Yep,
2900+ fps with the 140 VLD is totally possible; AND SAFE! With my first 6.5x47 I wanted to see what I could get with that combo as I was considering a light wt LR rig for hunting. At 43 gr of Rel 17 and the 140 VLD I was hitting 2960 fps with a 26" Krieger barrel. With 42.5 gr of Rel 17 and the 140 Accubond I got to 2910 fps.
I decided to make the jump and had the same gunsmith put together another rifle with a 26" Broughton, using the same reamer in a Pierce action.
140 AB, 42.5 gr Rel 17 = 2874 fps
140 VLD, 43.5 gr Rel 17 = 3021 fps
140 PT, 42.5 gr Rel 17 = 2945 fps
These were with CCI 450's. I did see pressure at these levels such as ejector marks or "slight" bolt lift issues.
I did pursue both the 140 PT and VLD loads and settled on
41.6 gr, 140 PT, 2869 fps
42.1 gr, 140 VLD, 2963 fps
From there I tried different primers and the Fed 205M came out on top. This surprised me because in my BIG Surgeon rifle, the CCI450 is the champ with H4350 and the 130 VLD.
I've run 5 firings on my brass with the VLD load and the pockets are still tight. I recently had a long talk with a ballistic lab buddy of mine who works for a LARGE powder company and we both agree i'm probably running 70K psi. He convinced me that with the modern case design of the -47 case, minimal case taper, sharper shoulder angle, small primer pockets, optimal neck length, minimal case sizing, Rel 17 and the VLD bullet with it's short bearing surface, I and my rifle are totally safe. He's a BR shooter and he and others routinely run 70K psi loads at weekend BR matches where hundreds of shots are fired over a weekend COF.
With all the above said, if one decides to reach into this territory, you need to know what you're doing and approach very carefully.
Alan
