Thread: 6.5PRC

Originally Posted by ANTSMAN

yeah 6.5pric doesn't make a lot of sense with those figures, when every day 270s-260s-6.5s do same or better consistently every day of the week at realistic ranges.

I use to run 155gr Lapua Mega's out of a Sako 20inch 260 Rem and best speed was 2740fps, these days I run the same bullet in a 22inch Ruger M77 Hawkeye 6.5 PRC and I'm getting 3074fps

That's 330fps faster albeit with 2 inch more barrel length. I think it's worth it.

Sending the bergers at 2960fps in a 24inch tube

Originally Posted by Billo

I use to run 155gr Lapua Mega's out of a Sako 20inch 260 Rem and best speed was 2740fps, these days I run the same bullet in a 22inch Ruger M77 Hawkeye 6.5 PRC and I'm getting 3074fps

That's 330fps faster albeit with 2 inch more barrel length. I think it's worth it.

What powder and cases

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Originally Posted by 25/08 IMP

What powder and cases

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Norma brass with LVR, I just checked my notes again and I actually pushed the 155gr to 3081 fps with 60gr of LVR, recoil was a little bit sharp n nasty with the factory Ruger recoil pad.

I will find some time to finish development for this load as hadnt fully maxed it out......

In the 6.5PRC V 270 Win, there's not a lot in it but for me the shorter fatter PRC case has more usuable case capacity and gives a little more top end.

Best I could push a 150gr in the 270Win was 3100fps and I needed a 26inch tube and RE26, a powder I no longer have.

Hornady brass 60gr h1000. Work up slowly

Was going to quote a few replies but this forum setup sucks compared to other systems so it's hard to do.

Maybe if you are using a low-end ballistic tool like Strelok to compare,then the 270 shooting a heavy bullet seems comparable to a modern, fast-twist 6.5 at the longer distances because of the otherwise unaccounted variables that more modern tools like 4DOF or AB take into account. Comparing a simple G1 or G7 number and muzzle velocity does not cut it, especially if you trust the Hornady box BC.

Do some real world shooting beyond a mile and you'll have a hard time finding any readily available bullet in .270/.277 that works out of the standard 1:10" twist that will give consistent performance. I'm sure there are some uber projectiles that are developed for .277 FURY floating around out there that bring it back into contention, but try fitting them inside a 270 Win case and factory action.

I'm sure if you said 6.5 SAUM (or even 6.5 Rem Mag) vs 6.5 PRC, someone would try and argue the case for the SAUM being superior because it's cool to hate on new things in the gun world and 'it was better back then' will always rally the fuds.

Take what you can buy off the shelf at a shop out and have a shoot, and the newer cartridges will shine. This is even more so with the stupid trend towards the use of copper monolithics for hunting, something of which I have considerable yet reluctant experience of...

Originally Posted by 25/08 IMP

For those interested I got to shoot the Sako 85 that was fitted with a Tikka 6.5 PRC barrel today.
First I fired the Hornady factory 143 eldx load to get the brass.
Average speed was 2716fps this is from a 20" barrel, i shot home from the range and then loaded 2 groups of 5 with Superproformance powder and 143 eldx first load 2881 SD 16.6 next lot 2927 SD 16.1 getting warm.
So only a slight advantage over the .260 same barrel length 2749fps.
The first group of the PRC shot the best so I'll load the 20 cases I have and go and shoot something soon.

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Honestly i think you are getting comparable velocity increases vs powder burnt of other calibres/cartridges. (Thats talking max reloads, as factory ammo cant really be compared). Going even bigger cartridges leads to even more powder for reduced velocity gains.
7mm08 vs 284win - 162gr = approx 150fps gains vs 10grs more powder.

Your 260rem vs your 6.5prc - >150fps gain 143eldx. It would be a greater increase if you started pushing heavier bullets 147gr+

Because we're talking in shorter barrels the smaller cartridges are going to see more efficient/complete powder burn vs the larger cartridges.

Originally Posted by Roarless20

Honestly i think you are getting comparable velocity increases vs powder burnt of other calibres/cartridges. (Thats talking max reloads, as factory ammo cant really be compared). Going even bigger cartridges leads to even more powder for reduced velocity gains.
7mm08 vs 284win - 162gr = approx 150fps gains vs 10grs more powder.

Your 260rem vs your 6.5prc - >150fps gain 143eldx. It would be a greater increase if you started pushing heavier bullets 147gr+

Because we're talking in shorter barrels the smaller cartridges are going to see more efficient/complete powder burn vs the larger cartridges.

Yeah I see what you mean and yes I will be happy with the PRC if i get mid 2900 once I use some better brass.
I'm sure RL26 would do that with ease but I'm not going down that road.
I'll get some good brass and give it another try.
It was more that I couldn't believe how slow the factory ammo was.

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Originally Posted by 25/08 IMP

Yeah I see what you mean and yes I will be happy with the PRC if i get mid 2900 once I use some better brass.
I'm sure RL26 would do that with ease but I'm not going down that road.
I'll get some good brass and give it another try.
It was more that I couldn't believe how slow the factory ammo was.

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Yeah factory hornady 6.5prc is bloody slow. I reload for a couple 6.5prc rifles now so the owners can get decent performance out of them.
I'll be chambering up my 6.5mm blank to a 6.5wsm myself. It'll be interesting to see what sort of velocity with different powders it will achieve stuffing even more powder in than the 6.5prc.

Originally Posted by chainsaw

Seems like minimal gain in 6.5PRC over the good old 260. And how much more powder are you burning?

My mate is running one now and says it smacks real hard.