6x45 excitement

Best of luck. I hope you get it pinging off at high enough vels.:thumb:

Cheers, very happy to join the 6x45 club! Cant wait to hunt Roe with it - I'm sure it would be very good for Reds and Sika too according to some guys on nz fishnhunt forum. It's very nicely balanced even with an aluminium moderator attached.
 
Worked up a load last night with Norma .223 brass, 105gr A-Max, Xterminator & CCI 450 primers. Tried a COAL of 2.45" (I can fit 2 in the magazine if I top load - bullets are roughly 0.020" from rifling). Air temp was about 10 deg C.

20.5gr - error
21.0gr - 2318 fps
22.0gr - 2296 fps
22.5gr - 2418 fps
23.0gr - 2522 fps
23.3gr - error
23.6gr - error
23.8gr - 2587 fps
24.0gr - 2612 fps (heavily cratered primer).

A pity that I had a few error readings on the crony. I think I'll load some rounds up at about 23.6gr for somewhere around 2550 fps (1500 ft.lb; 1000ft.lb at 200m) and see what the accuracy is like on Saturday. I'll also load some at a shorter 2.36" COAL that properly fit the magazine. Holes in the target were nice and round so I expect that the 8" twist barrel is stabilising the bullets well.

If I zero at 150 m I should have a MPBR of about 170m for a 3" target. I'm lacking loads of elevation adjustment on my scope so might have to take a file to the base of the scope mount and angle it a bit.
 
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Cheers, very happy to join the 6x45 club! Cant wait to hunt Roe with it - I'm sure it would be very good for Reds and Sika too according to some guys on nz fishnhunt forum. It's very nicely balanced even with an aluminium moderator attached.

Do you really think it would be "good" for Red and Sika? 1500 ftlb at the muzzle, 1100 ftlb at 200 yds. I think I would want a bit more poke than that.
 
Do you really think it would be "good" for Red and Sika? 1500 ftlb at the muzzle, 1100 ftlb at 200 yds. I think I would want a bit more poke than that.

Not with the 105gr A-max.

Yes with the 62gr GS Custom. Guys use the .222 & .223 effectively on Reds & Sika in NZ and these produce less energy than the 6x45.
 
Interesting.

I have shot very few deer at what I would consider to be LR. A lot of targets, but not much live. One I remember well was a Red Stag at 320 yds. A Switch that needed shooting and the dead ground meant I couldn't get any closer. Not a breath of wind so took the shot. 120 grain Nosler BT, marginally less fragmenting than the Amax, from a 6.5 Lapua hit him in the crease behind the front leg, 1/3 of the way up the chest, in the right spot, just behind the heart, a good killing shot.

I worked out later that it was carrying about 1400 ftlb of energy on impact.

He ran a couple of hundred meters and stopped, wobbled for a minute or so, lay down and took so long to expire I stalked in again and finished him with a second shot.

200 yd shots have never been an issue at about 1750 ftlb terminal energy. Since then I have always used something that will deliver at least 1750 ftlb at 300 yds when on the hill as I know that if I do want to take a longer shot I have a gun that will do the job. Hence questioning 1100 ftlb at 200 yds being sufficient.

Perhaps I jumped to the wrong conclusion following that experience and it was just an unlucky strike or particularly hard Stag.
 
Interesting.

I have shot very few deer at what I would consider to be LR. A lot of targets, but not much live. One I remember well was a Red Stag at 320 yds. A Switch that needed shooting and the dead ground meant I couldn't get any closer. Not a breath of wind so took the shot. 120 grain Nosler BT, marginally less fragmenting than the Amax, from a 6.5 Lapua hit him in the crease behind the front leg, 1/3 of the way up the chest, in the right spot, just behind the heart, a good killing shot.

I worked out later that it was carrying about 1400 ftlb of energy on impact.

He ran a couple of hundred meters and stopped, wobbled for a minute or so, lay down and took so long to expire I stalked in again and finished him with a second shot.

200 yd shots have never been an issue at about 1750 ftlb terminal energy. Since then I have always used something that will deliver at least 1750 ftlb at 300 yds when on the hill as I know that if I do want to take a longer shot I have a gun that will do the job. Hence questioning 1100 ftlb at 200 yds being sufficient.

Perhaps I jumped to the wrong conclusion following that experience and it was just an unlucky strike or particularly hard Stag.

It's purely my opinion, Nigel. I'm certainly not trying to force it on anyone and it's just based on what I've read on a NZ forum.

Real world results are what matter though so will reserve final judgement until I know what I'm talking about.

I certainly wouldn't try any hunting much over 150m until I know how it performs.
 
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It's purely my opinion, Nigel. I'm certainly not trying to force it on anyone and it's just based on what I've read on a NZ forum.

Real world results are what matter though so will reserve final judgement until I know what I'm talking about.

I certainly wouldn't try any hunting much over 150m until I know how it performs.

Will be very interesting to follow how you get on. Best of luck.
 
I don't think. 308 would even make that Energy?


Interesting.

I have shot very few deer at what I would consider to be LR. A lot of targets, but not much live. One I remember well was a Red Stag at 320 yds. A Switch that needed shooting and the dead ground meant I couldn't get any closer. Not a breath of wind so took the shot. 120 grain Nosler BT, marginally less fragmenting than the Amax, from a 6.5 Lapua hit him in the crease behind the front leg, 1/3 of the way up the chest, in the right spot, just behind the heart, a good killing shot.

I worked out later that it was carrying about 1400 ftlb of energy on impact.

He ran a couple of hundred meters and stopped, wobbled for a minute or so, lay down and took so long to expire I stalked in again and finished him with a second shot.

200 yd shots have never been an issue at about 1750 ftlb terminal energy. Since then I have always used something that will deliver at least 1750 ftlb at 300 yds when on the hill as I know that if I do want to take a longer shot I have a gun that will do the job. Hence questioning 1100 ftlb at 200 yds being sufficient.

Perhaps I jumped to the wrong conclusion following that experience and it was just an unlucky strike or particularly hard Stag.
 
I don't think. 308 would even make that Energy?

I would think it's there or there about, haven't checked as I don't own one. A 7mm08 just about makes it loaded with a bullet with a reasonable BC, easy to get in 7mm. I use a 280AI with a 145 Barnes LRX which is about 2000 ftlb at 300 meters. Never suffered the same problem with that.
 
First groups shot. Have not done any load development other than checking for max safe load over chrony. I loaded them shorter so they fit the magazine properly now. Shot at 100m. CCI450 primers.
 

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Nice work Rory.

Thanks! Broadside high lung shot at 50m. Ran about 30m and standing so another shot through heart from other side. First shot had left bit of lung hanging out of 3/4" exit hole so probably didn't need 2nd shot but didn't want to take chances.
 
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