What’s better than an ultra-accurate 6BR? Well, two super-accurate 6BRs. This week, we’re featuring a pair tack-drivers that belong to Forum member Mark Schronce. The “Brothers in Arms”, although they share similar stocks, have different components. Mark’s 17 lb gray laminate Light Gun has a Hall action and HV taper bar. It also features a muzzle brake. The 21-lb “Desert Camo”, laminated Heavy Gun features a dual-port BAT trick action and a full-contour 30-? The barrel is not braked. Both guns track like they are on rails and shoot small groups. They also give Mark a serious advantage in club competition. Mark reports: “The Light Gun began as my 22-250 AI Varmint Gun, with a McMillan Hunter benchrest stock and a Hall action. Richard Franklin (Richard’s Custom Rifles), who chambered a Lilja 12twist in 6mm BR Norma with a.262 neck, did this for me. neck. The gun fired great right out the gate using Fowler 80gr FB Bullets. (See my report on Egg Shoots and the 600-yard 6BR). I was curious to see the heavier 6mm rounds, so I asked Richard to chamber and fit 1:8? Krieger in 6BR. This time, we chose a.271? no-turn neck. To my surprise, the Krieger shot 80s as well, as the 12-twist Lilja. Richard’s 008 F Class stocks were the perfect choice for my 2005 season. This new design is much more comfortable to shoot, and it’s also more stable in the bag than my old Hunter Stock. This added stability is a huge plus for benchrest matches at 600- and 1,000-yards.I’ve been shooting 1000-yard Benchrest in both Light and heavy classes for a few seasons now, using my 6mm BS or 6mm BR Light guns. I wanted to build a heavy gun class rifle that would still fit within the 22-lb F Class limit. I wanted the best hardware that I could afford. We fitted a 30? to a BAT “MB” action (with Jewell Trigger). 8-twist 3-groove Lilja, 1.250? No muzzle brake. Richard cut the chamber to 6mm BR Lapua Brass.271? No-turn neck throated for Sierra MKs 107gr, matching my existing Light Gun. The stock is a pillar bedded Richard’s 1000-yd/F Class model with 10 coats auto clearcoat. All work by Richard. Burris Zee rings support a Leupold 8-25×50 LRT mounted to a BAT Weaver one-piece base. The Heavy Gun weighs 21 lbs. This is much lighter than other Heavy Guns (50-100 lbs). The 6BR’s low recoil will be perfect for long range and still meet the weight requirements for F-Class.
I considered a 6BR Improved for heavy gun, but I am not convinced that the Improveds would be worth the extra hassle and cost of fire-forming. As a background, I had a Rem-actioned Rifle chambered in 6BR BS Bill Shehane, which is very similar the 6BR Dasher. I found that the 6BR BS is only about 100 fps quicker than a 6BR standard. This extra 100 fps does not matter for the shooting I do. If I ever feel the need for more speed in the future, then I will switch to a.243AI or a 6.5-284. I’ll be honest. I love the 6BR cartridge. Barrels last a lifetime, and accuracy is unbeatable. A 6BR may be a bit light for 1000-yard shooting on a daily basis, but it can still set world records on a good day. I may upgrade to a 6.5-284 one day, but I’ll stick with the 6mm BR for now. The 8.5-inch BAT Machine MB gives me the option to upgrade to a larger caliber if I so choose. BAT
Light vs. I think both actions are equally good in terms of bolt lift, lock-up and finish. The BAT, however, can run stout load with Federal 205 primers – loads that cratered Fed 205s when using the Hall. I don’t think it’s the barrels or the actions. I have a Lilja in the BAT while the Hall has a Krieger. I know that the BAT’s firing pin is tight, and this might make a big difference. Both of my actions have an integrated recoil lug. This is a great feature when changing barrels and is one of the reasons I prefer custom actions to Remington. I think either the Hall or the BAT would satisfy anyone. As you would expect, there is a huge difference between shooting a Light Gun and a Heavy Gun. The Heavy Gun is stabler and recoils straight forward. The Heavy Gun, even though it weighs 21 pounds, recoils more into your shoulder. If you remove the brake from the Light Gun and put the action in the old Hunter benchstock, the gun would roll, jump and torque. The 008 stock is much more solid, but not as rock-solid as the Heavy Gun. The 21-pounder tracks straight back on recoil, with no jumping, yaw or rolling. Results of Load Development and Accuracy
My favorite Light Gun load, developed last year, is 30.5 grains of Varget, CCI Br4 primers and 106gr Clinch Rivers VLDs at 2825 fps. The Light Gun can shoot other bullets well, but Clinch Rivers perform best with groups between 0.1 and 0.2 at 100 yards. I use Lapua Brass, of course. I began my load development with components that I had left over from last year. These included Varget, N140 and N540 powders as well as Fed 205, CCI BR4 and CCI 450 primes. I had a wide selection of bullets including 95gr and105gr Bergers as well as 105gr Lapua Scenars and 106gr Clinch Rivers. The Heavy Gun was a fan of the Bergers from the beginning. The rifle shot in low 0.2s and 0.3s (with 95gr bergers 0.20″ into lands, 30gr Varget, and CCI450s) at 100 yards, 0.3s and 0.182 at 200 yards. Small group at 200 yards. (See photo). The Bergers again stole the show when I moved up to heavier bullets. The best load for the Berger105s (seated at 0.15)? The best load for the Berger 105s (seated 0.15?) was 30.5 grains Varget with Fed 205s, at 2850 fps. This recipe was able to shoot in the 0.1s and low 0.2s at 100 yards with a small group 0.089?. This same load would crater Fed 205 primers in my Hall Light Gun. I may need to switch to CCI BR4 primes for the hot summer days. After working with 105s, I wanted to see what the Heavy Gun would do with lighter bullets. I used my favorite Egg Shoot load and 600-yard load – 80gr Fowlers pushed with 31.5 grains Vihtavuori n135 with Fed 205 primes. The results were amazing. The big BAT produced an aggregate of 100 yards (five 5-shot groups) within 0.2s and a 0.129? Small group. Both guns were able to agg five 5-shot groupings in the 0.3s or 0.4s at 200 yards. Beware of Eggs! Big, Strong and Versatile
BAT Machine ‘MB Action’
I looked at the custom actions and chose a BAT ‘MB’ with Right Bolt, Right Port, and Right Eject. The ‘MB” action has a few unique features including an integral recoil lug located on the underside and a recessed tenon. The threads begin 1? The threads start 1? The action is 8.5? The action is 8.5? bolt. The extra inch will be added to the front. This provides more bedding surface as well as room for a 3rd pillar. The 8.5? The 8.5? Also, I can load F-Class from either side. Why did I choose BAT? First, the quality of BAT is unmatched. BAT will also customize your port(s) or bolt for the same low price. Other action makers charge extra for anything beyond the basic Right Bolt Right Port. If you want my set-up, the BAT is about the same cost as a Stolle. The right-side feed port is a little smaller than the left, but I still can feed 6BR cases either way if I want. The MB action has such a large chamber that the little BR case will run out of ejectors as soon as it leaves the chamber. I then push the case to the right while loading the next round on the left. The BAT will eject the 6BR round perfectly, but only sometimes a fired case. This action would be great for a longer round such as a 6.5-284 or.243 AI. You’ll need a BAT action that is smaller if you want a reliable 6BR ejection. The port, just like the one on my Hall standard action would be too small to accommodate a 6.5-284. Richard’s #008 stock — How it handles
The 008 stock has the best design of any stock I’ve used. The grip profile of the 008 gives me the control that I want. The trigger is within reach of my short fingers. The underside of buttstock is flat, parallel to the barrel and perfectly straight. This allows the gun to track straight back. The scope remains on target during recoil. This allows for a quicker recovery. On the left, you can clearly see the raised strips on both the left and the right side of the underside forearm. These “rails”, which reduce the surface area of the bag contacting it, will result in less friction and a more consistent recoil. The stock’s high comb allows for better prone shooting. The stock is good enough for my prone shooting. If I decide to go F-class, I may add an adjustable cheekpad or comb. We’ll have to wait and see.Plans for competition — The lure of Hickory groundhog shoot dollars
Mark Schronce, a few years ago, told us that he couldn’t wait to test the performance of this pair at long distance. I will also bring the Light Gun to Hickory’s GroundHog match, but I might put the barreled actions back into the Hunter stocks. This year, you must use sandbags or bipods. No front rest. [Editor: That is no longer the norm.] I’m not sure if I want to drill into the stock of my brand new 008 for a bipod mounting. I’ll let ya know how I do, and hopefully i’ll be back with some loot.” Hickory gave away about $8000 in prizes that year. – Mark Schronce -Similar Posts:Tags: 6BR, 6mm BR, BAT Machines, Benchrest, Berger, Clinch River bullets, Competition, Ground Hog, Hall Action, IBS, Krieger, Lapua Brass, Lapua Scenar, Lilja, N140, N540, NBRSA, No-Turn, Shilen, Varget, Varminting, Vihtavuori
