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

Once you step up to the recoil of the 6.5 PRC one might as well go 7mm at that point for the superior ballistics.

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.

IMO the beauty of the 6.5 is the low recoil!

Once you step up to the recoil of the 6.5 PRC one might as well go 7mm at that point for the superior ballistics. Just my opinion YMMV


Trystan

Copy. Just curious.

If you are running a 156 at 2780, you don't need anything else. You don't need the big stuff for just about anything. Those rifles are the extreme niche....

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.....

Wrong.
😎

Copy. Just curious.

If you are running a 156 at 2780, you don't need anything else. You don't need the big stuff for just about anything. Those rifles are the extreme niche....

How exactly? Your counter argument was rather uninfomational

Dude... you don’t watch enough TV...

I’ve shot the 6.5 SAUM, 4S, 6.5x300 SAUM (whatever variant you wanna call it) extensively. Starting back before it became a thing and you made your own brass. It’s no “easier to handload” for than the PRCs I fool with now. Spec a FB to your warm and fuzzy if building from scratch or school up on factory offering and their COAL restraints.

The PRC is doing everything for me the SAUMs did. Granted there is a skosh less displacement in the PRC, but I’ll take the minimal velocity “loss” with the good factory ammo being an option. I’m digging what a suppressed 18” 6.5 PRC is doing currently with tailored handloads....

Pharm, what’s the energy difference?

As is your initial comment.....

My initial comment said that was my "Opinion" based on what suits my needs not yours. I was simply stating that for myself I prefer 6.5s in the 40ish grains of powder category. The statement was for me and me only, not you, or anyone else for that matter! In fact I said "YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY" just incase you weren't listening.
Good grief I've never in my life seen so many men with sensitive feelers as I have here on the campfire! I'll try to be more sensitive in the future

I respect Kingston's opinions..and he's likely right. It's also likely I'll buy one just cause.