22-6.5×47 vs. 22-250 Standard and Improved
In our Shooters’ Forum, there was an interesting discussion of the 6.5×47 Lapua case necked down to .22 caliber. Forum members discuss the pros and cons of a “22×47 Lapua” wildcat versus the classic 22-250 or a 22-250 AI.
Forum member SkeetLee asked: “I am considering a 22x47L or a 22-250 AI. I like the Lapua brass and I have heard some good accuracy reports from the 6.5×47 Lapua case whether it be chambered as a 6.5mm or necked down to 6mm or even 22 caliber. I don’t know too much about the 22-250 AI except that it’s pretty popular and it’s fast…. I don’t see much offered for reloading dies for the 22x47L. I know I can use a bushing die to neck size but what about full length sizing and seating dies? Does it make better sense to just go with the 22-250 AI?”
Respected Savage Gunsmith Fred Moreo, posting as “Medicineman”, offered this interesting advice: “Why not get the best of both worlds? I built a 22×47 Improved for my coyote gun. It is easy as just running the 22-250 AI reamer in .050″ short, and trimming the same amount off the dies. It is actually a little more efficient than the 22-250 AI. My best load for coyotes is a 65gr Sierra GameKing pushed by 39.4 grains of H4350 for 3750 fps. The Lapua brass will take more pressure than any 22-250 brass available, and last four times as long. The 65 Sierra GKs hit like a sledge-hammer, and were originally designed for shooting red kangaroos — they’re pretty tough from what I hear.”
Forum member Vic C. from Oklahoma has experience with the 22-250 AI, and has recently built a 22×47 Lapua. Comparing the 22-250 AI with the 22x47L, Vic tells us: “Accuracy should be very good from either caliber in custom barrels.” Vic continues: “I have two 22-250 AI barrels and a new 22X47 Lapua barrel that I’ve just started load testing. The 22X47 Lapua case capacity is slightly more than a standard 22-250 Rem and less than the 22-250 AI (fireformed). The advantage of the 22X47 L, of course, is the availability of Lapua brass. I have Remington, Winchester and Federal brass for the 22-250 AIs and prefer Remington which I’ve found to be quite good, but not up to Lapua standards of course.
Recently I’ve been shooting some reformed Norma 6XC brass in the 22-250 AI and find it to be of excellent quality. [Editor’s Note: Lapua also now makes 22-250 brass though it is currently hard to find.] Dies for the 22-250 AI are much easier to come by than for the 22X47 Lapua. For a coyote rifle, if you’re not saving the hides, I think either caliber would be a great choice. For a PD rifle I would go with the 22-250 AI because of much less work prepping the hundreds of cases needed.”
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Tags: 22 Caliber, 22-250, 6.5x47, Lapua
I think this is a very good topic and i would love to see some head to head testing on accuracy and case efficiency. I decided to go with a 6x47L and my gunsmith Jon Beanland of Beanland custom rifles is on top of the project. I too love the Lapua brass, and it was one of the the deciding factors for me. I was ready to do the 22x47L but i purchased a very nice used shehane 1000 yard stock, and i wanted to get the most good possible from this very very nice stock .I think the 6.5x47L is a very interesting case design, and from what i read and here it will become more and more popular as time goes by. I am still undecided as to what chambering i will choose when i get around to doing the 22cal build. the build will more than likely be for a prairie dog rifle. I would love to read more on this topic. I must admit another desired project of mine entails a 22cal bullet on top of a Hornady Creedmoore case. I think the creedmoore case offers good brass (not Lapua good, but better than Winchester) at an affordable price, just in case you would happen to loose a few on a hot dog town. Well seee! Good read!! Thanks Lee
Skeetlee – -Hello again !
As mentioned to you in a previous E-mail; I had developed a hyper-velocity .224″ calibre wildcat in the mid ‘7s.
I used .35 Remington as the “basic” brass. Original shoulder juncture was retained, and I wnet with an “easy-to-form” 26* shoulder.
The “.22-35 ” case as I designed it, has a 1.920″ oal.
I wnet with a .431″ shoulder diameter, which is same diameter used on 6mm Rem.
Cae capacity comes out between stock .22-250 and .22-250AI; without having to work on forming cases with a sharp shoulder.
I utilized proprietary .35 Rem
Remington-brand brass.
Brass quality and availability have always been fine.
When shot in a 28″ K&P
5-groove SS 1-8, I got 3,500fps honest from 40.5gr
AA3100 and Hornady 75gr
“A”-Max over Federal LR Magnum Match primers. I only had to substitute FED LR Match primer in the load to find my best accuracy load & velocity only decreased to 3,420.
.22-35 is easy to form,
My custom RCBS case forming die set takes brass neck diam first down to .308, then to .25 calibre; and finally to .224″ cal. Cases are given an inside neck ream, then an outside neck turn to finalize
nekc wall thickness.
In it’s 28″ guise, the .22-35 load mentioned could put 450ft lbs on a groundhog out at 966yd. That’s enough for a clean-kill @ 1,000, if shooter does his part.
My point:
Yes… a notional .22-47 would make for a great varmint rifle, with excellent residual paper-punching capabilites.
.22-35 is a different route’ to the same point.
Best of luck in your endeavors !
Regards,
357Mag
A friend had a custom .22-250 AI built just like a short range Benchrest rifle. (Panda, McMillan BR stock, top grade barrel, 2 oz trigger, good scope) I was amazed at how well it grouped.
I find these projects interesting, and I would seriously consider building one, except for one reason. I have a really good .220 Swift, that still groups as well as it ever did. Perhaps when the barrel wears out…
It will be interesting to see how much pressure the new Lapua .22-250 brass will take. These days, that would be the case to use to compare the AI to the .22 x 47.
I have personally had a love-hate realtionship with the 6-6.5X47, finding it painfully inconsistent from one day to the next. and would have to be really pushed into the idea of doing another, especially in a smaller caliber, however, the new 22-250 lapua brass is very easy to make into *X47 lapua brass.
The clear reason for doing a 22X47 over a 22-250AI was the lack of 22-250 brass from Lapua. Now that is no longer a problem.
Although i did experimentation with 6XC Norma brass in a 6X47 Lapua in order to see if the flash hole was a factor, the results were no different than Lapua brass, so I do not ascribe to the notion that the small flash hole/prmer is a deficit in the ’47L brass.
I’m all for doing something new and funky, but I wouold do a 22-250AI in a heartbeat. Dies are there, the brass is now there, and the load info is all there too.
I suspect this has the potential to be a killer long range cartridge with the 90 Bergers.
Proving that everything old is new again, I’m using a 220 Weatherby Rocket to get over 4000fps with 53 grains Barnes and 3600fps with 70 – 75 grain match bullets with a lot less case forming effort.
Lack of recoil helps with bullet placement.