6.5×47mm Lapua
6.5×47mm Lapua | ||||||||||||||||
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Type | Rifle | |||||||||||||||
Place of origin | Finland | |||||||||||||||
Production history | ||||||||||||||||
Designer | Nammo Lapua Oy | |||||||||||||||
Manufacturer | Nammo Lapua Oy | |||||||||||||||
Produced | 2005–present | |||||||||||||||
Variants | 6-6.5x47 Lapua and Long Dasher | |||||||||||||||
Specifications | ||||||||||||||||
Bullet diameter | 6.71 mm (0.264 in) | |||||||||||||||
Neck diameter | 7.41 mm (0.292 in) | |||||||||||||||
Shoulder diameter | 11.53 mm (0.454 in) | |||||||||||||||
Base diameter | 11.95 mm (0.470 in) | |||||||||||||||
Rim diameter | 12.01 mm (0.473 in) | |||||||||||||||
Rim thickness | 1.37 mm (0.054 in) | |||||||||||||||
Case length | 47 mm (1.9 in) | |||||||||||||||
Overall length | 69.5 mm (2.74 in) | |||||||||||||||
Primer type | Large rifle for Prototypes, small rifle since start of production | |||||||||||||||
Maximum pressure (C.I.P.) | 435 MPa (63,100 psi) | |||||||||||||||
Ballistic performance | ||||||||||||||||
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Test barrel length: 27.5 Source(s): Lapua |
6.5×47mm Lapua (or 6.5×47mm) is a rifle cartridge that was developed specifically for 300–1000 meter competition by ammunition maker Nammo Lapua and the Swiss rifle manufacturer Grünig & Elmiger AG in 2005.[1]
Features
The cartridge has many special features including:[2]
- The cartridge chamber dimensions are optimized for target bullets.[3]
- High pressure level (435 MPa / 63,091 psi) and optimized powder capacity enables high velocity and flat trajectory.
- Reduced barrel wear[4] compared to 6mm Norma BR.
- The 6.5×47mm Lapua has a base diameter and overall length similar to the 7.62×51mm, allowing it to accept the same bolt heads and fit into similar short actions and magazines.
History
The 6.5x47mm Lapua has no direct parent case. This is obvious in that there are no similar cartridges of this size or dimension with a small rifle primer. It was designed by Lapua with a great deal of help from Swiss rifle manufacturer, Grünig & Elmiger.[5] The case also borrows from many characteristics of the 6mm PPC[6] and thus has been proving itself to be inherently accurate.[7]
Performance
The 6.5×47mm was designed from the beginning by Lapua to optimize accuracy, barrel life, and case capacity in a 6.5mm cartridge for target and tactical shooting. The 6.5×47mm travels at slightly lower speeds than 6.5mm/.260 cartridges such as the .260 Remington, because of its smaller case volume.[8] Its speed though is hotly debated. In an article by the Precision Rifle Blog[9] It was shown that though the average MV was slightly lower then the 6.5 Creedmoor it was able to exceed it. Some users exceeded the 6.5 mm by as much as 42fps. This is probably due to the fact that though the CM is listed to have the same PSI as the Lapua, it is not able to really reach those pressure levels because of its large primer pocket and lower quality brass.
It has a chamber pressure of 63100 PSI,[10][11] which is slightly higher than the .260 Remington's maximum rated pressure.
So far no other manufacturers have made brass for the 6.5x47. There could be two reasons for this. One is that beating Lapua's quality[12] is too hard and the other is that the Lapua has no true parent case and thus would need an entirely new CUP and tooling to start production.
Competitions
Competitively the 6.5x47 has been winning many records, most of them at 600yards. Erik Cortina broke a 300-yard Club Record with 6.5×47 Lapua (RL17)[13] Erik shot a spectacular 600-49X, the previous record was 599-32X. In the summer of 2016 Mike Gaizauskas shot an incredible ten shot group measuring just 2.856in beating out the previously held title by the 6mm Dasher.[14] This record has still a few more judges to measure it and we will know more soon. Mike's shooting rig is quite unique and has won him many other awards. USA’s Kevin Nevius has set a new NRA National Record for High Power Rifle with a perfect score of 200 with 20 x’s at 600 yards – 20 shots (Prone-Any Sight). For this milestone accomplishment, Kevin was using 6.5 x 47 Lapua, 136 gr. Scenar-L OTM bullets, and VV N150 powder.
Variants
Soon after the introduction of the 6.5x47, shooters were using the case as the basis for a new wildcat, by necking it down to 6mm. This wildcat cartridge is often called a 6-6.5x47[15] to avoid confusing it with a 6x47 Swiss Match.[16] A similar case but with a large rifle primer. Another version that has been popular is a necked down version with a 40d shoulder. PTG sells reamers for this and it has demonstrated a gain of about 100fps over the standard 6-6.5x47.[17]
See also
- List of firearms
- List of rifle cartridges
- 6 mm caliber
- .243 Winchester
- 6.5×54mm Mannlicher–Schönauer - a cartridge that saw military service with the Greek Army from 1903-1949, which fires the same diameter and weight 9.0g bullet as the 6.5×47mm Lapua but achieves a lower muzzle velocity.
Notes
- ↑ 6mmbr.com October 2005 News, Features, and Products
- ↑ "New Products". Vihtavuori.fi. Archived from the original on 2005-03-07. Retrieved 10 February 2007.
- ↑ http://www.lapua.com/en/sport-shooting/centerfire-rifle/6-5x47-lapua-cartridge.html
- ↑ http://demigodllc.com/articles/6.5x47-lapua-tactical-rifle/
- ↑ http://www.lapua.com/en/sport-shooting/centerfire-rifle/6-5x47-lapua-cartridge.html
- ↑ http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/6mmppc/
- ↑ http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/65x47/
- ↑ Smith, Zak. "6.5mm Shootout: .260 Remington vs. 6.5x47 Lapua vs. 6.5 Creedmoor".
- ↑ http://precisionrifleblog.com/2015/10/12/best-rifle-caliber/
- ↑ Lawrence, Steve; Mobley, Ed. "6.5×47 Lapua Cartridge Guide". AccurateShooter.com. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
- ↑ "6,5 x 47 Lapua" (PDF) (20 May 2014 ed.). Commission internationale permanente pour l'épreuve des armes à feu portatives. 16 May 2006. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
- ↑ http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/x-ray-spectrometry-of-cartridge-brass/
- ↑ http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2010/04/erik-cortina-breaks-300-yard-f-class-record-with-6-5x47-lapua/
- ↑ http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2016/08/amazing-2-856-10-shot-group-at-1000-yards/
- ↑ http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/?s=6-6.5x47&submit=Search
- ↑ http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2014/09/mid-sized-cartridge-comparison/
- ↑ 6x47 long dasher
External links
- 6.5x47 Cartridge Guide, Cartridge Specs, Load Data, Reloading Tips, and More...
- Zak Smith, 6.5mm Shootout: .260 Remington vs. 6.5x47 Lapua vs. 6.5 Creedmoor
- First Born: Darrell's 6.5x47mm Lapua
- Zak Smith, 6.5x47 Lapua Tactical TackDriver (6mmBR.com Gun Of The Week)
- Nielson’s 6.5×47 Nationals Winner, 6.5x47 Lapua Competition winner (Accurateshooter.com Gun Of The Week)
- Beginski’s New 6mm-6.5×47 Lapua, 6-6.5x47mm Lapua 3-Way Velocity Challenge: 6BR vs. 6BRX vs. 6-6.5x47 Lapua
- 7mm Wildcat Based on 6.5×47 Lapua Case, 7mm version of the 6.5x47 Lapua (Accurateshooter.com Bulletin)