Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 6.5 PRC.

Anyone using a 6.5 PRC, this seems like a great idea and sounds like it’s very accurate. Mule deer I know you like a 6.5 caliber what do you think of this one?

It should be great, but I haven't fired one yet--or even seen one fired.

I am, however, assigned to do an article on handloading the 6.5 PRC for the 2019 Hodgdon Annual Manual, and since the deadline is September will have experience pretty soon. Am getting one of my rifles rebarreled in 6.5 PRC for the project, and will have another custom rifle, and perhaps a factory rifle to try as well.

Aalf has one . . . .

Thanks John,, I posted pics of my africa trip in the image gallery,, We chatted about it when i dropped in on you and Eileen last october on a sunday morning while you guys were cutting up her elk.. By the way i really enjoyed the visit thanks for being so gracious..

If I hunted the "lower 48" I would have a 6.5 PRC and slay many beasts with it.

I have a long action M700 in the safe, might be a fun projecy !!

I will be test loading and shooting a Seekings Havak 6.5PRC in the next few weeks will have reports

How does the PRC vary from the 6.5 SAUM and 6.5 GAP? I can't find chamber drawings. Just looking at them the amount of rebate and rim dimensions vary.

It's the Ruger Compact Magnum case necked down.

John, I understand that the case is based on the Ruger Compact Magnum, but from a practical sense, aside from the horrific long action and dreaded belt, from a ballistic stand point does it do anything that the 264 Winchester Magnum doesn't? I'm not trying to turn this into a 6.5 Creedmoor vs 260 Rem / 6.5x55 Swede pissing match thread, just curious from a practical stand point. I do understand the Creedmoor advantages over the 260 Rem/6.5 Swede, just wondering if it applies in the magnum end of the pool?

The 6.5 PRC has a case capacity almost identical to 6.5mm cases based upon 30/06 type cases. So it's performance is lineball with the 6.5-06, 6.5-284 and the 6.5 Remington Magnum.

This puts it maybe 200fps ahead of the 260/6.5 Creed/6.5Lapua and 150 to 200fps behind the 6.5 SAUM/6.5 GAP (same thing).

It is about 300fps behind a modern handloaded 264 Win Mag, 6.5 Nosler or 6.5x68mm.

As with any comparison, the larger the case, the more it can throw heavier bullets proportionately faster than the smaller capacities.

Mule Deer,

I have been unable to find a factory rifle in 6.5 PRC. Montana Rifle Company has shipped a few blued rifles,and the Sauer 100 is supposedly available but I could not locate one anywhere.

I finally ordered one of the Montana Rifle X3 rifles. I think the Montana Rifle short action with it's 3.1 inch magazine should be a good fit. Also thinking about having a Model 70 Extreme Weather rebarreled from 300WSM to 6.5 PRC because it too has a 3.1 inch magazine.

What action did you pick to rebarrel and which factory rifle do you expect to test for your article?

Although the cartridge has been marketed well,and factory ammo is everywhere,the rifles are pretty much in the realm of unobtainium.

Using Nosler data for the 30 caliber equivalents with a 150 grain bullet they show: 30-06, 62.7 grms of water, RCM 65.00, SAUM 67.5, WSM 75.10 grns.
So the PRC is right between the standard and AI 6.5-06 in capacity. Almost identical to the 6.5 Rem. Mag. capacity. Didn't check the 6.5x65 but it should be right in the same range.

WRONG... https://press.hornady.com/assets/site/hornady/files/load-data/6.5-prc-v2.pdf
PRC 3200 with 143 26" barrel. more like 500 fps over Creed

Please explain the "I do understand the Creedmoor advantages over the 260 Rem/6.5 Swede"

We have a couple MRC’s in the shop...

ruraldoc,

I have some pressure-tested data from another source, and it doesn't show any bullet in the 140-grain range getting more than slightly under 3000 fps.

I am not expecting but HOPING to have a Sauer to use for the article before the deadline. Am having a Remington 700 action for the SAUM's rebarreled, and plan to fit a Wyatt's box to accommodate the SAAMI overall length. Also am expecting a loaner rifle from a custom firm. (Basically, I tried to make sure of having at least ONE rifle to test before the deadline. May end up with three.)

I went to your website and didn't find a 6.5 PRC MRC rifle or any other 6.5 PRC. Did I miss them?

6.5 creedmoor: 52-53 gr case capacity
6.5 SLR: 55-56 gr
6.5 PRC: 66-67 gr
6.5 SAUM: 70-71 gr

The PRC has 25% more capacity than a creedmoor, and 5-6% less than a SAUM. In quickload, holding pressure constant at 57k psi in a 26" barrel with 140 hybrids, a 6.5 SAUM (H1000) is about 30-40 fps faster than a 6.5 PRC (H1000), and the PRC is 220 fps faster than a 6.5 creedmoor (H4350).


So here's what I did to compare capacities to the best of my abilities.

I took a 6.5-284 case and a PRC case, both well formed from multiple firings. Both have almost the same neck length, within .015", so I dumped AA-2230, since it flows like water from my Sinclair measure with a 6" drop tube, going up a click at a time, until the powder reached the neck/shoulder juncture of each case, and weighed the results.

My redneck results show a 1 1/2 grain advantage to the PRC. While a minimal gain, a gain none the less.