6.5 x 47 Lapua

[Cameron Mc]

Anyone heard when the new Lapua 6.5x47 brass will be landing in OZ. I have an order in. I obtained a big no. of 123g Lapua,s in a deal (cheap) , so am hoping this cartridge will put them to good use.

Cameron

[balcom]

Anyone heard when the new Lapua 6.5x47 brass will be landing in OZ. I have an order in. I obtained a big no. of 123g Lapua,s in a deal (cheap) , so am hoping this cartridge will put them to good use.

Cameron

Hi Cameron
If you cant wait, neck down some 308x51 to 6.5x51 then to 6.5x47.
Maybe
PeterH

[VickiMcc]

Andrew McDonald from D W Custers says they will be landing some time in July

Price TBA

[Cameron Mc]

Pete, I've been down that path, years gone by, don't really want to go that way again. If Lapua produce the 6.5-47 case on par with the 6BR, we should have a competitive cartridge.

Hope you are right Paul

Thanks, Cameron

[Matt P]

Cameron
It will be competitive, when necked down to 6mm.

Matt P

[RAVEN]

Yep thats the 1 Matt

[AlanF]

...It will be competitive, when necked down to 6mm...

Matt,

I might have to eat my words one day, but I don't see it as anything special for 6mm. Yes it will have more capacity than Dasher and BRX, and less than XC. So its speed will be somewhere in between, as will its barrel life ! Some are seeing it as the ideal case for the 115gn DTAC, but its never wise to put all your eggs in one basket.

I'm actually thinking it might be a great cartridge as is (in 6.5mm) for ranges up to 600yd. I'd expect barrel life to be much better than a 6BR, something similar to a .308! And Cameron's on the money with the Scenar 123, plus there are others like Nosler who make good light 6.5 projectiles.

If these cases are easy to get, I might just shelve the 6BR idea and look at the 6.5x47! Always had a soft spot for 6.5mm...

Alan

[RAVEN]

or U could neck it down and shoot a six

[RDavies]

Does this new 6.5x47 case have small rifle primer and small 060" flash hole like the 6mm BR cases?

[Matt P]

Yes
Matt P

[AlanF]

After some ballistics calculations, I now think the 140gn class of projectiles are best in the 6.5x47, even at 300yds. In fact with the 139gn Scenar it would have equal wind drift to 6BRX or Dasher using SMK107gn at all ranges while probably having significantly better barrel life (admittedly about 30% more recoil, but mild all the same).

Its just dawned on me that the 6.5HI must be similar capacity. Can anyone comment on that?

Alan

[Tiger]

I have asked KH regarding changing over to 6.5x47 from the 6.5HI that I am using, he seemed to think that the capacity for the 6.5x47 would be less than the HI, and that it might be marginal at the longs.

I'm happy with my HI, but wouldn't mind using a cartridge that doesn't need fire-forming and modified dies etc.

[AlanF]

Tiger,

Yes after checking I agree that capacity will be less than the HI. I have been looking for something to use at the shorts mainly - my 6.5x284 is good at the longs, but a waste of barrel at the shorts. I was considering 6BR (and still am), but the 6.5x47 I believe would have longer barrel life, and using 140gn projectiles would have much less wind drift than 6BR (about equal with Dasher/BRX).

Alan

[Matt P]

Alan
It may have all those things BUT will it be as accurate as the 6BR ???
(I doubt it but I'm always the pesimist) And the recoil will also be more especially with a 140gr pill, some here beleive recoil makes no difference,but something to think about.

Matt P

[AlanF]

Matt,

Recoil would be more than 6BR, but much less than 6.5x284, because velocity would be down about 250fps, and importantly, only about 60% of the powder (the rule of thumb for recoil calcs is to add one third of powder weight to projectile weight).

However, I agree that the 6BR is a very accurate cartridge, so that is the big question: how accurate would a 140gn projectile be at about 2700fps in this case. Maybe 1 in 8 twist will not stabilise it enough in our conditions. I'm going to try shooting 139s and 142s at about 2700fps in the 6.5x284 just to test that. If they do work, another alternative would be just to use very light loads in the 284 case and save the barrel that way.

Alan