This Freebore is driving me crazy..... (6.5x47)

C

CZ527

New member
So I've got about every part I need for my 6.5x47..... And now all I have to decide on is a Freebore.

Barrel is a 1:8, so I'm good to shoot about anything, and I want to shoot 130 or 140 hybrids.

If I was single feeding them i would no doubt use a .180; however, I need my rounds to fit comfortably in a factory BDL mag box.

I have heard that even the .160 Freebore can result in rounds too long for a standard box using the 140 hybrid.

I WANT TO GIVE UP AS LITTLE CAPACITY AS POSSIBLE. I DONT LIKE LOADING BELOW THE NECK/SHOULDER JCT.

Anyway..... Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
Simple make dummy rounds that fit your mag and then send them to the reamer maker and have your reamer cut for your rounds. If you decide to load longer and single fee you can order a throater and cut your throat longer.

Freebore is the distance from the bullet to the lands or how far the bullet has to jump to reach the lands, Throat length is the distance from the neck to the lands.
 
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I'm aware that you can make dummy rounds and have a reamer made, but I don't care for that method much- mostly because it leaves me paying for a reamer instead of the smith having one in stock.

I will definitely send dummy rounds to the smith though.

I think the hybrids are popular enough that someone will chime in and have some hard evidence as to their COAL vs mag length.

Thanks anyway AWS. Now you go order some stainless tumbling media RIGHT NOW!!! haha
 
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Hey CZ527, I am in the exact same boat as you.. I too am building a 6.5x47 and I'm unsure as to what reamer I want to use.. I will tell you that I have emailed a couple of different smiths And each one uses a different reamer.. I contacted Jon Beanland and he uses a .170 reamer, short action customs uses a .135 reamer. They told me that their .135 reamer wouldn't run Lapua factory ammo because its loaded too long. So I'm debating either having a reamer made at like .155-.160 or going with Jon. Brad on here might chime in about how his Lapuas perform from Mr. Beanland. From what he's told me they are real performers..
 
seat a bullet in a dummy case with no powder or primer where it will go in the magazine.

Now, blacken the bullet with a magic marker.

Now, set your caliper blade on .264 and lock it. Now, rotate the bullet as far as it will go in the caliper blade at .264, you should have a bright ring on the bullet where the caliper blade was rotating in the caliper blade.

Now, measure the distance between the end of the case mouth and the bright ring, this is a ball park figure only.

Now subtract .024 for an angle that comes off the end of the case mouth on the reamer.

This would be a freebore/throat amount that would be max for you.

Now, comes the Voo Doo magic. Some bullets like a jam, others like a Jump.

rules of thumb, wives tales, voo doo magic is as follows:

120-123g bullets like about .129 freebore---rule of thumb, remember

140g bullets like .199 freebore, but often work well with .169 depending on the bullet...rule of thumb only

This gives a guy a place to start, and you have to take into consideration that there are freebore/throat lengths that have proven to be accurate. With some cases it becomes all to obvious that a long action is preferable to a short action, contrary to what may be popular.


I have a 6.5x47L with .129 freebore and it does not like 140g bullets, dumps 123g Sierra and A max in a single hole.

If I were building a dedicated coyote rifle to shoot the 88g sierra or 95g V max, I would opt for .040 freebore and rock on, buy approaching your project in this way, you have much longer barrel life.
 
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Thanks for the insight Ackleyman, I'm not sure about the ops intended use but mine is strictly gonna be for long range steel banging and some paper punching.. I'm gonna run either the 130 or 140 grain hybrids exclusively.. I am leaning toward Jon Beanlands .170 reamer..
 
Thanks for every reply so far.

I guess I should have mentioned that the rifle is a dual purpose steel/LRH rig (don't worry elk is not on the menu.). I hunt sheep and mule deer.

The 170 Freebore is a good compromise. I also know of a .293/.163 JGS print that is currently leading the pack in my book.

I think if I buy a reamer it will be a JGS with about .150-.155.


Ackleyman, I'm gonna fool around with that method of yours and see what I come up with.



As you guys can see, everyone just about has a different opinion.
The 130 Hybrid is looking more appealing all the time!!! At average velocities it gives up no drop and very little windage to the 140. That being said, in a single shot it would be 140 or bust, running .180-.200 FB.
 
Ackelyman I'm not quite understanding you. I set my caliper at .264 and the bullets drop through without a stop. Just to make sure I pulled out two other calipers and the same thing happened. Which stands to reason as the bullets are .264 or slightly under.
 
CZ527, if you aren't going to buy a reamer and just use what the Smith has, what is the problem? Just work up loads and find what works best. If he has a choice of long or short you have to decide whether you want to stay in the mag or single load. I'd personally go long and hunting loads in the mag with a little extra free bore won't hurt and can single load for target work.

You know there was actually a time when we didn't have the internet to tell us how reload.
 







As you can see, these hornady bullets are dead nuts, and my calipers have been calibrated on gauge blocks.

Nosler bullets can run a tad undersize.

You asked some questions on advanced reloading and reamer design. This is not complicated once you understand it.

You are trying to be the master of your own fate and trying to educate yourself, and I applaud you for trying to be the master of your own fate.

It leaves you will a hollow place in your stomach to get a new custom gun to discover that you can not touch the lands with a bullet and still use your magazine. Sometimes you can jump a bullet and get great accuracy, but when it is more than .040 you could very well be shaking the dice. Often some guns will shoot well with .100 or more bullet jump, but this is not an optimum way to start off with a new barrel. New barrels will often shoot well, but you need to plan on what is going to be happening 900-1200 rounds down the road.

There are some good options:

a. a gunsmith that can throat to the length that you require

b. Wyatts magazine box

c. if you use a detachable magazine, then seat out as long as
can, the rifle will quit shooting when the leade grows so far
Sierra bullets and Berger Hybrids are less picky on jump
 
Originally Posted By: AWSCZ527, if you aren't going to buy a reamer and just use what the Smith has, what is the problem? Just work up loads and find what works best. If he has a choice of long or short you have to decide whether you want to stay in the mag or single load. I'd personally go long and hunting loads in the mag with a little extra free bore won't hurt and can single load for target work.

You know there was actually a time when we didn't have the internet to tell us how reload.

I dont want to roll the dice. I want a definitive plan going into this, with room to chase so that I don't have to have a new barrel after 1K because I started with .180 or .200.

On the flip side of that, I don't want to start with .100 either and cram bullets down deep. That would leave me with a lower potential velocity while the barrel is young and accuracy is at its peek.

I can see what you're saying though.

As far as the Internet teaching people to reload.... I started about 6 years before I had an Internet connection, and a good 15 before I joined a forum..... How on earth did I get by back then?
 
Ackleyman,

I'm with what you're saying all the way. I'm liking something around .150. I should be able to continue shooting the Nosler BT as time goes on, and having to single load hybrids near the end of the barrels life wouldn't bother me a bit. I single load almost everything when shooting from the bench anyhow.

I would like to use the Wyatts box, but I don't know if it will work with my action. I certainly don't want to have to hack on a brand new high dollar piece.
 
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Originally Posted By: CZ527So I've got about every part I need for my 6.5x47..... And now all I have to decide on is a Freebore.

Barrel is a 1:8, so I'm good to shoot about anything, and I want to shoot 130 or 140 hybrids.

If I was single feeding them i would no doubt use a .180; however, I need my rounds to fit comfortably in a factory BDL mag box.

I have heard that even the .160 Freebore can result in rounds too long for a standard box using the 140 hybrid.

I WANT TO GIVE UP AS LITTLE CAPACITY AS POSSIBLE. I DONT LIKE LOADING BELOW THE NECK/SHOULDER JCT.

Anyway..... Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

you are definitely right about the 140 hybrids not working in a standard box. I just built a 260 with the match chamber at .160 freebore and those bastards are long I'm running a cdi bottom medal with accurate mags and no binder plate and the 140 hybrid still isn't even close to fitting. it's a single feeder for sure. if I wanted them touching the lands overall length I believe was somewhere around 3.028. you might be alright if you were jumping them 100 thousands but then what's the point of getting that much freebore.
 
I meant overall length from tip to tip not to the ogive. Since the case of the 6.5/47 is shorter I still don't think it will work.
 
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Originally Posted By: PriMeR450
you are definitely right about the 140 hybrids not working in a standard box. I just built a 260 with the match chamber at .160 freebore and those bastards are long I'm running a cdi bottom medal with accurate mags and no binder plate and the 140 hybrid still isn't even close to fitting. it's a single feeder for sure.

The .160 throat on the .260 wasn't a good choice for mag feeding 140 Hybrids.
But it sounds like you know that now.
 
yes you are correct. I originally planned on running sierras with a little jump but just for fun I had some hybrids laying around and loaded a couple.
 
Originally Posted By: PriMeR450yes you are correct. I originally planned on running sierras with a little jump but just for fun I had some hybrids laying around and loaded a couple.

So what bullet can you feed from a standard AI mag with the .160 throat?
 
you can get 123 and 140 sierras with a little jump and then I heard about the accurate mags with no binder plate and pretty much everything including amaxs and 142 will work. but not the hybrids.
 
Good deal!!
Never needed those mags on anything yet, but the Accurate Mags for .223 are the king since the AI .223 mags nose dived.
 


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