7x47L - Let's talk about your experiences.

[Dimner]

So... I love me some .284. If I had to consolidate down to just one caliber (calibre for @Laurie ), it would be the 7mm.

I already have a 7x57 mauser. I love it, but I'm looking for a cartridge where I can build something very precise out to 800-1000 yards. I'm looking hard at the 7x47 Lapua. I'm not a speed demon, that's not at the top of my list. If it were, the 7mm08AI would be what I am looking at. But the 7mm08 is just meh. I mean, it's great for hunting and pretty good for precision, but I get the feeling that 7x47L is just more efficient and precise. I'm a fan of small cartridge that you can fill right up near the limit of the cartridge and get er done.

Have you all had experience with the 7x47L? If so, what do you think about it? What bullets are you shooting? How does it perform? I'm thinking I would be using around a 150-162ish bullet with it.

 

[Ranger188]

@Fuj has done some work with different length .284 cases.

 

[std7mag]

@Fuj has done work with shortening the 284 Win case.
I think he had 2 different lengths done.

As far as the 7mm-08AI is concerned, I have one.
Stevens 200 that I reamed the chamber to "AI".
I have the PT&G reamer with a 0.060" freebore.
I have shot everything from the 100gr Sierra HP Varmint through the 160gr Sierra HPBT GameKings.
Powders from RL15 through RL19.
IMR 4350, H414 did just fine with the 140-150gr bullets. Velocity around 2,832fps with the 22" barrel.

RL17 was the speed demon at 2,916fps.

Most consistent was Alliant PP2000MR.

I even shot a 600 yard F-Open match with it.
First match, first time shooting to 600 yards, first time shooting prone. Shot 173, 173-1X, 173-2X.
So, no I'm not a Grand Master, but was consistent.

I've shot it to 1,000 yards several times. Did just fine.

 

[South Paw Sammy]

I have no experience with it but here’s some information from the site.

7mm-6.5×47 Lapua — New Mid-Sized Wildcat Cartridge Tested « Daily Bulletin

Jason Baney was one of the founding fathers of this website when we started out as 6mmBR.com a decade ago. Jason's latest project involves an interesting wildcat, a mid-sized 7mm cartridge based on the 6.5x47 Lapua case. In this report, Jason (who now works at Eurooptic.

bulletin.accurateshooter.com

 

[Fuj]

So... I love me some .284. If I had to consolidate down to just one caliber (calibre for @Laurie ), it would be the 7mm.

I already have a 7x57 mauser. I love it, but I'm looking for a cartridge where I can build something very precise out to 800-1000 yards. I'm looking hard at the 7x47 Lapua. I'm not a speed demon, that's not at the top of my list. If it were, the 7mm08AI would be what I am looking at. But the 7mm08 is just meh. I mean, it's great for hunting and pretty good for precision, but I get the feeling that 7x47L is just more efficient and precise. I'm a fan of small cartridge that you can fill right up near the limit of the cartridge and get er done.

Have you all had experience with the 7x47L? If so, what do you think about it? What bullets are you shooting? How does it perform? I'm thinking I would be using around a 150-162ish bullet with it.

Right off the bat, the x47 case is all wrong for the 150-162 class bullet.
It does fall in the Varget speed range for a full case fill But the 7/08 case
is better, and by a lot......It's a shame that Sierra stopped making the 130 gr
SMK. It was my bread a butter bullet in my shortened 284 wild cats. I would
recommend the 140 Berger and give it some throat on a 10 twist barrel.

 

[Dimner]

Right off the bat, the x47 case is all wrong for the 150-162 class bullet.
It does fall in the Varget speed range for a full case fill But the 7/08 case
is better, and by a lot......It's a shame that Sierra stopped making the 130 gr
SMK. It was my bread a butter bullet in my shortened 284 wild cats. I would
recommend the 140 Berger and give it some throat on a 10 twist barrel.

Is the case wrong because the bullet will be seated too low? Or is it more a velocity thing?

Sierra does have a 140 TGK. If that's still too much I can look lower. The thing about the 7mm08 is... If I end up deciding on a 7mm08, I might as well stick with my 7x57 mauser cartridge.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I think the 7x47 is excellent if kept in its wheelhouse. I recently pieced together a really nice hunting rifle for myself but with resale value in mind, opted for a more standard cartridge for it so went 7mm-08. There's really no replacement for displacement when it comes to the really heavy for caliber bullets that are so popular these days. But that little x47 is impressive for its size, no doubt, even with the heavies.

If resale was no factor to me on this build, I would've done the 7x47. Might still do it as I like the gun and may just keep it anyway. Another bbl is no huge deal. I came up with the stock in a trade and it's a high end AA at least Accurate Innovations stock. They're proud of their stuff, to the tune of about $2200ish to buy a new one like it. So, I can keep it for the rest of my life and never really ask for more from a hunting rifle. I do think that cartridge borders on magical. It just outperforms what it seemingly should do and with great accuracy. It's kinda like a 6BR. It's just impressive beyond expectations.

 

[X Count]

If your punching paper and want a small calibre why close a 7mm? Berger at pretty well the only ones that make consistently good 7mm bullets and they are really hard to find. By the time you get down to a bullet weight that is reasonable for that case volume you've sacrificed enough BC that you would step down in bore size. I know some were making 7-08ai brass from Lapua SRP cases and in a good action they were getting decent velocity with 168 and 180s but it's running high pressures.

Try a straight 6.5x47 with any of the dozens of 123-149gr match bullets out there and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Here's another old thread with real world data re the 7x47 Lapua. It puches above it's weight class.

7x47 lapua

Who has one? Who built it? Dies? I want to learn everything I can before jumping in. It happening, just wanna be educated first.

forum.accurateshooter.com

 

[Dimner]

Thank you Mike!

I get the feeling that the answer is, almost no one has any experience with the 7x47L

Or is the answer that a majority of people talk shooters out of a 7x47L?

I'm not competing. Sierra, Barnes, and Hornady class bullets are just fine for me and they have a large array of 7mm bullets.

I'm kinda shocked that so many people are against 7x47L but love the 6.5 version.

7BR
(this is the gap)
7mm08
284

6BR (and a million variants)
6x47L
6 creed

6.5 Grendel
6.5x47L
6.5 creedmoor


Random thought time:
It seems like alot of threads on these forums are a guy asking a question for info on XYZ and then people without experience on XYZ try and talk them out of XYZ. Sorry, I just re-read that comment, it comes off pissy. I have not had my coffee. I'm just frustrated. I do not want a 7BR. I do not want a 7/08. So what is the in-between? Do I constantly have bad ideas? Or is this forum a place where people try and talk a guy out of what they are looking to do?

 

[Tangent]

Random thought time:
It seems like alot of threads on these forums are a guy asking a question for info on XYZ and then people without experience on XYZ try and talk them out of XYZ. Sorry, I just re-read that comment, it comes off pissy. I have not had my coffee. I'm just frustrated. I do not want a 7BR. I do not want a 7/08. So what is the in-between? Do I constantly have bad ideas? Or is this forum a place where people try and talk a guy out of what they are looking to do?

The best cure I find is to try it for yourself and then if it's a waste of money you'll think twice next time

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Thank you Mike!

I get the feeling that the answer is, almost no one has any experience with the 7x47L

Or is the answer that a majority of people talk shooters out of a 7x47L?

I'm not competing. Sierra, Barnes, and Hornady class bullets are just fine for me and they have a large array of 7mm bullets.

I'm kinda shocked that so many people are against 7x47L but love the 6.5 version.

7BR
(this is the gap)
7mm08
284

6BR (and a million variants)
6x47L
6 creed

6.5 Grendel
6.5x47L
6.5 creedmoor


Random thought time:
It seems like alot of threads on these forums are a guy asking a question for info on XYZ and then people without experience on XYZ try and talk them out of XYZ. Sorry, I just re-read that comment, it comes off pissy. I have not had my coffee. I'm just frustrated. I do not want a 7BR. I do not want a 7/08. So what is the in-between? Do I constantly have bad ideas? Or is this forum a place where people try and talk a guy out of what they are looking to do?

As someone mentioned, lack of bullets is really the only issue. That and just staying within the range where it works well rather than trying to get something from it that, it's just not, like ELR or something, just as an example.

Personally, and having some experience with the 7x47, it's a sweet round for 300-600 yards and/or a great little mid sized hunting cartridge. It's pleasant to shoot and accuracy is pretty impressive. Testing is how we know stuff so if you want one, do it. Just understand what it is and what its not, beforehand.

There's a lot of knowledge on here but don't let the naysayers talk you into or out of something you wanna try unless there is a tangible reason for it. Dies are not a big deal here at all.

It might help if you state what you want to do with it but in the end, it's up to you. FWIW, Greg, that I built one for and linked to his posts with data, has recently expressed an interest in having me do another barrel or two for him in the near future. That tells us what he thinks about it. He hasn't been posting on here much of late as he has taken up airplanes/flying but he's a really sharp guy. Nothing against anyone but the opinion of the experienced does carry more weight than that of the inexperienced.

 

[Dimner]

As someone mentioned, lack of bullets is really the only issue. That and just staying within the range where it works well rather than trying to get something from it that, it's just not, like ELR or something, just as an example.

Personally, and having some experience with the 7x47, it's a sweet round for 300-600 yards and/or a great little mid sized hunting cartridge. It's pleasant to shoot and accuracy is pretty impressive. Testing is how we know stuff so if you want one, do it. Just understand what it is and what its not, beforehand.

There's a lot of knowledge on here but don't let the naysayers talk you into or out of something you wanna try unless there is a tangible reason for it. Dies are not a big deal here at all.

It might help if you state what you want to do with it but in the end, it's up to you. FWIW, Greg, that I built one for and linked to his posts with data, has recently expressed an interest in having me do another barrel or two for him in the near future. That tells us what he thinks about it. He hasn't been posting on here much of late as he has taken up airplanes/flying but he's a really sharp guy. Nothing against anyone but the opinion of the experienced does carry more weight than that of the inexperienced.

Thanks Mike, I appreciate the reply and the link.

Recreational shooting out to 600 sounds just fine for me. Hunting sounds great as well. Here in Michigan, in the rifle zone, it's nearly impossible to find a spot where deer will frequent and you are required to take a 300yard + shot on them. This is on public land. Fancy pants land owners (i jest) might have different situations. I have only hunted on two private land plots and they both had similar parameters. Deer don't like to be exposed. In gun season anyway.

So maybe the ticket for me is to play around with a 7x47L in my Tikka or Kauger with a profile somewhere between a 3b and a med palma. If I really like it, I can get a #2 barrel profile on the tikka and setup a really lightweight hunter rig. The light recoil of the 7x47L should meld well with a light weight hunting setup. It always cracked me up when I see people on different forums with a 6# rig in 300 win mag or what ever the mag flavor of the week was. I don't really have the need for an ultra light setup, but I might as well put it together with this cartridge.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Thanks Mike, I appreciate the reply and the link.

Recreational shooting out to 600 sounds just fine for me. Hunting sounds great as well. Here in Michigan, in the rifle zone, it's nearly impossible to find a spot where deer will frequent and you are required to take a 300yard + shot on them. This is on public land. Fancy pants land owners (i jest) might have different situations. I have only hunted on two private land plots and they both had similar parameters. Deer don't like to be exposed. In gun season anyway.

So maybe the ticket for me is to play around with a 7x47L in my Tikka or Kauger with a profile somewhere between a 3b and a med palma. If I really like it, I can get a #2 barrel profile on the tikka and setup a really lightweight hunter rig. The light recoil of the 7x47L should meld well with a light weight hunting setup. It always cracked me up when I see people on different forums with a 6# rig in 300 win mag or what ever the mag flavor of the week was. I don't really have the need for an ultra light setup, but I might as well put it together with this cartridge.

Lol! I use to shoot big guns but the older I get, the smaller my guns get. That, or they wear a brake. My place here where I hunt is a max feasible shot of 515 yards. Average over the years has probably been 250ish, as a lot of them have been at 490, where they come onto my place from the neighboring property. Sometimes they come in close and other times, not so much. That 490 yard shot is common enough that I dial for it and have killed several at the same spot, virtually. A 7x47 will do fine for that distance. Some cartridges/guns are just fun to shoot. I think this is one of those cartridges.

 

[Dimner]

So let's talk about twist rates. 8.7 or the 9 twists the right place to be? I don't think I would need to go down to a 7. Since I doubt I ever go above a 170ish grain bullet. If even that heavy. For hunting, Hornady makes a 150gr ELD-X, Sierra has the 140gr Tipped Game King.

I'm also, seeing clearly now what @Fuj is saying. There is clearly a lack of quality match bullets below the 150/160 grain weight segment. Anything below 150gr seems to be oriented only for hunting/varmint.

 

[Ranger188]

Sometimes you HAVE to scratch that itch no matter what others tell you.
If nothing else you'll learn a bit more of what works and what might not,
but in the end you'll learn something.
You just found out that not to many have done a 7x47
I say, go for it.

 

[swd]

With the speeds others are getting with the 7x47 ballistically it would have virtually the same or slightly less performance as the 6.5x47, but for a hunting cartridge it would have slightly more energy along with more frontal area. It would just depend on how turn key you want it to be as far as dies and reamers go.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

So let's talk about twist rates. 8.7 or the 9 twists the right place to be? I don't think I would need to go down to a 7. Since I doubt I ever go above a 170ish grain bullet. If even that heavy. For hunting, Hornady makes a 150gr ELD-X, Sierra has the 140gr Tipped Game King.

I'm also, seeing clearly now what @Fuj is saying. There is clearly a lack of quality match bullets below the 150/160 grain weight segment. Anything below 150gr seems to be oriented only for hunting/varmint.

9 twist should be plenty fast and even a 10 if you stay with 168 class bullets and down, which is where this cartridge is happiest.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

A 30-30 may still be the champ in terms of having killed more deer than all others combined. It's versatile in its wheelhouse and believe it or not, can be super accurate in the right setup. Why would anybody want something like that? Lol!

Just saying, it doesn't have to be the biggest or fastest to be very efficient and effective within certain parameters, set by the owner for it. I can say that there are very few cartridges that pack it's punch, with the same accuracy and lower recoil. To me, it's a better 7mm-08 but you have to quantify what "better" is to you and for the job at hand. I don't think it's crazy at all but that's me. There are tons of cartridges out there that can be topped by something else but..for what purpose? I think a 7x47 is awesome as long as it fits the bill for the job. It won't win short range BR and it can be topped for 1000 yards but there's a lot of room in between that it does very well. Either way, don't knock the man for wanting something different. I don't think anyone has aked what he plans to do with it, but maybe I missed that part. Lol! It's a sweet cartridge. It really is.

 

[Evan]

Thank you Mike!

I get the feeling that the answer is, almost no one has any experience with the 7x47L

Or is the answer that a majority of people talk shooters out of a 7x47L?

I'm not competing. Sierra, Barnes, and Hornady class bullets are just fine for me and they have a large array of 7mm bullets.

I'm kinda shocked that so many people are against 7x47L but love the 6.5 version.

7BR
(this is the gap)
7mm08
284

6BR (and a million variants)
6x47L
6 creed

6.5 Grendel
6.5x47L
6.5 creedmoor


Random thought time:
It seems like alot of threads on these forums are a guy asking a question for info on XYZ and then people without experience on XYZ try and talk them out of XYZ. Sorry, I just re-read that comment, it comes off pissy. I have not had my coffee. I'm just frustrated. I do not want a 7BR. I do not want a 7/08. So what is the in-between? Do I constantly have bad ideas? Or is this forum a place where people try and talk a guy out of what they are looking to do?

You’d have thought I was killing puppies with how folks responded when I asked about building a fast twist 20 Vartarg to shoot 55gn Bergers. Well, I ignored them and did it anyway and you know what? A 55gn Berger going 3050fps can shoot nearly an inch at 600 yards. They were wrong.

I think a 7x47 makes a lot of sense. The case is robust and high quality. Both Peterson and Lapua are top tier. I would choose a twist that will let you try the 180s because you never know what might catch your eye and you’re not at any risk of blowing up bullets. A 308 can do a surprising job with 200gn bullets and I bet the 7x47 would do amazing things with the 180 class, given how good those bullets are.