Okay, so Hornady is building cartridges around the longer, higher BC bullets, like the 6.5 PRC and 300 PRC.

In regards to the 6.5 PRC... it's merely a 6.5 magnum? I'm a 308 guy, so I don't keep up with 6.5 much, but if you tune down the PRC then you have a Creedmoor right? or it's a Creedmoor with the ability to push the same bullet faster, since you have a higher case capacity?

What am I missing here? Same with the 300 PRC... it's a 300WM with the higher BC bullets?

Help me out. Are these 1,000 yard cartridges that they are trying to make mainstream?

If you tune to "The Real Gunsmith" on You Tube, he will answer all your questions.
And I don`t have a 6.5 anything.

LOL, he will answer a whole lotta something, but I’m not sure what!

Ha! Yep, I saw his video on the 300PRC.

He's one of the best "ballistic comedians" around.

In the real world, think of the 6.5 Creedmoor as the modernized/standardized/optimized version of the 6.5x55/.260.

The 6.5 PRC is the same deal with the 6.5-06.

The real gunsmith is a putz. Don't take much of anything he says seriously.

Ha!

Grand Slam!!!!

Mule Deer got it right.

The .243 Win pretty much killed sales of the .257 Roberts and I can't help but wonder what the 6.5 CM has done to .243 Win sales. And 7mm-08 sales. And .308 Win. And everything in-between.

The 6.5 PRC adds velocity and its attendant benefits at the expense of more recoil. Can't help but wonder what the long-term effect will be on sales of .25-06 up through the .30-06.

The 243 is really popular and well entrenched, I believe it'll be harder to shade than the Roberts was.

I’m a huge 6.5 fan and have shot them for 20 plus years. Most of that experience has been with the 6.5x284 and both my longest kills were made with that cartridge, 435 yards on a really big 6pt bull elk by a 125gr Nosler Partition and 400 yards on a Pronghorn with a 120gr Nosler Ballistic Tip. That was strictly a handloading proposition, as was the 260 Rem I used for about 8 years.

Now having a 6.5 Creedmoor, I can honestly say I could have easily made both those shots with at least eight kinds of factory ammo (that’s all I’ve tried) or with some very easy and inexpensive and time-saving hand loads.

I’m sure the PRC is great and I obviously love its 6.5x284-like ballistics. However, the 6.5 Creedmoor is just so easy and inexpensive to own and shoot well to all sane distances that I don’t ever see myself making the change.

I could see the 6.5 PRC cutting into 6.5-284 market share.

DF

The real question is: If the PRC catches on and sets the world on fire, will the Creedmore bunch suffer the same butt-hurt that the .260/Swede folks do?

I don't expect it will ever do that, but if they get some popularly priced rifles out there, we might see a drop in .270 sales (sniff!). Gonna take a while though.

Makes no difference if you choose the 6.5 CM,260 or 6.5x55. All thee are almost exact same velocity. The 260 holds about 1.5 grs more powder than the CM. The CM is loaded to a higher pressure. Same pressure levels the 260 beats the CM slightly. Same with the 6.5x55 over the 260. Velocity difference is so small makes no practical difference in the field. The 6.5 PRC has a disadvantage .when it comes to brass... More expensive especially when you consider a 6.5x06 will deliver exact same velocity & the 6.5x06 can be made on any standard 30-06, 270 style action. ... Another big disadvantage to the PRC is that no major arms manufacture ( Savage, Ruger etc ) has brought it out. It is dying because of this. The parent brass, Ruger is not main stream like 25-06 & 30-06 to form 6.5x06. I have been a 6.5 shooter sense 1964. I take every thing from varmints to elk . Just a matter of selecting the right bullet. The high BC 6.5 bullets are made for long range. Just notice the explosion of high BC 6.5 bullets. Not only retain their velocity & shoot flat but handle wind drift quite well . Shoot one & believe. Which ever one you select you won't be disappointed.. Mice to moose with gentle recoil. .

Wrong-o, bucko. Ruger has intro'ed the PRC. Hornady and Bertram has brass. Several outfits chamber for it, whether you consider them 'major', or not....

There really are only a couple three areas of questions -

- Powder column wise (size and shape)
The PRC is based off the Ruger 375 case which closely mirrors a WSM case... You’ll find it’s based on the 300 RCM, which is based on the 375 Ruger.
So a Imagine a 6.5 WSM and that’s what a PRC is... minus ~1 grain or so.

- Cartridge to Chamber Reamer slop / Spec
It’s more “modern” so they have less slop so they eliminate one area of in-accuracy

- Feeding
It’s a steeper shoulder, so feeding is not as slick

After that of course you’d have brass life and barrel life but with a WSM sized cartridge... how much are you going to shoot it ?

The other thing that tends to creep in from the competition side lately is “small primer / small primer holes” - not an issue here, but it sure is if you hunt in really cold conditions.

And Hornady has a sterling track record supporting their creations, and even some others'. Good factory ammo and a few decent rifles will get this one going, but maybe on a smaller scale since the CM does so much so well and has a head start. They just need enough sales to make some money, they don't have to make all the money.

[img]https://ruger.com/products/HawkeyeLRT/specSheets/47189.html[/img]

I stand corrected . Obviously just came out. Checked out Ruger. 6.5 PRC available in Long Range bolt action. Retail $1279 which means about $1000 + street price. At 11 lbs a bit heavy for a hunting rifle to carry. . In my opinion it would appeal more to the average hunter if it were in the Hawkeye format at a lower price the average hunter could afford. . It would really take off if it was offered in the Ruger American at an affordable price, say under $500. .In my opinion it should be available in stainless at this price. Always glad to see a new 6.5 . It is a cal. that is rocking.

Some day a manufacturer will introduce a .264-06 or 7mm-06 and we can forget about 6.5's for hunting.

There was the 6.5-06 wildcat many years ago then in the 1960's Rem. brought out the 6.5 Rem mag .It fell away. Then some years back the 6.5x284 came out & factory standardized. Now it is fading. Then there was the Factory 6.5x06 A-Square as a factory rifle. . It did not gain great popularity. A-Square is now out of business. Now the 6.5 PRC. What do all these 6.5's have in common . Virtually the exact same ballistics. So what makes any one think the PRC is going to be any thing different. Just to be clear I am a 6.5 fan. My 6.5-06 & other 6.5's are great performers. I remember when there was a clamoring by some for the 35 Whelen in a factory produced rifle .Well Remington brought it out. At first there were brisk sales as all those who wanted one bought one. Then sales dropped to nothing. So will the PRC do any better. Time will tell.

I’m not in the market for a 6.5 PRC with several 6.5’s in my safe (Creed, Swede, 6.5-284, 26 Nos).

If Horn can duplicate the Creed model with precision chambers, the right twist, quality brass and ammo at reasonable prices, who knows.

I wouldn’t want to bet against them.

DF

Another thing, don’t use Remington examples to make points about Hornady.

Different animal.

DF

With the creemoor’s popularity and the PRC being marketed as the creedmoor’s big brother I think it has a chance. What guy that enjoys his creedmoor wouldn’t want it’s big brother

260 Remington

6.5x55

Virtually the exact same ballistics as the 6.5 Creedmoor.

Maybe there's more to it than ballistics.

Carry on with your predictions...

David

LOL - if they make a 7-06AI I’m in!

Or a 90+ year old 6.8-06 using high BC class 150gr+ bullets.

Sent a box of 6.8-06 with 150g LRAB to Daughter #1 earlier today via courier (aka Mrs. Coyote_hunter). B.C. is .591 and chrono'd average is 2910fps.

Built her a box of 145g ELD-X this evening, need to test them before I hand them off. Should be about the same velocity - same powder charge, same COL. The difference in length is in the boat tails. B.C. is .536. The ELD-X are for practice, as they are quite a bit less expensive. Calculator suggests 1.8" additional drop and drift at 600 yards.

I think the success of the 6.5 Creedmoor was the hornady support with high quality, highly accurate, factory ammunition and factory rifle adoption of the caliber (with the right twist). 6.5x55 too old, .260 launch was bungles by remington (but still developed a strong following and many of the tactical guys who still prefer it to the creed because of the extra bit of space and the availability of brass).

I don't think the 6.5 PRC cuts into the creed, I think it benefits from the brand association, support from hornady, strong likelihood of rifles being chambered in it, and the sudden ascendence of 6.5 as a caliber.

I think 6.5 PRC goes straight at the .270 and .280 and some will say because its a modern cartridge it will be more accurate than those.

While there is a high percentage of reloaders on this forum, success goes to the rounds that drive more factory ammunition and rifles. That drives adoption by the masses and that becomes a re-enforcing cycle.

My .02

Those who have knowledge of the history of companies introducing new cartridges understand how difficult it is to bring one to success. .It's not your passion for a particular cartridge. It's about acceptance by the majority of shooters/hunters. The 6.5 PRC is a good cartridge. There have been many good 6.5's with equal ballistics that have failed in the past. What has held the PRC back is the lack of an affordably rifle. First it was only available as an expensive custom rig. Now Ruger has brought it out in another expensive heavy 11 lb rifle. The average hunter is looking at price. This is evident by the considerable sales of rifles like the Savage Axis & Ruger American. Then there is the used gun market. There are ton's of inexpensive used rifles available. From a pure business perspective if the 6.5 PRC were brought out in a standard Ruger Hawkeye , or American to gain hunter acceptance it would have a much greater likelihood of success. . Then bring on the specialty more expensive rifles like the Long Range Hunter. Your not likely to see many 11 lb rifles in the hunting field no matter what the caliber.
Add a scope & mount ,at least 1 1/2 lbs. Now 12 1/2 lbs/ Add a sling & ammo, now a good 13 1/2 lbs.

" Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to live it again"
Winston Churchill

The 6.5 PRC will benefit from the same support you noted above, support that helped the CM become what it is. As I've posted before, it's the whole package that hadn't been laid out this well, been this coordinated before.

I think the 6.5 PRC will cut more into the 6.5-06, 6.5-284, 6.5 GAP 4S, 6.5 SAUM, 6.5 WSM, etc. market share more than .270 or 280/.280AI. The .270 is too established as a hunting round, the 7mm's are in a different category, IMO. Target shooters tend to lead the charge with these type rounds. Hunters tag along.

It's really amazing how 6.5's have become so popular in the U.S., a big change from back when I started reloading. Thanks goes to the target crowd.

IMO,

DF

Sorry for the confusion Brad. What would be the differences in the 6.5CM and PRC that you have both the CM and PRC?

You keep saying “it’s dying” and “what’s holding it back” like you have no idea they just introduced the 6.5 PRC...