6.5mm Craze? 264WM vs 6.5 SAUM vs 6.5 PRC?

[WildRose]

SAUM Much better for What? Maybe he is in the Barrel Selling Business.. Therefore it burns out faster and he gets to sell more barrels... LOL

I've been scratching my head over that as well. Let's say I'm always skeptical of extraordinary claims being made by a guy marketing his own product when what is being stated makes no sense and isn't supported by any data.

In science we used to say, "Exceptional claims require Extraordinary Evidence".

It's a pretty simple equation, heat+friction>pressure which =throat erosion.

 

[arch408]

you left out my favorite, 6.5 RemMag.

 

[WildRose]

you left out my favorite, 6.5 RemMag.

The first true, "Short Magnum". It was just too far ahead of it's time.

 

[Montucky Roamer]

True, until you use RL26 in the Creed. I got the 143 ELDX over 3000 fps with RL26 in my Creed. Settled on a very accurate load at 2954 fps. Kinda irritated me since I run the same bullet at 2999 fps in my 6.5-284, which is now redundant. Love my 6.5-284, but looking at doing something else with it since I have basically the same ballistics in my Creed.
As stated, the 6.5 RPM is really a great newer offering that pretty much gives you 264 Win performance. The 6.5 GAP(SAUM) is awesome, too. It's nice to have options. If you want a flamethrower, it's the 26 Nosler or 6.5-300 Weatherby, otherwise all the other options are very similar in performance but factory ammo and brass offerings are the difference. McWhorter makes a 6.5 Weatherby chambering which is just a 257 Weatherby necked up to a 6.5. It's a great cartridge.
When my barrel is done on my long action 6.5-284, I think I'm going to convert it to a 6.5-280 AI. Easy conversion with a bushing die, lots of good brass options, don't have to change my bolt face, and pretty much 264 Win performance with less powder.

True...until you run RL 26 in the PRC. We how this goes? Soup one up and leave the other the same isn't how you compare stuff. Like saying a 280 ai is as fast as a 7 mag. Yeah, a hot rodded 280ai vs. factory neutered loads. Anyway. It's all good. I do get what your saying and I like the CM for mild, accurate high volume round for sure.

 

[Greyfox]

Craze is right!!! Life was so simple years ago. Interestingly, WEZ's are not much different today, and game no deader then those shot back then with the available 6.5 cartridges. Enough choices to make your head spin….And countless threads, posts, and viewpoints. IMO…

 

[QuietTexan]

Life was so simple years ago.

Still is. Shoot 30-06, kill things, eat them

 

[Kimber7man]

SAUM Much better for What? Maybe he is in the Barrel Selling Business.. Therefore it burns out faster and he gets to sell more barrels... LOL

Uh, no. Maybe you should read up about him and the 6.5GAP4S…..

 

[Kimber7man]

Match shooters were getting 1000-1200 with the 6.5x284 using 4350, I'd guess 1500+ with something like H1000.
The prc and saum would all be in the same ballpark

Looking at an easy 2,000-2,500 rounds with the H1000/140 combo at 3,000 fps out of the 6.5 SAUM. So maybe a little more assuming you don't run a rifle hard.

 

[7.62 Gunner]

Looking at an easy 2,000-2,500 rounds with the H1000/140 combo at 3,000 fps out of the 6.5 SAUM. So maybe a little more assuming you don't run a rifle hard.

I love my saum but I'm in no way expecting 2000-2500 rounds, that's creedmore barrel life

 

[Andrew Massi]

Seriously with the amount of barrels available in comparison to the lack of components barrel life would never again factor in to my cartridge choice.

 

[PatriotHenry]

I may have missed it along the way, but what powder are you using with these heavy bullets?

RL26

 

[TXTrained]

IMHO, they're all usable. I prefer the PRC. Multiple good brass options and other average brass options too. A reasonable amount of factory ammo options are manufactured too. Factory ammo is readily available. Maybe not during the current crisis but at least they're on the roster. No fire forming or necking down. It isn't magical but neither are the other two options you listed but it's convenient and checks all the boxes for me. The short action (with extended box mag) and 24" barrel combo seems to be a sweet spot that is tough to beat for weight, mobility and efficiency. The ballistic performance to recoil ratio is phenomenal with these cartridges.

Brass options and availability for the 6.5 WM leave plenty to be desired. Plus it seems as if you want to take advantage of the higher capacity case and longer burn column, longer barrels make it shine. And of course a long action is the only option. Not a problem if you don't care but personally, I prefer a SA where possible. No real factory rifle options. Little to no factory ammo options.

6.5 SAUM. It was the best thing going for a short fat case until the other contender came out in the same class. But it's still a wildcat with limited brass options unless you want no neck down. No real options for rifles or ammo.

A lot of guys hate the PRC because it's nothing new because there were already options available. IMO, the concepts of them were great but the execution of them for the average shooter was a fail and flop. Hornady came up with a comparable offering with factory ammo options and factory rifles chambered. They developed the sweet spots for loads and produce all of the above. When things are available, you can go buy a factory rifle, scope, rail, rings and a few ammo options and you will likely have a fairly decent setup with minimal work in the same day. Not quite a turn key arrangement but a lot more turn key than the others. Complain all you want but Hornady did a good job. It may not offer any ballistic advantage compared to the other two but they did the whole package from A-Z in a pretty attractive package. If you thumb your nose at Hornady for marketing ploys, then by all means, go with the WM

WELL SAID! and I Agree 100%.

 

[WildRose]

So many PRC haters claim it doesn't do anything the 6.5-284 doesn't. Lol. Try running a 6.5-284 in a SA with a 24" barrel. Heck the PRC outruns the 284 version in SA and 24" even with the 6.5-284 in a LA with a 26" barrel.

That only matters if you're hung up on short actions which of course limit your choices dramatically especially if you want to shoot long, heavy for caliber bullets.

 

[WildRose]

We'll see where it is in 5 or so years….

Cheers.

It will probably be the second most dominant 6.5 on the market, and second only to the damned Needmore.