22x47 Lap vs 6x47 Lap (from Saubier)

[Branxhunter]

An interesting thread on Saubier - the text of the first post is below. This fella's observations on max velocity are similar to those seen by Mistit with his 220 swift improved vs 6-220 swift improved:

This post is for Al and smackumdown and anyone else playing with the new 6.5x47mm Lapua case.

I recently had a good friend of mine rechamber a Tikka M595 .22-250 to .22x47 Lapua. I lost about .300" of the factory barrel. I wanted to see how the cartridge compared to the .22-250 and to the 6x47 Lapua. My friend did a super job. The headspace was dead on and the new crown was perfect.

I used my old 6mmBR body die for the first stage in case forming. This took the 6.5mm neck down to .274" effortlessly. I then used a .271" bushing in my old 6mmBR type-S die to get them down to .270". Next I used my new Forster 6x47 Lapua FL sizer with no button to get them down to .267" with a perfect neck/shoulder junction. I then used a couple more .22 sized bushings in the type-S die to get my final neck diameter. These steps allowed me to make some beautiful 22x47 Lapua cases. (BTW for my 6x47 Lapua I just left the button in the Forster die and was done. That Forster die is very well made and perfectly dimensioned for the Lapua brass. The die was quite inexpensive as well at Graf's. I highly recommend this die to all who have either a 6x47 or 22x47 Lapua.)

I use CCI 450 primers for both the 22x47 and 6x47 Lapua. I learned early on that Varget seems to be a natural for both the 22x47 and the 6x47 when shooting the lighter varmint bullets. I also tried N540 but it exhibitted wide velocity swings at the upper ends. So far I have been having great success with Varget and see no need to try other powders at this point. Keep in mind I am shooting light bullets in both the 22-47 and 6x47. For heavier bullets you may want to use a slower powder.

22x47 Lapua data:

The sweet spot for the Tikka so far has been 39 gr. of Varget and a 55 gr. Nosler BT. This gives me 3760 fps out of a 22" barrel. No pressure signs at all.

6x47 Lapua data:

The 6x47 Lapua is the clear choice for the varminter between the two in my opinion. Just like the 22BR vs. the 6mmBR, the 6mm version wins hands down ballistically.

I could easily get 4000 fps using Varget with a 55 gr. Nosler BT out of a 27" barrel. The sweet spot in my rifle is 41.7 gr. of Varget with the 55 gr. BT going at 3900 fps. I had several 300 yard 3-shot groups in the 0.900" range. The largest 300 yard group was 1.4". With a 200 yard zero it drops less then 4 inches at 300 with plenty of energy left for the next few hundred yards ( I wish our local range was longer than 300). I also tried the 70s as well and could easily get 3700 fps with them and great accuracy as well. Recoil was noticibly higher however.

If it isn't too late you guys may want to do a 6x47 with a short throat and shoot the 55s or 58s rather than go with the 22x47. I have tried both and the 6x47 is the clear winner I believe. Just be sure to use the right reamer. My gunsmith used a zero freebore, 2 degree lead, .273" no neck turn on my 6x47 and it is absolutely perfect.

The re-chambered Tikka project was still fun to do as it wasn't any money out of my pocket, using the factory barrel and with my friend doing the work. It allowed us to experiment with both the 22x47 and 6x47 side by side for varminting purposes. The 22x47 Lapua is clearly a much better cartridge than the .22-250. It is more accurate and handles high pressures better. It feeds just as good as the .22-250 ever did also.

But the 6x47 is the one I have fallen in love with. It behaves just like a 6-250AI, perhaps even better. Here is a photo of the 6x47.

Oh, and if you're wondering why my rest looks backwards, any of you that shoot AR-15s know what a pain that third leg can be when it is in the normal 6 o'clock position.



Marcus

[trevort]

Marcus it’s just a coincidence but my 22x47l load is is 39 gn of “varget’ behind a 55 vmax but it’s does 4000fps from a 26 inch barrel. And yes, the Nosler bt was slightly better in the grouping stakes but not better enough to warrant the higher price. Though I do seem to have accumulated a couple of packs for when the vmax run out


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[Glenn]

Thanks Marcus!

I've had a 6x47Lap for close to 10 years.
My results have been the much the same.

3700 with 67grainers and .02 at a hundred!

It seems to get a bad wrap around here as a target round, I don't target shoot so I can't comment.
I do know as a varmint round it is awesome!

Glenn

[trevort]

Thanks Marcus!

I've had a 6x47Lap for close to 10 years.
My results have been the much the same.

3700 with 67grainers and .02 at a hundred!

It seems to get a bad wrap around here as a target round, I don't target shoot so I can't comment.
I do know as a varmint round it is awesome!

Glenn

Glenn you aren't putting enough powder in. Missed got 3750 with a 75gn VM

[Glenn]

Yeah I have had it up to 3880 with Reloader 15!

Glenn