6.5 prc vs 6.5-06

[Double Dropper]

I have the latest manual as well....it does appear Hodgy is favoring/tailering loads towards their latest and greatest powders. That seems to be the case with most calibers.

 

[CaptnC]

Were you shooting the 6.5-06 or the 6.5 PRC? Do you agree that the Hodgdon data for the 6.5-06 seems weird?

I have two 6.5-06;

1. Colombian Mauser action 26" SS E.R. Shaw barrel for my Colombian wife. Pretty tricky of me ...don't you think...lol. The action was made to shoot the 30-06 cartridge orginally. They were made in 1957 and the one I have, had never been built out!

2. Built by myself on a Savage Axis action. Criterion SS 26" varmint barrel. I used the Axis action because the design is the same as a Savage target action. So I felt they are stronger/stiffer than the 110, 111 or the 116.

Yeah, they are kind of odd on their data...
25-06 50gr - max
6.5-06 49gr - max
270 56gr - max
280 52gr - max with 160gr bullets

So judging from that I would feel the 6.5-06 should be around 52 to 53 grains of Hybrid 100V...but that would push it up close to 3200fps...at 50.1 I'm at 2980fps.

I'm going to slowly walk my way up to 51gr of the H100V...might go a bit more if I still have not reached any pressure signs.

50.1 is coming out of a good noid though, so I'm not sure I can make it to the next noid.

 

[hawlejr]

When you "fire form" the 6.5-06 AI from a 6.5-06, do you use full 6.5-06 loads, full 6.5-06 AI loads, or reduced loads with faster powder for "plinking"?

 

[65WSM]

First I have used .270, .280 Rem and .25/06 cases to make 6.5 / 06 Ackley cases. I paid the least for the .270 Win cases and the most for .25/06 cases. I would recommend that the extra dollars for a hundred .25/06 cases is worthwhile. I had neck shoulder junction "donut" issues, even after case turning into the shoulder with the larger diameter necks. These were never as accurate as the .25/06 cases from the same (Nosler or Norma) manufacturer. I like to plink away at 200 to 300 yards at the centers from clay pigeons scavanged from the Trap Field at my Club Range. I use minimum load data from Sierra or Hodgdon and the 100 or 85 gr HPFB Varmint bullets from Sierra, Nosler and Hornady. Since I have a big game scope that stops at 12 power, this is about as far as I can get a bead with the rifle on two inch clay centers. With .25-06 cases, I still have to expand to 7mm (.270 is not enough) and then run them through a full length die to get a false shoulder to headspace on.

The alternative is to use a very long for your throat bullet. The discontinued 160 gr Sierra "Semi-Spitzer" or Hornady "Round Nose" are good choices with a case full of too slow of a powder like surplus H-870 or H-869. Don't start a forest fire with six feet of muzzle flame. See photo below:

 

[65WSM]

Remember you can always use 6.5-284 data (as always don't start at Max) as a beginning for 6.5 / 06 sloped shoulder or Ackley.

 

[antelopedundee]

When you "fire form" the 6.5-06 AI from a 6.5-06, do you use full 6.5-06 loads, full 6.5-06 AI loads, or reduced loads with faster powder for "plinking"?

I have 2 6.5-06 and 2 6.5-06AI. I generally prefer to use stout loads with the bullet lightly jammed. I've fire formed hundreds of cases this way with no issues that I can recall. Be advised that the cases will come out .012-.015 short and may never grow to the nominal .06 case length of 2.494 inches. This may or may not be an issue for you. Like others I've used .25-06 cases, .270 Win cases, .280 Remington cases and some Quality Cartridge brand 6.5-06 cases.

Since .270 Win cases are .050 inches longer in the neck than the standard .06 case, I've considered buying a cheap Savage Axis in .270 Win and having a smith rechamber it to .270AI. I'd buy something like 500 Peterson .270 Win cases and fire form them. The fire-formed cases would still be longer than the 2.494 inches and could be trimmed appropriately.

 

[hawlejr]

Thank you!! Experience matters!! I'll load 'em per normal, and see what kind of accuracy I get out of the fire forming run. Who knows? I might decide to make that my first regular reload for hunting. I regularly clean my bore with Hoppes for the powder ash, and then Bore-Tech CU+2 for the copper. I think the powder ring at the top of the chamber will not be a problem.

Thanks again

 

[Salmonhead]

Those two cartridges are ballistic twins, along with the 264 win mag. No animal will tell them apart. The build would come down to the actions you have or want and component availability. No wrong answers.