Thinking of going 6.5 PRC thoughts

[yorke-1]

Maybe you missed the part where someone asked people to post some numbers with a 264? That's all I was doing. Yeah there's cartridges that'll out run it. But for a long range hunting 6.5mm it's about the perfect choice for great performance and decent barrel life. Especially when compared to bigger cartridges such as the 26 Nosler,6.5x300wby and that super Magnum you have. Outta curiosity how many rounds before the barrel is cooked in your 6.5Badger??

We smoked one in about 200 rounds seeing how fast the light bullets would go. Another made it 450 rounds with the 140gr class bullets before groups were over 1 MOA but that barrel wasn't exactly "babied". My 30" barrel is at 435 rounds and still holding sub .75 MOA to 1500 yards with the 160 Matrix bullets. It should be minute of critter out beyond a reasonable range until at least the 650-700 round mark. I just use it for busting rocks between 1200-1500 yards. Less than that or more than that and I just grab a different gun.

 

[seidersjoden]

I have a 6.5 PRC gap build. 26 inch bartlein. I reload. I've done some reloading tests as well. This last spring I got a nice brown phased Black Bear at 1057 yards shooting 147 grain ELD match bullets. You'll have to go to Instagram or Facebook if you have those for pictures of my gun but here's what I have on phone phone, traveling right now...

 

[WildRose]

6.5 SS:
200 pieces of new brass -$500
Die Set -$275
3ea AICS pattern WSM compatible 3rd magazines -$190

6.5 PRC:
200 pieces of new brass -$170
Die set (micrometer seater) -$71
3ea AICS pattern WSM compatible 3rd Magazines-$190

Both cartridges will require the same magazines since they're both based on a large diameter case, so that doesn't make a difference. Both of the AICS pattern WSM compatible magazines I'm familiar with allow an internal OAL of at least 2.950" so the SS doesn't have an advantage there. 50fps isn't enough of a difference to the average shooter to warrant the additional cost. That's not even getting into the fact that a guy can buy 200 rounds of LOADED 6.5 PRC ammo for less than the cost of 200 pieces of 6.5 SS brass.




And my 6.5 Badger will beat that by 100 fps with a 160gr bullet from the same length action. I don't know why anyone would slum it with a dog like the 264 Win Mag.

Comparing the performance of a short action cartridge to a long action cartridge is like comparing a V-6 Chevy Colorado to a Silverado 3500 Duramax. Two different products designed for two different uses. Both perform adequately for the intended purpose.

You know that's just neither helpful nor necessary.

 

[WildRose]

I have a 6.5 PRC gap build. 26 inch bartlein. I reload. I've done some reloading tests as well. This last spring I got a nice brown phased Black Bear at 1057 yards shooting 147 grain ELD match bullets. You'll have to go to Instagram or Facebook if you have those for pictures of my gun but here's what I have on phone phone, traveling right now...

That's definitely one to be proud of.

 

[Jerry M]

WOW so much passion about 6.5!!! Who would have know?

Good luck - ( shooters of all 6.5 versions)

Jerry

 

[WildRose]

WOW so much passion about 6.5!!! Who would have know?

Good luck - ( shooters of all 6.5 versions)

Jerry

I spent most of my life believing all the magic about 6.5's to be pure garbage. In the decade or so since I started shooting them I have learned better. It's the right size for just about everything except the largest and most dangerous game around the world all the way down to prairie dogs and rock chucks.

 

[Michael O'Connor]

I totally agree with JTB and currently shoot the 6.5 PRC and can't wait to try in out this year on WY antelope and AZ Coes deer hunts. It's extremely accurate, flat and a joy to shoot. I also have a 6.5x284, 260, 6.5 CM, 6 Creed and 6 BR as well as multiple big calibers. Give the 6.5 PRC a chance and if you don't like it, you can always re-barrel after it's shot out. If we stay with the what works and don't try new calibers, I would also still be shooting the good ole 30-06 I started with as a kid. There will always be a new a more efficient ways to skin a cat and I for one don't mind trying it. However, everyone is different and you need to do what rocks your boat. There are several great suggestions both for and against, just go with whatever you are comfortable with. On a side note, I plan on using my 6.5 PRC for LR PRS matches instead of my 6.5 CM. The 6.5 SAUM and 6.5 PRC are currently dominating these matches. George Gardner wrote a great article of why the 6.5 SAUM or 6.5 PRC. Google it, it's worth the read!

Well, George Gardner and I are akin to great cartridge case design. I conversed with George about the engineering and design attributes of the 6.5 PRC case. Remember, the most accurate cartridge case design is a 6mm BR. They took a 30° shoulder and a relatively long neck and made a cartridge that could put 5 bullets in the same hole at 100 yds. 30° Shoulders cycle well too, in semi and automatic battle rifles. I have interest in battle and hunting rifles, and not necessarily in bench rest rifles. But if it weren't for bench rest rifles, Remington and others would still be designing powder burning cases without thoughts for efficiency or barrel life. Remington actually has destroyed itself by not having, "vision". So, the 6.5 PRC may be a great design, but Hornady makes EDITED brass compared to Lapua or RWS. If you take a 30-06 Lapua or 270 Win. RWS Case with current powders, you can come within magnum velocities with a common case, from 6.5mm up to. 338 caliber and they last through multiple reloads, too. The proof is in the pudding with tough cases in the hunting and battle rifle realm, especially with powders as RL-26 and some of the Swiss and other Bofors powders. I like anything derived from the 375 Ruger case, but it is unfortunate that Hornady would rather sell good bullets and not good brass.

 

[WildRose]

The best thing I can say about the 6.5PRC is that if it does develop enough of a following it's almost a certainty that before long Lapua will start making brass for it.

Unfortunately I'm just not convinced it's going to be around that long.

 

[Michael O'Connor]

View attachment 102241
140 Bergers 264 win mag

Yeah, that is good if you like buying barrels. The .264 Win Mag. and 257 Weatherby were the worst barrel burners ever built along with the 7mm Rem Ultra Mag. Velocity isn't King, unless you are economically illiterate and don't understand that efficiency is a goal to achieve.

 

[Michael O'Connor]

I spent most of my life believing all the magic about 6.5's to be pure garbage. In the decade or so since I started shooting them I have learned better. It's the right size for just about everything except the largest and most dangerous game around the world all the way down to prairie dogs and rock chucks.

You are right, Sir. Recoil, no matter what anyone says sitting at a bench, is a component of accuracy; especially if you are in the field, firing off-hand with a light mountain rifle.

 

[WildRose]

You are right, Sir. Recoil, no matter what anyone says sitting at a bench, is a component of accuracy; especially if you are in the field, firing off-hand with a light mountain rifle.

Anticipating of recoil is an even bigger factor in the field as it leads to flinching.

I love my larger bores too especially the .375's but I've killed more big hogs from 350 to over 550 with the .260's than all my other rifles combined and I've only been shooting the .260's for about a decade now.

With the 6.5's recoil simply isn't a factor to consider at all even with my 6.5LRM which is just a .375Ruger necked down and with a longer neck.

 

[6MM06AI]

One of my favorites is a 6.5 wsm, easy to make the brass from 270 wsm, 3100 to 3200 fps with 140's in berger and sierra. terminal performance on game is very impressive, but only if you can reload. They are not on the shelf

 

[CMP70306]

So, the 6.5 PRC may be a great design, but Hornady makes **** brass compared to Lapua or RWS. If you take a 30-06 Lapua or 270 Win. RWS Case with current powders, you can come within magnum velocities with a common case, from 6.5mm up to. 338 caliber and they last through multiple reloads, too. The proof is in the pudding with tough cases in the hunting and battle rifle realm, especially with powders as RL-26 and some of the Swiss and other Bofors powders. I like anything derived from the 375 Ruger case, but it is unfortunate that Hornady would rather sell good bullets and not good brass.

I keep hearing about how Hornady brass is so terrible but its also far cheaper than most other manufacturers. I bought my last batch of Hornady .300 Win Mag brass for 57 cents a case. When I bough Norma brass is was $1.10 a case, I got 4 reloads out of Hornady and 5 or 6 out of the Norma before the necks split so I haven't really seen how the more expensive brass is worth it to me.

I suspect the reason Hornady brass is doesn't hold up like Lapua is due to the fact that far more of their brass is used in cheaper ammo rather than reloads so they spend less producing brass to lower the cost of the ammo. Making the brass equal to Lapua would add a decent amount of cost to even the cheap ammo, in the case of the .300 it would push a box of American Whitetail from $28 a box to roughly $40 a box just like the cheapest Nosler offering.

 

[aebhunter]

I spent most of my life believing all the magic about 6.5's to be pure garbage. In the decade or so since I started shooting them I have learned better. It's the right size for just about everything except the largest and most dangerous game around the world all the way down to prairie dogs and rock chucks.

Yep.