100 to 120 Gr. Bullets in 6.5X47 Lapua?

[Chuckhunter]

Have been shooting a 6.5X47 Lapua with 130 Berger Hunting VLD's since 2009 and because the load works so well, I have never tried anything else. Hunting here in the Pa, hardwoods most shots are 75yds. or less. My rifle has a 24 inch barrel and I have been considering shortening it a few inches and shooting a lighter bullet. I would love to here from guys actually doing this and hunting whitetails with the lighter bullets and shorter barrels. The whitetails deserve quick humane kills so before I would switch I would like to be sure that's gtoing to happen.

 

[2506]

Why shorten the barrel? If it shoots good you may screw it up by lopping off the barrel. As far as lighter bullets for deer go 120 Sierra Pro Hunter or Speer Gold Dot are great deer bullets. The 100 gr Nosler Partition or Ballistic Tip does great also. I really like the 120 Gold Dot. I have been shooting it in one of my AR 15 platform with 20" barrel in 6.5 Grendel's at 2550 fps and it does AWESOME. Shot a deer with my other AR 6.5 Grendel with 18" barrel with 120 Sierra Pro Hunter at 2550 fps and it also dropped the deer in it's tracks. Have shot all shorts of bullets in 6.5x55 and 264 Win mag and really have not found a bad bullet 100 gr or heaver designed as a deer bullet. For me I do not like the Berger VLD as a hunting bullet because it does too much damage with the soft ball size exits.

 

[Beeman]

I switched one of my 6.5x47’s from the 130 accubond to the 124 gr Hammer Hunter. Load work up was so easy I couldn’t believe it. Steve from hammer says start with your accubond load and I was done! Only two animals this year but both dropped on the spot and never even twitched. If you want more speed I believe they make a 110 gr as well. Just make sure you got fast enough twist to stabilize these long copper bullets. I also got multiple exits as the nose petals also exit. I was sceptical, but they work as advertised. I also shoot the 130 Berger hunting in my other 6.5x47 with great results.

 

[X-Caveman]

I push the 110 Hammer Hunters at 3,000 FPS easily out of a 22" 6.5x47 8.5 twist with Varget. I've only shot 3 animals thus far. An 8pt TX whitetail buck dropped in his tracks with a high shoulder shot at about 75 yards. A 120# feral hog did the same with a heart shot at about 120 yards. That was impressive to watch, and the best testament to the bullet for me so far. I also made a poor shot on a doe and caught her low in the heart. She made it about 40 yards, then bedded down. That one was on me - I just don't care to see that. That said, I'm having her for lunch today & she's tasty.

I agree about load work - crazy easy. Everything was serviceable. It was almost just picking your velocity and loading them up. Of course, I don't hunt long range, but I'm comfortable with them out to 500 meters.

 

[jsthntn247]

Have been shooting a 6.5X47 Lapua with 130 Berger Hunting VLD's since 2009 and because the load works so well, I have never tried anything else. Hunting here in the Pa, hardwoods most shots are 75yds. or less. My rifle has a 24 inch barrel and I have been considering shortening it a few inches and shooting a lighter bullet. I would love to here from guys actually doing this and hunting whitetails with the lighter bullets and shorter barrels. The whitetails deserve quick humane kills so before I would switch I would like to be sure that's gtoing to happen.

I’m chopping a Creedmoor to 16” here shortly for woods and tree stand hunting with 110 gr copper bullets. I thought I would try a faster burning powder to get a complete burn in the shorter barrel. I would go Varget or 4895 for the creed and you might try 8208 or 4895 for the x47.

 

[ckaberna]

Have been shooting a 6.5X47 Lapua with 130 Berger Hunting VLD's since 2009 and because the load works so well, I have never tried anything else. Hunting here in the Pa, hardwoods most shots are 75yds. or less. My rifle has a 24 inch barrel and I have been considering shortening it a few inches and shooting a lighter bullet. I would love to here from guys actually doing this and hunting whitetails with the lighter bullets and shorter barrels. The whitetails deserve quick humane kills so before I would switch I would like to be sure that's gtoing to happen.

Not sure what velocities your getting now but my son has a 6.5x47 that had a HV 28” barrel on it in an A5 stock that was too heavy to lug around hunting. I got a sendero contoured Krieger for it and chambered it up. It’s 21” and he is getting about 2760- 2770 FPS with h4350 and Berger 130 hunting using cci 450s. His girlfriend killed her first deer at 280 yards couple of weeks ago. He had it last weekend shooting steel at 900.

 

[Chuckhunter]

Depending on what powder and charge weight I'm using, my velocities run between 2800 and 2890 fps from a 24" Krieger barrel. Sorry it took so long to respond but I was out of town for a little R&R. Thanks for your response, very useful information...……..Chuck

 

[GaryCrow]

I shoot 100 gr Barnes TTSX's in front of 40.0 gr Varget, CCI450's at 3100 fps out of my 22" bartlein 8.5 twist. Shoots tiny groups and every deer I've shot with it, about 20, has been a one shot kill with full pass through. Shots have been from 20 yds to 220 yds. Great deer load and hardly any recoil.

 

[Geno C]

My son uses 120amax in his. 23” using Varget gets to 2990 FPS. I’ll be loading a bunch for him this week. I don’t remember the charge right of the top my head.