6.5X47 Help *Updated*

[jpistolero02]

First of all thank you guys very much for the useful information. I have been lurking this site for quite some time while trying to decide on a new caliber.

I finally got a chance to shoot my converted Remington 700 .308. So far I am loving the 6.5X47. I need a little help with some of my loads. I tried a few different powder charges this morning with Varget. I use Varget for a few different rifles so I was hoping it would work with this caliber as well. The 123 A-Max shows promise but the ES and SD are not as tight as what I am getting with the 130 Berger. As you can see from the photo below the A-Max are showing promise at 100 yards. I was shooting all loads .005 off the lands. Would I be better off with a different powder or should I pursue a different node? From what I can tell there were no pressure signs and the 130's were running around 2860 with 37.6 Varget. Oh, I am running a 26" Kreiger 1:8 barrel. Thanks in advance for the help!

So I had a chance to do a quick little test yesterday with some H4350. I think this is going to be a better powder for me than Varget. The wind was starting to gust, but I like what I am starting to see. I used the OCW method to test the following loads. With 40.8 and the 130, I was averaging 2863 with an ES 18 and SD 9. The 123 with 41.6 was averaging 2944 ES 20 and SD 10. This was brand new brass. I am really excited to see what the 130's will do at longer ranges now. Thank you guys for all the help!

 

[Terry]

6.5X47 Help

Top right group looks good. ES? SD?
Velocity?


Terry

 

[jpistolero02]

6.5X47 Help

That is a group with the 123 A-Max. That particular group had a ES of 56 and SD of 29. That is pretty much what I saw with each A-Max group. All A-Max groups went into less than .5 inches though. The Berger's were giving me ES of 12-13 and SD of 6-8. I was just worried about those numbers when I try and go further out. I am new to the precision loading game so I am sure I could improve on my fundamentals. I am also not the greatest shooter in the world so it could be those Berger groups are just me yanking the trigger.

 

[DennisH]

6.5X47 Help

Every barrel is different. Mine shoots 120 smk's and 123 Lapua the best! I just loaded up some 139 Lapua's & 140 A-Max's to try tommorow! I havn't experimented much with the heavier bullets.

My best groups were shot with RL15, Varget, H4350, and VV550.

I believe the tightest group I have ever shot with mine was using 123 Lapua's with Varget!

H4350 & VV550 seem to work better with the heavier bullets! The 120smk's love RL15, the 123 Lapua's love Varget!

Lapua Scenar's and Berger's like to be in the lands a little! If you decided to go .010 or .020 in the lands, back of your charge to start. The further you go in the lands, the more pressure is built up.

On my gun, .1 grain makes a difference in my groups!

I am trying the 139 140 range hopefully to go 1,000 yds!

If you want, PM your email and I will send pictures of my targets, I have a few ladder targets that are interesting. Once you get it right, it's dead on!

 

[model 12 toby]

6.5X47 Help

id go with a different powder. thought about rl-15? I'm getting a lapua barrel in 13 weeks. I'll probably be asking you then. lol. Some people have told me that varget and rl-15 were bout the same. Got some serious pressure one time using some varget loads with rl-15. lol. mines a 1 in 8 also. can't wait to get it. I got some 140 a-maxes but I'm hoping to shoot some 107smk. I'd try .020 off the lands. my a-maxes shoot best in my 7mm rem mag that way. screws them up bad when I go closer. shot 3.5" over the weekend at 770 yards. God I hope I can get my lapua to do that. that deviation is concerning. I seem to get better sd and es with the slowest powder I can get away with for some reason. Just my two cents. I'm still trying very hard to learn. I've been having neck tension problems lately and I'mtrying to iron that out. when I go by feel I can get my sd's down in the single digits but what about the other ones that are in the other group that feel different? lol.

 

[Erik Cortina]

6.5X47 Help

***WORK UP TO THIS LOAD***

Caliber: 6.5x47 Lapua
Rifle: Borden Alpine Action
Barrel: 25" Bartlein 1:8.75' - 1:8' gain twist
Powder: 41.5 gr. N550
Bullet: 123 gr. Hornady Amax
Primer: CCI 450
Relation to lands: .010" in
Speed: 3,018 fps.
Accuracy: .4 MOA at 100 yards
ES/SD: I can't find the chrono sheet, but I think they were good.

 

[jpistolero02]

6.5X47 Help

So when people say "into" the lands does that mean if my comparator length to the lands is 3.052", I would make it 3.062" for .010 "into" the lands? Sorry for being so slow.

 

[CoverDog]

6.5X47 Help

So when people say "into" the lands does that mean if my comparator length to the lands is 3.052", I would make it 3.062" for .010 "into" the lands? Sorry for being so slow.

Yep, you got it right !!!

 

[AusFclass]

6.5X47 Help

id take a guess and say that putting the 130gr berger .005 off the lands is what is causing your problem. jam them .010-.015 and i bet they shrink to half what your shooting now.

i use 40.5gr of H4350 behind a 130gr berger jammed .015 sparked off with a CCI br4. that is very consistant in my gun and a few others running +or- .5gr.

some people have good results with 123 SMK and around 38gr of re15 but it depends on what bullet your barrel likes.

 

[40X Guy]

6.5X47 Help

As per your target, seems your rifle like the 123's a tad better than the 130 Bergers, I would pick either the 37.0 or 37.6 load and load them at varying seating depths starting at touching, then .005, .010 etc and one group will most likely stand out and be noticed.
Frank

 

[DennisH]

6.5X47 Help

i use 40.5gr of H4350 behind a 130gr berger jammed .015 sparked off with a CCI br4. that is very consistant in my gun and a few others running +or- .5gr.

I wasn't going to post any loads, but I agree with the above with the bullet jammed .010 to .015

H4350 & VV550 are very close!

 

[DennisH]

6.5X47 Help

My 123 Lapua Scenar load: So far the best out of the gun. I know the pictures states on lands, but I would start there go to .003, .006, .010, and .020 to see what the best is out of your gun. I never had any luck off the lands.

I was shooting 4 shot groups, ladder test

 

[DennisH]

6.5X47 Help

Here is my 120 smk load: 28" barrel 8 twist

This load has always been consistant:

 

[jpistolero02]

6.5X47 Help

Great information guys. please excuse my ignorance, but how does jamming work? Seems like the bullet would just get pushed back into the case because it can't go any further. Anyway, I will try jamming them a bit before moving to a different powder. That seems to be what most people are doing with the Berger's.

 

[Erik Cortina]

6.5X47 Help

Great information guys. please excuse my ignorance, but how does jamming work? Seems like the bullet would just get pushed back into the case because it can't go any further. Anyway, I will try jamming them a bit before moving to a different powder. That seems to be what most people are doing with the Berger's.

There are three ways to seat bullets in relation to lands.
Jumping - bullet away from rifling.
In the lands - bullet will go into lands but will not be pushed into case, land marks visible on bullet... Often INCORRECTLY referred to as jam!
Jam - bullet gets pushed into case, will most likely stick bullet into rifling when ejecting a live round.

 

[DennisH]

6.5X47 Help

Erik stated it exactly!

I would get a Hornady COAL guage, use the #26 (6.5) bushing, then measure about 7 bullets you are planning to shoot! You should have several that measure the same.

Each different brand bullet will have a different measurement when it touches the lands. Record them!

If a measurement touching (just touch, you will feel it when it hits) the lands = 2.656 and you want it .020 in the lands, then set your seating die to 2.676.

You will be measuring from the ogive of the bullet, not the tip. Your overall COAL will be higher. Ogive measurement is more precise with the Hornady guage.

If you want it .020 off the lands, set it to .2636, all very simple, the more you do it, the easier it gets!

I have only had trouble with a bullet getting stuck in the lands when I go around .030 in, and this is when I am fireforming my 6brx loads and have a misfire! Common when fireforming the BRX's.

YouTube and RCBS have some pretty good videos on all phases of reloading, I still watch them every now and then. Helps solve a lot of questions. If you do a search, you will be surprised with the hits you recieve.

 

[jpistolero02]

6.5X47 Help

Thank you for correcting me. I believe I was trying to say seat the bullet "into" the lands a little more. I am going to try an additional .010-.015 of length. I do have a Stoney Point tool and Sinclair Comparator and used this to initially find my starting mark. Would it be odd the 123 and 130 had the same measurement?

 

[DennisH]

6.5X47 Help

Pistol, I know some state putting the A-max's .010 in the lands, but you might try some .030 off the lands.

See which works best!

I am actually going to try some .050 off the lands, .030 off, and some .010 in and see what happens!!!!

So far, the 140 A-max's in my gun groups the best .030 off, not true for any VLD's!

Of course it may be a different story with the 123 a-max's.

 

[DennisH]

6.5X47 Help

Would it be odd the 123 and 130 had the same measurement?

Some are very close!

 

[model 12 toby]

6.5X47 Help

i had good luck with a-maxes and smk back off the lands but had better luck with bergers into the lands.