6.5 PRC slow powders and light bullets?

[alaskan9974]

I don't have a wide mix of powders on hand in the magnum side of things, I picked up a couple 6.5 PRC's and have about 10 pounds of 869 and 6 pounds of RL 23. I can pick up a case of RL 17, but I heard it was temp sensitive.

Wondering If you guys have any experience with the 123-130gr bullets in the PRC and the slower powders like 869 and RL23.

 

[can1010]

us869 is way to slow it will be so dirty it will be like burning charcoal. rl23 is a little bulky you will be running compressed. I have been using rl16 for the lighter bullets and having a case fill around 94-95% and higher pressure is letting it burn a lot cleaner and really cut back on the carbon buildup that I was getting with slower powders. rl17 will work, the temp problem really accelerates when it gets above 85* but if you can work with in its limits it will be your highest velocities.

 

[alaskan9974]

Should I grab more RL17? I read it is all over the place with temps, or is that internet lore. It rarely gets above 75 here, consistently in the 60s, but I do hunt well below freezing.

 

[can1010]

I wouldn't go buy rl17 until I tired the rl23 you have on hand. look for a load around 3100-3150 with the 130 class bullets. your gun might like it better than mine

 

[65WSM]

I was at the range last week and a young man had a chassis rifle with a custom action and Proof graphite fiber wrapped barrel. It was in 6.5 PR. He was shooting the 150-160 gr class bullets in his 8 twist barrel. He was clearly having success with his rifle at 200 yards. I asked what powder he was using and he said R-23. I have two pounds of the stuff unopened but I have little experience with bullets in that weight range (only the 160 Hornady round nose, 160 Sierra Semi-pointed and 160 Woodleigh in the 6.5 Arisaka, 6.5 Mannlicher and .264 Winchester and 6.5 WSM). I have shot hundreds of 120 gr Nosler Ballistic tip, 125gr Particians, 123 Nosler Custom Competions, 130 Accubonds and 130 Berger VLDs in the 6.5 WSM. 6.5-284 and 6.5-06 Ackley. The latter should be pretty close to the same volume as the PRC. I have shot more VV N-560 than any other powder because it has been around the longest but I have had the best success with R-26 because it is less temperature sensitive. Attached is a quickload guidance that is set up for 130 Accubonds.

 

[alaskan9974]

Thanks for the replies. Was just worried if I don't buy any now there wont be any later.

there's some AR Comp still on the shelf, and besides that there aren't any other powders in my area for sale that I think would work on this.

is there a risk to more throat erosion or barrel life loss with low weight bullets and higher velocities? I plan to load the heavier weights I just like the idea of a lighter bullet in the 120-130 range wirh less recoil so I can keep scope on target.

 

[65WSM]

All of my custom barrels and six of my factory barrels have been nitrocarburized. Nitrocarburized barrels last twice as long. I have still worn out three of these. I also shoot coated bullets. All coatings are good. I coat with HBN. It reduces the engraving resistance, decreases the throat heat and pressure, reduces the seating depth importance.

I got to thinking. Reloader 23 might be great with 120 -123 gr bullets. I have shot the 123 Lapua moly coated bullets and 120 Sierra MatchKings with great success. Powder selection will also influence barrel life. The VV N-560 I favor, might be the worst blow torch available. Fast double base powders like reloader 17 would be terrible in the throat. A slow single base powder like Retumbo might be the kindest to the throat.

Photo is of my nitrocarburized fluted Model 70 6.5-06 Ackley with Bell & Carlson thumbhole stock.

 

[Quintus]

I ran 130 Bergers for my SD antelope hunt last year in the PRC. I was getting 3100 with RL22. That bullet was a little too effective at disrupting tissue and blood vessels so I switched to 130 Accubonds and that same RL22 for 3188 and found deer killing nirvana. I guess RL22 is temp sensative too, but I don't notice until it gets over 75. My hunting loads usually get built when shooting temps are in the 30s to 50s. Good stuff. I really like that Accubond on game as well as on paper.

 

[new2mud]

All of my custom barrels and six of my factory barrels have been nitrocarburized. Nitrocarburized barrels last twice as long.

Where can one send a barrel to get that treatment, and what does it typically cost?

 

[Quintus]

All of my custom barrels and six of my factory barrels have been nitrocarburized.

Is that what they did to Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back?

 

[65WSM]

I have used three providers. I have nitrocarburized used rifle barrels. Browning and Winchester. You will never get back the crisp edges on the lands, lubricity of the coating will help and wear reduced. I spoke to a Savage represenative at the Sportsman's Show, he told me that Savage had tried another vendor and was not satisfied (the Savage AR Valkyrie barrels are nitrocarburized). They use the same vendor that I favor:

Danny Rosetta


Vice President, Operations


Controlled Thermal Technology


and


General Manager


TS-West


2617 West Cypress Street


Phoenix, AZ 85009-2622


Phone: 602-272-3714


Fax: 602-272-2157


E-Mail: [email protected]


Web: http://www.cttaz.com

 

[new2mud]

I have used three providers. I have nitrocarburized used rifle barrels. Browning and Winchester. You will never get back the crisp edges on the lands, lubricity of the coating will help and wear reduced. I spoke to a Savage represenative at the Sportsman's Show, he told me that Savage had tried another vendor and was not satisfied (the Savage AR Valkyrie barrels are nitrocarburized). They use the same vendor that I favor:

Danny Rosetta


Vice President, Operations


Controlled Thermal Technology


and


General Manager


TS-West


2617 West Cypress Street


Phoenix, AZ 85009-2622


Phone: 602-272-3714


Fax: 602-272-2157


E-Mail: [email protected]


Web: http://www.cttaz.com

Excellent—thank you. You also answered my next question on treating a used barrel. I've got one with just 109 rounds I'm interested in trying out.

 

[264MHC]

Your RL 23 Should be able to get you 3100 with 130s pretty easily. My 6.5x55 Improved Wildcat holds 63 grs water, about 5 less than the PRC and I was able to find a node with 130 AR Hybrids at 3080 1.5 gr wide with an Es of 5. I had no Pressure signs but the case was full with a 6in drop tube at 52 gr I think, don't have my data in front of me. The extra capacity of the PRC may allow you to actually get to pressure before a super compressed load.

 

[IHFarmer07]

I just finished up load development with 125g Badlands Bulldozer bullets using Re23 and 130g Federal TA awhile back. the Bulldozers are a lathe turned solid copper bullet and are very very good. Was wanting to try re16, h4831sc, h4350 but lathe turned bullets aren't cheap so, I used what I have a lot of powder of. With the 125g bullets I started at 49g of re23 and worked up, I think a person could start at 50g re23 but I wanted work up data to make sure I started low because there's NO data for these bullets, let alone data in that light of bullets with re23 and Re26.

these above are the 130 Federal TA bullets.