7mm-6.5 PRCW
- Thread starter Weatherby Fan
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Weatherby Fan
CGN Regular
- Location
- Maple Ridge,BC,Canada
I shot 3 different bullets all had the same powder charge of 55.5grs of N555, I loaded 20 rounds of 140gr Accubonds to use for break in, 10 rounds of 139gr Hornady CX, 10 rounds of 145gr LRX,
I zeroed with one shot at 25 yards and then out to 100, shot three 3 shot groups of the Accubonds cleaning after each 3 shot group then rotated between all 3 bullets, after the 4th cleaning which I did a thorough cleaning of carbon and copper it started to tighten up, not that it was shooting bad to begin with.
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Weatherby Fan
CGN Regular
- Location
- Maple Ridge,BC,Canada
I have never had great success loading LRX in anything, I tried them at .050" off the lands so may have to try something else.
Weatherby Fan
CGN Regular
- Location
- Maple Ridge,BC,Canada
a cpl of the 140gr Accubond groups
- Location
- Fraser Valley, B.C.
I had really good results when starting a load work up in 6.5 PRC. Sadly never got to finish development due to a back injury so hopefully this spring I can finish it off. I also plan to try a load in 6.5x55 Swede. Can’t get any light enough for my 308win or 338rcm for the speeds I want.
Those accubond shoot fantastic!
B
Weatherby Fan
CGN Regular
- Location
- Maple Ridge,BC,Canada
RJ was probably referring to target shooting, specifically F-Class (open) where it has become extremely popular as it edges the .284 win by 3 grs iirc, so basically it performs like the .284 Shehane with better brass life,
As far as replacing the 7 SAUM as a hunting cartridge.....doubtful as this is not a SAAMI approved cartridge so hasn't gone commercial so will not replace anything really, it really is just an exercise to appease my curiosity,
I have a 280 Ackley and a 7mm PRC which both outperform this cartridge, but thats not my goal with this build, its simply to find a balance of performance and light recoil on a rifle I didn't have to have a brake on it, kind of like the 6.5 PRC, it really is an awesome cartridge to shoot and light enough recoil to shoot lots without a brake on a hunting rifle.
Weatherby Fan
CGN Regular
- Location
- Maple Ridge,BC,Canada
Hardly any different than a 280 Rem, just shorter with a fat a$$
So really just a SA option of a 280 Remington
Trade action length for magazine capacity I guess? 280rem aught to hold one more in the mag for most rifles shouldn't it?
Weatherby Fan
CGN Regular
- Location
- Maple Ridge,BC,Canada
I’m sure if Hornady SAAMI’d it it may put dent in the 7mm-08s popularity but I’m thinking that’s a ways off.
This casing would make a great line of cartridges really right up to .338
Id be curious to see how this thing performs with a nice load of H1000 or N565 with a 170-180 bullet. Guys are running the 156 berger at 2900-3000 in their 6.5 PRC's
2700-2800 fps or so seem realistic in this instance?
If my memory serves me right Eric Cortina runs this in his f-class gun, and has won with it. I just cant remember his velocity. I'm sure he was running 180ish Bergers.
2700-2800 fps or so seem realistic in this instance?
If my memory serves me right Eric Cortina runs this in his f-class gun, and has won with it. I just cant remember his velocity. I'm sure he was running 180ish Bergers.
Lapua 260 Rem holds 54.6grs h2O, 6.5-284 Lapua brass holds 66.3grs h2O, Lapua 6.5 PRC holds 68.6grs
For every 1% more case capacity, you'll see 1/4 that in increased velocity potential at the same pressures
I'm sure the gap will be consistent in the 7mm versions, so the 7-6.5PRC will give about 30 fps edge over a 284 Win and about 180 fps more velocity than a 7mm-08, at least loaded to traditional pressures and not 7mm-08 Rem Mag levels
A 7mm-6.5 Rem Mag may of been a more practical route
Weatherby Fan
CGN Regular
- Location
- Maple Ridge,BC,Canada
Well what they're finding out in F-Class (open) that they have better brass life with the 6.5 PRC Lapua case over the .284 case, more brass around the primer pockets so they can run a little hotter without issues I guess, but doesn't really matter when it comes to a hunting cartridge other than a .284 works much better in a XM length action.
IIRC Cortina is running them (180gr) around 2900 fps with the 180 Bergers,
If I want to run a bullet that heavy (175-180) Ill use the 7mm PRC, gunsmith Mitch Kendall and I thought it would be neat to try this cartridge in a SA, Mitch wanted to see if he could get a little better performance than the 7mm-08 AI so this should work perfectly for his thought process in a SA, myself I was hoping for a low recoil hunting rifle with out a brake that was like my 280AI or close to it in performance.
So far I'm liking what I'm seeing out of it, Ill test a few more powders/primers and bullets and see what I can come up with.
284, 284 shehane, 7mm/300 WSM, and now the 7mm/6.5 PRC are all started life for more speed on the 180 grain bullet, after a couple years the thought process in F-class was, the gain in speed gained no points on the target, but barrel wear was much faster and barrels were lasting between 500 and 1000 less rounds then the standard 284 win pushing the 180 grain at 2820 FPS, so now the thought process is, the 284 is running at 60K PSI, the 7mm/6.5 PRC down closer to 50 PSI, easier on the brass, but not easier on the barrel, and the cool kids running any of the aforementioned cases after the 284 win are still burning more powder to get the same speed, paying more for brass, and paying more for dies as well, the whole 7mm thing has gone full circle
