6.5mm FB LR match bullets

[Oliveralan]

I have a 6.5x47L that i may want to use as a backup f-class rifle. I feel like a flat base, aggressive tangent ogive, tight meplat, in the 120-135gr range would be just the ticket for mid range f-class, meaning 300 to 600yards. I am currently shooting 130 JLKs, they shoot well, but not "lights out".

Does a bullet like this exist? if so, where do i buy it?? if not, anyone understand why a bullet like this hasn't been made?

While the 6br imp. class cartridges work well, i feel a little more horsepower would be good to help overcome reading the wind angles a little off...

keep it in the 10-x...
Oliveralan

 

[KevinThomas]

Oliveralan,

Bob McCoy designed some FB-VLD type bullets, but you're dealing with a real specialty item here. I don't recall the circumstances around it, but Bob worked these up for a very specific application. With the distances you're dealing with here, you're well within the range that a BT begins to really make its advantages felt. Is there some particular reason you want the FB?

 

[expiper]

HI Oliver ....Im a bettin that you are jst like the rest of us....waitin on Randy to get a set of dies and make a scaled down version of his 30 cal marvel that holds a bunch of 1000yd records.....it may not hav the best BC...but they fly strait.....and accuracy trumps BC every time...Roger

 

[Oliveralan]

Roger,
while i'm not sure i know randy's FB 30cal bullets... unless he is who makes BIB bullets? those sounds exactly like what i am looking for. While BT's do start to really stabilize by 300+ yards, FB bullets have a proven track record for extremely stable flight, and i just feel like they would be worth trying in 6.5x47 in the quest for ever smaller groups.
I am a junior f-class shooter, however take it very seriously. The JUNIOR 600 yard open 20shot record stands at 200-12X. A most impressive score... so that's what im up against. While i mainly compete in F-T/R, an F-open record capable load for my 6.5x47 is something i'm working on while my .308 is getting a fresh pipe.

Oliver

 

[expiper]

Yes ...Randy Robinette...BIB bullets.....

 

[Oliveralan]

Yes that's what i was thinking. I am going to try some of his excellent 187gr FB 30cal bullets in my new .308 barrel. Like you said, they have a proven track record (still hold some important BR records). So, yes, a scaled down version in 6.5mm... that would be great!

 

[BOBC]

When I shoot a long range matches, I hope all the people I'm shooting against use flat base bullets. In highpower years ago Winchester came out with a 30 cal 168 FB, it cost considerably less per 100 than the Sierra 168 BT. It grouped good also. However, at 300 yds. with the same load I had to add a minute and a quarter more wind and one minute elevation to my 300 yd. zero's with the Win FB. I'll take a well made BT bullet especially in wind pick ups and let offs.......

 

[johara1]

I shoot a 47 and use JLK 130's and they shoot in a hole at 300,wind isn't a big issue just a hold.........jim

 

[mikecr]

Oliveralan, I think you're absolutely right about your need for mid-range. But there are just no 'accuracy' bullets that I'm aware of in 26cal.

 

[lynn]

OliverAlan
I don't know how clearly you can see the pictures but the first picture is adjusting your seating depth in 0.001 increments with a VLD type bullet.
At 600 yards your groups will suffer with the vlds if your not seating each bullet the exact same depth as measured with a comparator.If you just seat them with any of the more popular bullets out there today the best you can hope for is 0.003 variation.
On your JLK's seat each bullet individually using a comparator and your 600 yard groups will shrink.

The second picture is 9 shots at 600 yards shot by my 76 year old father using 187 BIB's.Those 9 shots are a full half inch under the current nbrsa world record.The 10th shot makes the group 5 inches unfortunately.

With Tangent ogive bullets the seating depth is more consistant because the ogive is more consistant.
Lynn

 

[expiper]

Hi Lynn....you shure have that 30 mag shootin.....and your dad knows how to shoot it!!!.....I have one that looks like that at 1000 (9 in 3.0").....hope things are well out west ...say hi to dad.......Roger

 

[lynn]

Roger
The 10th shot flyer was completely my fault.Instead of running down to the local hardware store and buying a long bolt for his front rests stop I used a stop that hits the rest itself.
When he slid the gun forward it knocked the front bag clear off his 6 inch Bald Eagle top as they are only glued in place.
I had to endure the 9 hour ride home listening to him tell me the long bolt costs less than a dollar.
Lynn

 

[Erik Cortina]

Oliveralan,

I use a 6.5x47 Lapua for F-Class and I have yet to feel the need for a FB bullet because of lack of stabilization on the BT bullets.

I use 139 gr. Lapua Scenars from 300 yards out to 1,000 yards and they work great, same bullet all the way through!

This is how the 139's Scenars shoot at 300 yards.
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2010/04/erik-cortina-breaks-300-yard-f-class-record-with-6-5x47-lapua/

Two weeks ago, I let a new shooter shoot my 6.5x47 Lapua at 1,000 yards, he was having trouble with the wind, but when the wind died he was able to drill 7 X's in a row before the winds started blowing again. The group measured a little less than 3 inches for those seven shots! You can see the seven shots on the attachment, the center hole is the first shot and you can count another 6 shots on the marker, three landed right on the edge. The marker is 3"

I use N550 with 139 gr. Lapua Scenars and they work for me!

 

[kyreloader]

Oliveralan,

I use a 6.5x47 Lapua for F-Class and I have yet to feel the need for a FB bullet because of lack of stabilization on the BT bullets.

I use 139 gr. Lapua Scenars from 300 yards out to 1,000 yards and they work great, same bullet all the way through!

This is how the 139's Scenars shoot at 300 yards.
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2010/04/erik-cortina-breaks-300-yard-f-class-record-with-6-5x47-lapua/

Two weeks ago, I let a new shooter shoot my 6.5x47 Lapua at 1,000 yards, he was having trouble with the wind, but when the wind died he was able to drill 7 X's in a row before the winds started blowing again. The group measured a little less than 3 inches for those seven shots! You can see the seven shots on the attachment, the center hole is the first shot and you can count another 6 shots on the marker, three landed right on the edge. The marker is 3"

I use N550 with 139 gr. Lapua Scenars and they work for me!

Erik, why the switch from RL17 to N550? Seems like that RL17 load was shooting pretty well for you. ???

 

[Erik Cortina]

When I got my new barrel, I decided to try RL17 and N550 because RL17 never shot really good at 1,000 yards, it always had a high ES/SD, it shot great from 300 to 600 yards, but not at 1,000.

N550 gives me great accuracy with low ES/SD (14 fps.), it shoots great from 300 to 1,000 yards. My load with N550 is right at 2,900 fps. so I only gave up about 30 fps, not enough to matter.

Another thing I like about N550 is that it is a very fine powder, it hardly ever gives me overthrows from my Chargemaster and it "throws" very consistently from a Harrels BR powder thrower.

 

[dan06]

I don't know about 6.5 mm bullets but I use some berger vld ogive flat base bullets in my .243 and they shoot better than any other FB bullets I have used. They are pretty consistantly under .4"........for 5 shot groups at 100

 

[Trevor60]

HI LYnn can you expand on the 187 FB i have some on order hope to get them in the next few days. My primary reason for the FB over the BT was the reducing in vertical. I had an article that discussed this in details but it got lost from one computer to another. After several lengthy discussion with Randy and some interesting data the FB bullet design produced less Vertical stringing then the BT. Are they more efficent not sure but i have seen more then a few guys shooting F class with the heaiver 185 class bullets drop points out the bottom that i am convinced that there is something going on with the BT that i can not account for.

Thanks
Trevor

 

[BOBC]

I LIKE FLATBASE BULLETS FOR 1 AND 200 YDS ON NO WIND DAYS. HOWEVER, FB'S ARE REAL EASY TO MAKE THAT'S WHY I LIKE THEM. BUT OVER 200YDS YOU COULD NOT PAY ME TO USE FLAT BASE BULLETS. NOT EVERYONE CAN MAKE GOOD BT BULLETS. YOUR FORMING PUNCHES ETC. HAVE GOT TO BE DEAD TRUE. IF THEY ARE NOT, YOUR TARGET WILL LOOK LIKE YOU'VE BEEN PATTERNING YOUR SHOTGUN. I KNOW I'VE BEEN THERE. DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ROOM ON THIS THREAD TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE WHYS AND WHEREFORES ON BT'S AND FB'S. BUT MY 56 YRS EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT ME A FEW THINGS ON THIS SUBJECT.

 

[aJR]

Hi all, At the 1000yd bench game here in Australia the 187BIB has shot Smallest group/ Highest score on single card.. SG/HS on 2 target day agg.. SG/HS for 6 target match agg .. SG/HS on the 10 target match agg.. As a matter of fact out of the best 50 10 shot groups ever recorded in registered matches at the 5 different ranges over here the blunt old 187 that Randy makes has shot 24 of those 50.. One thing i will say if ya can learn to drive em they will hold an average better vertical dispersion than those long pointy bullets in the winds i shoot in.. JR.. Jeff Rogers..pic of a target i screwed up at 1000yds

 

[mikecr]

BCB, you didn't really make a case for, or against, either FB, or BT!!