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6.5X47 Finally... 800yard 1.8 inch 3 shot group

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Finally broke the code on my wildcat 6.5X47 Lapua (.290 neck turn with a Hart 28 inch heavy contour tube, jewel trigger on an old Rem 700LA action and an custom stock from the early 70s)

Finally broke the code and found something that really shoots. I haven’t found anything that has moved it until now, very little difference, good or bad. I tried some berger 140 BT Target Long Range. Not VLDs thou the BC is very close, 592 vs 613. My velocities are still well below the manuals, Quick Load or what others are reporting. This load exceeds the max recommended load but the MV is only 2840. I never saw one deviate more the 10fps. Using RL17.

Anyway, laddering up to max pressure, the load before the top, shot two, back to back 3 shot groups that were sub .5 MOA. at 200 yards. I didn’t measure them but they were well inside a single quadrant off the 2” bull circle. I would guess .3 to .4 inch center to center. I was VERY excited, with 300 rounds thru it and nothing sub .5 moa to show for it.

Excited and little time or loaded rounds left I moved to 400 and put six in a sub MOA group so I struck out for 800. Took 4 shots to get on the steel, my scope is not level (I fixed that this morning), once I hit the steel, I didn’t change anything and fired my last two rounds.

3 shots at 800 yards in 1.88 inches…. I was not able shoot LR today, wind was howling, so I can’t tell you if it was complete luck or if the gun can do that all the time.

I can tell you that today, even in high wind the 6 inch steel was easy at 400. I’ve got almost 350 rounds thru her so that may have something to do with it, as it’s well broken in. But last weekend I was still shooting MOA groups. I think I just got lucky and found a node. QickLoad was worthless with this rifle. It varies so much from expected pressure, barrel time and muzzle velocity.
Interestingly enough, this new bullet works the best with QL but still about 100fps out.

So far, every shot has been new brass, I’m down to about 40 rounds of new brass, then I get to move to the once fired brass. It will be very cool because I don’t have to resize it. The neck turned brass is just about perfect, The spring back is about 1.5 thousands and it’s just enough to snuggly hold the new round without resizing even the neck. if anything it should be even more accurate because it’s fire formed to the chamber.

Thanks tech shooter for all your help!

Wildcat.jpg

800yds18inch.jpg
 
Excellent. Could you give me load details? I've been trying to shoot the 140's in my 6.5x47 BAT action 31" barrel. Free Bore? Primer? Seating depth?
 
Hi Jerry,
Watch the powder charge, for some reason I’m not getting near the pressure or MV as QuickLoad says I should.
I’m shooting Berger 140 BT LR match, not VLDS. The difference in BC is 592 vs 613, not much, but the non VLD target bullet in this gun shoots much better. Here is what I’ve got

CCI 450 SR Mag primers
OAL 2.79 That’s just off the lands but my reamer only had .123 FB as it was cut specifically to shot 130 Berger VLDs.
Reloader 17 at 40.5 grains gives me 2840 if my Crono is right (I’m starting to question that, will have a new one Friday)
With the SD being in single didgets.

I use RL17 in all my rifles now, without fail, more velocity and better accuracy. Also without fail, at least slightly compressed loads are the winners.

I’m still playing with the seating depth a little, all my other two guns love the VLDs Jammed, this one doesn’t.

This gun was hard to figure out. To start with I couldn’t get a good barrel time from Quick Load because it just doesn’t work with this gun.
Couldn’t find any 140 VLDs to order, so I ordered the other 140s, glad I did.


Good luck and let me know what you end up with.
 
too bad your not a local to pa. I'd like to go shooting with you with my 6.5x47. maybe some of that luck will rub off on my gun!
 
6.5X47 Finally... 800yard 1.8 inch 3 shot group UPDATE

Well I've been unable to reproduce the 1.8 inch group. :-( I'm not really disappointed. I’ve been able to reproduce sub .5 MOA groups anywhere from 400 to 800 yards in calm wind conditions. Probably not as good as I hoped, but not bad either. Most of my groups at 800 (where I shoot this gun the most) are between 3 and 4 inches. I will play with the load and seating depth a little each time I go to shoot, but my major load development stage is over. I’m really just enjoying shooting the rifle now. It’s fun, light recoil and shoots pretty darn well. I got a new crono and it says I’m shooting 2995, not 2840. I’m going to shoot a 10 foot piece of tin this weekend with my 200 yard reticule from 800 yards and find out what the ACTUAL drop is. Then I should be able to figure the actual muzzle velocity and see which of these cronos is closer to the truth.
 

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