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6.5x47 Lapua

What charge are you at Padom? I just got around to shooting those 15 shots i loaded in march today lol. 37.8gr of varget gave me an SD of 1.5 out of 3 shots at 2811. Surprised i thought i'd be getting a little hot there but i wish i had loaded to 38.0 now. I'm going to load another 3-5 with 38.0 to see what they look like and shoot them tomorrow.

Also this might be a stupid question but can you a throater and increase freebore? Mine is anemic at .123

Didnt see this but here is my info

130 SMK
37.5gr Varget
5x Lapua
CCI 450
2.113 OG
2916

Here is my other lights out load.

135 A-Tip
38gr Varget
5x Lapua
CCI 450
2883

Both of these loads have been tested and confirmed to 1000yd with boring accuracy and consistency at 1000.
 
I picked up 600 of these to use in my 65SS for the NRL Hunter series. I now see there's no AB custom curve for these unless I'm just missing it. I see 123 and 142 pointed but no 130.

Padom, I see you've used the published BC to 1000. Anyone else here confirmed the BC or using something different from published?
 
I picked up 600 of these to use in my 65SS for the NRL Hunter series. I now see there's no AB custom curve for these unless I'm just missing it. I see 123 and 142 pointed but no 130.

Padom, I see you've used the published BC to 1000. Anyone else here confirmed the BC or using something different from published?

Correct Kestrel doesnt have a CC for the 130smk yet....covid held that up along with other new bullets I'm told..

Yes they were spot on with the published BC...
 
I get sub .25 moa out of my pre 64 winchester with a 26" lothar walter lw50 stainless barrel using:
37 gr vv 150 powder
205m primers
120gr smk's
COAL 2.670

Also have had good results with
37gr of VV n160
205m primers
139gr laupa scenars
COAL 2.725

Have tried it with other primers like rem 7-1/2, CCI br well and it doesn't seem to make a ton of difference in this rifle
 
Has anyone tried the CCI 41s with this cartridge? I know the cups are hard for gas guns but I'm low on 450s, have plenty of the 41s..
 
So no freakin Varget to be had out there other than GB prices. I'm looking at the burn rate chart and see V-N140 and RL15 close, I have both of these on hand. Has anyone tried these in the mild winter/muggy azz south?
 
@346ci
RL15 is a bit closer to Varget than N140, but both a bit slower - just FYI. I can run some numbers in QL for you if you give me some load specs
 
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So no freakin Varget to be had out there other than GB prices. I'm looking at the burn rate chart and see V-N140 and RL15 close, I have both of these on hand. Has anyone tried these in the mild winter/muggy azz south?
I’ve used RL15 with success. It’s more temp sensitive than varget so I stopped using it. It works really well in 6.5x47.
 
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H4350 works too if you find it
Got a pile of this also that I was going to use for 6.5cm then bought a 6.5x47 rig that is know to shoot well with varget and already has load data worked up.
 
I just need: bullet, barrel length, COAL and then I can run some numbers with different powder combos.
 
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Rl-15 got me same velocity as varget, within .1-2 grains , like mentioned not temp stable.
4350 will be slower, but effective.
If u want to go fast get some rl-17, it jumped my velocity up by 80 fps, again not temp stable
 
Time for some precision loads. My last outing showed wonderfully on the chrony. Snapping the steel at 1500m with the 6.5x47 Lapua was great trigger therapy. Here’s the results on the LabRadar...

2-DC2102-A-1964-4-DC3-9-B75-304-EB1123707.jpg


Nice large sample size. Pretty decent spread and SD numbers here! (65 degrees) So I thought that I just might try to better that. Time to precision size...

F23AC73F-0122-4582-9051-A19590281806.jpg


That number on the caliper represents .0005” shoulder bump from fire formed. Neck tension is .002”. (I use a Whidden F.L. bushing die.) The charging is as accurate as the lab grade FX120i scale measures. To the granule.

And some of the finished product...

CE2C3CB0-FD59-4E31-A03B-02B5717AF75E.jpg


6.5x47L with Lapua cases and CCI BR4 SRP. And 38.0gr of Varget ready to propel the 139gr Lapua Scenar down range.
 
Time for some precision loads. My last outing showed wonderfully on the chrony. Snapping the steel at 1500m with the 6.5x47 Lapua was great trigger therapy. Here’s the results on the LabRadar...

2-DC2102-A-1964-4-DC3-9-B75-304-EB1123707.jpg


Nice large sample size. Pretty decent spread and SD numbers here! (65 degrees) So I thought that I just might try to better that. Time to precision size...

F23AC73F-0122-4582-9051-A19590281806.jpg


That number on the caliper represents .0005” shoulder bump from fire formed. Neck tension is .002”. (I use a Whidden F.L. bushing die.) The charging is as accurate as the lab grade FX120i scale measures. To the granule.

And some of the finished product...

CE2C3CB0-FD59-4E31-A03B-02B5717AF75E.jpg


6.5x47L with Lapua cases and CCI BR4 SRP. And 38.0gr of Varget ready to propel the 139gr Lapua Scenar down range.
How are the139’s working out for you
 
Anyone use factory Lapua 6.5x47 139gr Scenar ammunition and have data on it?

I have 200 rounds coming and plan to use it to break in two new rifles, one with Hawk Hill 24 inch barrel and the other Bartlein 26.

Update: 20 rounds gave average of 2674 with and SD of 13.4. COAL was 2.720. G7 BC worked out to .290. Temp was around 90 and RH around 50. I did have a couple of sticky bolts. Accuracy was really good.
 
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Hello,

Getting into this chambering for grins as an informal target gun that'll probably never leave the ranch. I plan on hobby shooting from 100 to 600 yards, maybe occasionally stretching to 900.

Have about 11lbs of Varget still, as well as the same amount in RE-15. Also have some other 8lb jugs of various powders that may work...but no H4350. I also have ~3K CCI BR4s, and a lot more 450s and 41s if need. Sitting on quite a few 123gr bullets too.

No, I'm not flexing (hardly), my surplus of supplies though is why I chose this cartridge. I'm also much more interested in barrel life vs running way above published pressure.

As a 6.5x47 Newb, I know that I can source Lapua and Peterson brass at the moment...is there one I should prefer over the other?

As far as dies too, I'm guilty of always using cheaper FL dies, but have had great success in the past with those. For a hobbyist, what dies would you guys recommend I look into?

Anything that you wish you knew now after getting into the cartridge would be greatly appreciated if you shared.

Thanks in advance for your time.
 
Varget & RL15 is good for 123s. Over the years my two favorites for the wide range of 6.5mm bullets in this cartridge are RL17 on the lighter side and N550 on the heavy side. Various primers work fine, but this is the only cartridge where I've seen CCI 450s shrink groups to the point where it's the only primer I use in this one.
 
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Br4s work great. 37.4-38.0 grains of varget is where I found it to shoot at with 130 bergers. Great round you'll enjoy, load work is very simple.
 
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Anyone still shoot 140 Hornady match with either varget or h4350?

I have some 140 bergers (not much though) and some 130 Berger hybrids
 
Anyone still shoot 140 Hornady match with either varget or h4350?

I have some 140 bergers (not much though) and some 130 Berger hybrids

Not Varget, but IMR 4166 @ 36.6 gr in Lapua brass gives 140gr ELDM a velocity of 2848 fps and SD of 8. 24" barrel.
 
Anyone try RL TS 15.5 in this round? Wondering how it compares to Varget. Maybe it's too soon?
 
Wondering how 2000 MR might perform on this?
Just thought of it and havent searched anything yet.

Spitballing the idea of an 18-20” barrel for a hunting rig and this.

Thinking a 120 class (PVA solid?) might be pretty awesome.
 
Hands down the most accurate barrel I have in my SRS (out of about a dozen) is a heavy profile 20" 6.5x4L. It's incredible with 120 Scenar-L and RL17.
 
2816 fps @ 42.3gr RL17

Varget worked well too (~39gr), but I ran out last year and only recently got more.
 
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Alliant lists 40 gr of 2000 MR in the 260 Remington with a 120 class.
Reports 2830 fps.

Should be able to kick some ass with the x47.

Will be a while, early in this project. 😁
 
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Anyone using 147 ELDM in their x47?
147 is my go to bullet in my 6.5x47. 38.1 to 39.4 grains of RL-16 all shot well, settled on 39.2 grains. Getting around 2700 out of a 24” barrel at 2.766” OAL with that combo. It’s been consistent over the life of this barrel.

38.2 of H4350 also shot tiny groups for me with the 147’s.
 
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147 is my go to bullet in my 6.5x47. 38.1 to 39.4 grains of RL-16 all shot well, settled on 39.2 grains. Getting around 2700 out of a 24” barrel at 2.766” OAL with that combo. It’s been consistent over the life of this barrel.

38.2 of H4350 also shot tiny groups for me with the 147’s.
You using a 7.5 or 8 twist barrel? Mines an 8, will it reliably stabilize the 147s?
 
Anyone ever use IMR 4064 in their x47's? 120-130gr class projectiles are what I have in mind. I bought an 8#'er for 308 but haven't had much luck with it there.
 
You using a 7.5 or 8 twist barrel? Mines an 8, will it reliably stabilize the 147s?
I’m using an 8 twist. No issues whatsoever, including blowups. I chose them because they shot nearly the best and were much cheaper than Bergers. Went to a somewhat local range two years ago and put my first three 147’s into about 4” at 1000 yards. The next 147 opened up the group to 6”. Then of course it proceeded to go downhill from there and brought me back to reality. But they were stabile for sure.
 
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Has anyone ran into pressure signs with the 140 hybrids and varget? I get ejector marks and flattened primers at 36 grains, I still seem to be getting slight ejector marks at 35 grains.

New Peterson brass, cci 41 primers, sw precision (tried varget with same results),
140 hybrids. Tl3 sa, brand new Krieger shouldered, barrel work done by bugholes, suppressed and unsuppressed. 35 grains, 20thou off lands .001-.002 of neck tension.

It shoots great around half inch 5 shot groups, but only 2600 fps any ideas?
 
With 140 hybrids I didn't hit pressure till 37 ish grains.
My load was 36.6 gn varget at 20 thou.
Br 4 primers, Lapua brass 2780 fps Primers looked good. Had 2 barrels I ran 140s in , both I used same load in, second barrel was 2765fps.
How much are your necks expanding on fired brass. Maybe bad barrel, carbon ring?
 
With 140 hybrids I didn't hit pressure till 37 ish grains.
My load was 36.6 gn varget at 20 thou.
Br 4 primers, Lapua brass 2780 fps Primers looked good. Had 2 barrels I ran 140s in , both I used same load in, second barrel was 2765fps.
How much are your necks expanding on fired brass. Maybe bad barrel, carbon ring?
Well the barrel is new literally these are the first shots, I did check the neck expansion looks like around 3-4 thou, a loaded round measures 289 or so and fired case measures 293.

I wonder could the action have anything to do with it?
 
I don't think an action would cause that kind of problems, that being said u never know.
I'd get 20 pieces of lapua brass and load of powder charges till u hit pressure and see what velocity you come up with.
What freebore are u running?
 
Also I'd try some different primers.
See if anything changes.
 
Did you do load work up with that brass and rifle?? How far are you off the lands?

I found I had to drop my charge with Peterson vs lapua...
 
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Not sure of the freebore I'll have to ask, I told them I'll be running 140s and they chambered it for them I believe.

See pics for issues.

I put a new primer in there for comparison.
 

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I've only put 50 rounds through the barrel, started with 34, 34.5 and 35 grains 20 thou off lands.
 
One more

This is a pic of federal gmm primer.
37.2 grains sw precision
20 thou off lands

Just wanted to add, no heavy bolt lift and charges are thrown with AND autotrickler.
Verifed with calibrated weight and 140 hybrid.
 

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