I picked up a new SAKO 85 Hunter in 338 Federal and am thinking of eventually having a Lothar Walther barrel in 6.5x47 installed. I will try the 338 Federal for a while to experience it, and it is a very efficient cartridge. My problem is that I have a very bad weakness for metric cartridges (especially in 6.5mm, 7mm, and 9.3mm) and I really want to try this one out. I would actually use this as part of my deer rifle battery with 140 grain bullets at around 2500 to 2600 fps. I know there are other cartridges that are cheaper to shoot (260, 7mm-08, etc.) but my mind is already made up. Has anyone done a convesion from the .308 Win family of cartridges to the 6.5x47 and were there any functioning issues afterwards (especially with feeding)? I iknow that the case is slightly shorter than the .338 Fed case and that it should work without a problem. However, I've seen strange things happen (especialy with feeding) when rifles are rebarred to new calibers, and I want to hear the experiences of others. Thanks in advance.

just call it an 8.6x51 Seriously, the 338 Federal is a great round. Play with it and you'll probably like it.

Good luck. If i am not mistaken, the 6.5 x 47 is just a necked up 6 x 47. If i am right, then you have a problem b/c the 6 x 47 is based on the 222 rem mag case, and has the same bolt face as the 223 rem.
The bolt face of the 308 is much larger.

Aliveincc

No the 6.5x47 is a cartridge developed by Namoa Lapua in Finland for competition in the 300 meter CISM. It is gaining popularity in Sniper rifle competitions, as a BR round and as a new sporting round in Scandanavia.

It is a 260 Remington with a longer neck, and improved shoulder angle. Beyond that I don't know the angles.

It is a great cartridge, and it looks like the 338 Federal's writing is on the wall for history books. I know the 338 Federal rifles from Sako were a good deal. If I wasn't moving to Australia I'd buy one.

If you want to shoot the 140s & get the best accuracy out of the 6.5x47L go with a 1 in 8 twist. BTW 30 degree shoulder angle.

If you are not completely sold on the 6.5x47 Lapua, before you rebarrel try a few 160 TTSX or the 185 TSX. You might like 'em. If not, the TSX 120 grain 6.5 might be the ticket. I think I am correct that the 6.5L has just slightly less powder capacity than the .260 so it wouldn't be a hot rod either. DW

Your velocity estimates are pretty mild to me, you'll be impressed with that 6.5x47.