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6.5x47 - Still Current?

Phil3

Now that I have moved out of California to a place where I can shoot further, wanted to ask a simple question for shooting off bench from 200 - 1000 yards. I am planning on using a 6.5 x 47 Lapua, but since I have been away from guns for a while and new cartridges out there, thought I would ask if the 6.5x47 would still be a good fit for the following requirements.
  • Accurate shooting barrel for at least 2000 rounds.
  • Must mag feed reliably.
  • Capable of 0.25 MOA (assuming gun and myself are up to it).
  • Modest recoil. Would prefer no muzzle brake. Rifle will weigh about 12 lbs I estimate.
  • Can be windy where I am, so minimal wind drift is desirable. The modest muzzle velocity (time of flight) concerns me.
  • Easy to reload for. Using Lapua brass.
  • Used only for paper and steel targets. Shooting off a mechanical rest or bipod.
I hear about new 6mm rounds, but wonder about barrel life. I also have read some of these are more finicky in tuning. I already have 200 cases of the 6.5x47 Lapua brass...just want to be sure it is still current amidst the new cartridges out there. I may do some extra long distance shooting, but will get another rifle for that (300 PRC, 300 Norma Mag, 338 Lapua, etc.).

Thanks you.

Phil
 
Phil3 said:
Now that I have moved out of California to a place where I can shoot further, wanted to ask a simple question for shooting off bench from 200 - 1000 yards. I am planning on using a 6.5 x 47 Lapua, but since I have been away from guns for a while and new cartridges out there, thought I would ask if the 6.5x47 would still be a good fit for the following requirements.
  • Accurate shooting barrel for at least 2000 rounds.
  • Must mag feed reliably.
  • Capable of 0.25 MOA (assuming gun and myself are up to it).
  • Modest recoil. Would prefer no muzzle brake. Rifle will weigh about 12 lbs I estimate.
  • Can be windy where I am, so minimal wind drift is desirable. The modest muzzle velocity (time of flight) concerns me.
  • Easy to reload for. Using Lapua brass.
  • Used only for paper and steel targets. Shooting off a mechanical rest or bipod.
I hear about new 6mm rounds, but wonder about barrel life. I also have read some of these are more finicky in tuning. I already have 200 cases of the 6.5x47 Lapua brass...just want to be sure it is still current amidst the new cartridges out there. I may do some extra long distance shooting, but will get another rifle for that (300 PRC, 300 Norma Mag, 338 Lapua, etc.).

Thanks you.

Phil
Click to expand...
You're requirements describe the 6547 perfectly...although .25 moa is a little loose. Try .100's.
 
6.5x47 Lapua is still an excellent round and has been around for a while too.

It has only become easier with more new 6.5 bullets being offered in recent years.

It has all the performance you described. Barrel life is dependent upon how rapid your strings are and several other parameters. If you don't push your shot cadence too fast, you will not have issues with premature bbl wear.
 
I am the OP, and thanks all, for the feedback. 6.5x47 Lapua it is! Seems like "Creedmoore" anything is all the rage in some circles, but always felt the '47 was ideal in a multitude of ways. Comments here tend to affirm that. In the 300 - 1000 yard range, what might be an ideal bullet and twist rate to use?

Thanks,

Phil
 
8 twist barrel manufacture of your choose. 123-130 grain bullet. You can use 140 grain class for that twist also. I use a 123 grain lapua scenar with H4350. Shoots lights out for me. Being that you live in California you may want to look at a all copper bullet since they have ban lead core bullets in that state. You can look at what Barnes offers or some custom manufacturera like badlands precision or cutting edge.
 
Phil3 said:
I am the OP, and thanks all, for the feedback. 6.5x47 Lapua it is! Seems like "Creedmoore" anything is all the rage in some circles, but always felt the '47 was ideal in a multitude of ways. Comments here tend to affirm that. In the 300 - 1000 yard range, what might be an ideal bullet and twist rate to use?

Thanks,

Phil
Click to expand...
That Creedmoor thing amazes me, though it seems to have calmed a bit. Typical shooters generally have the same disdain for new cartridges. They always say the same things like, "270 is just as accurate... my Uncle Joe's 30-06... 243 is all you need..." Only in a crowd of high-performance shooters like you find here, will you find general acceptance of something new. Hornady's marketing department hit a home run with that one. Maybe that and suddenly all the Glock fan-boys all discovered long-range shooting at the same time because you couldn't write a post anywhere without some Creedmoor owner highjacking the post and telling everyone about it. Conversely, Remington's marketing department flat blew it with their alphabet magnums. S-A-U-M is either too big a mouthful to spell out or SAUM is a weird word to say - neither as cool as "Creedmoor." But I'd rather shoot a 7 SAUM or a 6.5x47 any day of the week. If I had a 6.5x47, I'd be very content.
 
This is the round the Creedmoor wishes it was, like the poor cousin wishes he had money.
Mine has a 7.5” twist which is a bit fast for the 123gr Scenar, but just right for ANY of the VLD’s offered, including the 156gr class of bullets. Have had success with 123gr, 129gr, 130gr, 140gr, 142gr and 156gr. Wanting to try out the new Berger 144gr before the end of the year.
Yes, it is still current and I plan on re-barreling to this again and again.

Cheers.
 
My 6.5x47 is a hunting rig built by Jon Beanland. #3 Hawk Hill, 1/8 twist, shooting Berger 140 hunting VLDs with 37.5 grains of Varget, CCI 450 and Lapua brass. My rifle just likes Varget, my SD is under 6 FPS and my ES is under 15 FPS. I m getting 2805 FPS. I have just over 500 rounds on the rifle. For whatever reason my rifle really likes Varget, I’m probably in the minority though, H4350 and Reloader 16 would be the first powders I’d play with shooting a 140.

The 6.5x47 Is one of my favorite cases. It’s just about a perfect design in my eyes. Mild, good brass, love the shoulder and the taper. I liked enough I built a 6x47 and a 25x47 and they all shoot small. I’d like to build a 22x47 in the near future too just because I have tons of brass and bushing dies that would make that easy.
 
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