Planning to build a 6.5 PRC in the next year or so, loading with Berger 156s over H1000. I’ve been doing a bunch of research and it sounds like people make it work fine in short actions but people are always saying go mid to long. I can’t really find any info on what benefits I’m getting from the mid action and the longer COAL vs jamming the bullet in further? Are those of you who are running the medium actions loading with more powder (H1000) and getting higher velocities or do they run into pressure problems either way?
6.5 PRC medium action
- Thread starter Kspence49
- Start date
I have both short and medium action PRC’s. With that, I am loading 156’s over RL 26. On my medium I comfortably run 3108-3115, my short action runs them 2982-2980 comfortably.
Cool thanks, so you’re getting a bit more powder in there? Also another thought I had, do the shorter bullets like the 140s run ok in the medium actions? Or do people run a higher freebore with the medium actions to seat the 156s further out and would that make loading for the shorter bullets tough? The EOLs can be tough to find but the 140 elite hunters are everywhere. Would be nice for some flexibility
I don’t shoot the 140’s. I run 135 JLK’s in my short action now but it is I believe the longer saami freebore. My medium action is throated longer for the 156’s. I also run the 153.5’s in my medium action. They shoot well with 25k jump and they have a higher BC than the 156’s.
There are a couple of options in the short action that will allow you to run longer coal in a short action. Run a bat Vesper or bumblebee with the unknown munitions XL dbm, or utilitie a short action that's capable of utilizing the bainey bdl mag box. Both of these will allow loading to coal over 3.1". My 65saum is on a medium origin using hawkins mags, and my 25prc is on a bumblebee with the unknown dbm. Both run well loaded long, but mag capacity is only 3 rounds. If you're looking to have extended capacity, a medium action to use the mdt xm mags is the best choice, as they can hold 10 rounds.
I’m doing exactly this with the bumblebee and couldn’t be happier. The one caveat with that action is the square bottom. Doesn’t bother me but is something to be aware of.
Edit to add: I’m shooting the 156gr bergers
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2980 in a Short action with a PRC on 156s? Dang, I get that on my 6.5 Saum on a long action with n565 on 156s, and am close to pressure. I must add, with a Ti suppressor which I suspect the back-pressure from it adds to the pressure signs. But are you not close to pressure with that speed in a 6.5prc with in a SA with 156s? Is it the RL26 which gives it the extra oomph without pressure?
