I've had/have both. One nice thing about the 47 is the ability to use faster powders like Varget and RL-15 instead of H4350 burn rate powders. Not a huge deal, but nice if you already shoot calibers that use those faster powders.
6.5x47 still relevant?
- Thread starter hitman44
- Start date
I’ve never understood it. The 45 gr capacity is absolutely perfect for heavy (107smks and 105 bergers) 6mm. It’s undercharged for 6.5mm, and you can run it soft in 6mm and extend barrel life, and @ 100% or “C” case capacity for really consistent loads. If you push it it’s a barrel burner.
IMO 6x47L is a great cartridge. 6.5x47L doesn’t have enough case capacity.
I’ve shot it for six years, and I’m going to a light Dasher because I’m sick of buying barrels and having them let go in the middle of a match.
IMO 6x47L is a great cartridge. 6.5x47L doesn’t have enough case capacity.
I’ve shot it for six years, and I’m going to a light Dasher because I’m sick of buying barrels and having them let go in the middle of a match.
I think if you are an average PRS competitor, it doesn't really matter what you shoot with between the 6s and 6.5s. I've shot local PRS matches and did very well with a 6.5 Addiction (50'ish grs of powder under a 140 going 2950). That was an 18# rifle. When I switched to a 22# 6 Creedmoor, I wasn't practicing at all due to work so I wasn't doing as well.
If you like the 6.5x47 and the rifle is set up for the game, run it. There are better calibers for PRS. But unless you're chasing podiums and looking to move from the local to national level, run what you have the most fun with.
I have a 6.5x47 in the safe and I have very seriously been thinking about trying an NRL Hunter match with that.
If you like the 6.5x47 and the rifle is set up for the game, run it. There are better calibers for PRS. But unless you're chasing podiums and looking to move from the local to national level, run what you have the most fun with.
I have a 6.5x47 in the safe and I have very seriously been thinking about trying an NRL Hunter match with that.
I don't shoot prs but I love my x47L's. Been shooting them for many many years. It's been a tack driver to 1000yd, shoots EVERYTHING I've loaded in it with zero effort.
This summer I went to a 2 day clinic/competition and directly from the competition I went on vacation to Nashville. I hand loaded 200 rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor for the competition and had 80 remaining.
When I was in Nashville I heard about Dead Zero Shooting Park and their 1000y all electronic range.
Since the longest range I shoot at is 600M I decided to visit for a day.
By 1:00pm I had expended all 80 rounds I had with me.
I went down to the pro shop and bought 4 boxes of ammo.
2 FGMM with 140gr SMK’s
1 Sierra Competition Ammunition with 140gr SMK’s
1 Hornady Match with 147gr ELD-M’s
If I was shooting 6.5x47 my day would have been done.
This is the first time I purchased manufactured ammo besides a box to use as a benchmark against my own hand loads.
Shot PRS National and local level for 5 years. Love the 6.5x47. I just spun a new 6.5x47 barrel on my gun, and plan to get back into competing again this year.
It's not the fastest or sexiest cartridge, but it has been amazingly consistent for me. My prior barrel had 2500 rounds on it. The load I developed in the first 100 rounds was varget and berger 130's at 2900fps. Shot the exact smae from day 1 until the day I pulled my barrel off the action.
For me, consistency far outweighed chasing better ballistics.
^^^ This is why I love both of my 6.5x47s.
It is one of the easiest cartridges to load for, not only in terms of accuracy but also in consistently low ES and SD.
Guys like me can run it soft with 120-123gr bullets at 2,800 FPS, or 130gr bullets at 2,725...or they can bump that up another 150 FPS if they want to run it hard thanks to the design and excellent cases. It also has the ability to shoot the heavies well too if you run enough freebore.
There are other cartridges with fantastic reputations of being "inherently accurate" (6BR, 6 Dasher etc...), but the little 6.5x47 is the ruler of the .264 roost (IMO)...and I've had/have custom .260s and 6.5 Creeds. *It's not that you can't make another 6.5 as accurate, because you can. It's just easier to do on average with the x47.
I had my load for my 6.5x47L using a 130gr Berger AR Hybrid and H4350 in less than 30rds, or 50rds if you include the 20rds I used to get a larger group for chrono data and verifying the accuracy/zero via 4x5rd groups. Easiest load dev I've ever done, and I didn't just jump into a "known" load from here or another forum. It was just a tremendously easy cartridge to develop a load for.
Ironically, the 130 AR Hybrid is the only bullet that didn't shoot lights out in either of my 6.5x47s. It was still a .5 - .6 bullet, but I had two other bullets for each barrel that shot noticeably better. However the 130 Norma Golden Target shoots so well in my one barrel that I'm probably going to shed a tear once I've used both bullet and barrel up.
Ironically, the 130 AR Hybrid is the only bullet that didn't shoot lights out in either of my 6.5x47s. It was still a .5 - .6 bullet, but I had two other bullets for each barrel that shot noticeably better. However the 130 Norma Golden Target shoots so well in my one barrel that I'm probably going to shed a tear once I've used both bullet and barrel up.
Damn that's surprising shoots one hole with both Varget and h4350 in every x47L barrel I've owned
Might have something to do with my not being able to drive them hard enough (need to get the firing pin bushed next rebarrel). 39.2 - 39.6gr H4350 (2,715 - 2,740 FPS) makes legit one-hole groups with the 130gr Norma though. That is the first rifle I've ever shot a 1/4 minute group with AND then followed it up with another 1/4 minute group. Usually those are flukes
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