Barrel length on 6.5 and 300 PRC

[chetraguse]

Looking at either building a 6.5 or 300 PRC. I will be running suppressor on them and just wondering what would be the right barrel length for each caliber? Can I get by with a shorter barrel and suppressor and still keep velocities? Send like when I have my suppressor on it adds to the velocity.

Thoughts please.

 

[yorke-1]

Short answer is no. Plan on losing 25-30 fps per inch of barrel you cut off. I've heard of slight velocity gains with a suppressor, but never more than 20 fps. So if you use a barrel that's 3" shorter to compensate for the suppressor, you'll still end up with a net loss of 50 fps or more when compared to the longer barrel.

That said, just pick a barrel length that you like and go for it. A 6.5 PRC in a 20" barrel should easily match a 26" barreled 6.5 Creedmoor with the same weight bullet and a 20" 300 PRC should be pretty close to a 24" barreled 300 WSM with the same weight bullet.

 

[Mach 1]

Looking at either building a 6.5 or 300 PRC. I will be running suppressor on them and just wondering what would be the right barrel length for each caliber? Can I get by with a shorter barrel and suppressor and still keep velocities? Send like when I have my suppressor on it adds to the velocity.

Thoughts please.

Well, in my opinion the only reason to run either caliber is to utilize the heavy high bc bullets in those diameters at high fps. So I wouldn't run either one of them under 26" barrels. Im also assuming your not terribly worried about weight since your going to run either one suppressed. I run a lot of my rifles suppressed and through a chronograph I can't say that I ever noticed a velocity gain or loss. However it does change your point of impact.