Tell Mr About The 6.5 PRC Please

Max Owner

Max Owner

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
31   0   0
Location
Displaced From South Western Ontario, To GP, Alber
Hey all. Got reading up on the 6.5 PRC. Most of the info was on hunting applications. I’m interested in long range target shooting.

One article said the Creedmoor drops 43” at 500 yards. But the PRC drops 35” at 1,000 yards. This piqued my interest.

I do have a Creedmoor and a 260 Remington. But more long range and accurate rifles are good.
 
I built a 6.5 PRC, since I had a 300 WIN MAG and was looking for a "short" action magnum, the ballistics are as good and if you wanted to go 2000m+ then maybe 300PRC. The only negative is barrel life IMO.
 
I do have a 300WIN, however when I looked @ what distance I may possibly shoot at, a mile came to mind. I think the 300PRC is better past that IMO.
 
Max Owner said:
Hey all. Got reading up on the 6.5 PRC. Most of the info was on hunting applications. I’m interested in long range target shooting.

One article said the Creedmoor drops 43” at 500 yards. But the PRC drops 35” at 1,000 yards. This piqued my interest.

I do have a Creedmoor and a 260 Remington. But more long range and accurate rifles are good.
Click to expand...

I just plugged in some quick numbers into my quickload and 43" and 35" looks more like a 100 yard zero and 500 yard drop for those cartridges- or thereabouts.
Cat
 
Aye..... Copy and past from the article I was talking about. Missed a period in a sentence.

Comparing some of the new high-tech bullets that are factory-loaded in both cartridges (the data are summarized in a separate chart), the listed velocity of the 6.5 CM Hornady 143-grain ELD-X is 2,700 fps. In the 6.5 PRC, its speed is 2,950 fps (250 fps and 9.2 percent increase). Muzzle energy goes from 2,315 ft-lbs to 2,745 ft-lbs, a 19.4 percent increase. This makes for a flatter trajectory with the PRC. For example, with a 200-yard zero, the CM drops 43.85 inches at 500 yards, whereas with the PRC, it’s 35.98 inches. At 1,000 yards, these drop figures are 300.58 inches vs. 245.81 inches respectively.


Whole article here....

https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/65-creedmoor-vs-65-prc/459740
 
Max Owner said:
Hey all. Got reading up on the 6.5 PRC. Most of the info was on hunting applications. I’m interested in long range target shooting.

One article said the Creedmoor drops 43” at 500 yards. But the PRC drops 35” at 1,000 yards. This piqued my interest.

I do have a Creedmoor and a 260 Remington. But more long range and accurate rifles are good.
Click to expand...

The big limitation of the lighter bullets is spotting splash 1200+. For your application I would go 300PRC. If it’s a hunting crossover rifle 7PRC.
 
Max Owner said:
Aye..... Copy and past from the article I was talking about. Missed a period in a sentence.

Comparing some of the new high-tech bullets that are factory-loaded in both cartridges (the data are summarized in a separate chart), the listed velocity of the 6.5 CM Hornady 143-grain ELD-X is 2,700 fps. In the 6.5 PRC, its speed is 2,950 fps (250 fps and 9.2 percent increase). Muzzle energy goes from 2,315 ft-lbs to 2,745 ft-lbs, a 19.4 percent increase. This makes for a flatter trajectory with the PRC. For example, with a 200-yard zero, the CM drops 43.85 inches at 500 yards, whereas with the PRC, it’s 35.98 inches. At 1,000 yards, these drop figures are 300.58 inches vs. 245.81 inches respectively.


Whole article here....

https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/65-creedmoor-vs-65-prc/459740
Click to expand...

Simple mistake Max Owner, no biggy! It seemed strange to me as well, that is why I plugged in the numbers.
We had a guy at our range this fall who figured his 6.5 magnum only dropped 3" at from 300 to 500 even after being told to try it on steel first by one of our F/O shooters!
He didn't, and the the result was a broken lower left microphone on our shotmarker target!.
When I plugged in the numbers, it was more like 36"- just about the same distance as our target from center to the bottom- with some right hand wind wind! LOL
Cat
 
Last edited:
Spend some time with a ballistic program... take whatever bullet you want and compare the data at 2700fps, 2900fps, 3100fps

compare the drop and drift as far as you want to play... keep an eye on what distance this bullet breaks 1400fps, 1200fps, 1000fps.

What you will find is that the drop is quite different and speed makes things flatter... but we have scopes that can be dialed for up so this really isn't an issue... and we have scopes with so much travel, 2000yds is easily done within internal travel.

What you will find is the drift is not all the much different despite the velocity variations... ALWAYS think in MOA or MIL... not in inches. If you dont know what the wind is doing, nothing will help you hit that target. Ideally, the targets will have clear ground that is dusty around it to catch the misses... of which there will be plenty.

What you will find is that the distance where the bullet will pass through these velocities is actually not that far part even with a 400fps difference in muzzle velocity.

The size of case needed will go from a standard to a magnum with the heavy for cal bullet desired to make the trip. Big difference in resources used for surprisingly, little gain.

hint... you are asking a bullet question, not a cartridge question.

Jerry
 
Mystic Precision said:
. ALWAYS think in MOA or MIL... not in inches. If you dont know what the wind is doing, nothing will help you hit that target. Ideally, the targets will have clear ground that is dusty around it to catch the misses... of which there will be plenty.

What you will find is that the distance where the bullet will pass through these velocities is actually not that far part even with a 400fps difference in muzzle velocity.
hint... you are asking a bullet question, not a cartridge question.

Jerry
Click to expand...
You are right Jerry,I for one cannot think in inches except when asked a question referring to a ballistics program in inches!
For me it is always MOA, even when looking at a wind flag, I cannot think in MPH, KPH, etc, it is always MOA !:p

I have found that the bigger steel targets on our range ( 3 MOA) are big enough out to 1K that I can use the drop chart I have done for my 6mmBR for instance, and get a shooter using a completely different cartridge on the steel with no problem, then just fine tune from there.
Cat
 
iron cat said:
You are right Jerry,I for one cannot think in inches except when asked a question referring to a ballistics program in inches!
For me it is always MOA, even when looking at a wind flag, I cannot think in MPH, KPH, etc, it is always MOA !:p

I have found that the bigger steel targets on our range ( 3 MOA) are big enough out to 1K that I can use the drop chart I have done for my 6mmBR for instance, and get a shooter using a completely different cartridge on the steel with no problem, then just fine tune from there.
Cat
Click to expand...

Where it becomes most helpful is when shooters get all worried cause one option drifts like 7" more at some far away distance... but when you convert to MOA/MIL, it is like a couple of clicks or a couple of hash marks in the reticle... and then it stops being a big deal.

WRT to drop, does it matter if you dial 13mils or 13.8mils on your scope to hit at distance? Eventually, it is just a number and as long as the scope/ammo tracks vs dope, it just doesn't matter.

At distance, nothing shoots "flat"....

I am always surprised at how little drift is affected by muzzle velocity at long range when using high BC, heavy for cal bullets.... gone through the big boomers and now just shoot standard cases far away. The biggest benefit is the huge reduction in recoil energy to deal with... and that leads to an easier set up to shoot accurately.

YMMV

Jerry
 
mareshow said:
6.5 PRC is hilarious to me, nearly identical ballistics to 270 win.

more options for projectiles with 6.5 would be the only reason IMO
Click to expand...

As long as you completely ignore BC and what that means at long ranges, sure... I have no love for the 6.5 bore, and i think the 270win is a fantastic cartridge but it's hard to argue with the combo of long range ballistics and reasonable recoil the 6.5s provide.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom