Thread: berger 156gr eol and 6.5prc

has anyone had any experience reloading these bullets for the 6.5prc? I've sent a message to berger to get load data, but would like to get a feel for where people landed with charge and velocity before I do a load ladder... powder I have available: ADI2225 (retumbo/RL25 equiv) and win starbal HD. rifle is Savage Ultralite 24" barrel.... (and for interest, same powders but for the 142gr ALBR projectiles)

I use them in my Tikka 6.5 PRC.

Lapua Brass, FED 215 Primer. 2.301 BTO

59gr ADI2217 - 2930fps AVG (Getting pretty warm, 59.5gr gave me a light ejector stamp on 3rd shot.)
58gr RL26 - 3012fps AVG (Same as above, getting pretty up there.)

I never tried 2225 with the 156gr EOL but i have tried both 2225 and 2217 with the 143 ELDX & 2225 needed 3gr higher powder charge to achieve same velocity. From memory case was pretty full with 2225 & that was the limiting factor.

Obviously start lower & work up but thats how mine went.

If your using norma brass, might aswell go buy a creedmoor, itl go faster.

60gr h1000 in hornady brass fed 210 give 2960 in my christensen 24inch es 9 coal 77mm
59.8gr in my mates 20inch tikka gets 2850 Es of 3 coal 77mm

I’m loading 53.3gr 2225 in my mates 28in 6.5prc pushing the 56gr eol at 2975.
It’s not a hot load as I got to 56gr without any pressure signs written in my notes. 56gr @ 3035fps
Looks like I did two ladders (not sure why) but had the same results on both.
At that 55.3gr it shot 0.5moa 0.38moa 0.4moa doing seating test so I’m picking that’s why I settled at the conservative measure.
0.5moa at 1060yds
Hope that’s helps a little

I could only get about 2820fps with 59gr 2225 and the 156gr. Was in a new tikka barrel though which a generally slow all the time and even slower when new. Went back to 143s as I chopped the barrel down a bit so needed to go a bit lighter to keep decent velocity. H1000/2217 seems to be the magic powder for my PRC

Gidday - I'm shooting the ballistic twin of 6.5 PRC - a 6.5-284, the case capacity of the Norma brass I have is exactly the same spec as that of 6.5 PRC. Rifle is a Savage with a 24" barrel. Obviously COAL , chamber and throat design isn't going to be the same but it's still going to be very close.

So I read all the "internet " claims for both these 6.5s and thought I might get close to 2900 or even 3000 fps - I thought wrong! I got to 2850 with pressure signs at 56.5gns 2217. I am going to try some Lapua brass as GRT says my pressure at that should be 61,000 psi.

But the take home story is that many of the loads you see on the internet are likely to be pushing 70,000 psi and that's asking for trouble!

Originally Posted by Tentman

Norma brass

Theres your main issue there.

Shit my eyes are bad. Checked my book. Running 55.3gr 2225 not 53.3gr

I ran the 156’s in my 6.5/06ai with RL 26, got up to 3145 without pressure signs, but couldn’t get much under a best of 1” which was 3140, so I changed back to 147’s. My OAL may have been the issue

This is what Berger sent me