6 x 47 Lapua

[Lynn Otto]

Chopper said:

i still beleive wind reading is the key just as much as good equipment its just the difference in wind that will count at the end of the match,

I also think the wind reading will often have the last say on the day. We have seen some very accomplished FO shooters, accustomed to shooting through the wind come unstuck in light twitchy conditions because they weren't paying enough attention to actually reading the wind. When you shoot with a 223 you never assume anything, you watch the conditions religously.

[Chopper]

a little brag here and why not ,geoff grenfell shot a 100 with my millenium 223 at 300 the other day at bendigo on an fo target with 1 left to 1 right.

[Chopper]

yes thank you Allan as it all adds up at the end of the match so maybe you can see the importance of talking more about wind than calibres , THANK YOU,and it is cheaper , a good answer to my original question ,one calibre and wind reading skills = a win. WHAT CALIBRE WOULD YOU PICK ? ?????

[AlanF]

...WHAT CALIBRE WOULD YOU PICK ? ?????

Chop,

That's one of the best things about F-Open - choosing your calibre. You do the research, ask questions, see what the top shooters are using etc., and make a choice. I can only give a personal opinion, based on my own experience and research. There will be many others!

If I had 2 rifles, one would be a 6BR and the other a 7mm (perhaps a WSM or a 280AI). The 6BR is probably the most accurate and easy to load chambering suitable for F-Open. Its main handicap is at the longs when conditions are difficult. Of all the setups I have shot against, the 284 Win using heavy high BC projectiles shows the most promise at the longs. I like the idea of a larger case than the 284Win not necessarily for more velocity, but lower pressures and better brass life.

I see two groups of cartridges as suitable for the one gun shooter. Either the faster 6mm chamberings such as 6x47Lapua or 243AI, or the larger 6.5mm chamberings such as 6.5x284 or 6.5x55AI. The 6mms will have less recoil, and have a slight accuracy advantage. The 6.5s will have marginally better performance at the longs. There are lower budget alternatives in 6mm (e.g. Dasher and BRX) and in 6.5 (e.g. 260 Rem, 6.5HI) which are also good all-rounders. But their lower velocities will give slightly higher wind-drift.

Some might say who cares if cartridge X has 2% more wind-drift than cartridge Y. Well, I'd ask them to think about when they're marking, how many shots they get which are just touching the L or R side of a score ring. They are the ones where cartridge X would drop a point nearly every time.

Alan

[Chopper]

Thank you Allan i have set up my millenium in 6x47 and am going to shoot it on saturday and see how it goes, if ime happy with the results i may shoot it in the lead up at bendigo, thanks again, chop.

[AlanF]

Chop,

I hope you do have it ready for the Syme. From the people I've spoken to, the F-Open entry list may be quite small in the leadup this year. At last there are a few intending to shoot the Queens.

Alan

[Chopper]

anyone using 6x47 , if so what velocities are you looking for thanks chop.

[Cameron Mc]

Chop, I have not chrono'd my 6x47 yet but it shoots alot flatter than my 6br. I am using 40g - 2209 with 105's....it is a hot load, but the cases stand up well.

After your terrific effort in the Vic Queens and Leadup, maybe you can teach us a thing or 2 as it seems your 6x47 is really singing.

Congratulations on a great performance.

Cameron

[Chopper]

Thanks Cameron , i had them going under 3000 the barrel tuner i got Geoff Grenfell to fit done the rest, i just went bush with a box of bullets and tuned it in.

[daj]

Chop,

When I finally get around to trying it out, I'm guessing 139s in my new 6.5x47L will have to be stoked up well above the barrel's natural accuracy node to be remotely competitive with the bigger 6.5s at the longs. Enter the barrel tuner.....maybe.

Is your tuner commercially available and are you impressed with its performance?

David

[Chopper]

david when i first went out to tune i spent 50 odd rounds shooting 5 shot groups at 300 moving the tuner which is calibrated in say 1/8th turns with out much luck of shrinking the groups which were about 40mm ,i was starting to get the sh*ts and thought that was as much as i was going to get out of it , but then i thought being such a heavy profile barrel i would try and move the tuner in full turns to see if i could make a group change either bigger or smaller as i had no luck in changing the groups the way i was going and was running out of ammo, well i cranked it back 3 full turns and the magic happened so yes i ldo like them, Geoff Grenfell has them and will fit.

[daj]

Chop,

If I remember correctly, the BOSS and QUE barrel tuners used small increments to fine tune sporter weight barrels. I suppose the ratio of tuner weight to barrel weight determines the turns to tune.

Is Geoff's tuner machined to match the barrel then clamped in place or does the barrel have to be machined and/or threaded?

How dramatic was the improvement? 40mm down to 30mm?

David

[Chopper]

They are threaded on with an 0 ring incorparated to prevent easy or accidental movement,got groups down to 22m 1st 5 shot group then fluked a 15mm 5 shot,by the way many barrels have there potential peak accuracy blown out the window by CLAMPING things on the end of there barrel to tight, the internal dimentions of a barrel can easily be reduced a thou or three by overdoing the forsight screws.

[daj]

Thanks Chop. I'd call that pretty dramatic.

Did you opt for the tuner because you want to run your 6x47 hot or just out of curiosity?

[Chopper]

Ime not running the 6x47 hot as i said under 3000,the reason i use one is when i was tuning barrels in for state team a couple of years ago i got to learn a bit about them and seen the benifits of them but i think you need time and patients to see the difference ,its good fun anyway,sometimes it happens quick sometimes it doesnt.