6.5MM 120-130g Custom Bullets?

H

HUNTER3401

New member
Guys,
Looking for some help! Does anyone know of any great custom bullets made for long range in the 120-130g area? I have some Cauterucio 120gBT's and his 120gVLD's. Also some 130 JLK's to try in the custom area. I also have some factory Lapua and Sierra 123's, Berger 130VLD's in and old lot (first year out) and recent Target version of the 130VLD's (thick jacket).
Is there any other great custom bullets in this area I have not mentioned?
Is anyone having any awesome accuracy out of factory bullets or custom bullets in the 120-130g range at 600 yards?.
I am going to start a winter time project to see if I can get something to shoot with the 6BR's Dasher, or BRX.
This will probably be my last try to get something to shoot with the above mentioned at 600 yard competition. I know I am probably trying to re-invent the wheel, but I like experimenting.
I will work with the 6.5x47 Lapua again this winter along with a custom case. It's a 6.5BR-DX. Which is a 6BR-DX necked up to 6.5. I thought of a 6.5 Dasher or BRX, but the neck, I think, is too short to work with in 6.5mm especially. For those that don't know, the BR-DX is a 40 degree shoulder blown out BR case. The shoulder is not blown out as far as a Dasher, so it retains a longer neck.
Especially the 130VLD's have a greater BC than the 6mm 105VLD's. I believe I can get some pretty decent velosities in the 120-130g range, and the barrel life should be even greater than any 6BR.
Any help will be appreciated.
Samuel Hall
 
Sam,
I think you have mentioned about all the 6.5 bullets, except maybe the 120 grain Sierras and 130grain Normas. You are on the right track with this concept, I believe. Here is an old 6mmBR post from the late Shelly Davidson, he was experimenting with his version of a 6.5 BRX. He was getting good accuracy at 3050 fps using 120 Sierras.

http://www.accurateshooter.com/forum/index.php/topic,1874511.0.html

It seems the custom bullet makers are convinced that only 6mm or 30 cal bullets work. I'm not sure if they are right, or it's just the scarcity of benchrest 6.5s.

Jerry
 
Jerry,
That was a good read! Thanks! I thought I had read about everything on this concept, but missed that thread.
Like you, I also thought of the 120 Sierra's and 120 Berger BT's, but they don't have the BC I am looking for. I am trying to stay above .500 BC. And I actually have some of the Norma 130VLD's you mentioned. I had forgot I had them. After I bought a few a while back I heard they were very hard, if not impossible to get to shoot. I have not tried them in anything myself. I might try them. They are scary long though, longer than 140VLD Bergers. That is why I have heard they are hard to get too shoot. Too long for their weight.
I think you hit the nail on the head about the 6mm/ 30cal. custom bullets. Most custom maker are concentrating on these two calibers these days it seems. That being said, the 120VLD 6.5 Cauterucio bullets really look good and sleek. Also does the 130VLD Bergers and JLK's. I am looking for a bullet that will equal or surpass the Berger 6mm 105VLD in BC. In reality, I can only hope to equal its accuracy. If I can equal the 6mm 105VLD in accuracy with a bullet that has a better BC (at about the same velosity), I have then accomplished my goal.
I tried all winter last year trying to get the 6.5x47Lapua to agg. with my 6mm Dasher's and BRX's. I even shot the smallest group I have ever shot at 600 yards in load development with a 130gVLD Berger out of the 6.5x47L. I shoot 4 shot group in load development. That four shot group was 0.357 at 600 yards. But one good group does not win matches. It never shot even close to that again. That load or any other would not agg. with the BR improves. Maybe I am missing something with the 6.5x47L, or the powder column is too long for the small rifle primer? It seems everything made on the BR case shoots the lights out. That is why I am tyring this 6.5BR-DX. If it does not work, I am done and will go exclusively with the 6mmBR's and Improves.
Samuel Hall
 
Sam,
For some reason, I have been having good luck with my 6.5x47 Ackley Improved Light Gun. I shoot 130 JLK's with Reloder 15 and CCI 450's at 1000yds, 2940 FPS and very accurate. I recently finished a Heavy Gun 6.5x47 AIX, or an Ackley with the shoulder moved forward .090, similar to what your are doing with the BR case. This was so I could shoot 140 weight bullets for better wind resistance at 1000yds. But--I couldn't get any bullet to group, or get the velocity I wanted, until I tried Norma 204 powder with the 141 Cauterucio's. That combo worked.
I believe you are correct about the long powder column and small riffle primers. It seems CCI 450 or Fed 205M are about all that perform. That said, I think an improved BR case is a better choice for 600 yards.
Jerry
 
Sam:
If you belive that The small rifle primer and long powder column is the problem, Let me make a suggestion. A couple of years back David Tubbs was working with Norma re: making him some quality 6XC brass. After firing both test samples of small primer / small flashhole vs large primer / large flashole, both Norma and David decided the large commbination was best for this case size. The 6XC case is only .050" longer Than the 6.5x47 Lapua. If you were to buy a small lot of the new 6XC brass from David all you would need to do is trim it back .050" and expand it to a 6.5 neck and run it through your full length die I belive you would have what you think you are looking for. If you need some help with this Idea I could make you a few for testing.
John
 
John,
I sure appreciate the offer on the Norma brass! That is very kind of you. I have been reading where alot of people are having great accuracy in the 6.5x47L with H4350 powder. I have not tried it yet. That is my next step this winter. I am not going to alot of extremes experimenting when I have a couple of 6mm Dashers that are shooting well already. I am just playing with the 6.5 idea in my spare time. Re-inventing the wheel is not working so far!
Samuel Hall
 
Back when the 6.5x47 first came out and people were necking it to 6mm, some shooters had accuracy problems they solved by drilling out the flashholes. Other shooters said no, they were fine the way they were.

Now the interesting thing was that many of the the "fine" guys were west-coast shooters, many of the the "drill" guys were upper midwest or east coast shooters.

I have no idea as to the reason, but since this is North Carolina, I'd try drilling the flash holes. Beats reaming the primer pockets to take a LR primer, or reforming from 6-XC brass.
 
I am presently shooting the 6.5 X 47 and it is not showing me the consistancy that I
would like. I just ordered some 6 XC cases and plan to make a few test cases. for
the 6.5. Just turning over another rock.
 
Ah, that I don't remember. I did see one post by R.G. Robinett (of BIBs bullet maker fame), reporting on some testing done by a couple of his friends. You might shoot him an email, or try a post on the Centerfire Forum using his name -- or seach it, but I find the search function useless without a way to use an "and" routine. Internetwise, he hangs out on BenchTalk mostly, I think.

Or someone else here might have done some real testing? A post with that title might draw more views/replies.
 
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