6.5×47 Lapua Rifles Shine in Oklahoma PRS Match

Mid-sized 6.5mm cartridges proved themselves at the recent Shoot for the Green match in northwest Oklahoma. Four out of the top five shooters ran a rifle chambered for the 6.5×47 Lapua, with the fifth shooting the slightly larger 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge. 53 shooters from as far away as California showed up to test their skills in the stiff March winds in NW Oklahoma. The course of fire was challenging, with improvised field shooting positions and targets set as far as 1300 yards out. And there were “Troop” stages that competitors have come to expect in Oklahoma. Match winner Rick Reeves stated, “I enjoyed the troop stages more than anything else, even though I didn’t shoot them the best.”

Steve Elmenhorst shooting a Troop Stage.

Rich Emmons, who steered his 6.5x47L to fourth place, has written a match report for PrecisionRifleSeries.com. Day One saw temps around 70 degrees with only light, switchy winds. But Day Two was brutal, Emmons reports: “On Sunday… 40-50 mph winds hit NW Oklahoma hard and most competitors were woken up. To say that shooting in the 15-30 mph winds with temps in the high 30s [was really tough] is an understatement. All competitors struggled a bit and scores were understandably lower on Day Two. Conditions were brutal and both the ROs and the competitors deserve a gold star for toughing it out and finishing the match.” CLICK HERE for Complete Match Results