Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles I'm slightly intrigued by the 6.5 prc

Pharm, what’s the energy difference?

Thanks Kingston, you gave me a lot to think about..... the Luddite in me says 6.5-06 long action or 6.5 Creed short.....

I’ve got a CA Mesa in 6.5 PRC and it’s a jewel. Feeds great and is a tack driver with factory 143 ELDX’s at 2990, add in the minimal recoil and it’s just a joy to shoot. Plan on reloading soon for it but I stocked up on 5 boxes of the factory stuff that shoots sooo good.

When paired with the highest BC bullets, the 6.5 PRC occupies a narrowish niche covering extremely extended ranges in breezier locales. It's short 30 grains of powder and the accompanying concussion, blast, and recoil a 26 Nosler requires. The PRC also has treble the barrel life of a fully overbore uber magnum. Does everyone need a 6/5 PRC, no, absolutely not. If I was going to shoot lots of lower value targets at extended ranges in high winds or even lots of steel under even more extended ranges, the 6.5PRC/GAP makes some sense.

Consider a separate comparison. For shooting medium and large game at extended ranges, if I had a choice between the PRC behind a 156 EOL and a 28 Nosler and the 195 EOL, I'm taking the 195 every time. One might imagine circumstances that favor a shorter, more compact and less violent tool, but, as I write this, one doesn't come to mind.

Fubar, this is the SH thread.

https://forum.snipershide.com/threads/6-5-prc-reamer-seating-depth-considerations.6724943/

I'm looking at it as a fairly lightweight flat shooting deer rifle

Dang Kingston... not sure I would touch that with a ten foot pole... what a cluster fuuuck....
Thanks again

Unless your crossing is a gas well cut with 500+ yard shooting opportunities (or slightly less but with lots of difficult winds) or you've got a colossal bean/corn field that you want to sneak a bullet into the back of, I don't think it be too good a fit.

Even if either of the above scenarios are similar to the problem you're looking to solve, I'd still prefer a 195 EOL at 3050fps.

Does your new build in 6.5 GAP you referenced earlier occupy this narrowish niche or is it a low value target steel/wind rifle?

What would you consider extended ranges at medium/large game to feel the need to make that Nosler from prc/saum leap? Just curious if you've had a field experience to inform your thought process to make that jump...

I got to fondle Greg’s havak, 6.5 prc, stupid cool/comfortable rifle, a guy could use for anything/anywhere/anytime, get one gitem!!

Pass the 21" 7-08 and 180 ELD's at 2600fps. Hint. Congratulations?!?

You "hard chargers" are a HOOT! Hint.


LAUGHING!...…...

oh, haha

Curious myself....

Empirical results and all.

Perhaps that’s why I’ve never 7/08’d... 😘

Nice bull btw...

Got a 4s and a 7-08ai coming soon. Both for different things and they will both be loved. LOL.

Rumor is that a wssm ai will be in the same box but I will keep my fingers crossed and not hold my breath.

The OP is a PA deer hunter. We both grew up hunting deer in and around the Allegheny Mountains. I only responded to this thread because it was John asking. As would be expected, my responses were shaped by this and to a great extent he was my intended audience. I'm not a Coos deer hunter and while the PRC might fit the bill, that's a subject better responded to by someone like you.

I had a Seekins Havak PH1 in 6.5 PRC. It was delivered in January the week before SHOT. My load development and testing is posted in numerous threads and in the 6.5 PRC FB groups. The axis buck I shot with the rifle in May is covered in another thread. If I were shooting coyotes and hogs out to 800+, the PRC/GAP would be great. I say this after having used the 28N for exactly that, low value targets (hogs/coyotes) out to 800+ at the Hog Hunt this past March. The plan was to take the Havak PRC, but I struggled to get a load developed and swapped the 28N in at the last minute. Total overkill, but it was ready to go.

Everything about the 28N is expensive, brass, barrel life, N570, everything. Bitching about carbon fiber barrel life on your custom 28N is like bitching about having to buy tires for your Ferrari. It's just the nature of the beast. If I'm traveling out west for a Wilson unit Roosevelt Elk hunt or to Wyoming or Montana or... to hunt Mule Deer, Antelope, Elk, etc. at 400+. I'm taking the Ryan Pierce built 28 Nosler. I have it, It's a hammer, I'm confident in it, etc.

Since June, I've shot got a couple thousand rounds of 6.5CM at matches and in practice. Initially, my primary hand load was with the 147ELDM. Later, I transitioned to the 156EOL. This is also documented in numerous threads. I've got lots of confidence in this rifle too, but it's only pushing the 156 at 2780.

Regarding the Havak. I hated the stock. I loved the CF mag. The barrel on mine copper fouled like crazy and took a couple hundred rounds to settle down. The factory ammo I had demonstrated broad extreme spreads and lacked accuracy. I'd only bought the factory ammo because, in January, 2019, it was a way to get brass. My early load development for the PRC was with H1000 as RL26 was unobtanium. RL26 was a godsend and really turned things around in that rifle. I sold the rifle with 277 rounds down the tube. At the end of the day I determined, for a hand loader, the 6.5GAP/SAUM was likely the better 6.5PRC. Shorter COAL is a better fit in binderless AICS mags, choice in throat geometry, higher velocities, etc.

Finally, I'll reiterate, the Allegheny mountains and surrounding farms aren't the ideal place for a 6.5 PRC or a 28 Nosler.

Oh, hunting free range rutting axis in hill country river bottoms is also not an ideal place for the 6.5 PRC or 28 Nosler.

147ELDM @3020

Range 6'

28 Nosler is hell on pelts.