Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 6.5 PRC loads?

Please share any good loads of you feel comfortable doing so. Will share results when I have some. Mac

6.5 PRC & 6.5x06 are nearly identical. My 6.5x06 with 53 grs of IMR 4350 will drive the Barnes 120gr TSX out of my 24" Bbl at 3277 fps. I'm using a 1/8 twist & delivers out standing accuracy. This bullet has proven to be totally dependable for complete penetration on elk. The same load with the Sierra 120gr has worked equally well for mature muley bucks.

I'm in for some information as well.

I just purchased a CA Mesa in 6.5 PRC. I'll use some factory 143 ELD's for break-in, but plan on loading either the 130 gr. Scirocco or the 130 Accubond. I may use the 143 data found on the Hornady site as a starting point.

Watching thread...

I'm sticking with 140-147gr. Starting with 140 berger hybrids and H1000. Just now starting up loads with hopes to get around 3100fps . My plan is to go with Nosler Partition 140 for hunting.

Realistic safe loads with a 140gr bullet is about 2950fps. out of a 24" Bbl. 3100 fps with a 140 is 264 mag country. Be careful.

Thanks to you guys! Would love to see some 127 lrx loads too.

Agreed Hesp and that was the plan. I won't knowingly push hard...50+ years of loading probe that the right thing to do.

I see tsx instead of ttsx...any particular reason Hesp?

With both the 127 TTSX and 129 Nosler ABLR, 60.5 grains of Retumbo has worked really well. In a 24" barrel velocity is a little over 3000 fps. In my custom rifle, both bullets shoot best seated around .1 deeper than the SAAMI 2.95" OAL.

The best load with Hodgdon/IMR powders for bullets in the 140-grain range is the max listed charge of IMR8133, for 2900+ fps.

Haven't tried RL-26 yet, but plan to, probably after some pressure-tested data appears. My experience with 26, in several rounds, is that it doesn't show "pressure signs" until well above 65,000 PSI. Nothing wrong with that, but whether it's "safe" is another question.

You might check out the 2019 Hodgdon Annual Manual for more detailed info. Somebody wrote an article for it about loading the 6.5 PRC.

Checking everything I can get my hands on! So, seating 127/129 to 2.85 is what you are saying. Thanks MD!!

Actually, in my rifle they can be seated to 2.86".... :-)

In mine they can be seated to 3.00”.

Cool, you could have just said that up front John....:-)....Sorry, could not help it. Thanks, Mac

I've been using the Barnes mono's since they came out . About 1990 Then was the original X bullet . I used it, 120gr in my 6.5x308 wildcat ( built before Rem brought out the 260 ). It has accounted for several elk in my hands & a couple others. Then the TSX came out. I acquired several boxes of them in 120gr. Eventually the 120TTSX came out. I checked Barnes drop tables for both bullets & found that even at 400yds the difference in drop was insignificant. Trying the TTSX in my 264 mag I had a problem with tip breaking off in the magazine under recoil. Using the 120gr TSX in my different 6.5's ( 260, 6.5x55, 6.5x06 & 264 mag ) they have all taken elk & have as yet never recovers a bullet. Tremendous penetration. As an example the bull I took in 2016 was, steep up hill & hard left angle shot moving away. Using my Savage 260 , 120gr TSX at 3004 fps. About 165yds. The bullet entered on the lower back edge of the left shoulder blade. Penetrated completely thru & out the right arm pit striking the right leg just above the knee joint & shooting that leg completely off. The leg bone at that point is about 3" in dia. Having taken elk with the 6.5x06 & 264 mag using the same bullet I like it's over all performance. I have my own 400yd range & 120 performs perfectly. I have used it on rocks on further out hill sides to 550 yds according to my Leupold range finder. It holds up well. Gets there right now. The over whelming amount of deer& elk I have taken over the years has been under 200yds.

Over the years I have shot the 6.5x06.6.5 Rem mag & 6.5x284. They all are virtually the same as the PRC. . So with your PRC I see no reason why you can't at least use starting loads for any of these in your PRC. I do recommend IMR 4350 ( not Hodgon, burns different ) for bullets up to 120gr. Slower powders like Rel 22 for the 129 & heavier. I have used the Sierra 140 in years past but have found without a doubt that the 120 mono's easily out penetrate the heavier C&C & partitioned bullets. All the 6.5's I've mentioned are out standing game cartridges & any of them with the appropriate bullet will take any thing from mice to moose. I have been shooting & reloading for 6.5's since 1964.Enjoy your 6.5. It is an amazing cal.

Thanks Hesp, agreed. One of my best bucks was with a 264 in 1964. My best with a 6.5cm in 2017. Elk and Moose with 264 in between. All but the last few years were with a NP 140 and 142 ABLR's in recent times. All with one shot and most drt. Really excited to see the PRC in action. I appreciate all of your great info. Mac

https://press.hornady.com/assets/site/hornady/files/load-data/6.5-prc-v2.pdf


this data shows several powders reaching 3100+ with 140 s


I assume Hornaday would pressure test any published loads

I am an enthusiastic 6.5 shooter. For me the sun rises & sets on the 6.5. But I still believe in the reality of basic physics. For a give amount of powder burned a given amount of expanding gases are produced. Thus a given amount of velocity of a projectile is produced. I have worked extensively with my 6.5-06 which has virtually the same internal capacity as the PRC. Using several different powders I have tried to see what the max safe velocity I could attain out of it's 24" Bbl. No matter what 2950 to 2970 was about the max safe velocity I was able to achieve with the Sierra 140 gr GK. Above this pressured spiked. Now Hornady is showing 3150 fps using a 26" Bbl;. For sure every inch over 22" you will gain about 35 fps per inch depending on power type & bullet.
Looking at Hornady's loads for the 264 mag for the same bullet as used in the PRC they are showing 3050fps max. 100 FPS slower than what they show for the PRC.. They Hornady did not list a Bbl length for the 264 that I could find. I assume then they were using a 24" Bbl. which reduces velocity about 70 fps below a 26" Bbl. In my 264's 26" Bbl is no problem to exceed 3200 fps with a 140 gr bullet with primer pockets staying snug for 8 to 10 loads. Powders like Retumbo, US 869 , Rel 33, Vit 24N41 do this with ease. Hornady did not list any of these powders in their 264 loads . I have to assume Hornady is doing every thing they can to promote their home brand PRC. I guess I can't blame them for trying to promote their product. I do hope that no gets hurt trying to duplicate their loads.

Thanks!

Agree.

Just for clarification. Hornady list their factory 6.5PRC 24" Bbl. load with the 143 ELD-X bullet at 2960fps not 3150. . This is reality. Any one who thinks this bullet at this velocity is a slouch you need only look at it's terminal trajectory. 1.5" high at 100 , 200 zero & only down -6.4 @300, -18.2 @ 400 & -36.2 @ 500. Flat with moderate recoil. To me this is ++++