Loading for 6 x 47 Remington

[Krogen]

Do any of you load for a 6 x 47 Remington? This is the .222 Magnum necked up to 6mm. It's often confused with the 6 x 47 Lapua which is a different animal altogether. I snagged a Remington 40-XBR at the Cabelas gun library a couple years ago. Evidently other customers were uninterested or didn't know what it was so I got a "can't walk away" deal.

The rifle is a tack driver at 100 yds and I'm now playing with it at 500 yards. The cartridge was intended for 100 and 200 yard benchrest back in the day, so 500 yards is a lot to ask. A short, stubby bullet fired at moderate velocity is hard pressed to perform at 500 - but I'm a fool for a challenge. Heavier bullets aren't the answer due to the slow 14" twist.

I see significant vertical dispersion at 500 yards and can correlate it with minor variations in muzzle velocity. I'm looking for suggestions on a powder choice that might give more consistent muzzle velocities.

Any thoughts?

 

[WR Moore]

You don't mention either bullet weight or how significant the vertical dispersion is. While I don't have any suggestions on powder, there are a couple of loading techniques that might reduce velocity variation. My apologies if you're already doing this.

Assuming you're not turning necks and using a bushing die to size the neck, you might run a Lyman M die into the case neck to create a more uniform bullet pull. Don't know if it helped accuracy, but it did improve velocity consistency.

I hung out on Benchrest Central prior to starting long range competition. They might have some answers for you also. One of the things they did (back then) was place a light ~0.001-0.002 in taper crimp on the bullets to further improve uniform bullet pull. Any teensy distortion of the bullet gets ironed out when it enters the bore.

Remington 7 1/2 benchrest primers made a notable difference also. I expect other brands of benchrest/match primers would help.

 

[Krogen]

Thanks for the suggestions, WR Moore. I'm using Sierra's 70 gr HPBT (#1505) with 23.6 gr of H322 and Remington 7 1/2 primers. Dies are L.E. Wilson used in an arbor press. Attached is a recent target. Group size at 500 yards is 3.25" and predominantly vertical. If I can compress the vertical dispersion to something like the exhibited horizontal dispersion, I'll be delighted.

Thanks for the ideas. I'm not turning necks so there could be some neck tension variances. The bushing die controls OD but I'm at the mercy of neck wall thickness variances when it comes to ID. I have some CCI BR4 primers I should try. Your comment about a taper crimp is interesting. That would have never occurred to me.

Thanks again,

--Krogen

 

[Nevada Ed]

In my small caliber cases, I found that BLC-2 and H414 would fill the cases better for fps and accuracy
with a lot of my different weight bullets, with a 14" twist.
H414 has a very low pressure for it's data, if safety is your thing
for target loads.

H380 and w748 might also be worth a try if you have them.

What have you tried, so far?
60gr to 80gr, sp or boat tails?

H322 powder;
60gr to 3200fps
100gr to 2400
if you can find it.

Good luck.

Note;
Hornady stated that their 87gr V-Max bullet
will no stabilize in a 1-14" twist rifle barrel.

 

[rockquarry]

I had one in a 40X years ago. As I recall, accuracy was very good with the 70 gr. Sierra and 22 grs. IMR4198. I think this was a pretty mild load but I'd have to look up some data to be sure.

Ken Waters did an excellent job as always with his writeup on the 6x47 in "Pet Loads"; some load data included. There are two or three articles in Wolfe Publishing's "Wildcat Cartridges Volume II". I havent read any of this material in years. Sierra has a good bit of data in the back of #5 with the obsolete cartridges.

I don't remember where I read it but it was long before YouTube and the Internet so it's probably good information...the 6x47 developed a reputation as being a bit cantankerous to work with and consistent accuracy was often hard to come by. I think it's popularity or semi-popularity was fairly short-lived.

Wildcats are still fun to work with and you learn a lot by doing so.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I have two 6mm cartridge rifles, a SAKO 6PPC (the last heavy varminter made in 6PPC) and a 6x284.

My case is so much bigger I hope my expierance is helpful. I found Winchester 284 brass worse than worthless! Norma and Lapua 6.5x284 brass were great.

Bullets: My 1:10 in the twist 6x284 likes the Sierra 70 grain Blitzking better than SMK's. Using IMR 4831SC and 210M primer, I got slightly less than 1" groups at 525 yards 210M primer.

The 6 PPC liked 55 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip & 62 grain Berger both over H-322 7 1/2 primer

My 2 BR liked Benchmark powder a 205M primers better than 7 1/2's. A very accurate 1:12 223 I have likes H-355, 50grain Sierra Blitzking and Fed 205M

I found that CCI BR-4 and Fed 205M work well with medium and high pressure loads.

Rem 7 1/2's are very erratic at medium pressures and are great a high pressure. For medium pressure, use Rem 6 1/2

Varget and any good primer work well together. I have a 1:8 223 that shoots 75 A-Max, Rem 7 1/2, and Varget. 3" @ 1000 yards! I play with individual powder grains to get exact weight. Bullets seated kissing the lands. I use Lake City Brass form 2008 that was for the belt fed SAW, it had a thicker wall just above the web, like "Lapua Match" brass has.

Lastly, I have found that the Nosler brand of brass, that is "Ready to Load" is about as perfect as it can be in matching weight, length, primer pocket/flash hole, and neck wall thickness. Many chamberings are exclusive to Midway! You might check with them.

Ivan

 

[Hasbeen1945]

I bought two 40xbbr's in early 1980's. One was 223 and the other was 6/47. They had heavy 20 inch barrels. Both came with targets from the Remington Custom shop. Both loads used H 4895. With Federal primers.
Both had the 2 ounce trigger. I worked up load's using H335. Both exceeded the factory targets, which were around a 1/4 inch.
I've been told 204 Ruger brass is 222 mag necked down. If brass becomes a problem which it once was. Bullets used were Sierra.

 

[mtgianni]

I also understand that 20 Ruger is necked down 222 mag brass, aka 224x47.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

A note on expanding the neck from 222 Mag to 6x47 Rem.

Before you expand the neck, run the neck and shoulder into any 222/221/223 sizing die and make sure the expanding ball is there. This ensures the case mouth is perfectly round to start with.

Friends and I that failed to do this ended up with brass that was slightly cockeyed, by a few 1/100's, the case mouth and rim are parallel, but not in line! Worse off, it won't come back after sizing several times! It still functions, but enlarges the group size. Since it is usually the same headstamp as your good brass, it becomes hard to keep it segregated from the good brass. I Learned the hard way on twenty-five of my good 22 BR brass.

Ivan

 

[Krogen]

Lot's of good thoughts here. Definitely some food for thought. Thanks guys!

Recent chrono data with H322 showed 122 fps ES at the muzzle. I didn't fire it at 500 yds so I don't have Shotmarker data showing impact velocity. Still, 122 fps is ghastly. I like the idea of trying different primers, perhaps even magnum primers. It may well be an ignition problem causing the velocity spread. Most likely I'll try an easier to light powder too.

I also think I need to take a close look at the brass. Right now I'm using necked up .222 Magnum. I have some .204 Ruger to try, but it is a bigger stretch to 6mm. Careful forming seems to be a big concern. Since I use bushing die, I'm thinking that neck turning may help with consistent neck tension. But turned necks can cause other problems in rifles without an appropriate tight neck chamber. Another thought is to use a expander mandrel after sizing to get consistent ID and neck tension.

FWIW, I anneal the necks after each firing (and after necking up new brass). Case life is the obvious benefit, but I've heard it helps with consistent neck tension. I haven't proved that to myself, though.

I think my first objective needs to be consistent muzzle velocity whether it's powder choice, primer choice or neck tension. Maybe I need to check individual case water capacities. Until I solve the velocity spread, I'm bound to get vertical strings with the short, slow, stubby bullet.