Hunting & Fishing 6.5 Creedmoor vs 6.5 PRC is it worth the difference

[Kmarsh1966]

I have shot a variety of competitive shooting sports for the last 35 years. I have just taken up big game hunting earlier this year. First animal was a Fallow taken with my PRS rig in 6.5 Creedmoor. Second this weekend was an Axis took on a different 6.5 Creedmoor. In hunting the most important thing seems to be shot placement and bullet selection. I’m considering a new build vs, swapping things around and was seriously looking at a 6.5 PRC. Since its such a new round there is a limited Factory Bullet Selection, and I dont currently load for either of these calibers.

I’m not really interested in going with a 300 Win Mag for regular hunting gun. I Really liked hunting Axis, and will continue the Texas Deer Slam - Sika next then Blackbuck.... I do have some interest in Pronghorn, Mule Deer and Elk. I dont think I will ever be a back country hunter, so the super lite rifle for the 700 yard cross canyon shot doesn’t appear to be in my future.

It has been suggested that you can hot load a 6.5 Creed pretty close to a similar barrel length 6.5 PRC Factory loading. I believe that could be partially true.

Is the PRC worth going for over keeping a 6.5 Creed?

 

[antithesis]

Yes you can load a CM to about the same velocity as an off the shelf PRC load, but you can also load a PRC to top that. The thing you cannot load the CM to do is catch the PRC on energy. The PRC makes about 275 f-p more.

 

[HogsLife]

I just listened to a really good Podcadt “Long Range Pursut”. AKA Gunwerks. It’s their newest episode I believe. Went really in depth on this exact subject. 6.5 PRC , 28 Noslers, 300 PRC. The 6.5 PRC is a good alternative to a 7mm Mag. Less recoil. Well above 6.5 CM performance in both wind drift and drop. Defiantly worth listening to. Very informative.

Long Range Pursuit | EP 33: Bucking Wind - The Ballistic Effects of Wind on Bullet and Cartridge Choices

https://www.podbean.com/ei/dir-hhiik-6761af2

 

[generalzip]

In my opinion, it's not worth it. Especially if you hand load. I have gotten creedmoors shooting 147s up to 2900fps accurately. My 6.5 PRC pressured out with the same powder (RL26) at 2970. 70 fps for that much more powder? No thanks.

I understand some get them to shoot faster and maybe my barrel would have sped up but even 100-150 fps is not worth the difference to me. If I'm going up from a 6.5 creed I'll grab my 300wsm. If I need more than that 300 Norma Mag. I went down the road long ago of collecting a bunch of calibers because it was fun. You soon realize there's not a ton of difference between a lot of them. You're better off owning 5 calibers that are all vastly different tools in my opinion.

If I had to pick 1 do all hunting cartridge I think a mid sized 7mm is the best bet with a 180 hybrid. Think 7SAUM, 7Rem mag, 7WSM etc. Great ballistics, tolerable recoil, better barrel life than the 6.5s, and comparable energy to a lot of the 30s at distance because of the high BC bullets. You need to enter 215-230 grain .30 call territory to touch the high BC 7mm bullets out now.

 

[kraigWY]

I thought about the PCR, then got to looking back on my 6.5 Creedmoor kills, and then thought, WHY, they maybe shoot a bit faster and all, but how I dont understand why to need to be deader then dead.

 

[rope]

I have 260"s and a 6.5 SAUM. I handload for both. the 260 @ 2913 fps pushing the 127LRX and the 6.5 SAUM pushes the 127 LRX @ 3222. They both kill well, and its hard not to like the extra HP.

 

[Kmarsh1966]

I just listened to a really good Podcadt “Long Range Pursut”. AKA Gunwerks. It’s their newest episode I believe. Went really in depth on this exact subject. 6.5 PRC , 28 Noslers, 300 PRC. The 6.5 PRC is a good alternative to a 7mm Mag. Less recoil. Well above 6.5 CM performance in both wind drift and drop. Defiantly worth listening to. Very informative.

Long Range Pursuit | EP 33: Bucking Wind - The Ballistic Effects of Wind on Bullet and Cartridge Choices

https://www.podbean.com/ei/dir-hhiik-6761af2

I listened and this was exactly what I was looking for. THANKS FOR THE INFO and tip on the podcast

 

[Schw15]

I have a 6.5x55 pretty close to creedmoor and honestly for deer and antelope great caliber I really like the eldx bullets for the slower rifles. Speed isn't everything

 

[XTREM HTR16]

I’d load a bunch of 139 scenars in either one and just commence to killing a truckload of animals...

 

[UpSideDown]

You can drop $500 on a lightweight hunting rifle in a bigger caliber and put a scope on it and have any caliber you want.

You can build a new competition rifle that is a teeny bit better at hunting and maybe a bit better or worse for PRS depending on what you choose.

You can use what you have.

Those seem like the options based on what you’ve said. If you want to build a PRS capable rifle that is a little better than what you have I think you’re going to get something that isn’t great at either. If you hunt from a fixed position then it doesn’t matter what the gun is.

Why not grab a .300WM hunting rifle and a $400 scope and have something you never have to worry about with no real compromises?

 

[UpSideDown]

If you feel the 6.5cm isn’t enough I’d first consider bullet selection. @Wyfox shared god info on hunting with this caliber using the Long Range Accubond bullets.

 

[spearknives]

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.

 

[Roestalker]

I agree with craigWY & spearknives.

With ballistic turrets that neutralise any ‘flatshooting’ advantage of higher velocities, and ELD/VLD bullets which often perform BETTER at lower velocities - why the need for more speed in a 6.5 hunting cartridge?

 

[Blackkettle]

The bad thing is everyone is trying the latest greatest WOW.
I test guns for a living and have built 6.5prc a few times. Its a neat round but all things are tools and each is very personal. Dont get me wrong prc is a cool twist on 6.5x284 but it comes down to you just have to be honest with yourself as to what you are going to do with it. For hunting I’d rather have a 280AI.

 

[Franko]

It is my belief that you aren't gaining all that much by going from the CM to PRC. You end up using the same bullets but just pushing them a little faster. Stepping up to a 7mm class projectile will give you access to significantly different performance characteristics (ballistic as well as terminal).

It's for that reason that the do it all hunting gun I am in the process of building is chambered in 7 SAUM and not 6.5 PRC.

 

[Blackkettle]

7MM has impressed me. good choice Im sending an action to Moon this week for a 280AI build and cant wait to get it back.

 

[ricard13]

I’ve got a 6.5 PRC on the way. I primarily hunt with a 338 Lapua which is a bit overkill for deer. I did a bunch of research and like the numbers it puts out. I am anxious to try it out when it arrives.

 

[CarbonMTN]

How does the prc stack up to the 6.5x55 Swede. I am very curious if I can use the 6.5 Swede for prs matches.

 

[Cluggins]

I can always load my PRC down to Creedmagic velocities.

 

[gregsjt]

I keep seeing posts on the internet about Creedmoor's hitting 2900 but I've yet to see that on my own chrono with 2 Creedmoor's and 1 .260. I don't even get 2900 with 130 grain bullets, let alone 140's or the 147. My 6.5 PRC gets there easy.

 

[Cluggins]

I keep seeing posts on the internet about Creedmoor's hitting 2900 but I've yet to see that on my own chrono with 2 Creedmoor's and 1 .260. I don't even get 2900 with 130 grain bullets, let alone 140's or the 147. My 6.5 PRC gets there easy.

They don't call it the Creedmagic for nothing.

 

[krw]

In my 260 w 26”, 1-8.5 twist Brux bbl. I ld 40.5gr IMR4064, Lapua Brass, 123 SMK. I get 2980fps. It is a lil rough on primer pockets. Gonna throttle it bak to 2900ish

 

[chutinlead]

On the lighter bullets, I don't see huge differences in fps. Where the larger case shines in when you try to push a heavier bullet like Bergers 156 that a 6.5CM will top out at 2500-2600 and the PRC will be able to push them around 2900. Just my experience shooting similar bullets in my 6.5CM and 6.5-06.

 

[CMP70306]

My main game animal is White-tailed deer and where I hunt shots can be from 10 to 700 yards. Rather than go with heavy bullets which could explode up close I chose to go with light mono bullets for high velocity and flat trajectories.

My load this year for hunting with the 6.5 PRC is the 123gr Absolute Hammer at 3430 fps, with the 2 MOA box on the 2.5-20x NX8 reticle I can zero for 300 yards and hold the box on fur out to 420 yards.

 

[Rocky59]

I toyed with the idea of one, but decided not to, as one thing for the Creedmoor is that it will get most jobs done very satisfactorily with very low recoil and, of interest to handloaders, a modicum of powder. It is a much better choice for subsonic loads as well.
The PRC can add about 200fps to what the CM can do. For most purposes, that is a big yawn the end result is the same.
Seeing how you already own a Creed, if you're wanting something more powerful, I'd step up to a 7mm of some variety. The ability to launch 180+ grain bullets puts you in a different tier than the various 6.5's. 280AI, 7 Rem, 28 Nosler or the like.

 

[Longshot85]

I have a 26 inch 1:8 twist barrel with a 9 inch form 1 can, the following data is with the can attached while slinging 147 ELD's with IMR 4451

This was on a load development day in 95F temps

Lower end of charge weight

Higher end

Settled on this 42.7 grain node running 2868 fps

I'm merely posting data I personally collected to provide food for thought

147's work great for me on Whitetails too, I can post relevant info on that if people are interested

 

[Baron23]

I keep seeing posts on the internet about Creedmoor's hitting 2900 but I've yet to see that on my own chrono with 2 Creedmoor's and 1 .260. I don't even get 2900 with 130 grain bullets, let alone 140's or the 147. My 6.5 PRC gets there easy.

Factory ammo out of 25" Proof SS barrel with 7.5 twist. Measured speed with Labradar.

9/11/2020​	Ammunition	# shots	Avg fps	High fps	Low fps	Max Spread	Std Dev		Federal Says 2775
	Fed Premium Berger Hybrid, 135 gr	19	2933	2955	2910	45	10.93		Delta to average =	158
		2944​	2919​	2943​	2943​	2910​	2933​
		2923​	2929​	2939​	2931​	2931​	2945​
		2939​	2935​	2934​	2934​	2955​	2932​
		2916​

9/5/2020​	Ammunition	# shots	Avg fps	High fps	Low fps	Max Spread	Std Dev		Prime says 2851
	Prime, 130 gr	20	2967	2989	2935	54	14.33		Delta to average =	117
		2982​	2951​	2963​	2935​	2961​	2958​
		2967​	2970​	2962​	2977​	2938​	2973​
		2959​	2968​	2975​	2988​	2969​	2979​
		2989​	2975​

9/11/2020​	Ammunition	# shots	Avg fps	High fps	Low fps	Max Spread	Std Dev		CM Sports says 2710
	Creedmoor Sports, 142 gr	20	2889	2905	2870	35	8.77		Delta to average =	179
		2902​	2887​	2894​	2880​	2889​	2870​
		2878​	2901​	2897​	2886​	2887​	2886​
		2885​	2898​	2905​	2884​	2897​	2887​
		2890​	2882​

 

[Lightning8]

Slight thread drift but Cabelas had a Browning X Bolt in 26 Nosler on closeout I picked up at a good deal. I loaded up some Barnes 127 LRX over US869 to 3289 fps. It was devastating on a large mule deer this year in Wyoming. I use 6.5CM in PRS and normally hunt with a 280AI.

 

[Mark @ Exo]

The Hammer Hunter bullets, and specifically the 124s, are amazing for the 6.5 Creedmoor. I'm getting 2900 with them out of a 20" Proof barrel, being pushed by 40.2g of Varget and no pressure signs. (Signs start at 40.7g for me.)

Super forgiving. Have shot numerous groups under half-MOA.

For my needs on deer-sized game, this makes a PRC irrelevant. And I step up from 6.5s on bigger game (elk) anyway.

 

[spyder59]

Did someone say 260AI? I have a 260AI on a proof CF 22" barrel that shoots 123 Hornady SST's sub 1/2" moa at 3100 fps. No pressure signs or flattened primers. I pushed it to 3200 fps but started flattening primers so I backed it down to 3100. Never tried 140's. I just hunt whitetails and hogs, so the 123's work well for that and are less expensive. Just throwing this caliber out there for handloaders as an interesting alternative to magnums.

 

[Wyzrd]

For my purposes (mainly hunting mule deer and elk), I chose the 6.5 PRC. With factory 147gr ELD-M’s, I was getting about 3,120 FPS the last time I ran them through the chrono. I was able to bag a bull elk with it this season, but it was a very close shot (around 100 yds). I’m still curious how it will perform on critters on the longer shots that are very common here in WY. Now, I loved my 6.5 CM, but for hunting, I think the PRC is gonna be my “minimum caliber”. I’ll probably get another CM for just a range/practice rifle, and will eventually step up to a bigger hunting caliber too (thinking either 28 Nosler or 300 PRC), but for now I’m really digging the 6.5 PRC!

 

[robeast2000]

Why would anyone sacrifice half the barrel life and more recoil for 200 FPS more?.

 

[gregsjt]

For hunting, 200 fps makes a difference in that realm and most hunters don't shoot enough to burn out barrels.