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7x47L - Let's talk about your experiences.
- Thread starter Dimner
- Start date
GSPV
A failure to plan is a plan for failure.
I’m the guy that Mike is talking about above.
How I got into it is a long story. More than I want to type with my thumbs. But, at the time, *at least*, it was the best solution for what I wanted.
If I had it to do over with what is available today, I might use the 6.5 CM as the parent for a little more powder capacity. Depends if I could get it to run with 168 VLDs in an AI mag with the boat tail/shank junction above the donut.
It’s a super friendly little cartridge for fun and varmint competition out to 600 yards. It isn’t picky at all. It will eat what you feed it.
Dies are simple. Brass is no different than loading, say, 6BR. I always run new brass over a mandrel first. Any mag for 308 class cartridges will work. My reamer dimensions are somewhere in the threads linked above.
It likes H4350 and 8208XBR. It’ll shoot Varget nice, too. I have a lot of the XBR that I picked up cheap from people that tried it in the PPC when it first came out. So, that’s what I normally use.
For varmints, try the 100 or 110 Speer. For deer, I use the 140 NBT. But, I expect anything in that weight range would work.
I have two projects with Mike now. I wouldn’t hesitate to do another…for the missions mentioned above.
How I got into it is a long story. More than I want to type with my thumbs. But, at the time, *at least*, it was the best solution for what I wanted.
If I had it to do over with what is available today, I might use the 6.5 CM as the parent for a little more powder capacity. Depends if I could get it to run with 168 VLDs in an AI mag with the boat tail/shank junction above the donut.
It’s a super friendly little cartridge for fun and varmint competition out to 600 yards. It isn’t picky at all. It will eat what you feed it.
Dies are simple. Brass is no different than loading, say, 6BR. I always run new brass over a mandrel first. Any mag for 308 class cartridges will work. My reamer dimensions are somewhere in the threads linked above.
It likes H4350 and 8208XBR. It’ll shoot Varget nice, too. I have a lot of the XBR that I picked up cheap from people that tried it in the PPC when it first came out. So, that’s what I normally use.
For varmints, try the 100 or 110 Speer. For deer, I use the 140 NBT. But, I expect anything in that weight range would work.
I have two projects with Mike now. I wouldn’t hesitate to do another…for the missions mentioned above.
GSPV
A failure to plan is a plan for failure.
Just my $0.02, but I don’t think that it’s the right case for anything heavier than 168 grains. It seems like the extreme upper end. If one wants to shoot at 1,000 yards, use a 284 or 6.5 PRC based case. I have a lifetime supply of 284 brass, or I’d swap to the 7 PRCW.
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Still a sweet little cartridge, IMO.(7x47L) There are bigger, faster options but this is a very efficient cartridge with a lot of upside to it. Good to see you on here Greg! I think you're also right that, 168 is about as heavy as is practical for it. BC is nice but there's more to shooting well than bc alone. Just look at all the 6 BR variants out there that shoot so well in a quite undersized case. I've been touting people to test 95 class bullets in those for a while too. If one runs the numbers at their respective velocities, the drift is identical between a 95 and a 105. Testing is how we know stuff.
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GSPV
A failure to plan is a plan for failure.
That was a long time ago. IIRC, the NBTs are 120 and 140. The coated bullet is a Berger 168 VLD.
Someone mentioned the 6.5x47 L. I’ll add the 6.5 CM. Absolutely nothing wrong with it except the hype machine.
I needed to go 7mm. Already have a lifetime supply of 7mm barrels that I picked up cheap. I limited it to Lapua brass that was available. Keep in mind that this was years ago. Needed to run in a standard 308 AI mag. Finally, I required a freebore that I could run 110 Speer TNT (later discovered the 100 TNT works) on one end and a 168 VLD with the boat tail/shank junction above the donut on the heavy end.
Turns out to be a tougher set of criteria than you’d think at first glance.
I played with different cases and free bores for a year or so. Finally settled on the 6.5 x 47 L as a parent. Talked to Kiff about a reamer. They already had a print made up, so someone beat me to the idea. It’s worked great.
As Mike says, if you keep it in its wheelhouse, it’s like a bigger brother to a 6 BR. Friendly to the point of being stupid easy. Just don’t try to make it something that it’s not.
Someone mentioned the 6.5x47 L. I’ll add the 6.5 CM. Absolutely nothing wrong with it except the hype machine.
I needed to go 7mm. Already have a lifetime supply of 7mm barrels that I picked up cheap. I limited it to Lapua brass that was available. Keep in mind that this was years ago. Needed to run in a standard 308 AI mag. Finally, I required a freebore that I could run 110 Speer TNT (later discovered the 100 TNT works) on one end and a 168 VLD with the boat tail/shank junction above the donut on the heavy end.
Turns out to be a tougher set of criteria than you’d think at first glance.
I played with different cases and free bores for a year or so. Finally settled on the 6.5 x 47 L as a parent. Talked to Kiff about a reamer. They already had a print made up, so someone beat me to the idea. It’s worked great.
As Mike says, if you keep it in its wheelhouse, it’s like a bigger brother to a 6 BR. Friendly to the point of being stupid easy. Just don’t try to make it something that it’s not.
GSPV
A failure to plan is a plan for failure.
Popped back on to look at some of my data because I’ve had the Tikka-based 7x47 out shooting. Have a friend wanting me to hunt with him some in KY. I’ll probably stick with the 140 NBT with 43.3 gr of 4350.
I have a 6mm 8 twist 1.25 barrel, and am tempted by doing a 6 BRDX or 6x47. But, I also now have both 223 and magnum bolt bodies for the Tikka. Thinking about a 350 Legend barrel for the Tikka to hunt with here in OH. Tired of lugging around the AR (the one that you built in 30 Major…I just swapped on an 18” 350 Legend barrel).
Too many ideas. Not enough time.
Sweet ride!
Dimner
I do believe in Captain Crunch.
Well, so here is the thing...
I HAD to scratch that itch. I found a great deal on a bartlein 6.5 rem varmint barrel that was already fluted. So I grabbed that and I am having it chambered in 6.5x47L.
However, I also put in an order with Brux for a Med Palma fluted 7mm barrel in 1:9 twist and a #1 Light Sporter in 7mm with the same twist. So I have a bunch of months to decide what medium sized 7mm case to go with. The idea is to have one just for the range, and one for a lightweight hunter.
I HAD to scratch that itch. I found a great deal on a bartlein 6.5 rem varmint barrel that was already fluted. So I grabbed that and I am having it chambered in 6.5x47L.
However, I also put in an order with Brux for a Med Palma fluted 7mm barrel in 1:9 twist and a #1 Light Sporter in 7mm with the same twist. So I have a bunch of months to decide what medium sized 7mm case to go with. The idea is to have one just for the range, and one for a lightweight hunter.
GSPV
A failure to plan is a plan for failure.
Just make sure that the case and the reamer meets every requirement that you have. You can’t leave anything to chance. Measure thrice. Cut once.
To save a little time, you might look at my reamer at one end, 284 Match or 7-6.5 PRC at the other and the 7 SAW in the middle.
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