Good Starting Caliber for PRS - 308Win VS 6.5 Creedmoor VS 6.5 PRC VS ???

DerScharfSchutze

DerScharfSchutze

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Hi All,

Just when I think I am sure of something, someone else makes me second guess!

I wanted to buy / mod a rifle for getting into PRS. I was set on the 308Win, then I visited a few firearm retailers and they advised that I am better off starting with the 6.5 Creedmoor. Okay, did some research and noticed it was also a good option. Some even said that the barrel life is longer with the Creedmoor vs the 308Win.

Then, I was recently reading some comments elsewhere, and several people advised on the 6.5 PRC over the 6.5 Creedmoor. Huh!

I have read the literature and understand the pro's and con's to each, but I do not have the actual experience on using one vs. the other.

Can anyone who has used these caliber's comment on their experiences and recommend a good one to get started with?

Cheers!
 
To start in todays supply chain hell.... 22LR

If you can actually secure components and reload, I would go 223 Rem - 22cal bullets are actually available

If you want to work real hard for components, then one of the many 6mm offerings from the 6BR to creedmoor. Supply will come and go quickly so be prepared to buy when they become available.

Primers really are the CCI 450 until they are also sold out. I dont think anyone can offer LR primers of any type today.

Today, you are asking a supply question... take a good hard look at what is possible, what it costs and can you maintain running that budget.

PRS is about practise and why rimfire has skyrocketed in popularity vs centerfire.

Enjoy your journey... there are as many opinions as there are shooters. PM or email if I can help with supplies and parts.

Jerry
 
I,m going to say 6mmBR
But if factory is needed then 6.5 ,308 way too much recoil you need to stay on target and see your hits
 
Do you reload? I don't shoot prs but looking at what people are using, the 6mm offerings are king. 308 and 6.5 PRC are recoil heavy. 30 cal bullets are lacking in BC. Depending on the gun you are looking at, I'd consider 6 creedmoor. Barrel life is less but not terrible. Factory ammo might be available, I reload everything so I can't say for sure. Since I got my 6 creed my 6.5 barrel sits on my work bench collecting dust
 
Mystic Precision said:
To start in todays supply chain hell.... 22LR

If you can actually secure components and reload, I would go 223 Rem - 22cal bullets are actually available

If you want to work real hard for components, then one of the many 6mm offerings from the 6BR to creedmoor. Supply will come and go quickly so be prepared to buy when they become available.

Primers really are the CCI 450 until they are also sold out. I dont think anyone can offer LR primers of any type today.

Today, you are asking a supply question... take a good hard look at what is possible, what it costs and can you maintain running that budget.

PRS is about practise and why rimfire has skyrocketed in popularity vs centerfire.

Enjoy your journey... there are as many opinions as there are shooters. PM or email if I can help with supplies and parts.

Jerry
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Thanks for your input Jerry.

When searching for ammo in Ontario, there seems to be plenty of 6.5CM and 308win, in various grains, but very little in 6.5PRC.

At this time I do not reload, but have quickly learned that I will need to start once I become more familiar with PRS.

Thanks again.
 
I agree with a lot of what Jerry is saying. Start with 22 lr, and then move into 223. You can shoot in tactical with 223 and learn a lot about the skills and equipment.

6.5 Creedmoor is a good choice, but if you become serious about the game you will likely end up with some flavour of 6 BR.

As you are in Ontario, sign up for Northern Rimfire Series as this is the gateway drug for PRS in this region.
 
laker415 said:
Do you reload? I don't shoot prs but looking at what people are using, the 6mm offerings are king. 308 and 6.5 PRC are recoil heavy. 30 cal bullets are lacking in BC. Depending on the gun you are looking at, I'd consider 6 creedmoor. Barrel life is less but not terrible. Factory ammo might be available, I reload everything so I can't say for sure. Since I got my 6 creed my 6.5 barrel sits on my work bench collecting dust
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I do not currently reload, but would like to learn how. They have classes on this in Ontario, but am not sure if they are worth it, or good ol' YouTube can help.

In terms of Barrell life, I figured I would look into a custom barrel after I get a few thousand rounds under my belt.

Thanks for the info laker415.
 
6mm are the PRS rage nowadays. Barrel life is not that great, but not much recoil.
6.5CM with a brake, better barrel life, more recoil but not hard on body, just the reticle jumps a bit. Can use in PRS, hunting, target. Easy to find ammo, and components, except for primers of course.
6.5PRC costs more to shoot, harder on barrels than 6.5CM, more recoil overall than 6.5CM and 6mm. Not really a PRS round.
308 longest barrel life, lots of recoil, lots of reticle jump. Not really a PRS round.
 
I've seen a 6.5 Creedmoor burn a barrel under 1800 rds thanks to a steady diet of spicy handloads. I've had 4 x 6 Creedmoor barrels burn out around 1500-1800 Rds. A 6 BRA with 105s at 2900ish should get you about +2500 rds. It really depends how hard you run it.
 
Given the current situation with large rifle primers (almost impossible to find without spending 10x what they cost pre-covid for a private sale) and the fact that you don't reload yet I would be picking a caliber that has available ammo - which means 6.5 CM in my area. 308win is available too, but you'll need a 180gr bullet to equal the BCs of the 140-class 6.5s, which will mean more recoil.
 
If you're new to PRS then definitely start with .22 LR. Most fun and experience gained at least cost!
 
DerScharfSchutze said:
Thanks for your input Jerry.

When searching for ammo in Ontario, there seems to be plenty of 6.5CM and 308win, in various grains, but very little in 6.5PRC.

At this time I do not reload, but have quickly learned that I will need to start once I become more familiar with PRS.

Thanks again.
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Since you are in ON, maybe these are more important questions to ask

Where can I shoot centerfire off props?

How often can I practise?

What chambers are allowed?

I think you need to put the CF rifle on the shelf and focus on rimfire. CRPS, Northern Rimfire, Outlaw/NRL22 events are plentiful and reasonably accessible. more ranges allow rimfire play, then centerfire play. The rimfire PRS scene is huge and growing

Jerry
 
Get a 6.5 Creedmoor with a muzzle brake. Ammo availability is about as good as .308 and it's a more suitable (and easier to shoot well) caliber. You'll get close to 3k rounds running factory ammo (depending on your accuracy requirements). The reality is that until you are actually quite experienced the caliber you shoot will have nothing to do with how you place.

As far as the ridiculousness of reloading component prices these days (which will only effect you if/when you start reloading), you'll cross that bridge when you get there. You can always always get small rifle primer brass (available for 6 and 6.5 creed) if needed.

As far as getting a .223, as much as they're a great way of practicing for less, that only really comes into effect if you're shooting well upwards of 5k rounds a year and reloading. Also good factory match ammo isn't really much less than factory 6.5 match and is probably less commonly available.

With regards to "starting off in .22 PRS" that's more of a question of whether you want to shoot centrefire PRS or rimfire PRS as well as what's available close-ish to you. Despite lotsa crossover, they aren't the same thing. Again, lotsa guys start shooting .22 PRS as a way of getting extra practice for the centrefire stuff, or cause it's less expensive, etc but I interpreted your original post along the lines of "I'd like to choose a caliber to try out centrefire PRS" not "I want to work at being the best, etc".

To summarize, if you want an entry level gun to try centrefire PRS, get a 6.5 Creedmoor, it's the easy button (and some of the top competitors in the world still use that caliber).
 
DerScharfSchutze said:
I do not currently reload, but would like to learn how. They have classes on this in Ontario, but am not sure if they are worth it, or good ol' YouTube can help.

In terms of Barrell life, I figured I would look into a custom barrel after I get a few thousand rounds under my belt.

Thanks for the info laker415.
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Get a 6mm Creedmoor. Ammo is plentiful if you dont reload and you will have good results with most factory. Ammo cost is the same or cheaper than 308 and 6.5 and much less recoil, heck my Canadian tire down the street has like 6 options for it.

Edit lots of good advise here, muzzle brake is definitely required!

Jerry's comments for 22 LR are warranted and its a great start, especially when learning fundamentals. But if you're like me, 22 is fun, just not as fun as something with a bigger bang :)
 
Agree with a lot of what Rugby Dave is saying. However, there are some circumstances unique to Ontario.

NRS is the 2nd largest rimfire PRS club in North America and you will find a lot of guys there, including myself, that shoot CF PRS in the Northeast and New England. Great way to come out and check out PRS. You could probably even borrow a rig. As noted, most but not all skills are transferable.

As of this writing there is one tentatively scheduled CF PRS match in ON, and I'm not even sure that will go ahead.

So unless your club has the distance and allows you to shoot PRS style or you have access to somewhere to shoot at longer ranges, you're pretty much stuck shooting CF PRS in the US.
 
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mareshow said:
Get a 6mm Creedmoor. Ammo is plentiful if you dont reload and you will have good results with most factory.
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I didn't realize 6mm CM had gotten all that much traction yet, but a quick search of Cabelas and Prophet River shows multiple options at both places. Interesting.
 
Lead hammer said:
6mm are the PRS rage nowadays. Barrel life is not that great, but not much recoil.
6.5CM with a brake, better barrel life, more recoil but not hard on body, just the reticle jumps a bit. Can use in PRS, hunting, target. Easy to find ammo, and components, except for primers of course.
6.5PRC costs more to shoot, harder on barrels than 6.5CM, more recoil overall than 6.5CM and 6mm. Not really a PRS round.
308 longest barrel life, lots of recoil, lots of reticle jump. Not really a PRS round.
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Thanks Lead hammer, that was very informative, appreciate the help.
 
laker415 said:
What rifle are you considering? What is your budget?
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I am looking at the Tikka T3x CTR 24". Budget is ~$3k, but that includes an optic, muzzle brake, and potentially a chassis.

I was originally looking at the Tikka T3x Tac A1, but in another thread many people advised on getting the T3x CTR and using the difference to customize, as a better option.
 
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