What can I do with a 6mm

[brettpsu]

By no means a rifle tech person here......keep the tech talk dumbed down please. I have a nice Remington 700BDL in a 6mm. My dad gave it to me when I was young and now I would like to give it to my son for his 1st gun. It's getting harder and harder to find 6mm ammo so I was wondering if the gun could be re-bored to a different caliber........something a little more popular. I'm assuming it would need a new action but really have no idea. Any suggestions? What does this type of gunsmith work run? Maybe it's just cheaper to buy a new gun. Nothing too big, he's only 12 years old.

 

[hwy1strat]

What do you want him to do with it? Is it for him to learn how to shoot on? Is he going to hunt with it? And if so, what will he hunt with it?

With the increase in popularity of the 6mm bullets for competition shooting I don't see 6mm ammo disappearing anytime soon.

In order to change the caliber you would need a new barrel, approx. $350, and then another $300 for the gunsmithing work. I am unfamiliar with reaming a new chamber for a different 6mm cartridge or reboreing the barrel to accept a different caliber all together. So maybe that can be done but you need to start calling gunsmiths to see if they can and how much.

If it were me, I think 6mm is a great, low recoil rifle that can easily be used to hunt a lot of north American game. I would leave it as is and let him learn to shoot it.

For the price of rebarreling it, you could buy a new rifle. Just food for thought.

 

[brettpsu]

My son shoots small rifles, mostly rim fire but has shot small center fires. I can't find any 6mm Remington anywhere around me. Always have to order the ammo online. I like the gun and caliber but with the lack of ammo I was just looking to make it easier for him down the road.

 

[robtattoo]

If you're dead set on keeping the gun, it wouldn't be too much of a job to whip off the barrel, shorten & rethread the camber, then ream it to .243

That said, for very little price difference, you could pop down to Wally's & grab an off the shelf Rem 700adl in .243. I paid $300 for my last one....

 

[robtattoo]

Actually, that's a lie. It was $259.
Bought it purely as a donor gun to bore & chamber into a .358

 

[teflonhunter]

Ammo is plenty available online. ck ammoseek.com. 6mm Rem. is a good cartridge.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

My son shoots small rifles, mostly rim fire but has shot small center fires. I can't find any 6mm Remington anywhere around me. Always have to order the ammo online. I like the gun and caliber but with the lack of ammo I was just looking to make it easier for him down the road.

Do him a favor by keeping the gun as is and buy him a reloading kit. God Bless

 

[paleraider]

Reloading would be a good option if you already have the equipment. If you don't it may be cheaper to have it re-bored or barrelled for probably less money. Some of the best 6mm cartridges are the ubiquitous .243, 6mm Dasher, 6mm Creedmoor, and 6x47L. I have shot a 6mm creedmoor for years with 105g berger hybrids, it is an amazing cartridge, low recoil, amazing ballistics. Yet you can't really go wrong with any of them. For off the shelf rounds the .243 will have them all beat hands down as you can find them anywhere.

 

[topher89]

You could probably buy a new Ruger American for the price of rechambering the rifle. I would put the money into a crap ton of ammo and just let him shoot it.

 

[GKPrice]

What do you want him to do with it? Is it for him to learn how to shoot on? Is he going to hunt with it? And if so, what will he hunt with it?

With the increase in popularity of the 6mm bullets for competition shooting I don't see 6mm ammo disappearing anytime soon.

In order to change the caliber you would need a new barrel, approx. $350, and then another $300 for the gunsmithing work. I am unfamiliar with reaming a new chamber for a different 6mm cartridge or reboreing the barrel to accept a different caliber all together. So maybe that can be done but you need to start calling gunsmiths to see if they can and how much.

If it were me, I think 6mm is a great, low recoil rifle that can easily be used to hunt a lot of north American game. I would leave it as is and let him learn to shoot it.

For the price of rebarreling it, you could buy a new rifle. Just food for thought.

IF you wanted to do something as big as 338 JES Reboring will do it for a heck of a lot cheaper and just good, if not better barrel when you're done

 

[GKPrice]

Reloading would be a good option if you already have the equipment. If you don't it may be cheaper to have it re-bored or barrelled for probably less money. Some of the best 6mm cartridges are the ubiquitous .243, 6mm Dasher, 6mm Creedmoor, and 6x47L. I have shot a 6mm creedmoor for years with 105g berger hybrids, it is an amazing cartridge, low recoil, amazing ballistics. Yet you can't really go wrong with any of them. For off the shelf rounds the .243 will have them all beat hands down as you can find them anywhere.

if you handload customize it and rechamber to 6mm Rem AI, a VERY sweet performing round - with the new world of bullets we have nowadays a 6mm in practiced hands is deadly - 2 weeks ago my Grandson killed his first elk with a 6.5 CM shooting 130 Accubonds at a very tolerable load I concocted for him - 140 yards, 1 shot, dead elk

 

[CLICKBANGBANG]

You could probably buy a new Ruger American for the price of rechambering the rifle. I would put the money into a crap ton of ammo and just let him shoot it.

This. Keep the gun a 6mm. That's a sweet little round. Pick up ammo when you find it and enjoy the gun. Or just go the easy wrought and do what most Americans do, and order the ammo on line. I'm not sure why would you go trash a family heirloom with a new barrel to maybe save a few bucks on ammo.

Buy a Ruger American Rifle. There are a ton of versions in all kinds of calibers. Get one in .223 for super cheap ammo. Or 6.5 Creedmoor for a short action long range hunter. Or .338 Win Mag for friggin moose.

 

[mod700]

Sounds like it's making its way as a family heirloom, pass it on as is, good caliber for a young shooter. If your inclined, stock up some on some rounds, still fairly easy to find. Maybe in another 20 -30 years, you will see it passed to the next generation. Be sure and get some pics of him with his first animal, it's a neat way to build memories. My .02$.
Mike

 

[hwy1strat]

Here's what you should do:
Blueprint action: $300
Flute bolt: $120
Tactical bolt knob: $120
New barrel: $350
Chamber and install barrel: $300
Drop it in a Manners stock: $1000
Timney trigger: $200

Now you got yourself a real shooter and it can be whatever short action caliber you want it to be. I'd go 6.5 creedmore if it was me

 

[mtmuley]

Here's what you should do:
Blueprint action: $300
Flute bolt: $120
Tactical bolt knob: $120
New barrel: $350
Chamber and install barrel: $300
Drop it in a Manners stock: $1000
Timney trigger: $200

Now you got yourself a real shooter and it can be whatever short action caliber you want it to be. I'd go 6.5 creedmore if it was me

Not this. mtmuley

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

Buy $300 worth of ammo off of ammoseek.com and shoot it for a long time

 

[Steel Rain]

I'm with buying $300 worth of ammo and enjoy it until the barrel is done.

 

[GKPrice]

not this. Mtmuley

i agree !

 

[6mm Remington]

The 6mm Remington is one of the best 6mm's out there..............period! It is a superb coyote, deer, antelope, goat, sheep, black bear cartridge. I've taken many head of game with the 6mm Remington to include an elk! Use some good bullets in it such as the 90 gr. Accubond, 90 gr. E-tip, or 85,95, 0r 100 gr. Partitions. Those great bullets really work well on animals and perform superbly and hold together well.

You might find that reloading is a really great thing. I enjoy loading my own ammunition and harvesting game with it. I think it would be similar to a fly fisherman or tying their own flies or making their own lures and catching fish. It just makes it that much more personal.

I'd keep the rifle in the chambering that it is. If it hasn't been I would have it glass bedded and the trigger replaced with a quality aftermarket brand such as Shilen, or Timney, something along those lines. A nice Leupold 3.5-10x40mm scope or a 4.5-14x40mm Leupold would be just the ticket. Nothing wrong either with the fixed 6x36 or 6x42mm Leupold scopes. I love those fixed power scopes. I'd get the B&C reticle in the variables and get the LR dots in the fixed power scopes.

If photobucket had not jacked their pictures I would post some photographs of 6mm's I own or have owned and game taken with them. Great shooting cartridge with quite a bit more pop than the 243 Winchester.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Reloading kit and components could easily be bought for $300. Leave the heirloom alone and do not re-barrel it. You'll hate yourself if you do.
Also, If it is a pre 90's model 700, it likely is a VERY well made gun. A real shooter in it as it sets. I do agree the triggers are not perfect but, the 700's had triggers made so they can be adjusted. I wouldn't recommend doing that unless you know which screws are which but, you can make them as light and travel free as any timney.



You have an awesome gun there so, there is zero need to destroy it based on assumptions. 5 pounds of powder can be bought for $110, a box of 1000 large rifle primers for $35, 100 pieces of brass for $60, a very capable Lee kit for $100, trimmers and gauges for $20, and enough bullets for the 5 pounds of powder with what you would spend on re-barreling the thing. Plus, he'd always be able to have ammo if he had this stuff. Reloading is easy and one evening reading the manual that comes with the Lee kit, and you'd both be stuffing premo ammo for all your guns. It is a win-win.



Point I and others are making is, the 6mm is a GREAT cartridge. That is a fine gun. And, your grandson and yourself will appreciate it so much more being the same gun your dad bought and used. Buy the ammo or, buy the stuff to make sure his kids get a chance to use it as is. I promise you'll be glad you did. God Bless men