Case Capacity:6.5 CM, 6.5 Swede, 6.5 PRC & Other 6.5 Comparisons

[Litehiker]

6.5 Creedmoor-> 54.0 gr. H2O
6.5 Swede-> 57.9 gr. H2O
6.5 PRC-> 68.8 gr. H2O

Seems the 6.5 Swede falls nearly halfway between the 6.5 Cm and 6.5 PRC and IF loaded to modern standards in a modern 6.5 x 55 rifle that will stand higher pressures the Swede should be decent on most bug game in North America. After all Europeans have been using it successfully for many, many decades on the slightly smaller European moose ("elg").

But my interest, since I have a 6.5 PRC X-Bolt, was to see just how much more case capacity the 6.5 PRC had. It is eye-opening that it has almost 10 more grains of H2O capacity than the 6.5 Swede. Enough to handle American bull elk at say, 300 yards max.

And then going way up to the soon-to-be-released 6.5 RPM Weatherby at 82.5 grains of H2O you get a clear idea of how powerful it is.

Of course the 6.5 /28 Nosler has to be screaming with 100.8 grains of H2O. (Yeah the 6.5-300 Weatherby is barely above it in case capacity and is for all purposes its equal.

I think case capacity tells a lot about comparative power in equal bullet caliber & weights.

Eric B.

 

[Hand Skills]

I think case capacity tells a lot about comparative power in equal bullet caliber & weights.

Eric B.

Agreed. Your post made me realize;

6.5-284 -> 68.3gr H2O
6.5 PRC -> 68.8gr H2O

Pretty much the same, except the PRC fits in a short action!

 

[sable tireur]

It is eye-opening that it has almost 10 more grains of H2O capacity than the 6.5 Swede. Enough to handle American bull elk at say, 300 yards max.

Actually, when you really reload and shoot a combination of 140 grain bullets in the PRC, your velocities combined with the BC will yield 1,500 ft/lbs at 650 yards. That's where I set my limits with the cartridge. This is more than enough to handle an elk here in the U.S. They don't were armor... Besides, hunters use sharp sticks to harvest elk and no one complains about this.

The 6.5 Swede case has been a great cartridge since the late 1800's. It's also been used in a form of a machine gun as well. So, being this old with the design being what it's supposed to be for the era, it could stand a little improvement to bring it into the modern age of ballistics. If you blow out the case walls and sharpen shoulder even moderately to say 30 degrees, you can achieve about 62 grains of capacity. The difference though is that this cartridge is in the intermediate length family right from the start and can be extended into the long action length without too much trouble. American brass is usually sold with the 0.473" rim while many of the European brands will come in at about 0.480" which can (but not always) require a very slight adjustment at the bolt face.

A closer match to the 6.5 PRC is the 6.5 RSAUM or originally the 6.5 GAP 4S. Ballistically their numbers will just about lay on top of one another based on bullet and load length. I run the 6.5 GAP through DM with the spacer removed so I can get it out to 2.925" comfortably. The PRC runs through the same magazine design easily also.

 

[Hand Skills]

I run the 6.5 GAP through DM with the spacer removed so I can get it out to 9.25" comfortably.

That's what HE said

 

[sable tireur]

I run the 6.5 GAP through DM with the spacer removed so I can get it out to 9.25" comfortably.

Yikes!!!!!!!Wow, did I miss that in proof reading...

 

[elkaholic]

6.5 Sherman. 75 grs
6.5 Max. 77 grs
6.5 SS. 73 grs
6.5 SST. 70 grs

 

[Litehiker]

elkaholic,
Thanks for those additions to the 6.5 list. I forgot about all those wildcats. And then there are AI versions too.

hand skills,
Thanks for adding the 6.5/284. I forgot the 6.5/284 and was thinking of adding it but then "forgot what I forgot", which happens more often in my geezerhood. (It's called "Old Timer's Disease".;o)

Eric B.

 

[TRG65]

6.5 Swede AI versions are mostly between 60 and 62grs depending on version and brass. My 26" 6.5 addiction (not full AI) with Lapua brass is 60.8grs. I get 3040 with RL 26 and a 143x. I mostly shoot a 147 with 4831 at 2920. With RL 26, I can push the 147 over 3000. The 4831 load at 2920 and a RL 16 load at 2840 with the 147 shoot much more consistently.

 

[Hespco]

There is also the 6.5-06. It the 6.5-284 & the PRC virtually identical case capacity. As to the Swede & or the 260 Rem , I have taken numerous elk with both over the years with the Barnes mono's. Never lost an elk. Bullet placement is of course paramount as it is with any cartridge. The magic of success is in the bullet construction & proper placement not the brass case.

 

[Chase723]

To clarify, even though the Sherman's are technically wildcats they're not really wildcats anymore. You can buy all the components just like anything else. You just can't buy loaded ammunition. You can buy fireformed brass from Matt at Long Way Brass and you literally don't have to do anything other than reload and shoot.

 

[Chase723]

Or you can buy brass that simply needs to be fireformed from Rich...which also is literally just reload and shoot. Both great options.

 

[Alibiiv]

And.....here's my $.02 worth....it came out of "Campfires"..........
www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/4913035/Re:_6.5x55_Ackley_improved If you are totally and absolutely set on a "6.5" caliber I would stick with either the 6.5-06 or the 6.5-284, but.....

After I wrote this reply, I've edited it to read a little more; not trying to steal the thread and I think it is relevant. I never was a .270 Winchester fan until a couple of years ago when I acquired one for a custom build that I really had not made a decision as to what cartridge the build was going to be made in. I had some brass, some dies and some bullets and decided to shoot the donor rifle just to see what it would do. Well.....I liked the rifle and liked the performance of the round; accurate, light recoil and efficient.

So....the build turned out to be in .270 Ackley Improved. I have written in replies to other threads that when I read about a "new, ultra-killing-long-range-5000 yard elephant dropping tank stopping dropping cartridge, I will go back and compare that new round to the .270 Winchester; bullet for bullet and "barrel length" to barrel length. And then ask myself if there's enough significance between the two rounds, new and "ole", to make a change or new build with??? I'm a .270 fan, but one could make the same argument for many comparisons between the new round and the "ole" rounds. I'm getting close to 3300fps with a 150gr ABLR out of the .270AI, more than meets my hunting and shooting expectations/requirements for whitetail deer out to 400-500 yards.

 

[Plinker147]

Not sure what your trying to gather out of this but h2O capacity can be not that meaningful of a statistic. Example 26 Nosler when built to sammi specs isn't able to utilize its capacity to translate to performance. The Sherman S mags with less capacity but a much better design gets the same to better performance with less capacity.

And where you come up with 300 yards max for elk and a 6.5 PRC is ??? Everyone has there personal limits, But that is no where near the limits of a 6.5 PRC, the speed in FPS needed for the chosen bullet to perform is the true limit to all cartridges. The rest is on the shooter.

 

[foul bore]

6.5 Creedmoor-> 54.0 gr. H2O
6.5 Swede-> 57.9 gr. H2O
6.5 PRC-> 68.8 gr. H2O

Seems the 6.5 Swede falls nearly halfway between the 6.5 Cm and 6.5 PRC and IF loaded to modern standards in a modern 6.5 x 55 rifle that will stand higher pressures the Swede should be decent on most bug game in North America. After all Europeans have been using it successfully for many, many decades on the slightly smaller European moose ("elg").

But my interest, since I have a 6.5 PRC X-Bolt, was to see just how much more case capacity the 6.5 PRC had. It is eye-opening that it has almost 10 more grains of H2O capacity than the 6.5 Swede. Enough to handle American bull elk at say, 300 yards max.

And then going way up to the soon-to-be-released 6.5 RPM Weatherby at 82.5 grains of H2O you get a clear idea of how powerful it is.

Of course the 6.5 /28 Nosler has to be screaming with 100.8 grains of H2O. (Yeah the 6.5-300 Weatherby is barely above it in case capacity and is for all purposes its equal.

I think case capacity tells a lot about comparative power in equal bullet caliber & weights.

Eric B.

You have a 6.5 PRC X-bolt. does Browning produce this, or is a build?