Everybody is telling me I'm missing out loading my 30 inch barrel down to shoot slow loads. Well I had a match this past weekend and got my ass handed to me so I decided to try a high load to see if it will help my groups. My Sierra book has max load for 140gr and RL-17 at 38.3 so I started at 38.0 and went .02 all the way to 40.0gr and I got no pressure issues at all, not even flat primers? How far past max will it go? I can fit just over 44.0gr in the case and seat my bullet without compressing but was afraid to go above 40.0. Also 40.0 grs gave me 2948fps with the Hornady 140gr HPBT.
6.5x47 questions finding max load
- Thread starter Lefty Trigger
- Start date
RL-17 has a VERY high nitro / energy content that contributes greatly to velocity gains. Additionally, RL-17 is about a solid shade slower than H4350, which has no problem reaching 40.0grs with a 140 class bullet and no excessive pressure. Personally, I have never been impressed with the accuracy I have got with RL-17 BUT that was me>>>>others have got excellent accuracy. One of the concepts I have found with most powders, is that if you run a very low velocity node or a very high velocity node, the "accuracy window" is generally very small! Just about any changes in atmospheric conditions can throw it out of it's node.. Also, very high pressures contribute to significantly lower barrel life>>> one of the excellent traits of a 6.5 x 47! Why lose that benefit?
That has always kinda been my thinking as well, never run my stuff hard as there is no need with access to to only 300 yard range. My "go-to" load in this rifle has been 37.9gr of RL-16 shooting the 140's at 2732fps and 37.0gr of RL-15 with the 123's at 2904fps. I have searched and came across many of your posts for the 6.5x47,... what would you recommend I try. I need a load that I can rely on that wont shoot 10 in 1 inch one day and 10 in 4 inches the next. It's gonna force my back to my Creedmoor if I cant get it figured out.
I just finished with a barrel in one of my .300 WSMs. It was doing something I had never seen nor heard of before. I could develop a load and it would shoot great for a match or two. Then it would shoot like a blunderbuss! I would re-do the load only to have the same thing happen again. I changed bullets and found yet another accurate load only to have that go south in short order too.. I simply got rid of the barrel. I don't believe your issue has anything to do with the cartridge. The 6.5 x 47 is a phenomenal cartridge. I think you may simply have a very "finicky" barrel! Having said that, one of my fav loads was 40.0grs of H4350 with a Berger 140 LRBT seated 6-7thou INTO the lands. It was that very load one summer at Bayou Rifles that earned me a "High Master" classification at 1000 yards in F-Open...
I have a different brand barrel (26 inch) as a back-up because my current barrel (Criterion 30 inch) has over 1170 rounds now. If you dont mind me asking what length was your barrel and the velocity of that load of 40.0 grs. of H4350? That load is also almost 2 grains over Sierra's max load.
First, I had a .170 freebore. My barrel was 28" and the velocity was (if I can remember correctly) 2820f.p.s. If you have at least a .160 freebore, 40.0grs of H4350 will NOT over-pressure the cases... A very good friend of mine, "Smoking-Brass" on this forum, was using a Criterion 28" barrel in a 6.5 x 47 Lapua. He had a .167 freebore on his barrel. His load with 139 Scenars was 40.1grs of H4350. Now Scenars have a bearing surface considerably longer than either a 140 Hybrid or a 140 LRBT and he never experienced any pressure signs.
Thats funny because that is who I bought my barrel from, Smoking-brass sold me one of his Criterion 30 inch 6.5x47 barrels back in December of 2019 and thats what I'm working with. He also gave me his original load so I may go back and give it a go once again,... 139gr Scenar / 40.2gr H4350 / BR-4 primer
Try changing bullets too. The 144 and 153.5 have been working pretty well for me. My gun doesn't show pressure - I got scared at all the crunching before I reached signs with RL-16. On my 4th reload, so I'll see if clickers start showing up; that's probably the way you'll tell if you're too hot: case head expansion over time. 6.5x47 brass is just so strong.
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Get with Vince and ask him directly about that barrel. I know that that barrel shot very, very well..
Got to shoot on the 300 tonight and here is the end results with the H4350 powder. I made all the same 40.0gr H4350 and BR-4 primers and seated all bullets to the same jump spec of .035. I had em so I tried 3 different bullets 139gr Scenar, 140gr Hornady HPBT and 140gr Nosler custom comp. I was really amazed by one of these. Only the Nosler grouped tight enough to be competitive in our varmint shoot. The Hornady I shot 10 because I have the most of that bullet, cant really explain the two crazy high fliers. Looking for input...
Also I took my 7mm08 and shot 5 of my favorite load for it and it shot a 1 1/8 5 shot group!
Also I took my 7mm08 and shot 5 of my favorite load for it and it shot a 1 1/8 5 shot group!
I think something is off. Your ES is a little high; not terrible but I look for 15ish, not 24. I would load 3 each at 39, 39.3, 39.6, and 39.9 and see where you impact at 300. See if you can get a stable point of impact across a couple powder charges, load in the middle of those 2 stable charges and tune your seating depth to tighten up the group. Are you using wind flags?
No wind flags but it was so dead calm last night that the smoke would not leave the bench area. I would almost bet the numbers would improve with different primers as I never really seen great numbers with the BR-4's. The groups so real promise if I can tighten up the Hornady bullets and the Noslers will repeat what they shot here. I will retest some of these and see if they hold up or improve with primers or seating depth changes however it will now be a week before I can get back on 300 yards.
Humm....the previous guy gave the load data but your not following that.
Well I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I would jamb those Scenars and start a powder charge test in groups of three from the high mid 39 -41 grain.
I’m betting I’d find a load fairly quick.
Well I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I would jamb those Scenars and start a powder charge test in groups of three from the high mid 39 -41 grain.
I’m betting I’d find a load fairly quick.
I have the next batch of test loads loaded up at 39.6, 39.8, 40.2 and going to run seating depth on the Hornady bullets to see if that group will close up, it had nice horizontal except those two crazy ones? I have over a 1000 of those bullets so I kinda want them to work. Cant find any of the Noslers anywhere right now.
I was suggesting going down and not up in charge because you're cooking at 2930fps and I've found accuracy to drop pretty rapidly as I pushed pressures too high with my 6.5x47. That load is probably north of 65ksi and I'd bet you'll find better accuracy by backing off it just a little. Unless you're trying to squeeze out every last bit of speed for real long range, although I'd argue that's counter-productive too.
I'd be surprised if you couldn't get those Hornady's to shoot 1" at 300. It may take a very precise seating depth and staying on top of the tune, but the bullet can do it from my experience with them in my 6.5 Creedmoor.
Yes 300 yard is all I have access to and tiny groups with spot on shot placement win our matches. I have some loads with RL-16 that are around 2650 and 2730 that shot really good but failed me when needed. They would shoot 1 inch groups on thursday practice and 5 inch groups on match day? Everybody keeps telling me to run them faster so thats what I'm trying before I switch back to my 6mm Creedmoor.
X-Caveman
Gold $$ Contributor
Seems like you've been trying H4350 & slower burn rates. Have you tried Varget or RE-15? Or, since speed isn't your concern, maybe H4895. Likewise, the bullets. You're trying the heavies, but maybe the 123-130gr would shoot better. I also seem to have better luck with very little neck tension in the 6.5x47 - like right at, or slightly less than, .001".
I feel your pain, though. I just gave up on a 6.5x47 barrel with only 550 or so rounds on it. It showed a lot of promise early, but I haven't been able to do anything with it lately. Having another one chambered up at the moment. Just not worth the frustration. Life (and range time) is too short!
I feel your pain, though. I just gave up on a 6.5x47 barrel with only 550 or so rounds on it. It showed a lot of promise early, but I haven't been able to do anything with it lately. Having another one chambered up at the moment. Just not worth the frustration. Life (and range time) is too short!
I started with RL-16 in this rifle and it has done well but my issues with groups remaining consistent has forced me to try something different.
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