Necking Down the 6.5×47 to 6mm
We’ve learned that, when necking down a 6.5×47 Lapua case to 6mm, it’s best not to simply run the brass into a 6-6.5×47 full-length sizer. Reader “Fireball”, who has worked with both a 6-6.5×47 and a 22-6.5×47, offers this tip: “You don’t want to bring the 6.5mm case all the way down to 6mm in one step–it’s too big of a jump. First, to smooth entry, you should run a 6.5mm expander in the case mouth, and chamfer the outside of the case mouth–be sure to remove all burrs and smooth the case mouth. Apply some lube to the neck. Then, if you have a bushing for a .257, put that in a 6BR bushing neck die, and run the case up. Alternatively, you can use a Redding 6BR body die. The body die will funnel the neck down about half way. Body dies are pretty inexpensive ($22.49 at MidwayUSA, item 458797). After running the brass through the 6BR body die, then you can run the case into the Forster 6-6.5×47 Full-length sizing die. The Forster die is excellent–it sizes a no-turn neck just about perfectly, so long as you do an intermediate step first.”
