6 - 6.5 X 47 Brass Prep

[TonyR]

I am considering using the 6.5 x 47 Lapua necked down to 6mm. I have no experience with wildcats, so I would appreciate any help with how the brass is necked down 6mm. I would be starting with the 6.5 X 47 Lapua brass. Also, does anyone have any experience with the barrel life with the 6mm version assuming I were to shoot something in the 2950-3000 fps range with the Berger 105 VLD.
Thanks

Tony R

 

[jb1000br]

I use a Redding 6mmBR BODY die as an intermediate step, and only size enough of the neck length that you get let false shoulder that will have a crush fit against the base of the neck in the chamber.

Then, take the diameter the rest of the way down with a Forster FL die,maintaining the false shoulder started with the body die)

Lube for both steps.

HTH,
JB

 

[billmo]

Tony, I have limited experience with my 6 X 47 Shehane. So far, I am impressed with the accuracy and ease of finding good loads. You did not mention whether you were going to turn your brass necks but from trying it both ways, I seem to get better runout after turning the necks if I turn them at 6.5 than by necking them down to 6mm and then turning. You would probably be happy with a Forster F/L die. Barrel life? Well, I've only put less than 100 rds. down my tube so I don't know about that yet. But, with 105 gr. Berger VLDs on top of 41 gr. of VV-N560 running 3060 fps at 85 degrees accuracy is jam up. Shortly after I broke my barrel in I shot a group at 500 yds. that measured .991 and I am no BR shooter. I only have a portable bench but I do have good bench equipment and I try to use good bench technique to the best of my ability.,which may not be so good) Bill

 

[TonyR]

Bill and JB, I do turn my necks for various reasons, so that is not a problem. I am shooting a 6BR Norma now and I have the body die JB suggests as an intermediate step. My 6BR is giving me 2900+ through an 1:8 Krieger using 30.2 gr of VV540 with CCI450 primers. No pressure problems, so far, with temps in the high 70's so I think there is room to go faster. It would be nice if I could get the larger case up into the 3050+ range with the VV560 as long as the accuracy holds. I would be delighted with under .2 MOA at 500 yards off any kind of bench. It sounds like your gun shoots very nicely.
Thanks for your help.
Tony

 

[cbonner]

I had a 6x47 Lapua built... get to pick it up tomorrow !! As for getting the cases in shape, I ran them through a Redding body die, which necked it down fairly close. I will be using the Wilson neck die,and bushing) to bring the neck down to hold the bullet, leaving enough neck unsized to get the crush fit spoke of earlier for fire forming. Once fire-formed, I will turn the necks,just for clean-up, as the chamber is a .272 no-turn). Once that is done, it should just be a matter of neck sizing and maybe an occasional shoulder bump. - Craig

 

[Obtunded]

Out of necessity,a lack of a 6X47 body die), I also used a 6BR body die to form the necks initially and then finished them with a Redding FL bushing die. The necks were not very concentric and required generous turning to even them out and get rid of the trace of false shoulder.

 

[rmist]

To case prep to 6x47L I use a Forster full lenght sizer p/n oo5265, removeing all the guts. I had to remove 40 thousand from the base on a precision surface grinder in a collect. The die would not go down enough to reach the shoulder,eliminating the false shoulder, I don't like to force anything into a chamber) and I am neck turning just to clean them up to fit a .272 chamber. Then I use a Sinclair expander,243/6mm)as to neck turn. Next I use a custom die from Sid Goodling with redding bushings. I clean the primer pocket and chamfer the neck with a K&M tapered case reamer, next load. I don't clean flash holes anymore so I/you will have to polish the decap pin to fit the flash hole.062 hole,I take mine to .058). I don't trim until after fireing them first. Hope this helps.

 

[jb1000br]

My Forster FL 6x47 die fits my chamber perfectly. You must have some REALLY short headspace...

JB

 

[rmist]

to jb1000br,
If you are referring to my post, it was just new brass getting to the shoulder that's all. Looking at it with 100x mag comparitor to see where the juction was actually going with the die at the shoulder, it was off .028" so I took it down the .40" to make sure it wouldn't happen again. That's all. Head space had nothng to do with it at this point.I was just necking dowm to .243.
rmist