Tell Mr About The 6.5 PRC Please

The 6.5 PRC generally has about 200 FPS more than the Creedmoor. Had a lot of gun with the 6.5 PRC and now it's currently being rebarreled to a 7 PRC since I have more fun with the 7 :p
 
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.

BC is bullet specific, lots of bullets with decent BC in both 6.5mm and .270
 
LOL don't get yourself in trouble, Jim!


There's high BC bullets for the 270s, but then you probably need an aftermarket barrel and smithing and...

Why not just buy a rifle that has superior bullets and is barreled and properly throated for those bullets from the word "go" and make it easy for yourself. With said ammo on the shelves.

6.5 PRC is made for going way beyond what most 270 users are doing. its a niche thing. With no muss or fuss, buy and shoot.
 
numbers can be manipulated to whatever the teller wants
like this, another apple-to a different-apple comparison
ht tps://niftyoutdoorsman.com/6-5-prc-vs-270-winchester-caliber-comparison/
 
numbers can be manipulated to whatever the teller wants
like this, another apple-to a different-apple comparison
ht tps://niftyoutdoorsman.com/6-5-prc-vs-270-winchester-caliber-comparison/

It may just be that the 6.5 PRC was made for longer than 500 yards though.

A 6.5 PRC doing 140 fps with an accubond?? Those are 6.5 CM numbers. Pretty sure my 24" Weatherby Vanguard is doing that with the Creedmoor More like 3100 fps for a PRC. Why's it so neutered?

It does make a pretty strong case for the Creedmoor, considering the two are so close lol
 
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I found that the 6.5 PRC was a laser beam and very forgiving on wind calls. The splash at longer distances was a bit hard to see. I really liked my CDX-R7 in 6.5 PRC.
 
BC is bullet specific, lots of bullets with decent BC in both 6.5mm and .270

Yes, but the comparison between the two relies on the idea that both will push a 140gr bullet around the same speed. If you change up the bullet in the 270win to match the BC of the 6.5 you're now shooting a heavier bullet which is going to be starting at a slower speed, at which point they don't have "nearly identical ballistics". The 170gr Berger EOL in .277 cal has about the same BC as the 144gr Berger LR Hybrid in 6.5; looking online there should be about a 200-250fps difference in initial velocity between these two.

Plus most factory 270win rifles aren't designed to shoot those heavy for caliber bullets, whereas 6.5s come from the factory with the necessary twists. I have never seen high BC factory 270win ammo either. Again, nothing WRONG with the 270win, I think its an absolutely fantastic hunting round and used one for years, but its just not designed or optimized for long range target work. It can be made to work, but the 6.5s are the easy button and they don't really give up anything to the 277cal.

It may just be that the 6.5 PRC was made for longer than 500 yards though.

A 6.5 PRC doing 140 fps with an accubond?? Those are 6.5 CM numbers. Pretty sure my 24" Weatherby Vanguard is doing that with the Creedmoor More like 3100 fps for a PRC. Why's it so neutered?

It does make a pretty strong case for the Creedmoor, considering the two are so close lol

Yeah, that article SAYS 6.5PRC but it really looks more like 6.5CM numbers. As he said, numbers can be manipulated to whatever the teller wants. lol
 
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It may just be that the 6.5 PRC was made for longer than 500 yards though.

A 6.5 PRC doing 140 fps with an accubond?? Those are 6.5 CM numbers. Pretty sure my 24" Weatherby Vanguard is doing that with the Creedmoor More like 3100 fps for a PRC. Why's it so neutered?

It does make a pretty strong case for the Creedmoor, considering the two are so close lol

Welcome to the world of magnumitis.... just go back in time and you will see that this is nothing new. And the results are still, the same. Given similar set ups, pressures, the Standard magnum produces around 150 to 250fps more speed for the heavier bullets vs the Standard offering.

Looking at the Hodgdon reloading data online... ball park, 6.5 CM 140gr 2700fps. 6.5 PRC 140gr 2950fps.. both in 24" barrels... and around 60k psi. I keep an eye on the listed pressure levels cause that can distort any comparison. Also, the highest pressure loads may not be the most accurate.

6.5 PRC is around 58/60gr of powder... 6.5 CM around 40/42gr of powder.

So you are burning upwards of 50% more fuel to get that 250fps.. how will that affect bore life? how will that affect downrange performance?

Something shooters figured out a very long time ago, long barrels help to increase muzzle velocities.... so if you were building a rifle anyways, how much faster would this 6.5 CM example be in a 30" barrel?

And finally, those who are concerned about peak accuracy have learnt that super high velocities AND fast twists can lead to some very poor results. How fast do most heavy for cal, high BC match bullets like to fly at?

Work backwards from the desired on target results with the desired bullet(s), barrel specs, and back it up with "just" enough fuel to make the trip.

When the throat goes... the barrel is done.

Jerry
 
Welcome to the world of magnumitis.... just go back in time and you will see that this is nothing new. And the results are still, the same. Given similar set ups, pressures, the Standard magnum produces around 150 to 250fps more speed for the heavier bullets vs the Standard offering.

Looking at the Hodgdon reloading data online... ball park, 6.5 CM 140gr 2700fps. 6.5 PRC 140gr 2950fps.. both in 24" barrels... and around 60k psi. I keep an eye on the listed pressure levels cause that can distort any comparison. Also, the highest pressure loads may not be the most accurate.

6.5 PRC is around 58/60gr of powder... 6.5 CM around 40/42gr of powder.

So you are burning upwards of 50% more fuel to get that 250fps.. how will that affect bore life? how will that affect downrange performance?

Something shooters figured out a very long time ago, long barrels help to increase muzzle velocities.... so if you were building a rifle anyways, how much faster would this 6.5 CM example be in a 30" barrel?

And finally, those who are concerned about peak accuracy have learnt that super high velocities AND fast twists can lead to some very poor results. How fast do most heavy for cal, high BC match bullets like to fly at?

Work backwards from the desired on target results with the desired bullet(s), barrel specs, and back it up with "just" enough fuel to make the trip.

When the throat goes... the barrel is done.

Jerry

All good stuff. The thing is Jerry, your precision expectations are higher than most shooters, and your shooting volume is probably higher too. I think the biggest challenge for most long range shooters that actually understand the math is spotting their misses. I’m not sure if a downrange camera, or high end spotter, or bigger bullet is cheaper in the long run. Ballistics don’t matter if you can’t see where it hits.
 
My experiences on this as I have a 6.5 PRC hunting rifle and a 6.5 CM bench rifle.

The PRC I had made with a 22" carbon barrel. I am pushing 156 berger pills at 2800 fps. Was using it to play out to 1300m for a bit, before I had a chance to shoot a buddies 6.5 CM.

That is when I decided to build a CM for some bench fun, and save the barrel on my hunting rifle and still have a bunch of trigger time.

I'm pushing a 139 gr pill at 2900 fps, and use less powder, less recoil, and less throat erosion on my hunting rifle. I have well over 1K rounds down it since spring, and I'm sure will have another 1.5K before needing a replacement barrel. Barrel cost will be way less in the CM, as it is a 26" heavy stainless, compared to the carbon I did for the PRC. I use it out to our range max of 1400m, when I can get proper glass coverage that far. Was out last weekend and could only get out to 1000m, because of fog.

That 2900 fps is a warm load, but not max, but still will be less erosion on the barrel than the powder in the PRC. Like Jerry says above, 41.9 grains powder compared to 57.5 grains powder, plus cheaper per shot pills.

I did my loads before I had a chrony, so was dialing them in for accuracy and not speed. Now that I have a chrony I verified the speed I am getting on the loads I use. I know most guys use a chrony and try and go for full speed, ahead of the accuracy of the round. Me, I want my accuracy.

Both rifles are sub moa for accuracy. Picking one over the other for accuracy is, well lets just say it this way, a misguided decision. I picked CM for the less recoil, less barrel erosion, and the PRC for knock down power at distance over the CM for hunting. I usually shoot 50 round strings with the CM while at the range, and the accuracy does not shift enough to worry about when it heats up, because that is how I loaded for it.

Does the CM have enough juice out there for knock down while hunting, yea, sure it does, the PRC just has a bit more.
 
The best and easiest solution... site prep. If you can get to the destination, get rid of the ground cover and leave bare dirt. Now misses are easy to spot as the bullet will kick up a nice cloud of dust. 22LR at 500m is easy to spot this way.

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For scale, the hoola hoop is around 19"

IMG_3190.jpg

When you can spot your misses, the need for a big hunk of lead can be moderated.... at least to what is ballistically necessary for the end use goals.

Recoil has this nasty habit of making it tough to spot your own impacts.... less here is definitely better.

Jerry
 

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