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Why did the 6.5 x 47 L not become a big success?
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My favorite rifle is my 6.5x47L, but why didn't it take off, was it because Lapua made it proprietary and why couldn't they see the writing on the wall? Were there other factors?


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Posts: 289 | Location: Holladay,UT (SLC) | Registered: 01 June 2005Reply With Quote
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Its very close to 6.5 Credmoor so it had similar chances of being popular. Its probably the lack of backing by US firearms manufactorers and they didnt specify/market it on AR platforms.
 
Posts: 3611 | Location: Sweden | Registered: 02 May 2009Reply With Quote
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The velocities are nearly identical and the brass is far far superior to the Credmoores. I built my 6.5L before the Credmoore and granted, the brass is way more expensive, but, oh well, I still think I could through together a load and have it more accurate than messing around trying to tweak a couple of tenths from a Credmoore. But I imagine I'll give up and rechamber my barrel, sell my brass and see what happens, it makes me sad to see, what I think is a superior round to lose out to an inferior one.


"Any society that will give up a little liberty to gain a little security deserve neither and will lose both."
-Ben Franklin
 
Posts: 289 | Location: Holladay,UT (SLC) | Registered: 01 June 2005Reply With Quote
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Why Lapua makes brass for both cartridges with small primer pockets 1mm are not much difference. You can probably use creedmoor brass or ammo in your Lapua.
 
Posts: 3611 | Location: Sweden | Registered: 02 May 2009Reply With Quote
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Lapua made it for match rifles.

Hornady saw a opportunity come along and copied it and spent a fortune on advertisement.
 
Posts: 615 | Location: a cold place | Registered: 22 June 2005Reply With Quote
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The reason the 6.5x47 is NOT seen in factory rifles is NOT because it isn’t popular, it’s because it has only ever been targeted at the long distance target crowd, where it is VERY popular.
The Creed is making it on the scene in CHEAPER rifles, at least here in Australia, it is NOT anywhere near as popular as the 47L or 6.5-284 Norma here.
I have F-Class rifles in 22-250AI & 6.5x47 on a switch barrel set-up, and another in 300WM & 264WM.
The 6.5x47 gets the most use of all.
The ‘big guns’ are only used in poor conditions due to wind bucking ability.

On the target scene, the 6.5x47 is very popular.
There sre no current rifles chambered by ANY factory either in Europe or the US for the 6.5x47. If there was, I’m sure it would be very popular for hunting too.

Cheers.
tu2
 
Posts: 683 | Location: N E Victoria, Australia. | Registered: 26 February 2009Reply With Quote
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Posts: 3611 | Location: Sweden | Registered: 02 May 2009Reply With Quote
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It seems to have been the "opening act" for the 6.5 Creedmoor. Right place, too early in shooters' growing recognition of how good this type of cartridge could be.

Dave Manson
 
Posts: 683 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 04 November 2007Reply With Quote
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Norma sent 10000 cartridges of .308 Norma Magnum to winchester for evaluation then they released it, Winchester moved the shoulder slightly and called it 300 Winchester Magum.
 
Posts: 3611 | Location: Sweden | Registered: 02 May 2009Reply With Quote
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I have almost two 6.5x47L hunting rifles, second one is under construction.
Since there are no hunting rides available I built on Remington short actions.
The rifle that is finished shot well on the first load I tried and I didn’t change it.
The Lapua also carries well in the shirt pocket, Creedmoors are heavier and the BR cases end up pointing everywhere and poking in chest.

M
 
Posts: 1227 | Location: Arizona | Registered: 09 January 2005Reply With Quote
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The boiler room is a smidgen smaller in the 6.5x47 Lapua than the Creedmoor. Shouldn't matter, but it does. The 6x47 Lapua is very popular with the PRS crowd. Lapua is going to sell a tone of its 6.5 mm Creedmoor cases.


 
Posts: 7158 | Location: Snake River | Registered: 02 February 2004Reply With Quote
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I think, in the varmint field, the 6x45 held its success up in that the 6x45 was easy to get cheap 223 cases, and one pass thu a die and no need to fire from..but neither set the world on fire however the 6x45 has had some success in Africa...The 6x45 (6/223) has been my personal choice for years as a dual caliber for varmints and lighter big game..Ive used it often on both. I suspect the Creedmore will be the end of most all the small 6MM, if not the 6mm itself at least for the most part and in the hunting field.


Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120

rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com
 
Posts: 41811 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000Reply With Quote
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Blaser offers it in the R8 now
 
Posts: 712 | Location: England | Registered: 01 January 2010Reply With Quote
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I have now hunted with the second one I made.
Remington Short single shot action, McMillan stock. I built it to hunt with iron sights, the rifle is stainless so I used a Ruger front sight, Williams rear peep.
Using Nosler 120 Ballistic Tip I shot two hogs 150-200 lbs at under 25 yards. Neither took a step.
I think at reasonable ranges for deer, hog or similar it is very good. Indistinguishable from other 6.5s.

Hunt close and don’t worry about all the numbers.

M
 
Posts: 1227 | Location: Arizona | Registered: 09 January 2005Reply With Quote
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I built on on a Tikka in 2011. It shot very well and was a lot of fun. It came out in 2005 and the creedmoor came out in 2007.

Lapua didn't have the market share, and Hornady and Creedmoor sports pushed the 6.5 CM to greatness.

I have a 6.5 CM on a custom action with a good barrel in a good fiberglass stock. It doesn't 98% of what the 6.5x47 does and I can get match ammo for $20.

This killed the 6.5x47.

The 6mm Swiss Match was dead before it hit the ground. As people started making 6mm-6.5x47 Lapua cartridges to shoot F-Class and the then new PRS.

Tubb legitimized the 6XC, and eventually Hornady to introduce the 6mm CM. PRS shooters have gone to various versions of the 6mm BR.

Supply chains are everything. I lived in Australia when I built my 6.5x47 and shot F-Open with it.

Both the 6xc and 6.5x47 are still alive and well outside North America where Hornady doesn't have the market share.
 
Posts: 7767 | Location: Das heimat! | Registered: 10 October 2012Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Nordic2:
SchultzLarsen Tactical

http://www.greatdanerifles.com/tactical.html


This guy hates America, he will never have an American distributorship. We have talked several times before. Was nice to me, but not interested in America.
 
Posts: 7767 | Location: Das heimat! | Registered: 10 October 2012Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:
quote:
Originally posted by Nordic2:
SchultzLarsen Tactical

http://www.greatdanerifles.com/tactical.html


This guy hates America, he will never have an American distributorship. We have talked several times before. Was nice to me, but not interested in America.


Is it possible to import one into the us?

Thanks

Mike
 
Posts: 13145 | Location: Cocoa Beach, Florida | Registered: 22 July 2010Reply With Quote
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You all are missing the underlying reason for the Creedmore's success. The colabaration was with Hornady and a close associate, Dennis Demille, of the Marine Corp Rifle Team. Because He was a National Champion, and shot Match Rifle across the course, They asked him to develop a cartridge that would appeal to the public as an off the shelf, target grade ammo, that one could compete with at Camp Perry, and be competitive. He gave them the parameters of what he wanted, and they designed a round to produce the results that he wanted. The only people they stole from were themselves. They used the 30 TC as the parent case, and, the rest, as they say is history.

The fact that it became a commercial hunting success was inevitable. Remington screwed the pooch, as usual, when they specced the 260 at 1-9" twist and a piss poor PSI. Hornady made a much more astute decision to spec. the cartridge for a 1-8" twist and north of 60,000 psi.

In case you all are not as well informed as I am, I shot against the Swiss C.I.S.M. Team as early as 1996 when they were first testing the 6x47. Not the 6.5x47, in case you think I made a typo.

For all you haters out there, there is nothing new since 1898. Get over it. Just because it's not the 6.5x47, or 6.5x55, doesn't mean that it is not a valuable asset to the shooting sports.

And by the way, You can buy a $350 dollar Ruger American and shoot $22.00 ammo through it that will most likely compete with your very best $3500.00 custom.

Just sayin.


Life's too short to hunt with ugly guns
 
Posts: 53 | Location: E. AL | Registered: 27 May 2020Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by OSA:
You all are missing the underlying reason for the Creedmore's success. The colabaration was with Hornady and a close associate, Dennis Demille, of the Marine Corp Rifle Team. Because He was a National Champion, and shot Match Rifle across the course, They asked him to develop a cartridge that would appeal to the public as an off the shelf, target grade ammo, that one could compete with at Camp Perry, and be competitive. He gave them the parameters of what he wanted, and they designed a round to produce the results that he wanted. The only people they stole from were themselves. They used the 30 TC as the parent case, and, the rest, as they say is history.



Hahaha...
So.. he told Hornady he wanted a 6,5x47 Lapua.
And had them "shoehorn" a 30TC parent case into a Creedmore. Thats a mighty tedious way of doing it......


Numerous precision rifle forums where all abuzz about the 6,5x47Lapua for 2-3 years while it was beeing developed... then Hornady came around with its Creedmore, riding a wave of massive amount of advertisement money.


The right thing to do was just to say, we copied the 6,5x47 Lapua with a large primer. Instead of changing something minuscule, so we didn't have to pay royalties, by using a unlikely parent case.


.
 
Posts: 615 | Location: a cold place | Registered: 22 June 2005Reply With Quote
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Interesting thread. It's a great time for shooters who want to spend relatively little for a rifle that will really perform.


There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.
– John Green, author
 
Posts: 16347 | Location: Sweetwater, TX | Registered: 03 June 2000Reply With Quote
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simple answer - marketing
 
Posts: 13440 | Location: faribault mn | Registered: 16 November 2004Reply With Quote
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If you went by internet forums, you would think the Creedmoor was the most reviled cartridge in the history of rifle making. The simple truth of the matter is though, that it is the most produced cartridge at Hornady. Not sure about the other ammo companies. But rest assured that if Remington makes ammo for it in light of their own internal conflict of interest, it is a best seller that they would be stupid to pass up on.

Oh, the 6.5x47 would have never taken off the way the creedmoor would have because of ammo price. great creedmoor ammo runs about $22-28 bucks a box. The absolute cheapest I can find Lapua ammo is $37 dollars a box. Takes it right out of mainstream popularity and the gates haven't even opened yet.

And if you want to stay with the marketing argument, we can substitute every same caliber/performance cartridge in history that came second and was more popular than the first. I'm sure a cursory search could come up with a dozen in the first half hour.


Life's too short to hunt with ugly guns
 
Posts: 53 | Location: E. AL | Registered: 27 May 2020Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by OSA:

Oh, the 6.5x47 would have never taken off the way the creedmoor would have because of ammo price. great creedmoor ammo runs about $22-28 bucks a box. The absolute cheapest I can find Lapua ammo is $37 dollars a box. Takes it right out of mainstream popularity and the gates haven't even opened yet.



Thats because 6,5x47 Lapua ammunition is made to win Olympic level competitions.

Its simple to make it "cheaper" by dropping tolerances to Creedmore level...


Hornady copied the 6,5x47Lapua, then had the balls to claim they got the idea from some obscure 30TC cartridge with the help of some shooter, that actually just wanted a cheaper 6,5x47 Lapua.

The 6,5x47 Lapua was most likely the most talked about new competition cartridge for 4-5 years in "target/match" forums while it was being developed.

Suddenly Hornady came out with it two years after.. and claimed they did it all by themselves.



It think thats what rubs most people the wrong way.. atleast me.

And I dont even shoot any of them.



.
 
Posts: 615 | Location: a cold place | Registered: 22 June 2005Reply With Quote
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I don't really give a crap who invented any cartridge.

There are so many cartridges produced every year that everything came from something.

A 6.5mm-22-250 is not a new idea. Doesn't matter who developed it.
 
Posts: 7767 | Location: Das heimat! | Registered: 10 October 2012Reply With Quote
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Well that's probably what killed the 6.5x47 to begin with. They haven't shot 300m's in the Olympics since 1976. That , and they left almost .100 of powder space in the trash can.

The Creedmoor was designed from the get go as a factory ammo competitive round for Camp Perry. NO ONE, AND I MEAN NO ONE was using the 6.5x47 to shoot across the course. It was dominated by the 6mm's and the occasional 260 Rem.

I don't get why some people are so butt hurt that a particular cartridge is, or isn't successful. I would think that as Americans, we would applaud an American company for inventing a better mouse trap and making it commercially successful.


Life's too short to hunt with ugly guns
 
Posts: 53 | Location: E. AL | Registered: 27 May 2020Reply With Quote
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It is a snob thing.

People think it is more interesting to shoot an esoteric cartridge that is hard to get.
 
Posts: 7767 | Location: Das heimat! | Registered: 10 October 2012Reply With Quote
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maybe if I could have walked into a gun store and bought a gun in the X45 caliber I'd own one.

that is the kind of thing that really slows down acceptance by the general public.
 
Posts: 4968 | Location: soda springs,id | Registered: 02 April 2008Reply With Quote
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Goodness, the Creedmore is the rage, I guess none of you big game hunters have never used the .270 WCF, it does all the creedmore can do plus more..Just a thought but that's what the charts say, and those that used it for years.


Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120

rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com
 
Posts: 41811 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000Reply With Quote
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Some good points, except for the 270 comparison, which is a completely different and ancient, animal. Sure, many like it and use it; I have owned 25 of them; never fired a round and do not intend to. I bust them down and use the barrels for tent stakes.
I have never heard of the 6.5x47. I have not only heard of, but built, many 6.5 Creedmoors.
That is your answer, encompassing a lot of what was said above.
As well as the fact that as was also said, you can buy any number of $300 of 6.5 CMs and outshoot $3500 custom ones any time you want; and I have seen it done.
Move on. The sun has set on the 6.5x47. Whatever it is.
 
Posts: 17089 | Location: USA | Registered: 02 August 2009Reply With Quote
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The 6.5x47 Lapua was designed specifically for 300m CISM shooting and to offer better ballistics than the 6mm BR in that discipline. 300m CISM is the main competition discipline in Europe, I suppose a bit like your cross-the-course (?) shooting but specifically at 300m. It is a very popular cartridge for that sport - key manufacturers are Grunig & Elmiger and Bleiker who both chamber it in their CISM rifles.

It was never marketed as a hunting cartridge and never had a hunting cartridge manufacturer like Hornady promoting it, so naturally it lost ground to the 6.5 Creedmoor which was promoted as a hunting cartridge almost from the beginning on the back of a surge in popularity for AR-type rifles.

6.5x47 won’t die but will always be niche like the 6mmBR or PPC
 
Posts: 712 | Location: England | Registered: 01 January 2010Reply With Quote
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