Check Out our Varmint Load Data
The 6mm BR, using a .272"-.274" no-turn neck, is an outstanding varmint cartridge. Lapua brass is so uniform it requires almost zero case prep, and shoots great right out of the box. You don't need to spend months on load development, and a wide variety of good bullets are available. H4895 and Varget work well, but you'll have good luck with nearly any case-filling powder with a similar burn rate. hunting varmint rifle varminting varmint gun varminter
For $1200, using a trued Rem 700 action and a $250 Shilen stainless select match barrel, you can put together a wickedly accurate varmint rifle that delivers quarter-moa accuracy. With 75gr V-Maxs and a standard 6BR case filled with Varget, expect velocities approaching 3350fps. That's enough to knock the stuffing out of the biggest 'chuck. The 75gr V-Max is a great bullet that can work in a 1:12 barrel, or even a 1:13 if you drive it fast. Low-cost, but very accurate.
"The 6mmBR has a lot going for it--while it is not the fastest 6mm cartridge it is fast enough and very efficient. You can push a 55 grain Ballistic Tip 3800 fps. That is as fast or faster than a 22-250 shooting the same grain bullet and you have a higher ballistic coefficient. Where I think the BR really shines is when using 65-75 grain bullets. Good velocity, good wind cheating, low recoil, little powder use, easy on the barrel and inherently accurate. What more could a varmint hunter wish for?" -- Mike Delbo
"There's plenty of retained energy down range for spectacular effects with the 20s. But I will be the first to admit that hitting them with a 6mm 70 grain Ballistic Tip going at around 3700 fps is hard to beat in terms of air time and splat effect." -- Warren B ("Fireball")
The 6mm BR case also has enough capacity to drive the longer varmint bullets, such as the excellent 87gr V-max, to 3000+ fps speeds. With a decent BC (.400), this is a varmint bullet that performs well even in windy conditions, when launched from a 1:10 or faster barrel. Berger's 80gr MEF (.314 BC) is another excellent, very accurate bullet for medium range varminting. It works great in either 1:10 or 1:12 twist.
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The 6BR shoots so well with minimal case prep, that we know varminters who crank out hundreds of rounds on a progressive press for extended varminting vacations. Just don't push the pressure limits, because high summer Dog Town temperatures can over-pressurize loads that seemed fine during a cool springtime bench session.
For varmint guns that will be shot prone as well as from a shooting bench, we like medium-weight wood stocks with some drop in the toe. Thumbholes are very comfortable when shooting from the ground or a vehicle. Out favorite varmint stocks are Richard's Custom Rifles' 005 Thumbhole Varminter (detail photo) and Bill Shehane's "Baby Tracker". Shehane also offers an excellent drop-in "Varmint Benchrest" stock for Rem and Savage actions. It combines a Tracker style fore-end with a more conventional grip and buttstock.
Here's Richard's 005 in beautifully figured Fiddleback Walnut laminate, and a Nesika-actioned 6mm BR "Baby Tracker" in Rutland Fall Camo Laminate (below):
The McMillan and HS Precision Tactical stocks also work well, expecially when employed with a bipod. Here is a Mike Bryant-built 6BR Rem 700 in an HS Precision Stock.
Yes, that's a 5-shot group at 100yds (target detail). That kind of accuracy will make your next varmint hunting session more productive. Greater inherent accuracy equals more first-shot hits, and less ammo expended over the course of the day. Combine that with long barrel life (6BRs aren't "barrel-burners" like .243 Ackleys), and you have a winning combination.
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