Range Report 6.5 Creedmoor Prime Ammo

[06cummins92]

Anybody here have good luck with prime ammo? I shot 10 of them a few weeks ago and while the accuracy was really good i was kind of disappointed in the sd and velocity. The sd was 19 and the velocity was 2797 out of a 24 inch barrel. Anybody else have similar experiences, trying to decide if i should purchase a few more boxes to test and see if it was that box.

 

[Tnc]

No issues with prime here. Sd was 15 and I’m getting 2710 out of my 18” barrel. Using it Saturday for my first club match. Ranges from 400-1300 yds. It’s hard to beat for factory ammo. Plus it’s good brass for reloading later when you have a pile of it.

 

[shipereyes445]

Just wanted to share some information i acquired while at the Grind this past weekend. I met a rep from Prime Ammunition shooting/marketing their reloaded match ammo.
He gave me a box to try out. Very nice shooting ammo out of the RPR. 130gr in the upper 2860's. He told me they have about 500k rds ready to go for $25/box shipped!
I encourage you to check them out.

 

[06cummins92]

Im not as concerned with the velocity as i am with the sd. I cant remember what the es was but i know it was pretty high. An sd of 19 at longer ranges can really show it self in misses from what i have been told.

 

[TheOE800]

It was marginally better than Hornady in consistency per my notes; not enough to justify the price difference to me.

 

[Nik H]

I use them a lot and have zero complaints. It remains one of my two two favorite cartridges for this caliber

 

[morganlamprecht]

shot across a bunch of 6.5 barrels...marginally better that hornady as far as ES/SD, Hornday wins consistently across the board for accuracy

 

[06cummins92]

I hear a lot of people have good luck with it, and accuracy wise it’s good but not very consistent from what little I have shot it.

 

[aaronk]

My gun hated it, your mileage may vary. 200 yard groups with Prime and factory 143 ELD X. That Hornady group measure .57 MOA.

 

[06cummins92]

I think i will hunt down a couple more boxes and try it and see if maybe i had a lot that was a little off. I hope it turns out better than it did, it would be nice to shoot it and then have the brass to reload eventually.

 

[Jeffd]

Runs good in come of my guns but most of my guns prefer Hornady.

 

[Mattio]

cant discount the support Prime has put into the sport. They are doing it right. I see prime everywhere from youtube videos to the club matches I shoot. They are putting their product in the hands of top shooters. Ive been fortunate enough to shoot matches with Ryan Hey and Buck Holly both pushing Prime. I just do not see Hornady pushing their product like that. At least at club level matches, where a lot of the market is. Personally, i shoot Hornady because it works and ive compared them. But damn, if I just wanted to point, shoot and compete at club level, I probably would be running prime all day.

 

[canezach]

Prime is decent stuff. Accuracy and SD/ES on par with Hornady out of my old 26” DTA barrel and 24” Krieger barrel. I mainly bought it for the brass, but I’d have no problem running it in a match.

 

[06cummins92]

Has anyone shot it past 1000 yards to see how the standard deviation affects the grouping or point of impact

 

[arm017]

I think prime is a perfect example of strong marketing. They're a lifestyle brand. People nut over it, but ain't nothing magical.

 

[kthomas]

Comparable to Hornady factory match ammo.

Find which brand your rifle likes (Hornady, Prime, etc.) and role with it.

My rifles prefer the Hornady ammo, but other peoples rifles prefer Prime. In a pinch, I would use either in a PRS match.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

I noticed that if I was shootings handloads (Hornady 143 ELDX bullets) that if I didn’t clean the barrel before shooting the Prime, they shot like shit. So I cleaned the barrel before shooting them. YMMV.

 

[chadrp]

I noticed that if I was shootings handloads (Hornady 143 ELDX bullets) that if I didn’t clean the barrel before shooting the Prime, they shot like shit. So I cleaned the barrel before shooting them. YMMV.

That's interesting. I bought a case of prime to try and have had mixed results, but was also going between factory hornady140 eldm and the prime. Will have to clean and retry.

 

[chadrp]

A quick side question, is a 5 round string enough to judge SD's?

I shot 4-5 round groups across the magnetospeed while checking group size alternating between the prime and Factory hornady 140eldm out of a Tikka CTR.
Prime 5 round SD's were 9.8, 11.3, 30.9, 31.3
Factory Hornady SD's were 12-14 for all 4.

Not sure if that's a good way to check things or not...

 

[06cummins92]

I’m not sure, I used a 10 round string and that’s how I got an sd of 19. I’ve got more rounds down the barrel and I’m gonna clean it and see if maybe it shoots better.

 

[delfuego]

I hear a lot of people have good luck with it, and accuracy wise it’s good but not very consistent from what little I have shot it.

How much of it have you actually shot? I have shot quite a bit and we have people out here that shoot a considerable amount of it with very good results (and competition finishes).

I think prime is a perfect example of strong marketing. They're a lifestyle brand.

I don't think is fair. They are good folks that sell good ammo. I have interacted with them and they always treated me well. I think people tend to go overboard with either their praise or criticism on the internet. They also support the shooting sports and I for one appreciate it.

 

[chadrp]

I don't this is fair. They are good folks that sell good ammo. I have interacted with them and they always treated me well. I think people tend to go overboard with either their praise or criticism on the internet. They also support the shooting sports and I for one appreciate it.

I would agree with this. I have called Prime and asked questions and and have been treated great. What little I have shot it, it has shot well other than a couple shots.

If I removed 1 shot from both of the 30sd groups I posted the sds would be better than the hornady I've tried. I'm not sure if it was the ammo or if I could have done something to have caused it. I'm still pretty green at this and just sharing to help, learn, and become better at it.

 

[Nik H]

I think prime is a perfect example of strong marketing. They're a lifestyle brand. People nut over it, but ain't nothing magical.

I think that is a cheap shot. It is very consistent in my estimation. My rifle seems to like it a lot. No different than Hornady 147 grain. I have also shot PRIME's .308 with great success over FGMM

 

[arm017]

I don't think is fair. They are good folks that sell good ammo. I have interacted with them and they always treated me well. I think people tend to go overboard with either their praise or criticism on the internet. They also support the shooting sports and I for one appreciate it.

I think it is very fair considering that Jim (CEO) himself proclaimed on one of the recent podcasts on PRM and their interview w/ the 6.5 guys that they INTEND to be a lifestyle brand. I am not inferring that this is a bad thing, but it is hardly a cheap shot nor 'unfair' of an assessment considering this is the company's intent. I think they are a fantastic company all the way around, and some of the most caring folks in the space; likely some of the best factory ammo available. I am not inferring that it is bad ammo or that being a lifestyle brand is a bad thing, but I am saying that I enjoy the process and precision that comes with hand loading to perfect mate to your own weapon system. Keyhole groups with SDs in the 2s is magical (to me).

The relative discourse over my benign comments also further bolsters my statement that their marketing front is strong! People don't have that same emotional tie to hornady factory ammo because they aren't the ones publicly supporting sweet 10 year old shooters and females and family based teams or sponsoring events or showing up in online content... That is marketing folks!

 

[arm017]

I think that is a cheap shot. It is very consistent in my estimation. My rifle seems to like it a lot. No different than Hornady 147 grain. I have also shot PRIME's .308 with great success over FGMM

Please see response above

 

[Nik H]

Fair enough. I took it to mean something different than you intended.

No doubt that hand loaded ammo for your stick is more consistent and produces better precision.

I don't know about lifestyle branding. I would and did say the same thing about the Hornady ammo that I use. Since I don't reload, I am at the mercy of the factory producers.

 

[Mr.Horsepower89]

I have shot 400+ Prime 6.5. I have higher velocities than others have posted using my Magspeed usually ~2920 out of a 26" barrel. I don't have any of my data currently to post but it is consistent, from what I remember SDs 10-20. Usually 3/4MOA @ 100 yards. That was a 3 shot group at 800 yards in some right to left wind. Not a high round group but I have shot this group multiple times at 800. I shot it in competition with 2 hits at 1068 yards on a 16" plate and I am not a pro shooter by any means, maybe it was a fluke but it worked. I have used the brass to reload and I works very well. SDs usually 4-8. If I didn't have any of my reloads I would shoot it in competition and not be concerned. 800 yards and in I would say it is accurate enough for 1 - 2 MOA targets. I have not shot it much past 800 so it is hard to comment. For the price and time spent on it I am very much a fan of the value from Prime ammo.

 

[BangBangBlatBlat]

Hopefully it's not the same ammo that Norma is selling under their own brand now.

 

[ra2bach]

I think it is very fair considering that Jim (CEO) himself proclaimed on one of the recent podcasts on PRM and their interview w/ the 6.5 guys that they INTEND to be a lifestyle brand. I am not inferring that this is a bad thing, but it is hardly a cheap shot nor 'unfair' of an assessment considering this is the company's intent. I think they are a fantastic company all the way around, and some of the most caring folks in the space; likely some of the best factory ammo available. I am not inferring that it is bad ammo or that being a lifestyle brand is a bad thing, but I am saying that I enjoy the process and precision that comes with hand loading to perfect mate to your own weapon system. Keyhole groups with SDs in the 2s is magical (to me).

The relative discourse over my benign comments also further bolsters my statement that there marketing front is strong! People don't have that same emotional tie to hornady factory ammo because they aren't the ones publicly supporting sweet 10 year old shooters and females and family based teams or sponsoring events or showing up in online content... That is marketing folks!

how is an ammo company a "lifestyle" brand? you mean like Harley Davidson...

 

[TheOE800]

Hopefully it's not the same ammo that Norma is selling under their own brand now.

Seems the same to me. BC and velocity data are the same.

 

[chadrp]

Hopefully it's not the same ammo that Norma is selling under their own brand now.

Norma advertises their bullet as the 130gr golden target hybrid match.
When I called and asked Prime, I was told their 130gr bullet was from the Norma Diamond line.
That's all I know, I didn't ask about powder.

 

[DIBBS]

Plenty of matches won on prime 6.5. I've switch from hand loading to Prime and have no issues.

A fair number of PRS shooters that I shoot with use this. They even shot a 6.5 Creedmoor match last summer where your entry fee included a case of Prime ammo that you had to use. It shoots very well across a variety of different platforms, and as Diver has stated has won or placed highly at a number of matches. I wouldn't hesitate to buy several cases of the stuff! I haven't heard of folks having problems at distance with it either.

 

[canezach]

Norma advertises their bullet as the 130gr golden target hybrid match.
When I called and asked Prime, I was told their 130gr bullet was from the Norma Diamond line.
That's all I know, I didn't ask about powder.

If I remember correctly, I was told it was the Golden Target in Prime. Norma makes three 6.5 bullets; one is a flat base, one is the Golden Target, and the Black Diamond. I don’t think you can mistake the Black Diamond for what’s in Prime

 

[chadrp]

If I remember correctly, I was told it was the Golden Target in Prime. Norma makes three 6.5 bullets; one is a flat base, one is the Golden Target, and the Black Diamond. I don’t think you can mistake the Black Diamond for what’s in Prime

Then I guess I dont know as I was just relaying what they told me when I called and asked. Well if Prime is the golden target then there isn't much difference (powder?) as Norma states Golden Target.
Would be nice to know for sure.

 

[knuckleballz]

I bought a few cases from brownells, and a few cases from prime. The norma has been 50-60 fps faster out of my 22 inch jp barrel. It seems to be the same bullet in the prime and norma.

 

[TheOE800]

^Exactly what my chrono results told me.

 

[vh20]

Then I guess I dont know as I was just relaying what they told me when I called and asked. Well if Prime is the golden target then there isn't much difference (powder?) as Norma states Golden Target.
Would be nice to know for sure.

I was told the same thing by the Prime folks - "Norma Diamond bullet," (not Black Diamond). But the only Diamond bullet I can find on the Norma site is the Black Diamond (moly coated). If the Prime bullet really is a Diamond bullet, as they say it is, it is obviously a non moly-coated version of it. Or, Prime gave us both incorrect info and it really is the Golden Target bullet.

 

[aaronk]

What I find odd is how many people praise Prime, but I've yet to see a factory gun that shoots Prime better then Hornady. Two Savage Stealth's, two RPR's, and a Tikka Tac A1 and they all shot Hornady better.

 

[vh20]

What I find odd is how many people praise Prime, but I've yet to see a factory gun that shoots Prime better then Hornady. Two Savage Stealth's, two RPR's, and a Tikka Tac A1 and they all shot Hornady better.

So did mine - my Tikka and RWS custom both shoot ELD-M 140s and 147s better than Prime 130s. I bought one case of Prime and still have most of it. I've been through nearly 15 cases of Hornady. While the ES/SD of the Hornady is not great, it is considerably better than Prime in both of my 6.5s.

 

[TEUFEL820]

I was told the same thing by the Prime folks - "Norma Diamond bullet," (not Black Diamond). But the only Diamond bullet I can find on the Norma site is the Black Diamond (moly coated). If the Prime bullet really is a Diamond bullet, as they say it is, it is obviously a non moly-coated version of it. Or, Prime gave us both incorrect info and it really is the Golden Target bullet.

I believe the difference between the golden target and the diamond is just the coating. They both have the same bc according to their website.

 

[arm017]

how is an ammo company a "lifestyle" brand? you mean like Harley Davidson...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifestyle_brand

Yes- and like I said earlier in this thread, Jim (CEO) publicly stated that they intend to be a lifestyle brand.

 

[ra2bach]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifestyle_brand

Yes- and like I said earlier in this thread, Jim (CEO) publicly stated that they intend to be a lifestyle brand.

yeah I know what a lifestyle brand is. my background is in motorsports marketing at the manufacturer level. but it's nonsensical for a brand of ammo to claim that.

take Harley for example. it's a "lifestyle" brand because ownership encourages a particular mode of dress, behavior, attitude, etc. even among individuals who would never otherwise do so.

the dentist in leather jacket or denim vest, with engineer boots, mirrored aviator glasses and a do-rag when he rides from dive bar to dive bar playing Merle Haggard and Lynyrd Skynyrd on the juke box, vs. wearing collared shirts with dockers and supping on wine and tapas the other 362 days of the year.

what is "lifestyle" about a brand of ammuniton - some dude wearing a hat with a big frickin' "P" on it instead of an "H"? I don't think so...

 

[06cummins92]

I didn't intend for this to become an argument, I simply just wanted to know if anyone had any similar experiences with prime, from what I can tell, and maybe i am wrong, but it appears that prime isn't really any more consistent or accurate than say hornady match ammo or any other match ammo. In the mean time i picked up a box of hornady black and sighted in at 100 and shot at 340 yards and shot a group that was roughly an inch and a quarter, it was only 2 shots and I only shot those two to determine how close my dope was at that range, i sure wish i would have fired another shot to see but i didn't realize how close the two shots were until after I was done shooting. I didn't have a chronograph with me so i can't say how consistent they are compared to the prime but they seem to shoot well in my rifle because once i got dialed in i was hitting a 4 inch plate consistently after that so they seem to be pretty accurate. I think my next test will be shoot at longer range and try prime as well and see what results i get. If the hornady shoots as good as the prime out to 1k yards plus i think i will buy it instead because it is 19.99/box vs 26.60/box and i can turn around and sell the brass

 

[06cummins92]

Shot some Hornady black last night over a magnetospeed and it shot an sd of 11. It shot a lot slower than advertised than the prime ammo did but I’ll take consistent over speed. Still gonna try some more prime later on to see

 

[Timberstalker]

I noticed that if I was shootings handloads (Hornady 143 ELDX bullets) that if I didn’t clean the barrel before shooting the Prime, they shot like shit. So I cleaned the barrel before shooting them. YMMV.

I have read a few posts on another site that switching loads, meaning bullets and powder, without cleaning in between resulted in poor groups. One guy said he repeated tests and got the same results and was adamant about it. Of course it may come down to particulars.

 

[ForgeValley]

I don't know how the ammo shoots yet, but I have NEVER had a vendor call me up after I placed an order and thank me, and to let them know if there was anything they could do for me. So points for that.

 

[usmcmad]

Shot some Hornady black last night over a magnetospeed and it shot an sd of 11. It shot a lot slower than advertised than the prime ammo did but I’ll take consistent over speed. Still gonna try some more prime later on to see

I spent the weekend confirming hits out to 1000 with Hornady Black and Prime 6.5 last Saturday. I found SD to be about the same. Black came in about 17. I could get the exact number when I get home. Prime was slightly better in SD. It was also about 160 fps faster. SD with only 10 shots isn't a great sample. The difference in SD I saw was negligable. The Prime was easier to confirm hits with past 700. The Black was falling apart. This is just what I saw with a limited sample. I will be doing this test again to see if I continue to get similar results.

 

[Apnea]

I don't know how the ammo shoots yet, but I have NEVER had a vendor call me up after I placed an order and thank me, and to let them know if there was anything they could do for me. So points for that.

The couple people I have talked to have been nice and helpful. Owner Jim included, and I'm a nobody. Good guys IMO.

 

[arm017]

Does anybody know the exact components used in prime 6.5 CM ammunition?

Norma Brass
Norma golden target 130 gr bullets
what powder?
what primers?

 

[OH58DViper]

what powder?
what primers?

I had 43.3 grains of something in it and what appears to be a FG210M, primer was red....

Attached is a pic of the first 10 rds out of my new 6.5 Proof AXMC Prefit shooting prime, I’ll let you guess which round was the first one.....I’ll be shooting this ammo at a local PRS match this weekend, ES of 45 is the only thing that bothers me, but it should only be a factor on the far sets.