So in keeping with my mantra of "No More New Builds", I decided it was time to just fill in a couple blank spaces from my parts bin:

Open canvas...

What started this whole thing was last fall I bought several triggers to replace the stock ones on a couple three guns that needed upgrading. No time like the present to get an extra....just in case.....

Shortly there after, I thought it best to get a stock on order from Mcmillan, so as not to be caught flatfooted.....just in case, ya know..... (no new builds)

Figgered I could always peddle it if nothing materialized in the future.....

Then a month or so later, wouldn't ya know it, Brunos had free shipping on in stock Kreiger barrels. Well who's gonna pass up free schitt? Just so happened they had a eight twist 6.5 in a Rem Varmint contour on the shelf.

Hell's bells, I even got me a reamer that has 6.5 etched on it too.......destiny lives.....

OK Al. I'll say it . . . 6.5 Creedmoor.

Is this like "mind the gap"?
https://www.google.com/amp/thechive...ind-the-best-gaps-of-2015-67-photos/amp/

Not really, but appropriate regardless......thumbs up....

Sorry Deano.....no Crapmore here......

lol I like how you think....

I don't know what he's going to build but I bet it will shoot 7" groups at 1600 yards give or take ......grin

I'm betting 6.5x47

Duh? 6.5 GAP as in 6.5 Swammy with GAPs name on it.

6.5 PRC

In for a penny, in for a pound......so full steam ahead....

Found an action in stock, exactly what I wanted:

Bat VR, short action, repeater, melanited, integral recoil lug, integral 20 MOA picatinny rail, and a tactical bolt knob.

Bombs away....

He'd be the first kid on the block or that I know of with a 6.5PRC.

Forgot one spec....473" boltface........

As soon as the action came in, I boxed it, the barrel, and reamer all up for the ride to the smith. Weren't but a few days later and I was greeted with a return package.



Everyone should get one of these with their new tube as well:

Proof aalf is a player.

Whatchoo talkin' about Willis.......

George over at GA precision has been shooting a 6.5 PRC for a little bit...

Aalf, what's the barrel stub machined into?

The finish reamer is run partially into the stub. It let's you check for adequate neck clearance on loaded rounds, initial seating depths, in regards to the lands for any bullet, and precisely measure fired brass for bumping shoulders.

Good idea. Can't wait to see what you've come up with but I have an idea.

Since we talked last in December, this will be your second or third "no new builds" rifle. LMAO

It ain't everybody who is able to drop off stuff at a 'smith who provides the level of precision you require and get it back in just a few days.

Any smith worth his salt should include a seat/neck gauge.....

Reamer specs.....

Overall length with a 123 Amax in the lands:

130 Berger VLD seated about this much in the lands at 2.735" to start load work:

Do those x47's shoot?

Not really.....shoulda probably built a Crapmore, but I'm saddled w/ this reamer.....

Have quite a few on the loading bench.... pretty handy tools!

It's a common practice for me. I'm going to dump the end of the blank anyhow, and it's gotta get indicated in.....so what's 5 mins shoving the reamer before I lop it off?

The last couple I had done came with them. Handy dandy.

Final piece of the puzzle is a scope. Decided to slum another Nightforce for a while.

Hope it tracks......

Since I'm still a couple months off on the stock to show from McMillan, I stole a Marksman off one of my prairie dog guns to tide me over.

Next, I get the barreled action bolted in, then proceed to getting the Seekins rings lapped & bolted on, the scope mounted up, and then get the NF boresighted looking out the picture window on a spot in the neighbor's backyard.

Shazaam......

What's not to like about that one!

Time for load work....

I knew out of the gate that I wanted to shoot Berger 130 VLD's, and based on past experience with the 47, Varget was the powder of choice. However, the barrel is always boss.

I was not to be disappointed........

Naturally, I had a nasty little crosswind to deal with that day. I walked the target out to 200 yards, set up the Ohler, and proceeded to shoot 3 shot groups round robin in half grain increments:

Found two nodes......

38 grains had an ES of 3

39.5 grains had an ES of 7.

Next up.....showdown betwixt the two......

What's the largest barrel contour you'd use in the Marksman stock?

Sweet rifle Alf.

May I ask what barrel contour you used and also what stock you have on order to complete the build? Is it another marksman?

Thanks

What trigger are you gonna run aalf?

Cartridge?

Do you have a reamer?

Scope?

Blind mag?

I've got a couple three barrels in Heavy Varmint/MTU/AMU contours, and they all fit in the Marksmans with room to spare.

The Marksman has the same forend as an A-5 in width and length. You could run a straight 1.250" and still have flats on the top of both sides of the forend, which measure about 1.450" out to out.

Thanks....

Barrel is an eight twist Kreiger Remington Varmint contour.

Yes, another Marksman on the way. I had to take the bolt stop out of the Bat action so it would bolt into this stock for load work till it shows. I've dropped the bolt on the bench a couple times till I got used to no stop.....

Appreciate the info

Trigger Tech


6.5x47 Lapua


Yes I have my own reamer.


Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x50 w/ MOART reticle


Regular BDL floorplate.....feeds just fine thank you.

Lapping Seekins rings...????

F'ing A....everything, every time, trust nothing......

Looks like another shooter, to no ones surprise. Those Bat's are nice...

How similar are the loads you've ended up with across your various 6.5x47L barrels?

Thanks Carl....wished all mine were Bats, but......$$$$

Loads are pretty much the same across the board. With 123/130 class, 37.5 to 38.0 grains hits a node and 39.5 is the top node, with this lot of Varget anyway.

Interesting...my primary competition load last year was 130 Hybrids and 37.4 of Varget. It worked well, very consistent velocities.

I loaded up 20 of each, and gave them a go at 100-200-300-400. Virtual tie that day, each "winning" 2 yardages, in less than ideal winds.

Went out several days later in better testing conditions.

38 grains:

200).560"
300).820"
400)3.100"
500)3.350"


39.5 grains:

200).1.230"
300)1.870"
400)1.180"
500)1.465"

Final test......

I gathered up my neck sizer, priming tool, Wilson seater, and filled 12 plastic vials with 39.5 grains of Varget, plus bullets & primers, then proceeded to shoot one case 12 times.

Every time, opening and closing the bolt was a one finger affair,
the case never got tight in the chamber, and the primer pockets stayed snug though out......cool.

I'm there.....

Some Sunny calm morning, I'd enjoy just sitting on a bucket watching aalf nail targets in the far distance.

Mad skills.

TFF

Took it out a couple times to play at LR.

500 yards:



720 yards:



1000 yards:



1200 yards:

Of course the wind progressively got worse as the distances increased. I generally toss out 2-3 lids off the Krylon spray cans for rough zeroing in the dirt for initial wind guesses.

Once at 1200, I gave a couple MOA more wind from my 1K zero, and let one go. That still landed left, so I clicked to the impact and shot again.....just under the lid. A couple clicks up and the 3rd shot sent the cap flying...yee haa...

I moved over to the steel and the 1st shot landed, but with the mirage, I had no idea where. 2nd shot landed in the dirt, just left. 3rd shot, I held on the right edge, and it went in the same spot in the dirt....dammit. 4th shot, I held more right and heard the impact. 5th shot, same hold, another hit, but still no clue where.

Gathered up my shiit and drove down to check things out.

Gawd damn.....that'll work:



The 3 on the plate measure 2 inches even....I like it.

Bet I could scrounge up a real chair.......

Well, damn. That'll work.

Alf, could you please tell me how far into the lands (or out) your load is, and where you start load development at in relation to the lands?

Thank you

Generally I always start .015"-.020" in the lands, leaving only one direction to go testing seating depths. I don't care if it fits in the magazine or not, I'm after best accuracy first.

130 Berger VLD seated about this much in the lands at 2.735" to start load work:

Filled up 24 milk jugs with water & 4-5 drops of food coloring:




Spread 'em out up the hill towards the lone tree, from 550 to 1020:




The players, left to right, 22-204, 6 Dasher, and the new 6.5x47 Lapua:

No survivors:




Looking back:




Carnage:

Glad to see you picked up your trash.

Looks like fun & nice build...

Likely a stupid question with the fresh 6.5 build but...
More/easier hits with the dasher or the x47?

Real world....not a lot of difference, of course accuracy plays a role as well.

From a pure numbers perspective, the 47 wins.

My Dasher load is on the soft side for the heat of SD summers, 2950 with 105 Amaxes & it's .500 BC.

The 47 is a hair over 3000 with .552 Bergers, at the expense of a little more recoil.

I could likely shoot pointed Hybrids at 3000+ in the Dasher, which would make it basically a tie with the 47.

The 22-204 is no slouch either with .480 pointed 80's at 3025.

They're all fun......

Great thread (as always). Thanks for sharing Aalf!

Much abliged....my pleasure....

Managed to find a couple three more jugs, so I got them filled up, drove out to the favorite spot again, and spread them out up the hill from 625 to 1350 yards. I moved my shooting spot back through the gate up into the farmer's field a ways, giving me another 150 yards to play with from the time before:



Today's players......

22-204 - 6 Dasher - 6x47 Lapua - 6.5x47 Lapua



Aftermath:



Shot of the day was a 2nd round hit at 1350 with the new 6.5X47 lapua:

How well does the 22-204 hold up at longer ranges?

It seems like if it is quite capable of hitting, then it would have the least recoil by quite a bit. That would make it more fun. How does it compare to the Dasher recoil-wise?

An observation and a comment.

1. AALF drinks a lot of milk, or juice, or WETF.

2. Y'all better hope AALF never decides to get into the prostitution bidness and become a pimp, cause all his girls will be hot, real lookers, and all you boys will be wanting to spend some time with them.

PS. I take the cows were not bugging you?

1) Was beginning to look like a recycling center around here.

2) Hoes for bros man.

3) Luckily Farmer Brown hasn't moved them into the pasture .....yet.

It holds up pretty well, but spotting impacts way out there can be problematic some times. It certainly is capable of hitting. Oddly, one jug at 1250 or 1300 had a hole dead center but only a couple inches of water leaked out. Perfect hole in and out. The pasture is growing up fast now, as I probably missed spotting a third of the impacts beyond 1K, plus the hill leveling out on top doesn't help either.

Recoil is noticeably lighter, even with a 3 pound lighter gun. This one shoots 80 grain pointed VLD's at 3115. I've gone beyond 1400, but set the targets in the fields before planting, or after harvest so you can see the impacts in the dirt. It is fun. I built this one strictly as a LR plinker, and it handles the job nicely.

What bc are you figuring with the pointed 80 VLD's?

I'm using .480 for BC.

How fast are you pushing them?

This gun shoots them at 3115 fps....

Nice thread. Down to one six point five. It's a 47. Having gone thru a few Swedes, 6.5-308, 260's, and Creedmoor - I am not left wanting.

Yet another nice build Aalf. May have missed it. Barrel length?

Enjoy.

Love how that 6x47 looks Al. Nice shooting as per usual... I am enjoying my 6.5x47 quite a bit too.

Tanner

6.5x47s are easy peasy. Kinda like a .308... but with better ballistics and less recoil and less powder... oh, never mind. The only way it's like a .308 is that both are VERY easy to find accurate loads for.

John

Great thread as usual Al. You inspire us all................ towards our financial peril.

I'm telling my wife there's someone who drinks as much milk as my son and I do. She won't believe it w/o your photos.

Hard not to like either 6 or 6.5 Lapua. I was rooting for you to not sell yours and have to start calling you names....

The six is a single shot 40-XB-KS I bought new in 22-250 with the factory 2 oz trigger. It's had several barrels and stocks since new with this being the latest. I do have another barrel for it in a 14 twist 6 Dasher for PD's.

Thanks....I retire to perspire, to inspire in ire.......


I always have to buy 2 gallons at a time. If I get below a half gallon, I start to panic.

I was born & raised in a cheese factory....my middle name should have been milk or cheese......

Regards, Matt.

Btw, Love the McMillan Marksman. Great handle... Sorry for breaking in. Too many similarities. I actually started off with that same BAT VR(20 MOA) and we just did not get along. There is a rear end for every seat...;-)

You need a job.

What's this job you speak of???

That looks like a fun one. Gonna bed it into the new stock, or just screw it in?

Greg chamber it?

As expected, it is.


Most likely just bolt it in.....bedding's over rated.....


Not this one.