6.5x47 bullet choices

[Clavius-Walker]

Mine shoots the 130 TMK'S very well also, 40.3 great h4350 and br2 or 450 primers, shoots the 130 VLD hunting bullets very well also at 40.1 gr

I'm still fighting this one, on my 6th 6.5 and have yet to get one to shoot worth a crap, I've had plenty of 22, 6mm, 30s and 338s that shot just fine but a 6.5 for me is the absolute pits.

 

[DHuffman]

I'm still fighting this one, on my 6th 6.5 and have yet to get one to shoot worth a crap, I've had plenty of 22, 6mm, 30s and 338s that shot just fine but a 6.5 for me is the absolute pits.

I like all my 6.5's, Creedmoors, Lapua's, 6.5-284 but the 6mm stuff are the ones I can't get to shoot.

 

[Robert Galligan]

just started my new build, dual mid to long range fclass rig. curious about what these seem to like? Planning on bergers 140gr my main question is has anyone found accuracy of the vld hunting or target bullets, I'm not leaving the hybrids out of question either, just hoping to minimize round count on my new barrel thanks for any input

I've been using the 140 Berger hybrids for over a year with excellent results in F Open. Very accurate with H4350. They're easy to tune as some say. Very common setup in 6.5x47L here in FL

 

[joshb]

I'm still fighting this one, on my 6th 6.5 and have yet to get one to shoot worth a crap, I've had plenty of 22, 6mm, 30s and 338s that shot just fine but a 6.5 for me is the absolute pits.

Well, stop buying Marlins. Seriously, what are your 6.5 set ups that won't shoot. I'm putting together 2 6.5 s and now you have me worried.

 

[AckleymanII]

If you are a hunter, the 127g Barnes Long Range has proved very accurate with H4350 and cci 450. Pard has killed half a dozen deer with them, they work!

 

[Preacher]

Even the 130 Accubond is a 1/4 MOA shooter in my hunting rifles....
Never ever seen a 6.5 anything that didn't want to shoot really well..
But I have a good smith building them.....

 

[swed6.5]

Ive had problems with poorly built ones, i think with today's quality of barrels and a good smith makes a big diff.

 

[rifleman700]

My 6.5x47 likes anywhere between 40.4 and 40.8 grs of H4350 behind the Berger 140 hybrid. CCI 450s. 30" barrel.

View attachment 986955

I also had no problem tuning up the Lapua 123s. But I view this as a midrange gun and so I prefer to run the 140s. HTH.

That is definitely a nice wide powder node.

 

[Clavius-Walker]

Well, stop buying Marlins. Seriously, what are your 6.5 set ups that won't shoot. I'm putting together 2 6.5 s and now you have me worried.

Well, lets see 2 6.5 SAUMs built buy a regional smith that has a a few 1k BR winners under his belt and has built me some hummers in the past. Yet these wouldn't shoot in a bucket, 2 different actions, one a Defiant the other a trued 700, McMillian stocks, NF scope, heh the first one ended up getting tossed off the bridge into the river after having a conversation with a hackberry stump, second one was rebarrelled to a 300 Ackley that shoots it's tail off.

Had 2 6.5x284s that refused to act right, both built by reputable smiths, as with the SAUMs, just would not back good groups up, something that showed promise one day would then shoot an inch the next.

The one that should have shot and was the first one I messed with was a 6.5x55 George Wally Improved, a fellow that won the IBS 1k shooter of the year liked the cartridge, said it was the easiest thing to tune he had ever worked with. So I had one built by Clay Spencer, Kelbly Atlas action, jewell trigger, Spencer barrel, McMillian stock and a March scope. The thing shot some good groups fire forming with the 100g sierras but wouldn't shoot in a bucket with anything else, I checked the twist, was a 1-8, tried berger 130/140, sierra 142/140, hornady 140/123, every powder combination, primer, Lapua/Norma brass, different neck thicknesses, .100 jump to jam. Hell I put a lot of rounds through that thing to try and get it right, the other ones I gave up on after 200-300, I had around 600 through this one, it became an obsession, had my falling out with Spencer over it too, that was the biggest loss on the gun, ended up screwing the barrel off and depositing it, dies, brass, bullets, powder in a friends truck at the range one day. Funny thing is, I bought a used 308 Palma barrel threaded for a Panda off ebay for $50, I used a spacer and screwed it on to that rifle, the thing shoots great, I have some groups in the zeros from it and it's never acted up.

So yeah, I've done my time fighting a 6.5, they were all built by legit smiths and one in pretty high regards.

In screwing with those rifles I got to second and triple guessing everything I did in loading and shooting, I bought new presses, bushings, dies, rests, bags, reevaluated myself at the bench, even got others to shoot loads for me. Then messing with other rifles in that time that shot really well, some 20s, 22s a few 6mms and a couple 30s it drove it home that the 6.5s were just going to be an @$$ for me.

the latest one I've inflicted on myself is a 6.5x47 supposedly one of the easiest cartridges out there to get to shoot, showed some promise so far but hasn't backed it up too well, if this one fails I probably need to swear the things off and shoot quarter bores.

 

[joshb]

Wow. All I can say is ouch. Sorry they're not working for you. Sure sounds like you gave it a go. My first 6.5 experience was pleasant. I bought an old Swede M38. Scoped it and shot this group on the first try at load workup. I take it out for fun, once in a while. It's what got me to try the x47. I'm no fantastic shot, yet. Still practicing.

w

 

[Clavius-Walker]

I don't know if it's bar or good that I haven't given up on them yet.

 

[jlc204]

Well, lets see 2 6.5 SAUMs built buy a regional smith that has a a few 1k BR winners under his belt and has built me some hummers in the past. Yet these wouldn't shoot in a bucket, 2 different actions, one a Defiant the other a trued 700, McMillian stocks, NF scope, heh the first one ended up getting tossed off the bridge into the river after having a conversation with a hackberry stump, second one was rebarrelled to a 300 Ackley that shoots it's tail off.

Had 2 6.5x284s that refused to act right, both built by reputable smiths, as with the SAUMs, just would not back good groups up, something that showed promise one day would then shoot an inch the next.

The one that should have shot and was the first one I messed with was a 6.5x55 George Wally Improved, a fellow that won the IBS 1k shooter of the year liked the cartridge, said it was the easiest thing to tune he had ever worked with. So I had one built by Clay Spencer, Kelbly Atlas action, jewell trigger, Spencer barrel, McMillian stock and a March scope. The thing shot some good groups fire forming with the 100g sierras but wouldn't shoot in a bucket with anything else, I checked the twist, was a 1-8, tried berger 130/140, sierra 142/140, hornady 140/123, every powder combination, primer, Lapua/Norma brass, different neck thicknesses, .100 jump to jam. Hell I put a lot of rounds through that thing to try and get it right, the other ones I gave up on after 200-300, I had around 600 through this one, it became an obsession, had my falling out with Spencer over it too, that was the biggest loss on the gun, ended up screwing the barrel off and depositing it, dies, brass, bullets, powder in a friends truck at the range one day. Funny thing is, I bought a used 308 Palma barrel threaded for a Panda off ebay for $50, I used a spacer and screwed it on to that rifle, the thing shoots great, I have some groups in the zeros from it and it's never acted up.

So yeah, I've done my time fighting a 6.5, they were all built by legit smiths and one in pretty high regards.

In screwing with those rifles I got to second and triple guessing everything I did in loading and shooting, I bought new presses, bushings, dies, rests, bags, reevaluated myself at the bench, even got others to shoot loads for me. Then messing with other rifles in that time that shot really well, some 20s, 22s a few 6mms and a couple 30s it drove it home that the 6.5s were just going to be an @$$ for me.

the latest one I've inflicted on myself is a 6.5x47 supposedly one of the easiest cartridges out there to get to shoot, showed some promise so far but hasn't backed it up too well, if this one fails I probably need to swear the things off and shoot quarter bores.

Well, if that 6.5x47 don't work out for you, please let me know before you through it over a bridge! I too have an atlas action so would be happy to take it off your hands

 

[ckaberna]

Well, lets see 2 6.5 SAUMs built buy a regional smith that has a a few 1k BR winners under his belt and has built me some hummers in the past. Yet these wouldn't shoot in a bucket, 2 different actions, one a Defiant the other a trued 700, McMillian stocks, NF scope, heh the first one ended up getting tossed off the bridge into the river after having a conversation with a hackberry stump, second one was rebarrelled to a 300 Ackley that shoots it's tail off.

Had 2 6.5x284s that refused to act right, both built by reputable smiths, as with the SAUMs, just would not back good groups up, something that showed promise one day would then shoot an inch the next.

The one that should have shot and was the first one I messed with was a 6.5x55 George Wally Improved, a fellow that won the IBS 1k shooter of the year liked the cartridge, said it was the easiest thing to tune he had ever worked with. So I had one built by Clay Spencer, Kelbly Atlas action, jewell trigger, Spencer barrel, McMillian stock and a March scope. The thing shot some good groups fire forming with the 100g sierras but wouldn't shoot in a bucket with anything else, I checked the twist, was a 1-8, tried berger 130/140, sierra 142/140, hornady 140/123, every powder combination, primer, Lapua/Norma brass, different neck thicknesses, .100 jump to jam. Hell I put a lot of rounds through that thing to try and get it right, the other ones I gave up on after 200-300, I had around 600 through this one, it became an obsession, had my falling out with Spencer over it too, that was the biggest loss on the gun, ended up screwing the barrel off and depositing it, dies, brass, bullets, powder in a friends truck at the range one day. Funny thing is, I bought a used 308 Palma barrel threaded for a Panda off ebay for $50, I used a spacer and screwed it on to that rifle, the thing shoots great, I have some groups in the zeros from it and it's never acted up.

So yeah, I've done my time fighting a 6.5, they were all built by legit smiths and one in pretty high regards.

In screwing with those rifles I got to second and triple guessing everything I did in loading and shooting, I bought new presses, bushings, dies, rests, bags, reevaluated myself at the bench, even got others to shoot loads for me. Then messing with other rifles in that time that shot really well, some 20s, 22s a few 6mms and a couple 30s it drove it home that the 6.5s were just going to be an @$$ for me.

the latest one I've inflicted on myself is a 6.5x47 supposedly one of the easiest cartridges out there to get to shoot, showed some promise so far but hasn't backed it up too well, if this one fails I probably need to swear the things off and shoot quarter bores.

Mental issues? If you “think” it’s not going to shoot, then it probably won’t. A good therapist may can help with a mental block....?

 

[TerryPohl]

What free bore are you men using in the 123 to 130 grain bullet setup?
Terry Pohl

 

[jkohler]

A .165 has worked out for me well

 

[X-Caveman]

I seated a 130VLD Target to where the depth looked about right & sent it to JGS. They measured, drew up and made me a reamer. .145" Freebore.

 

[JackT]

I am working up hunting loads for my 2nd 6.5x47L, Kreiger 22" barrel and Atlas action. Great results (sub 1/4" 5 shot groups) with both Berger 140 VLD Hunting and Barnes 127 LRXs using Varget and CCI BR4 primers. The Bergers are touching the lands and the Barnes are 0.02 off the lands. Have not checked velocity yet, but then again not overly worried as I do not plan on a shot past 400 yds (Wyoming antelope). Will probably give the rifle to my son to rationalize the need for a 3rd 6.5x47L.

 

[Rem06]

just started my new build, dual mid to long range fclass rig. curious about what these seem to like? Planning on bergers 140gr my main question is has anyone found accuracy of the vld hunting or target bullets, I'm not leaving the hybrids out of question either, just hoping to minimize round count on my new barrel thanks for any input

use the 140VLD(hunting) over the tgt or hybrid. I have been using them for 10+yrs on deer and groundhogs with excellent results! no way I will switch from them they work soooo well!!!
inch and 1/4 5 shot groups at 500yds and puts deer right down! 123 and 139 scenars from lapua AVOID for hunting.
many whitetail deer out to @550yds and an antelope at 650 and 855yds.

 

[Chocdawg]

I’ve have a Eliseo UMRS rifle in 6.5x47, and it’s been relatively easy to load for. Berger 140 Target VLD’s and Lapua 136 Scenar-L ‘s hammer at 1K. Limited by my ability to dope small wind changes. Keep at, document, test, evaluate......

 

[North Fork]

My 6x5 x 47 loves the 140gr Berger elite hunter