6.5 x 47 vs 6mm GT

[Ray123]

The 6 GT will do fine for your requirements... get it. In higher wind I'd prefer a big 30 cal with 225 to 250 gr...but it's definitely not necessary in your endeavor and your 6 GT will be more economical to run and more fun to shoot...
I build my own rifles, and it was between the 6 Dasher and the 6 GT ...found out Alpha was making brass for the 6 Dasher, so I ordered a 6 Dasher no neck turn reamer ...I was a good choice for me, and one of my favorite calibers. As I get older I'm liking the 6mm more...so I got rid of the 25, 7mm, and soon as I wear out the barrels of the 2 6.5 mm's they will become 30 cal or 6 mm rifles.
Buy a bunch of 6GT brass and your new rifle while they are available...and enjoy.

 

[ValleyBoy1984]

My son and I use 6.5x47 exclusively. The brass life if sized correctly and not pushed to ridiculous pressures is really good. I have 12 and 13 firings on two different lots of brass. Pockets still tight as new. I recently took one barrel off at 2500 rounds to rebarrel. It still shot good, 3/8-1/2 moa. Got harder to clean and shooting BR needed to be able to hold a little tighter.
You said you have 200 pieces of brass so the brass thing from Lapua being temp. suspended is not really gonna hinder you for a while. Two other companies make good brass for x47 as well. My son uses Peterson in his. Little less capacity than the Lapua but at the end of the day doesn’t seems to hurt this cartridge.
And as far as I am concerned this cartridge is a dream to load for. Easy to tune, and STAYS in tune.
I say go 6.5x47 and you won’t regret it.

 

[Laurie]

The brass life if sized correctly and not pushed to ridiculous pressures is really good. I have 12 and 13 firings on two different lots of brass. Pockets still tight as new.

Yes, it really is a nice little cartridge with excellent brass. The 6GT looks a great little number too, so this choice appears to be more about whether he should get a six or a six-point-five. There are pros and cons for each calibre and its bullets that could be discussed forever. (.......... and have been on this and other forums!)

What struck me, and pleased me too, about your post was the rider you put in about keeping to sensible pressures. I really wish that were said more often about the 6.5X47L. It somehow seems to provoke users to overload it. I was told a year or two back by a British gunsmith friend who builds and looks after a lot of tactical rifles in UK competition circles that he has a regular rebarreling customer whose 6.5X47L rifle was eating barrels at a prodigious rate. Asking about the guy's handloads, it turned out he loads them so hot that he scraps the brass after one and only firing and barrel life is under 1,000 rounds. An extreme and (hopefully) rare example, but I see far too many cases that show ejector marks and similar over-pressure signs. (Oh, but look at the fired primers, say the owners. They're fine - no overpressure here.)

The gunsmith was a keen 6.5X47L user himself in his own competition rifles, but had moved to 6.5 Creedmoor once Lapua started making small primer brass, as have many of his customers. (The heavens will now fall down for certain forum members who'll call thunderbolts down on my head for mentioning the hated 'C' cartridge name.) The point my friend makes, and with which I agree entirely, is that the Lapua design is on the small side for case capacity and so too many users serially overload it to get the performance levels they want and expect. The Creedmoor (or 260 Rem, 260AI, or 6.5X55mm) has the extra case capacity to provide that performance level without running silly pressures especially with the latest generation of heavy high-BC bullets. (Of course, there will be idiots who overload the Creedmoor too to 'prove' that it can outperform the 6.5-284. )

 

[rijndael]

(The heavens will now fall down for certain forum members who'll call thunderbolts down on my head for mentioning the hated 'C' cartridge name.)

You should have abbreviated it CM too ... that would have offended anyone you missed.

 

[Laurie]

You should have abbreviated it CM too ... that would have offended anyone you missed.

Actually I have a legit way of avoiding the CM-mention deep pit full of alligators. My regular F-Class match partner who has used various sixes and 6.5s over the years is currently trying 6.5mm SLR. That's the 260 Rem with the top-end reformed to give a longer neck and 30-deg shoulder. It's an easy one-pass job in the right die. This is shooting really nicely for him. I like the SLRs too - have a 6mm version (same thing but start with a 243 Win case) rebarrelling just done. Getting it shooting and loads sorted is a 2023 job. In practical terms, the 6.5SLR is very close to the Creedmoor, but again has noticeably more case capacity than the 6.5X47L.

 

[Raptor]

Actually I have a legit way of avoiding the CM-mention deep pit full of alligators. My regular F-Class match partner who has used various sixes and 6.5s over the years is currently trying 6.5mm SLR. That's the 260 Rem with the top-end reformed to give a longer neck and 30-deg shoulder. It's an easy one-pass job in the right die. This is shooting really nicely for him. I like the SLRs too - have a 6mm version (same thing but start with a 243 Win case) rebarrelling just done. Getting it shooting and loads sorted is a 2023 job. In practical terms, the 6.5SLR is very close to the Creedmoor, but again has noticeably more case capacity than the 6.5X47L.

I loved the 6SLR!! Very accurate and easy on barrels. I set my first one back at 1800rds because I had shot it in comps. then pulled the barrel at just over 3400rds and it was still shooting well!! Just worried that it would quit on me. I used H4831SC and H1000 in mine. Brass was my biggest issue. I had a hard time finding good brass. I used WW back then. As I remember Robert Whitney was opposed to Lapua in one for some reason...

 

[Laurie]

As I remember Robert Whitney was opposed to Lapua in one for some reason...

I think it's just about ease of resetting the shoulder back far enough, Lapua being thicker and heavier. I'll try Lapua when I get mine going.

 

[JLT]

"...Asking about the guy's handloads, it turned out he loads them so hot that he scraps the brass after one and only firing and barrel life is under 1,000 rounds."

Oh my! Once-and-done with 6.5x47 Lapua brass?!? Bring a frag blanket if you're likely to be in the same vicinity.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

I pressed, the EZ Button and went, RemAge, Jewell Trigger, Criterion, barrel, 1-7.5 Twist, .104 FB, in 6 XC Tubb, Braked with, Norma Brass, Forster Dies, StaBall, IMR 4350 and N-160 Powders using, ANY, "good" bullet from, 80 to 110 Gr's and, I'm STILL pleased with, my choice, of, the 6 XC as, I'm getting One hole group's, the size of, the Hole,..
depends on,.. Me !

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

The 6 XC is NOT a "Fussy" cartridge ( most all, 4350 Burn Rate Powders are, FINE ), EZ to "Tune" with, LOW Recoil, accurate at, 600- 1,000 yds or, more if, low Wind AND,..
Brass, is NOT, an "Issue" with, the 6 XC as, Norma and Petersen BOTH make it and, "Worse case Senario" you can ALWAYS Form it from, most any, .22-250 Brass and, it, "Feeds",.. PERFECTLY, in a Short, Rem 700 sized Actions.
Just another Cartridge for the OP to, Think about, that, "works",.. WELL !

 

[rijndael]

And, 6XC brass is cheap right now.

 

[Capt. Oblivious]

I think it's just about ease of resetting the shoulder back far enough, Lapua being thicker and heavier. I'll try Lapua when I get mine going.

You just end up with a very thin neck after turning that massive donut of the lapua brass and then the necks will eventually split if you shoot them in a big chamber, speck your reamer according and you wont have any problems. I shot 1000s of pullets out of lapua brass without problems, the easy button is Sako brass, size it and shoot it and the quality is up there with any top end brass you can buy.

My life is to short to sort and shoot WW or Rem brass

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

KRG Bravo ($360), Nucleus action ($1,000), Criterion prefit w/threaded muzzle ($475) = $1835. Not including mags, muzzle brake. $1835, or almost same amount for Seekins Havak Bravo. The Nucleus build does give plenty of options for barrel specs, and arguably a better action. I will look at this option. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the 6.5 x 47, and Criterion can chamber for that cartridge. Thanks for the suggestion.

I would DO,.. THIS ^^^^ IF you are, the least bit,. "Handy" or have, a Friend that is or, have a REASONABLY Priced, Gunsmith around. You could, vary the Parts a little if you wanted BUT,.. You will NOT get any better, UN-Less you spend, a LOT of Money on, a Custom, Competition Rifle ( $6- $10K or More ). The Criterion Barrel in 6 XC is "Spec'd" Perfectly with, a 1-8 or 1-7.5 Twist . 104 Free Bore with, Berger 105-108's and Sierra's 107's sitting just above, the Neck shoulder Junction if going, 6 mm. Caution, some 6 MM's, ARE,.. "Barrel Burners" !
IF, you just HAVE to have, a 6.5, either the 6.5 X 47 or the 6.5 Creedmoor will,.. "Get in DONE" !
$2.5- $3 Grand, won't buy much, anymore But, IT will put you into, the 2's and 3's with, careful, Loading.
Good Luck and ENJOY,. the "Process" ! Pick "your" OPTIMAL, Bullet / Cartridge, FIRST for what, YOU want to DO !

 

[Capt. Oblivious]

Lol I found this on my phone this afternoon by accident. When I started playing with Lapua brass in 6SLR so everything wasnt all smooth sailing but I only lost 3 or 4 before i figured it out

 

[drop_point]

When I was shooting 6.5x47 Lapua, I enjoyed LONG barrel life, mild recoil, and getting 20+ firings out of the brass. I never tried pushing it hard, and shot 130s in the 2750 fps range. I never necked one down to 6mm, but wish I would have given it a go. It seems it would be quite balanced. On the other hand, I won a lot of matches shooting .260 Remington with cheap Remington stamp brass. I would shoot 140s pretty fast at 2830 fps and would get 14-16 firings before the primer pockets died. This was in PRS and similar matches. I did win a couple F-Class matches, too. Barrel life was 1700-1800 rounds. Was it really worth it for a tenth of wind at 600? I don't know.