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6,5mm Creedmore or 6,5x47L for F Open?


MichalS

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I'm contemplating getting a rifle for F Open competition. Because of budget constraints I'm thinking about Sabatti's new TLD which is available in either 6,5x47L or 6,5CM. I've done some reading but choosing beetween the two seems really difficult as there are no major differences... Any thoughts?

Best regards, Michal

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Think you could be on a back foot before you start if you use 6.5mm and wish to be competitive.

Most if not all open rifles are 7mm with some smatterings of 30 cal 

 

 

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I'm no F-Class shooter, but if the only options available are rifles off the shelf, then I'm sure either of those would be fine. Maybe not World Class® winning capable unless in the very best hands, but certainly more than capable of learning the game

Just my opinion though before someone is forced down the "Custom Build" route ?

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There are 2 classes in F class competitions.

1.    FTR - which can only use calibres of .223 or 30 calibre.

2.   F Open - any other calibre than the above.   F Open tends to use the 7mm or heavier 30 calibre bullets and way back when was considered the Formula one of F class.    However,  FTR class which can utilise factory rifles in .223 (which is not used) and .308, the quality has improved dramatically and most serious shooters will have a custom built rifle.   But it is the best class to start with if you intend to use a bog standard factory rifle and stick with the .308 cartridge.

If you haven't been to an F class competition I would suggest you do and ask questions and go from there to suit your budget.

Good shooting

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I’m not sure if Savage still offer a rfle which was sold as a dedicated F open gun (off the shelf)

You could also consider any of the rifle manufacturers heavier barrelled offerings which, in a 6.5 / 7mm / 30 cal with a bipod and rear bag would enable you to  compete.

 

I don’t know what th cost is of the Savati you mention but another way in would be but a donor actik  and have it barrelled in xyz calibre and put it in a Dolphin chassis stock - possibly a cost effective method in.

 

Thrre are quite a few second hand custom built F class guns for sale which may be within your budget too 

 

 

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To cut a long story short I have a total experience of one F Class (FTR) competition. Using Sabatti Tactical Sport in .308, factory GGG 175gr ammo, some luck and a lot of experience from ISSF air/smallbore I managed to get 12th place overall in FTR (out of 47 participants) and 2nd in 800m F Open Sniper (without sighting shots , any calibre, out of 26 participants).  Now Sabatti offers me a great deal on their new dedicated long range rifle - the TLD. Sadly, they only make them in .308, 6,5x47L and 6,5CM - no 7mm :(

Tough choice, as I know the go to calibre for F open is 284/7mm :(

Michal

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I'm sure some of you might not be grasping that Michal might not actually be in the UK, and threfore the custom built rifle scene maybe therefore somewhat limited

Hence the questions about factory available rifles

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1 hour ago, bradders said:

I'm sure some of you might not be grasping that Michal might not actually be in the UK, and threfore the custom built rifle scene maybe therefore somewhat limited

Hence the questions about factory available rifles

This. You can get anything (NC Rado and Dolphin are the most popular), but You have to wait a long time and pay a lot for shipment (I heard of 500 GBP...). At the moment I'm not that serious about F Class, so I'm not willing to pay the price.

Michal

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I think the difference between a 6.5 creedmoor and a 6.5x47 is about 1.8mm depending on what length you trim them.is the creedmoor better than the 47.I very much doubt it...!

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I’ve shot with a 47 in various rifle since it was “born”

 

I wouldn’t change to creedmoor

 

 

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Ive been shooting the 6.5x47 for a few years now and love it - just such an easy and forgiving cartridge to get great results with, almost irrespective of what bullet/powder you use. I too will not jump off the 6.5x47 and onto the Creedmoor bandwagon just for the sake of it - I have zero need to.

However, the Creedmoor does give you the opportunity to shoot the higher BC 140+ bullets (specifically the Berger Hybrid) at a slightly better speed, and more comfortably, than the 6.5x47. The 6.5x47 CAN do it, but you've got to stoke her up with high energy powders and at the top end of safe pressures...or beyond.

So if you intend to shoot the 140+ bullets (which I'd say is probably best if you want to be somewhat competitive in F Open) then I'd probably say go with the Creedmoor. You just have a bit more boiler room for the heavier bullets.

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Having said the above, don't discount rifles in 6.5x55 SWEDE or .260rem. 

Plenty of Tikka's out there (off the shelf or as donor actions) that would be perfect in 6.5x55 guise. I don't know where you live Michal, but if in Northern Europe, you couldn't go wrong with something like a Sauer STR 200 or SSG3000 in 6.5x55. With  Lapua brass and a modern action, I think you'd have even more boiler room to push the 140s at an even higher velocity than the Creedmoor. The 6.5x55 is also inherently accurate and easy to tune.

Something to think about.

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I have both calibres so here’s my take on the subject.

Both are capable of exceptional accuracy and precision. In my experience the 47 has the edge distances up to 300 yards. At 600 yards there isn’t much to choose between them.

The 47 will shoot well at 900 yards, but the Creedmoor does it better. The 47 will just about get to 1000 yards whereas the Creedmoor will do it without breaking into a sweat. This is because of the larger case capacity over that of the 47 and the use of the higher BC 140/142 grain bullets.

Although some 47 shooters use these bullets the 47 cartridge was designed to use 123 grainers. 

If I had to choose between the Creedmoor and 47 at 900 and 1000 yards, the Creedmoor would my choice. If my shooting was limited to up to 600 yards I would go with the 47.

It’s a tricky choice to make and this is why I have both.

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The deciding factor between the two for a lot of people, is the availability of factory ammo.

There are new cartridges coming out, literally daily for the creedmoor.

In 6.5 x 47 you can have one load from Lapua....thats it.

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It' a handloaders cartridge for sure.

Any theories on why it's not being made any factory ammo and ready availale apart from lapua/nammo.

its certainly proved itself to be a very accurate cartridge.it holds the world benchrest record.it holds the ukbra 600yds record.

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1 minute ago, No i deer said:

It' a handloaders cartridge for sure.

Any theories on why it's not being made any factory ammo and ready availale apart from lapua/nammo.

its certainly proved itself to be a very accurate cartridge.it holds the world benchrest record.it holds the ukbra 600yds record.

Lapua already make the components, brass, bullets in 123 and 139 weights, Viht do powder.

The only thing Lapua don't do is manufacture loaded ammo, and that is probably because setting up a whole new production line is prohibitive

As for the UKBRA group....anyone can shoot a fluke ?....was it in the middle?

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Lapua alone loads factory 6.5X47L - four Scenar match loads and one Naturalis deer load.

http://www.lapua.com/en/ammunition/calibers/65x47-lapua

Unusually  the small to mid-size US ammunition companies which produce boutique versions of 260 Rem and 6.5-284 largely or entirely ignore the cartridge too.

The near complete absence of adoption by mainstream  rifle and ammunition manufacturers contrasts with the Creedmoor situation where there is a Gadarene rush onto a near runaway bandwagon and suggests that the 6.5X47L is and will remain a specialist number mostly used by shooters who handloader 

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