic of a factory round vs one loaded to my chamber later, it’s comical looking. Made me wonder if McGowen just used a .243 reamer on mine lol.

 

[ChrisAU]

Here’s a 41.2gr of H4350 cruncher vs factory.

 

[nm.otter]

That looks eerily familiar

120 CX (factory Superformance) on the left
143 ELD-X (factory Precision hunter) on the right.
Both 6.5mm Creedmoor.

 

[Taudisio]

Here’s a 41.2gr of H4350 cruncher vs factory.

View attachment 917747

Yea, that barrel needs to be fixed.
My hand loads went the other way until mag length and I’m not crunchy at 42gr of h4350 and a 109.