Help me pick a 6.5

[Steve_O]

Depends on what matches he is shooting. He needs to give some more info.

They are 500-1000 yard steel plate matches currently. Points based on hit the largest plate for points then move to the smaller plate so on so on. Plates are set 500-1000 yards, large plate is 2 moa down to 1/2 moa on all racks. Might do some local 500 yard f class for fun with the same rifle, guys just talked about doing that match today as well. Why the change or thinking of changing to a 6.5x47 is everyone I talked to that have one says the accuracy is great and easy to load for. My Creed shot good just curious if the X47 was worth considering.

 

[Steve_O]

A bit biased because a straight 260 is one of my all time favorites but I would overlook it. It's a relatively new cartridge, being introduced in the latec90s but it outperforms the newer creedmoor in every way if mag length isn't a problem and an AI is even better.

Hard to go wrong with a x47 too

I’ve never shot a 260 so Iam not sure if it would fit in my short action and could be mag fed?

 

[Steve_O]

I'll pile on with @Bill Norris and @Fast14riot. The .260 AI has enough boiler room for another gear and that may come in handy at 1K. Six or seven grains more powder for an additional 200 fps or so seems like a good trade in less-than-ideal conditions and the .260 AI shoots the lower nodes just fine for those times when the wind is more calm.

The smaller cases will struggle if you wish to move up in bullet weight to the 150 grain class. The 6.5x47 Lapua and the Creedmoor won't keep up with the .260 AI unless you don't mind pitching your brass after a firing or two. I tried the 150 gr. Sierra in my 6.5x47 Lapua and it just didn't have the capacity to get any benefit out of the heavier bullet without getting silly with pressure.

That 260AI looks promising also just not sure if it would fit in my short action and still be mag fed as well? I havnt had a 260 so not sure how long that cartridge would be.

 

[JLT]

That 260AI looks promising also just not sure if it would fit in my short action and still be mag fed as well? I havnt had a 260 so not sure how long that cartridge would be.

You're going to single-load if you give F Class a whirl, so mag length is a non-issue. What kind of mags are you running?

 

[Steve_O]

What type of matches? You have had a Creedmoor so you have the gear already so why change? The Creedmoor is plenty accurate and you can load up heavies if you want. I shoot 153 ATips at 2680fps in my Creedmoor now for PRS matches.

Here is 5 shots at 100 of factory Hornady 140 ELD-M with using a 6th bullet hole as the aiming point. Just got done using the ATS tuner to tune this lot of ammo. The following week at a prematch open range I shot a group on steel at 900 yards and the spotter said the shots were almost touching so you can get good accuracy as well with the Creedmoor and factory ammo in a pinch.


View attachment 1565237

What’s the OAL of your 6.5 Creed and 153’s?

 

[Steve_O]

You're going to single-load if you give F Class a whirl, so mag length is a non-issue. What kind of mags are you running?

It won’t be a dedicated F Class rifle just want to try it out and see how I like it, but for our other local steel matches it needs to mag feed. If I like F Class enough I will build a rifle for that. At the moment Iam using MDT 10 round no binder mags.

 

[Steve_O]

I do like the fact I can run heavier bullets in the Creedmoor, but didn’t know if that would trump the X47 and it’s accuracy potential everyone talks about at 1000 yards.

 

[X-Caveman]

They are 500-1000 yard steel plate matches currently. Points based on hit the largest plate for points then move to the smaller plate so on so on. Plates are set 500-1000 yards, large plate is 2 moa down to 1/2 moa on all racks. Might do some local 500 yard f class for fun with the same rifle, guys just talked about doing that match today as well. Why the change or thinking of changing to a 6.5x47 is everyone I talked to that have one says the accuracy is great and easy to load for. My Creed shot good just curious if the X47 was worth considering.

Is this the north east Tx tactical belly flops you speak of?

 

[Steve_O]

Is this the north east Tx tactical belly flops you speak of?

No south, north of Corpus.

 

[Rob01]

What’s the OAL of your 6.5 Creed and 153’s?

It won’t be a dedicated F Class rifle just want to try it out and see how I like it, but for our other local steel matches it needs to mag feed. If I like F Class enough I will build a rifle for that. At the moment Iam using MDT 10 round no binder mags.

They are 500-1000 yard steel plate matches currently. Points based on hit the largest plate for points then move to the smaller plate so on so on. Plates are set 500-1000 yards, large plate is 2 moa down to 1/2 moa on all racks. Might do some local 500 yard f class for fun with the same rifle, guys just talked about doing that match today as well. Why the change or thinking of changing to a 6.5x47 is everyone I talked to that have one says the accuracy is great and easy to load for. My Creed shot good just curious if the X47 was worth considering.

OAL is 2.860" and it feeds fine from AICS mags with binder plates and without. Below is a pic of an MDT 10 round without a binder plate and how it sits.

The x47 is not a bad round but it won't do anything the Creedmoor can't. The mythical accuracy is because the name Lapua is stuck with it and it came out about 2 years before the Creedmoor so it grabbed the crowd first. Now that all sorts of brass is available for the Creedmoor, including God's brass Lapua lol, you can load whatever you want but you also have the option of a lot of very good factory ammo. The .260 can get a little more velocity than the Creedmoor, about 50fps, but for what you want more velocity isn't really needed as the x47 has less also. I never messed with the improved cartridges as I do not want to deal with fireforming.

The Creedmoor can do the accuracy you need also. A 1/2 moa steel at 1000 will come down more to a wind call honestly.

 

[Rob01]

No south, north of Corpus.

You should go shoot some matches at Rifle's Only in Kingsville. Great place and people!

 

[Steve_O]

OAL is 2.860" and it feeds fine from AICS mags with binder plates and without. Below is a pic of an MDT 10 round without a binder plate and how it sits.

The x47 is not a bad round but it won't do anything the Creedmoor can't. The mythical accuracy is because the name Lapua is stuck with it and it came out about 2 years before the Creedmoor so it grabbed the crowd first. Now that all sorts of brass is available for the Creedmoor, including God's brass Lapua lol, you can load whatever you want but you also have the option of a lot of very good factory ammo. The .260 can get a little more velocity than the Creedmoor, about 50fps, but for what you want more velocity isn't really needed as the x47 has less also. I never messed with the improved cartridges as I do not want to deal with fireforming.

The Creedmoor can do the accuracy you need also. A 1/2 moa steel at 1000 will come down more to a wind call honestly.

View attachment 1565322

Good to know the 153’s fit well, I had my 6.5 with 140’s loaded at 2.893 so good to know the 153 is an option also thanks for the pic. I have been wanting to check out Rifles Only I hear great things about it.

 

[Rob01]

Good to know the 153’s fit well, I had my 6.5 with 140’s loaded at 2.893 so good to know the 153 is an option also thanks for the pic. I have been wanting to check out Rifles Only I hear great things about it.

No problem. I have only used AICS mags with plates up until the one I got on sale from MDT and no issues using 140 AMAX/ELD-M and getting them about .020" off lands at 2.860" in a SAAMI .199 freebore chamber. Can go deeper also as those bullets don't mind a jump. I have shot the 140s at factory length which is about .070" off and also very good accuracy.

Yup Rifles Only is excellent. Started going down there to matches in 2003 but haven't been back down in a few years and bummed about it. They have a great facility.

 

[Steve_O]

No problem. I have only used AICS mags with plates up until the one I got on sale from MDT and no issues using 140 AMAX/ELD-M and getting them about .020" off lands at 2.860" in a SAAMI .199 freebore chamber. Can go deeper also as those bullets don't mind a jump. I have shot the 140s at factory length which is about .070" off and also very good accuracy.

Yup Rifles Only is excellent. Started going down there to matches in 2003 but haven't been back down in a few years and bummed about it. They have a great facility.

Forgot to ask what powder are you using with the 153’s?

 

[Rob01]

Forgot to ask what powder are you using with the 153’s?

H4350

 

[Dave Way]

Lapua 6.5x47 Lapua Unprimed Brass 100ct

Just in case. Pun intended.

Dave.

 

[Dave Way]

The x47 is not a bad round but it won't do anything the Creedmoor can't. The mythical accuracy is because the name Lapua is stuck with it and it came out about 2 years before the Creedmoor so it grabbed the crowd first.

Mythical accuracy. Some people don’t think anything without the word Creedmoor can shoot well. Don’t drink the cool aid!

Dave.

 

[Rob01]

View attachment 1565533

Mythical accuracy. Some people don’t think anything without the word Creedmoor can shoot well. Don’t drink the cool aid!

Dave.

I am not one of those people as I know there are other cartridges that shoot great. I just don’t want him to think he is going to be making major gains in changing to an almost identical cartridge.

I have friends who shoot the x47 and I have been shooting the Creedmoor since 2008 so I have a full understanding of it. No kool aid being drunk. Comes from actual experience.

 

[Dave Way]

@tom is a big Creedmoor fan. Maybe he will speak up.

Dave.

 

[tom]

@tom is a big Creedmoor fan. Maybe he will speak up.

Dave.

I have a 6 and a 6.5 Creedmoor, both hunting gun and BR barrels and I like them. But they both obsolete now lol.



Tom