My new 6.5x47 Borden

[DHuffman]

A few more

Target from Hunters Pointe recently

Old lot powder ladder, it ran more consistent here than up in the 40s

H4895 ladder, potentials there but seemed rough on the brass

First and only ladder so far on the new lot of powder, I have two more ladders loaded higher to shoot when I get a decent condition

 

[Evan]

You spinning on a new barrel right...Im thinking its a bit too early to tell where this one's going to pressure out.
I use Varget in mine..never could get H4350 to work worth a beans. Its a Krieger 4 grove at 28 inches 1.250 no taper. I think if I remember right 1.4 MOA at 600 with the 123s

Mine is another, basically identical Krieger 8 twist, 4 groove, HV finished at ~29". Done by Jim Borden again with the same reamer. Minimal variables!

A few more

Target from Hunters Pointe recently

Old lot powder ladder, it ran more consistent here than up in the 40s

H4895 ladder, potentials there but seemed rough on the brass

First and only ladder so far on the new lot of powder, I have two more ladders loaded higher to shoot when I get a decent condition

Those are some excellent results! I have RL16, H4350, SW Long Rifle, IMR-4320, and then IMR-4064 in order of decreasing burn rate. I've been staying at the slow end because it fills the case nicely and my initial tests with the faster powders didn't work noticeably better. I'll revisit that a little on this barrel. This is the first rifle where IMR-4064 didn't knock my socks off. It's always shot the smallest in every rifle I've ever tried it in.

I like your improved 6.5x47. I was toying with going the other way and pushing down the shoulder maybe 0.020" or so and blow out the diameter to 0.463" with a 40 degree angle to somewhat match the taper and shoulder profile of a Dasher. End up with a little longer neck from all that too with maybe a little less capacity. I have an abstract thought that the 6.5x47 is just a hair too big for the bore but I've not been able to convince myself to do it yet! Custom reamer and dies take a long time and I'm not sure the juice would be worth the squeeze.

In my darker moments, I've considered ditching all of this LR stuff and going to a 30BR for 1/2/300 SR instead.

 

[DHuffman]

I picked up the reamer, dies and go gage here in the classifieds for a good price.

Mines like a BRA in that most cases will chamber as is to fireform but I have to bump a few back.

I'm pretty happy with it so far. It's an 8 twist 28" Krieger HV 4 groove on a Panda F class dual port in an LRB laminate stock with a Bix trigger.

I've got a Bartlien straight 1.250 with 8twist 5r that's broke in but not developed to roll onto with also.

Plus I had a 700 Remington chambered up as well to hunt with. It's pretty tough on whitetails.

 

[Evan]

Little update: I've been playing with different powders, and it seems to like IMR-4064 ok. Small ladder/node-check on the left, and then all my "favorite" loads on the right that I shot together for comparison. IMR-4064 just seems to be performing more consistently, but I've been struggling all around to keep my vertical under control.

 

[Sandstorm]

Thats real interesting...The 4064 I just never think about in a sentence with 6.5x47..?
If I ever run across some more, I wont be using it in the 308 thats for sure... I like VV N150 better for
that caliber anyway.
I like what your doing Evan....always giving me new horizons to look to.

 

[hoz53]

Hi all! Thought I would share my latest adventure. I started a discussion a while back about a 6.5x47 benchrest rifle:

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/6-5x47-hv-gun.3998349/

After talking to a couple gunsmiths, I decided to take the leap. Jim Borden convinced me to step up to a Rimrock BRL when I mentioned wanting a right bolt, left load, drop port. He also convinced me to glue this one in. He built the barreled action for me and timed a Jewell to it. He used his reamer, a 0.293 neck with a 0.166 freebore, on a Kreiger 8 twist, 4 groove, 31inch HV blank. Final finished length is a bit over 29 inches.

I got a "desert laminate" target blank with a 3" forearm from Richard's microfit and carved the stock myself. The barreled action arrived last Monday and the background check took 3 days. Got it home Thursday evening and worked hard to get it all together to shoot yesterday for the first time.
View attachment 1193846 View attachment 1193847View attachment 1193848 View attachment 1193849 View attachment 1193850
This was a bit of a departure in shape from my previous stocks:
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/my-20-vartarg-custom.3969176/
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/new-stock-for-my-22-250.3978615/
but I'm happy with how it turned out. I REALLY like this combination of colors. With my Sightron SVSS ED, I just barely make 17 pounds. I need to take off the sunshade and the caps and I just sneak in under weight!

I took it out yesterday with some new Petersen brass, RL16, and a handful of 147ELD. Starting at 39gns and working my way up to a drop tube and a slow pour got me to 2850fps without any change in bolt lift and no other pressure signs. I kind of ran out of room for any more powder! I backed it down to 2820 and shot the rest of the 50 there. I'll post some pictures of how they fit later when I load up the next 50. I'm going to be a bit wild and get up Wednesday morning and shoot before work.

I've got some 140 Hybrids in hand to try (thanks, Jerry!) and I have a box of 144 and 153.5s coming. After the tremendous speed it showed me yesterday, I'm not worried the 153.5 are too big anymore. It'd probably push them 2800 if I asked it to!

Thanks for this thread. Ive learned some things. I have a 6.5 barrel I want to chamber in something to hopefully shoot at 1000. Still can’t decide on the cartridge but I’m feeling the strait 6.547 just doesn’t quite have the horsepower for what I want. Considering your barrel life though —. Just don’t know. Oh yeah- they quit making imr-4320 right? Ive got a little to use up-

 

[Evan]

Thats real interesting...The 4064 I just never think about in a sentence with 6.5x47..?
If I ever run across some more, I wont be using it in the 308 thats for sure... I like VV N150 better for
that caliber anyway.
I like what your doing Evan....always giving me new horizons to look to.

I always wait to try it last and I don't know why. It has produced the smallest groups of any powder in most rifles I've tried it in that it's suitable for: 22-250, 22BR, 300 Savage, and 30-06. I had a little trouble with it at first in the 6.5x47, but pressures were just too low. Once I got enough powder it started shooting nicely.

I've shot this same 4064 "node" across a few different weather conditions now. Today was ~60degrees and very humid. It also held up at ~85 degrees and bone dry with scorching sun. It's a pretty stable powder.

Thanks for this thread. Ive learned some things. I have a 6.5 barrel I want to chamber in something to hopefully shoot at 1000. Still can’t decide on the cartridge but I’m feeling the strait 6.547 just doesn’t quite have the horsepower for what I want. Considering your barrel life though —. Just don’t know. Oh yeah- they quit making imr-4320 right? Ive got a little to use up-

If I'm honest, I have not been impressed overall with the 6.5x47 and would not recommend it. It has fought me the whole way. I honestly think it's got too much capacity for a small flash hole and small rifle primer, given how erratic the ES becomes in cold weather. My slow twist 22-250, fast twist 22BR, and 20 Vartarg have all shown me amazing, consistent accuracy with very little work and after all the glowing reviews I read about the 6.5x47, I expected it to be an easy-going cartridge too. I guess it would be for different accuracy requirements...

This second barrel is looking like it will live much much longer: 400 rounds down it with no firecracking or visible damage at this lower, ~2700-2750fps range with 136gn bullets. It's well ahead of where the first barrel was after 400 rounds of 153.5 going 2800+fps.

Yeah they stopped making 4320, but I have a few pounds left that I bought in 2006 that I'm using up slowly trying it in different guns. It shoots fine, but I haven't found anything that loves it yet.

 

[hoz53]

I always wait to try it last and I don't know why. It has produced the smallest groups of any powder in most rifles I've tried it in that it's suitable for: 22-250, 22BR, 300 Savage, and 30-06. I had a little trouble with it at first in the 6.5x47, but pressures were just too low. Once I got enough powder it started shooting nicely.

I've shot this same 4064 "node" across a few different weather conditions now. Today was ~60degrees and very humid. It also held up at ~85 degrees and bone dry with scorching sun. It's a pretty stable powder.


If I'm honest, I have not been impressed overall with the 6.5x47 and would not recommend it. It has fought me the whole way. I honestly think it's got too much capacity for a small flash hole and small rifle primer, given how erratic the ES becomes in cold weather. My slow twist 22-250, fast twist 22BR, and 20 Vartarg have all shown me amazing, consistent accuracy with very little work and after all the glowing reviews I read about the 6.5x47, I expected it to be an easy-going cartridge too. I guess it would be for different accuracy requirements...

This second barrel is looking like it will live much much longer: 400 rounds down it with no firecracking or visible damage at this lower, ~2700-2750fps range with 136gn bullets. It's well ahead of where the first barrel was after 400 rounds of 153.5 going 2800+fps.

Yeah they stopped making 4320, but I have a few pounds left that I bought in 2006 that I'm using up slowly trying it in different guns. It shoots fine, but I haven't found anything that loves it yet.

More good info— I appreciate it— Seems back in the prevarget ect days I shot 4320 in my 22/250 with pretty good success. I have an 8# so mabie I could find a good enough PD load to use it up. Thanks again
thanks again

 

[Evan]

I got out with some 133 Vapor trails last weekend at 600 yards and worked up some test loads with Shooter's World Long Rifle. You'll also see a couple groups from my 22BR on this target too. Looks like 37.9-38.0 is a node. I'll have to test higher next time to see if the node continues. This is getting a little hot, so I'm hesitant to push too much higher. There is my standard H4350 load in red (leftovers from the last BR match). Small yellow group measures right about 1.75" for reference. Not too bad!

 

[M14AMU]

I see no reason to just not stick with the 130 VLD Target bullets in my 6.5x47 Lapua! Its the right weight in conjunction with 38.0 grains Varget to give outstanding performance and insane accuracy from this Jon Beanland build!

 

[M14AMU]

15 rounds fired from 1000 yds that I could cover with my balled-up fist with the rifle above photo!

 

[Evan]

15 rounds fired from 1000 yds that I could cover with my balled-up fist with the rifle above photo!

That's a nice group! I didn't get enough 130vld stocked up before everything dried up because I was focused on heavy bullets at the time, but the vapor trails are great. If you're shooting steel, then I don't think the marginal improvement a custom bullet would give you is worth much. That said, I did not pay much more for the vapor trails than I would for Bergers these days, and Tom had as many as I wanted available.

 

[Evan]

I went out with all my reloading equipment and worked up some data for the new TS15.5 powder from Alliant. You can see my rough powder ladder below:

I want to caution anyone thinking of trying this that I'm just a random guy on the internet and you can't assume this is safe. Based on speed alone, we all know there is a lot of pressure to those top loads.

Based on this ladder, I loaded up some 3 shot groups to see where a node might be at. Wind was switchy and I think that blew up the groups and also resulted in my top green group blowing over into my 22BR groups on the right. Pencil marks show the middle of the groups. Also note that I shot my Peterson brass and my Lapua brass which have very similar volumes and saw vastly similar performance.

I think 38.2-38.4 might be a node, but I'll need to repeat this to know. There is a lot of vertical present in these groups.

 

[Evan]

600yards again today. Cool humid and mildly windy.

My node of 38.2 to 38.4 seems to be holding. I'm not seeing much that excites me. I think I need to make some larger moves on seating depth. These are all jammed a good ways and maybe I will find something good a bit further from the lands.

 

[Evan]

My seating depth testing today revealed a new area right around 0.004" into the lands to explore more (purple group, seated 3.181 on my unzeroed calipers/comparator). Pretty fantastic 1.215" group!

 

[M14AMU]

You need a BENCH......BADLY!!

 

[Evan]

You need a BENCH......BADLY!!

Haha. My protable wood one pictured above is pretty stable. I do need to manage my breathing and control my body carefully since I am the weight anchoring it to the ground. It's hard to know what components of my groups are from gun handling and "shakey" bench compared to shooting from solid concrete.

 

[Evan]

Conditions were challenging today with gusty wind and 100 degree heat.

The seating depth test on the right seems to suggest that I have a 0.002 or so wide window between 3.181 and 3.179 (about 0.004 to 0.006 out of the lands). It looks like my ladder today solidified the node too. ~2930fps and 38.2 up to 38.5gns is flat, although 38.5 is the maximum in this gun. It had stiff bolt lift and was leaving unhealthy smears of brass on the bolt face.

 

[FNSafari]

Haha. My protable wood one pictured above is pretty stable. I do need to manage my breathing and control my body carefully since I am the weight anchoring it to the ground. It's hard to know what components of my groups are from gun handling and "shakey" bench compared to shooting from solid concrete.

Not trying to be snarky here, but "pretty stable" when you are trying to assess load, bullet, powder, seating depth is just not good enough. If its all you have, so be it, but find a range with some rock solid benches to shoot from. Good luck.

 

[Evan]

Not trying to be snarky here, but "pretty stable" when you are trying to assess load, bullet, powder, seating depth is just not good enough. If its all you have, so be it, but find a range with some rock solid benches to shoot from. Good luck.

I appreciate that, but my choices are limited at the moment. I've thought about building a different bench that may be more stable, but this one is pretty close to the limit of what I can physically handle moving in and out of my truck. For now, it's just a part of the equation and a small excuse anytime I didn't shoot as good as I had hoped to, haha.