Anybody know anything about re-barreling a Savage 12 FVSS in .308 to...

[E4 No More]

...6.5 x 47 Lapua?

When I say anybody I mean people with gunsmithing experience for doing the actual re-barrel, and hunters as far as the ability of the 6.5 Lapua would be for hunting deer.

I will say this: I am NOT a hunter: however, I am entertaining the idea of learning to hunt deer in the event that I must do so to survive. I also like to shoot distance, and the 6.5 Lapua does that better than the .308.

Questions, comments, or snide remarks?

[Guest GunTroll]

I like the cartridge and caliber. Its sort of the new "cool kid on the block" it seems to me. I'm not bashing it however. I have been thinking of changing one of my REM 700 to a 6.5x47 but I have other builds that are taking priority at this time. 6.5 caliber is great. Europe has been onto it for a long time while "we" fart around with 30's and 6.8's. Two very over rated calibers in my mind. While I tend to like to be different, with what parameters you laid out....would a 260 rem not be a better choice? Lord knows brass will be cheaper and could be made in a pinch.

Do you have a barrel manufacture in mind? Are you looking for something very custom that the big box stores don't have (Midway, Brownells, etc). They tend to have a pretty good stock of calibers/contours but you may want to check. I know of no one making savage 6.5x47 pre-threaded/pre-chambered barrels but could be wrong.

Let me know if I could be of any help with any further questions. Bolt guns are my thing.

And for my snide remark(s): AR's are for kids. Real men use a bolt.

[mikegideon]

And for my snide remark(s): AR's are for kids. Real men use a bolt.

[Okey]

I get most of my Savage Prefit barrels from Jim Briggs at Northland. 736-682-4296 He keeps a lot of the common calibers in stock. I have an action wrench and savage barrel nut wrench if you need help swapping one out.

Okey

[E4 No More]

I like the cartridge and caliber. Its sort of the new "cool kid on the block" it seems to me. I'm not bashing it however. I have been thinking of changing one of my REM 700 to a 6.5x47 but I have other builds that are taking priority at this time. 6.5 caliber is great. Europe has been onto it for a long time while "we" fart around with 30's and 6.8's. Two very over rated calibers in my mind. While I tend to like to be different, with what parameters you laid out....would a 260 rem not be a better choice? Lord knows brass will be cheaper and could be made in a pinch.

Do you have a barrel manufacture in mind? Are you looking for something very custom that the big box stores don't have (Midway, Brownells, etc). They tend to have a pretty good stock of calibers/contours but you may want to check. I know of no one making savage 6.5x47 pre-threaded/pre-chambered barrels but could be wrong.

Let me know if I could be of any help with any further questions. Bolt guns are my thing.

And for my snide remark(s): AR's are for kids. Real men use a bolt.

The 6.5 Lapua has a sharper shoulder and longer neck making it a shortened and “improved” .260 Remington case. Along with its small primer pocket it's stronger: therefore, it can achieve higher velocities with the same amount of powder than the .260. The brass for the .260 is also reportedly to mostly be of "marginal quality" as well. Besides, the 6.5 Lapua is good enough for Marine Snipers it's good enough for me.

I did a cursory search and found a few match grade barrel makers for the Savage. Looks like the barrel will run shy of $300 unless I have it fluted. That's better than the $700 for a whole new rifle. I do plan to have a shorter barrel than the 26" that is on it now and also have it fluted to that it's a touch easier to cart around.

[E4 No More]

I get most of my Savage Prefit barrels from Jim Briggs at Northland. 736-682-4296 He keeps a lot of the common calibers in stock. I have an action wrench and savage barrel nut wrench if you need help swapping one out.

Okey

Thanks, Okey, I appreciate that.

[Guest GunTroll]

I wasn't arguing for which is better and know of the 6.5x47 merits/specs. With the way you phrased your question with your interest in learning to hunt for survival, an "odd ball" cartridge for a TEOTWAWKI scenario wouldn't be my pick.

The 6.5 Lapua has a sharper shoulder and longer neck making it a shortened and “improved” .260 Remington case. Along with its small primer pocket it's stronger: therefore, it can achieve higher velocities with the same amount of powder than the .260. The brass for the .260 is also reportedly to mostly be of "marginal quality" as well. Besides, the 6.5 Lapua is good enough for Marine Snipers it's good enough for me.

I did a cursory search and found a few match grade barrel makers for the Savage. Looks like the barrel will run shy of $300 unless I have it fluted. That's better than the $700 for a whole new rifle. I do plan to have a shorter barrel than the 26" that is on it now and also have it fluted to that it's a touch easier to cart around.

[mikegideon]

I wasn't arguing for which is better and know of the 6.5x47 merits/specs. With the way you phrased your question with your interest in learning to hunt for survival, an "odd ball" cartridge for a TEOTWAWKI scenario wouldn't be my pick.

Exotic calibers are cool, but...

"George Gardner of GA Precision recently won the long-range Shumway Cup segment of the 2006 Snipers' Hide Cup shooting a straight .243 Win. In so doing, George bested Terry Cross (.260 Rem) and David Tubb (6XC), so you can see the .243 is a top performer at long distances. In fact, in terms of Wind Drift, a .243 running 115s at 3150 fps beats both the .260 Rem (2850 fps) and the 6.5-284 (2950 fps) running 142 MatchKings."

If I was going to try to shoot against the big boys, I would go with a bench rest favorite. If I wanted a rifle with broader function, I would probably stick with something that's more common, and just tweak it up. With all other things equal (rifle, bullets, optics, and shooter), it won't make much difference, especially on a deer.

[E4 No More]

I wasn't arguing for which is better and know of the 6.5x47 merits/specs. With the way you phrased your question with your interest in learning to hunt for survival, an "odd ball" cartridge for a TEOTWAWKI scenario wouldn't be my pick.

I got'cha now. I don't exactly think in TEOTWAWKI type of mindset. I think in terms of the "killing two birds with one stone" fashion, so I was looking at this as an option. I look at it as it being more likely that I'll be doing some distance shooting in the future rather than shooting for survival. This would be the dual purpose rifle. I have a Sig 556 DMR for protection.

[mikegideon]

I got'cha now. I don't exactly think in TEOTWAWKI type of mindset. I think in terms of the "killing two birds with one stone" fashion, so I was looking at this as an option. I look at it as it being more likely that I'll be doing some distance shooting in the future rather than shooting for survival. This would be the dual purpose rifle. I have a Sig 556 DMR for protection.

The biggest conflict beween long range shooting and hunting is gonna be weight. If it's heavy enough to do well at long range, you might hate taking it for a stroll in the woods.

[E4 No More]

The biggest conflict beween long range shooting and hunting is gonna be weight. If it's heavy enough to do well at long range, you might hate taking it for a stroll in the woods.

A genuine concern, but I'm more worried about length and utility than weight. I figured on a fluted, shorter barrel than the 26" that's on it now. Perhaps 23-24" but I plan on deciding that when I read more about the cartridge and optimal barrel length.

This is just an idea I'm kicking around. I don't plan on running out to implement it right away.

[mikegideon]

A genuine concern, but I'm more worried about length and utility than weight. I figured on a fluted, shorter barrel than the 26" that's on it now. Perhaps 23-24" but I plan on deciding that when I read more about the cartridge and optimal barrel length.

This is just an idea I'm kicking around. I don't plan on running out to implement it right away.

I have a 24" fluted bull on my varmint AR. It does a decent job at long range, but weighs around 14 lbs. I've never shot that rifle off hand, and probably never will. It's a rest gun.