6.5 × 47 Lapua 1000yrd load?

[flyperk]

I buddy of mine called me this past fall asking if I could bring out a rifle for a friend to shoot. He does "dream" hunts for Veterans. He was a Purple heart recipient and wanted to shoot long range. I met them at my range next door that goes out to 2500. I brought out my 6.5x47, Had good dope out to 1250 and around 75 rounds. He had first round hits from 300 out to 1250. Big smile. So yeah, it'll do it.
I think I had more fun than him.

Thank you for taking the time to do something nice for a vet. I for one appreciate all of you who do that for our fellow soldiers……Thank you

 

[SecondsCount]

I have shot mostly 130 grain class bullets with RL17 with success. Early on I tried the 123 SMK with Benchmark and saw some good groups but the 130 flies better and the RL17 gives a good bump in velocity.

Is the 6.5 x 47 a real 1000 yard cartridge?

Define real.

6.5x47 loaded with a 123 grain bullet- 2800 FPS MV is still moving at 1400 FPS at 1200. One of the guys I shoot with has one and I have seen him shoot groups at 1K that you could cover with your hand.

 

[PeteW]

I have a Tikka M595 in 6.5x47 Lap, with a Lothar 28" 8 twist barrel, that has shot 123 grain Scenars to 1200yds using 40.5 grains of RS60 powder. MV was 2980 fps at a Quickload indicated Pmax of 51,900 psi.
(The Litz ballistics ap predicts that with this MV, the velocity at 1200yds is 1196 fps, at 1000yds, it's 1438 fps))
I've only ever shot once at this distance, and it was on Stickledown range at Bisley here in the UK, which is notorious for it's wind patterns, but I did get one bull out of ten shots!
RS60 is equivalent to Reloder 17.
Usual caveats apply if you try this load, start low and work up.

Reload Swiss | RS 60

Reload Swiss. World class propellants - Rifles and handguns - Reload Swiss powders are used by military, police, competition and sporting shooters worldwide.

propellants.co.uk

PeteW

 

[Laurie]

Yes, it was designed for match shooting out to 1000M (1094 Yards) with a 9.0g (139 gr) bullet

Quite wrong. It was Lapua's answer to the 6mm BR Norma as a 300-metre precision cartridge for ISSF, the very demanding three-position match discipline that is very big commercially and in publicity value in the Nordic countries and northern Europe. It totally bombed in this role, but luckily turned out to be a very flexible number capable of excellent mid and long-range shooting.

Is the 6.5 x 47 a real 1000 yard cartridge?

Yes, easily. It is no longer competitive though in many competition disciplines such as F-Class being out-gunned by larger 6.5 and 7mm cartridges with superior ballistics. I shot F-Class up to 1,000 yards with it around 10 years ago. The 123gn Lapua Scenar at just under 3,000 fps (30-inch barrel) gave me some great results in 800 yard stages, but was left behind in 900 and 1,000 yard stages by the bigger sevens, ie 284 Win and 7WSM.

Re powders, as several people have said in their posts, there seems to be a divide between individual rifles/barrels, the cartridge sitting on a watershed. Most perform much better with VarGet / Re15; somewhat fewer with H4350; very few seem to like both powder classes. Mine shot very well with Viht N150 and the 123s. As with many UK 6.5X47Ls of that period, the chamber was throated too short to allow CIP 2.8" OALs and optimum performance from the longer 140gn bullets. (Those people I know who've tried both forms ended up preferring the shorter version / shorter bullets and have settled on that, but one-time US 6.5X47L long-range king Erik Cortina was an advocate of heavier bullets and did very well indeed at long ranges with this combination.) Personally, I'd regard N140 as a tad too fast-burning for the cartridge even with 123s, but precision may be good even if it loses a bit of MV.

However, the important thing is to be very careful not to overload this very small case design in the pursuit of velocity - it simply doesn't exhibit over-pressure symptoms until ejector extrusion signs appear. Primers just don't flatten in it until really serious over-pressures are reached, and may not do so even then. With hindsight, I realise I pushed the cartridge too hard to make it competitive at 1,000. Unlike many designs, it still shoots superbly when running really 'hot', and its cases are so strong, the usual over-pressure giveaway of short case life and slack primer pockets doesn't show. In my rifle's case, the give-way was much shorter barrel life than should have been available from this case-capacity class of 6.5. I have a Northern England gunsmith friend who mostly builds 'tactical' rifles and precision heavy sporters and who has built many, many 6.5X47Ls for people as well as being a one-time user himself. He tells me some of the remaining 6.5X47 Tactical / PRS / McQueens competitors are among his best rebarrelling service customers.

 

[Laurie]

RS60 is equivalent to Reloder 17.

It's not equivalent to - it's the same thing. The manufacturer Nitrochemie Wimmis sells the powder in bulk to Alliant ATK which packages under its own brand name as Reloder 17.

 

[DIBBS]

Anyone using Shooters World Precision in their 6.5x47? Similar to Varget from what I understand.

 

[Hoot]

Anyone using Shooters World Precision in their 6.5x47? Similar to Varget from what I understand.

I had a darned hard time sourcing Varget last year and had the opportunity to pick up an 8lb jug of Shooters World Precision for $300. Going on QuickLoad's advice, I used the same charge weight as my Varget loads and got the same velocity with no noticeable difference in POI. This was using well formed Peterson brass and CCI450 primers.

Hoot

 

[Mags]

Have been playing with 153.5gr LRHT over 4350 around 2600fps and getting excellent results. 144s also showed plenty of promise around 2720fps.

Obviously very slow and still easily 1200 yard capable.

 

[padom]

I've been shooting 6.5x47L for many years. One of my favorite cartridges....made the switch from 260rem to x47L instead of 6.5cm...

Stupid accurate cartridge with everything I've tested in it... my barrels have all shot H4350 and Varget equally well...I have mostly shot varget just because it requires less powder in the case...

I've shot lots of different bullets...123 and 139 Scenars, 130 and 140 Hybrids, 123, 130 and 140 ELD, newer pointed 130smk (one of my favorites) and 135 A-Tips which are stupid accurate.

Here a few targets I have handy but I have endless amounts of data on all of the above on my server.

I've shot both 130smk, 140 Hybrid and 135 A-Tips with ease and excellent accuracy at 1000yds shooting sub 0.5moa...

130 SMK
37.5gr Varget
5x Lapua
CCI 450
2.113 OG
2916

Here is my other lights out load.

135 A-Tip
38gr Varget
5x Lapua
CCI 450
2883

https://imgur.com/WpEWKQc

https://imgur.com/YJ4xstP

https://imgur.com/7v4Id6u

https://imgur.com/QhxaISD

https://imgur.com/XHd5gIL

 

[padom]

Here's some more detailed info on the newer pointed 130smk that are my go to for the past 2 years in x47L. Love these things! Very consistent in weight and Base to Ogive as well!

https://imgur.com/sCA3w2L

https://imgur.com/RhZ70M1