I've been picking up a few pieces here and there through the winter, and finally have the new 6.5x47 Lapua up and cooking.

Bought a Krieger 8 twist Remington Varmint last fall to start the ball rolling, with the intent to just screw it on one of my other actions.

Then for some unknown reason, I ordered a McMillan Game Warden.

Next thing ya know, I scooped up a 700 stainless action, and sent that & the Krieger off for chambering.

Once that came back, I scrounged around the parts bin, and found a old school s/s trigger to install.

Next, I sent the bolt off to get a Hollands bolt handle timed & tig welded on.

Then I scored a Grayboe Terrain to tide me over till the McM showed.

But before I could get it all together for testing, the Game Warden showed up, so I offed the Terrain,

and a star was born:

Next up, I found a 30 MOA Nightforce rail on the shelf, and bolted on the 5.5x22x50 Nightforce.

Ready for business.......

Very nice. Classy and clean.

I like it. Last one too, eh?

AALF,
So how many of these “builds” do you have?

Thanks....I agree.

Oh please, we all know that ship sailed a long time ago.......

Just one like this........

Nice!

Nice rifle...I really like that exposed CF!

Everyone needs a aalf parts bin!

That will be fun. Nice rifle.

Very nice build aalf, what bullet are you going to try running first?

Drumroll...

100 grain Partition!

Very nice

LIKE BUTTON 👍🏻😎

I bought a dozen boxes of 130 ELD 2nd's.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Mine likes 120gr. BT and 41grn of H4350

Since this is the fourth or fifth 6.5x47 I've had, I knew I wanted to use Varget for fuel, and knew around 37.5 grains of powder is where I'd end up with 130 grain bullets. Since I bought a dozen boxes of Hornady 130 ELD 2nds, I was hoping they would work. Just for backup, I had some 130 Bergers to test as well.

First day out, I loaded in half grain increments, from 37-39 grains with both bullets stuffed in the lands, and shot at 200 yards.

At 37 & 37.5, the ELD's shot 1.2" groups, with 37 having a 5 fps ES.

At 37 & 37.5, the VLD's shot a 1.3 " and a .735", with an ES of 9 at 37.5.

Next test, I loaded 37 - 37.5 - 38 with the ELD's. In the the first test, the 38 grain load had a low ES, but a 2" group, so I wanted to try it again.

It failed this time too, another 2" group, despite an 11 ES.

37 shot a .625" group with a 5 ES, 37.5 shot a .935" with an 11

I had also loaded 5 rounds with 37.5 with the Bergers. I didn't shoot a fouling shot after the Hornadys, and the 1st shot went wide making a 1.1" group, the last four went into a .475"!

Next time out, I pitted 37 grains against the 37.5 grain load with the Hornadys, again at 200, but with 5 shot groups, rotating back and forth.

Not the best day for testing with the nasty, switchy quartering tail wind, with the 37 grain slightly edging out the other in agg, 1.5" vs 1.80".

I had 5 more loaded with the VLD's, and they shot a solid 1" even.

Now I had 99 rounds down the barrel, and decided the hell with it, I'm loading 37.5 grains with either bullet.

So I annealed the brass, and full length sized them in my Redding bushing die with an expander ball, due to the Hornadys seating below the neck/shoulder juncture.

I had 38 VLD's left from that lot number, the rest I loaded with the ELD's. Ironically, the Bergers for these & what I had been shooting, had all been pulled from loaded ammo from a previous barrel. All pulled with a Davidson plier type puller.

Threw everything in the truck, and went down to the the quarry after supper, and set the target at 200 yards. Basically, I just wanted to confirm zeros, and check if there was a difference between bullets.

Beautiful night, almost zero wind.



Since I had yet to shoot the Bergers first, I started with those. The barrel was clean/cold, so I fired one shot to foul the bore, then moved to the upper aiming circle. First shot landed dead center, a touch high. Shot the second, and it cut the first hole. Shot the third, and it cut the second hole! Damn!




So fiddled around a bit to let the barrel cool, then moved to the Hornadys. I fired one to foul the bore again, then moved to the next lower circle. First shot hit at 10:00 o'clock just outside the circle. Second shot landed 3/4" away at 7:00 o'clock in the circle. Third shot cut the 2nd in half! Well hell, I loaded a 4th round, and that shot cut the other two bullets, making a tidy little triangle!

NICE! I hope I can do that at 100 tomorrow! ; ]

I'm rooting for ya......

Nice!!

You are the man,
By the way, I would love to see your "parts box" sounds like you have all kinds of fun stuff in there.
Nice shooting as well

It appears that you have it locked in. Very good.

Thanks aalf, I went well, five in around a half inch with crappy factory moa trigger, I believe I can work with that, a good trigger may cut that in half.

Wow, awesome shooting little devil right there!

Thanks.....

Whenever I see a "part" I think I might need in the future for a good price, I tend to scoop them up.

Nothing worse than being in a bind needing something, and find they aren't available, or have to pay full boat for lack of planning.

It can be a fine line between hoarding and forethought......

Another sweet rig you have built and worked into excellent accuracy. Very cool, Al.

Someday hearing from you about a train wreck build would be interesting and how you managed accuracy out of it, or gave it the 🖕🏾and parted it out to start over....😎

AALF great banger! Congrats.

Don't believe I've ever had a train wreck on any build. Worst problem I ever had was trying to force feed a 284 some original 120 TSX's. After trying nine different powders, I was starting to question everything about it, till I bought a box of SMK Matchkings. Those immediately went under a half inch, so I switched over to 140 Gamekings, and life was good again.

Having 35+ years of shooting Benchrest in every form, I have a bit more passion than most eking out the best of a barrel.

SOLD......since you have it all together, sighted in, confirmed it shoots, on to your next project !

I've had many, various chamberings, MANY 6BRs and more. I still have a 6.5 L ...........

That Holland handle, is it made to close at a higher angle than OEM ? Btw, is your action 'Trued' or OEM.

All looks nice, enjoy.

I wouldn't be opposed to selling it, nothing's forever.......stock ain't for sale though......

Action has not been touched, besides a light lapping of the lugs.

The angle of the dangle is about the same as stock.

The extra length is what makes the handle appear to stand out further. (That's what she said.....)

Haha, gotcha, thanks. Nice set up. Know you will enjoy it. Not much you cannot take with that 6.5 as you know.

More effective and more reach than many might imagine from it's efficient case. Oh, did I mention Accurate?

I finally got out to my long range spot, too greasy for the truck, so I took the plow off the Honda, strapped the cargo box on the rear rack, and headed out.

I stash my target frames in the old dilapidated barn's rafters away from the cattle's reach, so I drug them down and hung the steel.

(old pic)



Moved back to the 455 yard mark, and banged off 3, mostly dead center. (forgot to take pics)

Drove back to the target, re-painted, then moved to the 710 mark:



Then to 880:



Then up to the top at 1000:



And finally back to 1185:

Ugly day all around, temps in the 40's and wind, a nasty quartering/cross to 20+.

Best target of the day was at 1000. After 2 or 3 shots doping the wind, I dinged it three times in a row,
first two dead center, the third a little low & left.



Once I finally got home, I sat around with my coats, stocking cap, and hood up for an hour or better till I got my blood back to normal operating temperature.

I least I was shooting again.....

NICE, great shooting, any day behind a rifle beats the hell out of lying under a muddy tractor or sitting in an office somewhere.

Regardless of the wind and temperature, you got to admit you had fun.

Good shooting.

Very nicely done!

Good post. Enjoyed the pics.

Thanks all....more coming......

Thought you had to have an expensive front BR rest and custom action to shoot like that ?

Folks would laugh at what I've used for rest......probably my best group, 3 shots were under 1/2" at 330 yds.....and that was with a Ruger No. 1 ! Well in 6BR with Kepplinger trigger - but still.......who knew! Full glass bedded forearm because the barrel mfg. told me about a guys 500m groups shot from one they built in the same action in 308. You cannot argue with success they say!

Any chance you have clocked those 130's ?

It helps to hold your mouth just right.......



I chronograph everything during load work, then put it away.

However, the barrel must have picked up a little velocity since then, as I had to bump up the velocity 30 fps on my drop chart to jibe with my results.

All's good now.......

So what speed did you see? 2800+ I am guessing.

Yes, I have shot 3 shot groups at 200 yds when I was using a 6BR Geraci built for me on a Stiller, a Bartlein with 700V contour at 24" IIRC, an 8 twist, it shot 1/4" for 3 shots time and again, at 200 yds, using 66 grain custom match bullets as well as 105 Amax. It was Ridiculously accurate, and I was using a 4-14x40 Tactical at the time, Leupold.

I had to time my trigger breaks between heartbeats as I could see my sight pic move each beat. After a few groups it was quite exhausting if one can imagine with all that concentration, and even eye fatique. not so easy shooting such small groups as you know!

Enjoy your new rifle! The 2 most consistently accurate rounds I have used have been the 6.5x47 and 6BR, both OEM config using 8 twist. I do feel the Creedmoor would give the 47 a close run but not sure it will equal or better it. I was interested long ago in the 6x47 Swiss Match, but with the new 6 Creedmoor, and like I believe you had, 6x47 Lapua, there is no reason to worry with sourcing that RUAG brass.

The 6 Creedmoor would be fun....but for barrel life being short vs a 6.5, I have held off. Might be more 'cost effective' in a factory rifle from a barrel expense point of view, if accurate.....but doubtful it would shoot like one of your builds though.

Corrected velocity at 2870 fps......

Thanks for the info

Al,

Realizing barrels will vary a slight degree for increased velocity as they break in...Have you paid any attention to an average number of rounds thru a pipe before it settles into a consistent fps?

I like 180-200 rounds, then look for my velocity numbers, calling my barrel broken in good.

😎

Mark,

I always, without fail, use a chronograph right out of the gate to help with load work. So many times groups & ES's converge at the top, before going over the cliff. Results aren't always in your face like that, so a chrono can help ferret out the place to be.

The 2nd group out of the gun with the 108's & 37.5 of Varget went 2865, & the Berger at 2862.

The following day it was 2837 & 2836. Then two 5 shot groups with Bergers at 2842 & 2835.

I never set the chrono up after that, and just went to shooting. I had about 75 rounds down the bore at that point. Generally, I think a barrel settles down around 150 rounds, give or take. I don't believe every barrel speeds up. I know some guys take barrels off when they lose speed, but my last 1000 BR barrel had almost 2650 rounds on it, and still chronoed the same as when new, before I took it off.

This barrel, as I started playing long with it, was beginning to have a tendency to shoot a little high, so I made notes as I went with correct drops, and adjusted the JBM printout afterwards. I may check it again, but the last time out it was perfect to 1360.

That day, I had taken 5 guns out, shot a pile of jugs, took a bunch of pics to make a new post, and accidentally deleted everyone of them.....dammit. Last of the day was a long jug at the 1360 mark. Dialed in the scope, called 5.5 MOA of wind, and shot. Elevation was perfect, but still a couple feet of wind short. I dialed in 7.5 of wind, shot, and it landed just short. Next shot went just over, fourth nailed it!

Basically shot the same place as this pic, but I had the jug way up in the field, upper edge of the dirt in the V above the barn, which was an easy place to spot. I actually hit it on the 4th with the 6x46 Lapua also.

That makes sense...I used to run my Chrony in the beginning to watch variances and node hits. After my Chrony puked, I went with a Magnetospeed. I bought into the ease of setting it up. Then learned hanging it off the snout caused poi changes. 🤬

I should just spend the coin and get a Labrador.



😎

Yes, and like a condom, use it every time.

Good stuff as always. Thanks for sharing Aalf.