PRS Barrel length for 6.5 Creedmoor

Craig Brown

Private
Minuteman
Jun 29, 2023
17
27
Tigard, Oregon
I am in the process of having a PRS centerfire rifle built. Been shooting PRS and NRL 22 with a Rim X on a 25” 1.20” straight taper. Would like feedback on barrel length for a 6.5 Creedmoor. What length and contour barrel would you suggest?
 
24 to 26 inches max. M24 or Heavy varmint. Manufacturers all use different names. Basically 1.25x5” shank tapering to just under an inch at the finished length. Straight 1.25 is too much, in my opinion.

24 works good for 6.5, in my opinion and that’s what I would go with.
 
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I had a 26" on mine last year when I ran the 6.5 creed, with a 419 hellfire brake. Not sure of the exact profile, but it tapered down to .910" at the muzzle. It balanced perfectly right in front of the magwell with no weights in the ACC.
 
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I have exactly what @OREGUN recommends, and I’m finding I want a little more free balance. My next barrel is a 26” MTU, so longer and heavier.

It’s either free 50 FPS or a lower pressure load for my current MV, plus the free contributions to balance. Lots of opinions out there about balance being important or frivolous distraction; this one is mine :)
 
26” heavy varmint taper/ mtu/ m24. My next will be a straight taper however.

Last year for the last few matches and the local finale, I ran a 26” proof comp contour with an ACE brake. Absolutely loved it. This year it’ll be a 26” heavy varmint barrel with a TMB.

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If you’re running a brake and not a suppressor then I’d go with 26-28.

My 26” MTU still need weights to balance and they still are a little butt heavy. My 26” Proof Comp balances better. My 28” Heavy Varmint is perfect.

Getting the extra 2” in to a small port does take a little more focus but not bad
 
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I have run 28" barrels on my match 6.5 Creedmoors since 2008 and continue. As mentioned it's free velocity and weight out front. It's the length the round was developed with and when I was going to start shooting it I spoke with Dave Emery, who was a developer of the cartridge, and he recommended the 28" barrel and I went with it and stuck with it. No down side especially in today's matches where people want more weight.

For contour, that will be a personal preference but I wouldn't go under M24 at this point and heavier isn't bad as long as it doesn't get so heavy it slows you down in transitions.
 
24 to 26 inches max. M24 or Heavy varmint. Manufacturers all use different names. Basically 1.25x5” shank tapering to just under an inch at the finished length. Straight 1.25 is too much, in my opinion.

24 works good for 6.5, in my opinion and that’s what I would go with.
I have a 6.5 CM, but it has a 22" barrel with 2" thread-on muzzle brake. I always wished it was a 24" barrel. If I were to custom machine an 2" thread proctor/barrel extension, that has the hole diameter about .005" larger than the exiting bullet diameter, essentially making it a 2" smooth bore extension, would the exit velocity be somewhere between a 22" and a 24" barrel? What does that do to the bullet?
 
I just had a 6.5x47L chambered on a 1.2" straight, no taper, finished at 25". Love it. My goal was to have it balance out 4-4.5 inches in front of the mag well and not require weights >key point> while using a Maverick in the short match mode and a MDT AAC Elite chassis. Well, I found I could have gone 26" and if I do another, I probably will do that. it still may require one internal weight but I'd rather error on the light side.

hope that helps

Weight and balance points to follow.