6.5 PRC in a WSM Action?

[BoatTail]

I have a Remington 700 short action in 270 WSM with a modified 3.01 inch magazine. I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on rebarreling it to a 6.5 / 300 WSM. Rather than going with the wildcat I was wondering if the 6.5 PRC would feed in a WSM action. My thoughts are that the feed rails maybe too wide. I was thinking that the 6.5 PRC's 2.950 COAL with the Hornady 143 ELD X bullets would work well with this Wyatt extended magazine. I was also thinking there would be some advantage of using a standard cartridge rather than a wildcat if I ever needed cartridges and could reload at the time. What are your thoughts, will the 6.5 PRC feed in a WSM action?

 

[highdrum]

Yes it will feed just fine. Personally I prefer the 6.5 saum over the prc but that's me. You can buy loaded ammo for it from Prime/Norma as well. Quality brass is available from ADG.

 

[BoatTail]

Thanks, I did see that ADG did have head stamped brass for the 6.5 SAUM. So even though the 6.5 SAUM is a wildcat, you can still buy loaded ammo for it. Interesting. I also saw that Bertram sold 6.5 WSM head stamped brass but I've heard it's not as good as ADG. Any truth to that? What's the velocity difference between the 6.5 SAUM the 6.5 PRC? Also, do you think that since Bertram and ADG sell brass for the 6.5 WSM and 6.5 SAUM respectively, that they will never become commercial cartridges?

 

[highdrum]

https://www.targetsportsusa.com/pri...grain-otm-match-plus-7528240020-p-109362.aspx Hornady and Gap were the first to push the 6.5 saum after their successful 6.5 creed development. However to have the saum name would of required paying Remington royalties. So the 6.5 saum/Gap 4S is probably doomed to always be a wildcat, probably one of the most popular of all time, now that the 280ai\6.5-284 are saami. I believe the brass from ADG is more consistent than Bertram, but Bertram for the most part is just as strong and will handle pressure equally, it just takes prep work. Velocity between the saum and prc is about 100-150fps. A lot depends on the particular rifle and where the accuracy node is.

 

[Hespco]

Four years back a friend & me each built a 6.5x 270 WSM. 24" stainless Bbl, 1/8 twist. Shoot only the Barnes 120gr TSX right at 3400 fps. Have taken 3 elk with mine with 3 shots. A great cartridge with ton's of inexpensive once fired 270 WSM brass available. All I use. As long as there is 270 or 300 WSM brass you will have brass. Super easy to load for. One pass of the 270 or 300 WSM brass thru a FL sizer, load & shoot. No trimming or neck turning required.

 

[BoatTail]

Four years back a friend & me each built a 6.5x 270 WSM. 24" stainless Bbl, 1/8 twist. Shoot only the Barnes 120gr TSX right at 3400 fps. Have taken 3 elk with mine with 3 shots. A great cartridge with ton's of inexpensive once fired 270 WSM brass available. All I use. As long as there is 270 or 300 WSM brass you will have brass. Super easy to load for. One pass of the 270 or 300 WSM brass thru a FL sizer, load & shoot. No trimming or neck turning required.

Do you happen to know your chamber neck diameter and freebore? I'm working with Dave Kiff from PTG on a 6.5 WSM reamer that will give me a freebore that will allow me to load Hornady 143 grain eld-x bullets with a longer COAL using the maximum size of my new 3.110 extended well magazine.

 

[L.Sherm]

The first time around I went .300 no turn. Had my reamer reground to .296 and .180 freebore, personally I think its alot more forgiving now. I think no turn necks are just to thick for consistent neck tension at the no turn. I just neck down 270 WSM brass and turn for loaded .292.

 

[Hespco]

Sorry but I don't have that information. I apologize for being so uninformed..Work was done by a out of town gunsmith. I bought a new JGS reamer to do the job Sold it after wards. We only wanted to shoot the Barnes 120gr TSX. I know the jump is right at .070. Never shot any heavier bullets. The Barrels are E.R.Shaw stainless 24" light sporter weight 1/8 twist & very accurate. Never tried shooting past my 522 yd target. Can hit it at will any time. Never sort brass or bullets. Use Retumbo powder.. All three elk I took were between 185 & 235 yds. All shots were a complete pass thru , with one bull hit in the lower left shoulder bade. Bullet exited the right arm pit hitting the right leg just above the knee joint & shooting the leg completely off. The leg bone there is about 3" in dia. Have never needed a heavier bullet. Again sorry for not having the specific info you needed.

 

[BoatTail]

The first time around I went .300 no turn. Had my reamer reground to .296 and .180 freebore, personally I think its alot more forgiving now. I think no turn necks are just to thick for consistent neck tension at the no turn. I just neck down 270 WSM brass and turn for loaded .292.

So it looks like you neck thickness is about 0.014. I was thinking of a neck thickness of 0.15 which would put it the neck dia. at 0.298. Dave Kiff tells me for the 6.5 WSM and the Hornady 143 grain eld-x I can have a freebore between 0.198 and 0.220. I have to figure out which freebore will give me an overall cartridge length of 3.080. I don't know how to do that. My extended well magazine has an inside length of 3.110. Any ideas?

 

[L.Sherm]

Seat a bullet at the boatail neck shoulder junction and measure it.

 

[L.Sherm]

I wouldn't go over .200 freebore you'll need some to chase the lands as throat wears. I'm 3.08 in mine with a .140 above the neck shoulder junction with a Berger 140 VLD. I kissed mine with a throater after it was chambered to give me a touch more it's probably .200. I sent a dummy to JGS when I had it reground with a 140 at the neck shoulder junction and .180 is what they told me the dummy round measured.

 

[L.Sherm]

If I remember correctly I'm about .010 off the lands

 

[BrentM]

Just to throw this in. My 6.5 PRC with 140-147's shows a COAL at 3.020. It's a proof carbon.

I have ADG/gunwerks brass and currently running 210m's with retumbo. The barrel is 22" and I am not impressed with the FPS so far. What I believe is max load with my combo's, giving my sticky bolt lift at the top of the stroke and difficult to extract, the FPS is not where I think it should be. Couple that with a longer than expected coal to the lands it's just messy. I'd love to be at mag length with 20 thou jump instead of 70.

 

[highdrum]

Brent, in most cases if read, the eld line likes a lot of jump, as in why the saami chamber is 188 freebore and cases are loaded to 2.9xx from factory by Hornady, they did their homework prior. The 147 has a long bearing surface and with it being close to lands may be why you're getting pressure signs. What velocity and charge of what powder?