6.5 PRC

[IHFarmer07]

6.5PRC, WTO switch barrel Bighorn Origin, 26” Krieger LT Palma 1-7 4 groove, Athlon Cronus BTR, Nightforce rings, KRG Bravo.

42*F, 29.76 inHg, 54%RH, -908 Dalt, environment taken with kestrel 5700 ballistic/link model.
55.4gr RE26, Gunwerks neck turned virgin brass, CCI200, 147 eldm at 3023fps avg. logged for shots. I have velocities for these four but not here at this time. 650yrds taken with sig 2000, 3.4mil of elevation and .2mil left.



I tried the previous Sunday and nothing was working on my favor, kinda forgot to zero the rifle at 100 which threw everything off, pretty sure I adjusted the windage wrong, kestrel wasn’t set up yet, freaking armadillo ran 22yrds in front of the target and at 628 the little bastard was always moving and was pretty hard to hit, getting dark and my pregnant wife wanted me to grill some steaks.....shot this Tuesday. Pretty happy with the load/rifle.

 

[IHFarmer07]

Anyone here ever try Ramshot Magnum with the PRC?? Hows the temp stability in your opinion?

 

[ShooterM1]

6.5PRC, WTO switch barrel Bighorn Origin, 26” Krieger LT Palma 1-7 4 groove, Athlon Cronus BTR, Nightforce rings, KRG Bravo.

42*F, 29.76 inHg, 54%RH, -908 Dalt, environment taken with kestrel 5700 ballistic/link model.
55.4gr RE26, Gunwerks neck turned virgin brass, CCI200, 147 eldm at 3023fps avg. logged for shots. I have velocities for these four but not here at this time. 650yrds taken with sig 2000, 3.4mil of elevation and .2mil left.

View attachment 7254362
View attachment 7254363
I tried the previous Sunday and nothing was working on my favor, kinda forgot to zero the rifle at 100 which threw everything off, pretty sure I adjusted the windage wrong, kestrel wasn’t set up yet, freaking armadillo ran 22yrds in front of the target and at 628 the little bastard was always moving and was pretty hard to hit, getting dark and my pregnant wife wanted me to grill some steaks.....shot this Tuesday. Pretty happy with the load/rifle.

Is your Bighorn a long or short action for the 6.5 PRC?

 

[IHFarmer07]

Is your Bighorn a long or short action for the 6.5 PRC?

Short action

 

[42N8 1]

Im looking at having a 6.5 PRC built. What is the optimal barrel length to maximize the calibers potential? I was considering between 24-26 in barrel. I will probably order from Bartlein. Also what kind of twist rate? I was thinking 1/8 twist barrel. This rifle will be used for mid range target shooting and some hunting.

 

[b2lee]

What is your definition of 'medium range' and how much weight are you comfortable with carrying around where you hunt?

 

[42N8 1]

What is your definition of 'medium range' and how much weight are you comfortable with carrying around where you hunt?

I am comfortable with humping around 12-14 lbs of rifle. Medium range 1000-1600 meters. I will be shooting between 3500-8000 feet in elevation.

 

[IHFarmer07]

Im looking at having a 6.5 PRC built. What is the optimal barrel length to maximize the calibers potential? I was considering between 24-26 in barrel. I will probably order from Bartlein. Also what kind of twist rate? I was thinking 1/8 twist barrel. This rifle will be used for mid range target shooting and some hunting.

In general, I was always told and I’ve read to maximize the potential of a magnum is to have a 26” or longer barrel......depends on if you want to run a suppressor.

Do you have a preference on bullets or know what you will be shooting? Because that could matter as to what twist rate you should have.....if you was to shoot monos, a 7.5” or 7”. I was wanting 7.5 but I decided to try 1-7”. I had my first 147eldm blow up the other day, shot about 200 147eldms and that was the first I had do that. I’d like to start to shooting monos for deer hunting so that’s kinda why I went with a faster twist.

 

[Sticks]

Gotta love Hornady and their new "Air-Burst" technology incorporated into their ELD bullets.

 

[IHFarmer07]

Gotta love Hornady and their new "Air-Burst" technology incorporated into their ELD bullets.

Lol yep.....just can’t take the rpms.....I think that shot was only 3018fps though.

 

[6brshooter]

Do the math on that, what was the rpm of bullet? Manufacturers have rpm limits on bullets.

On your origin, what stock and mag are you using? I had an origin, briefly in 6.5prc in a manners gen1 mini chassis. It feed good, but the shape of the ejection port and size of the PRC case would cause it to catch empties between top rear corner of port and the top rd in mag. I used these same unmodified mags in a deadline in 6.5orc without issues, but its ejection port is shaped and sized like an ai.

 

[IHFarmer07]

Do the math on that, what was the rpm of bullet? Manufacturers have rpm limits on bullets.

On your origin, what stock and mag are you using? I had an origin, briefly in 6.5prc in a manners gen1 mini chassis. It feed good, but the shape of the ejection port and size of the PRC case would cause it to catch empties between top rear corner of port and the top rd in mag. I used these same unmodified mags in a deadline in 6.5orc without issues, but its ejection port is shaped and sized like an ai.

310,422.857rpms

Ya I read some where what the max was on a 147eldm....don’t remember lol.

I’m using a KRG Bravo with a...... .223 accurate mag mag. Took the .223 plastic crap out, put it back together with the guts of another mag that got a 6br kit from primal rights for my Valkyrie, tried it, it works and has been working great!

The other day I stuffed 4rnds in that lil guy and nothing liked it much. When I chambered round #5 and then put the mag in, #5 casing would hang up like you said and on #4 round, then it was like a chain reaction.....there was obviously too much pressure on the cartridges to the point that when I’d move round #4 in the chamber it would hang up on the cartridges below and would push #3 forward in the mag and just wouldn’t feed......thought I’d try it once since I can fit 4 in the mag but it just don’t work, I’d say if the mag was about a 1/2” longer 4 would fit without the issues. Other than my experiments with what works and don’t work, it feeds, functions and ejects great, at 2.264”cbto or ~2.960 coal.

 

[Sticks]

Do the math on that, what was the rpm of bullet? Manufacturers have rpm limits on bullets....

Known issue with 147 ELD bullets of a certain lot or two. My PRC is a 1:8, factory and reloads are running 3020. I have quite a few of "Anybody see the impact?"

....

"No Call".

Good dope, next target 20y farther out and +.1 mil is a center hit.

1k bulk purchase of 147s. I have no idea what lot #. Original package was distibuted into saved 100ct boxes.

 

[6brshooter]

I've heard a few blow ups on 147, but the guys having issues were using big cases, 7 tw, and/or barrels that were fairly wore(rougher bores damaging jackets). I ran 147@3050 in my prc without issue(8tw), and 147@2730 in 8tw 6.5creed. With the speed on tap in most 20"+ 6.5prc, 8 tw is plenty fast enough for 147gr and lighter. The 145 barnes, 150smk, 156 berger, 153 atip probably need 7.5 or 7, depending on barrel length/speed.

 

[IHFarmer07]

I’ve been reading on long range only that ppl there are saying it maybe something to the amount of grooves and rate of twist in a barrel that are causing this.....they are saying 3 and 4 groove barrels are upsetting the jacket too much for the amount of twist rate. That’s what they’ve been saying anyway......at any rate if it’s under 300,000rpms I think I read, you don’t have near the problem.

 

[nexusfire]

My Seekins Havak shot the 143 eldx factory ammo over 2900 fps with a 24" barrel.

 

[IHFarmer07]

I’ve also read that the amount of rpms are the reason some ppl have trouble with some bullets not “performing” the way they should on game vs other ppl with the same bullet.....

 

[IHFarmer07]

Effects of 3 and 4 Groove Barrels on thin Jacketed Bullets

OK, much of this is related to what I have seen first hand and how we were able to fix some problems. The rest is from some research I have done over the years. It started years and years ago with reports of some jacketed bullets "blowing up" on impact with little to no penetration. Back then...

www.longrangeonly.com

You are being redirected...

 

[Cascade Hemi]

I had a 224 75gr ELDM going 3100fps out of a 1/7 blow up on Friday.

 

[BCX]

338 285 ELD @ 3100 FPS NOT blowing up from a 1-9 twist. 400 sent downrange no issues!

 

[6brshooter]

I've had 105gr hybrids blow up in a 8tw at 3175. Barrel was at 1400rds, pretty dirty, and it was hot.

 

[IHFarmer07]

I’m thinking mine might have been on the warm side and probably plenty of powder fouling, guessing, but the next 5 went into a ragged hole at a 100 with testing 54.7gr of re26 and fed 210m’s.

In my gun I think I like fed210m’s with re26although cci200’s weren’t bad but with the feds I can lower charge weight from 55.4gr of re26 to 54.7gr of re26 and still be ~3010-3020 with great accuracy and es/sd’s. I tried magnum primers in feds and cci’s and not good at all.

Cci200 and re23 is what I’m wanting to try now since I have a little over 2”lbs of that and 1lb of re26.....waiting for inventory to become plentiful again, but idk I think I like the re23 more as it’s not as hard to get, at 100 it does just as good as re26. Been waiting for a good day to take the re23 loads to distance since I messed up when I made them.....couldn’t read my hand writing and I didn’t double check, but instead of 53.4gr re23 I had 55.4......??. Good thing I caught myself right after of course I just got done seating the last bullet, fuck!

 

[6brshooter]

140eldm, h1000, and cci200

Same load, almost cover with a dime

 

[6brshooter]

Might look into imr 8133 and the one that's just faster. Both are enduron and temp stable. I've got a lb of 8388, but was able to find 12lb of h1000

 

[IHFarmer07]

Might look into imr 8133 and the one that's just faster. Both are enduron and temp stable. I've got a lb of 8388, but was able to find 12lb of h1000

I did try IMR 8133, didn’t like the speed and it never really gave me a good node to look deeper into it so I moved on. Maybe if I tried a different primer....it might work, hmmm, might try that some time, try fed210m, might work better.

 

[6brshooter]

In the 6.5prc reloading thread, several guys had better results with non magnum primers. I have 10k cci200, so I just rolled with them. I've found very little difference between them and br2, accuracy and sd are the same and maybe 5-10fps difference in ave speed.

My 6.5prc deadline

 

[IHFarmer07]

I started out buying 100-200 of all of the cci’s just to test and find what will work and what won’t, same for federal and maybe 100 Remingtons.....Now I bought a 1000 each of fed210m and cci200 because I don’t feel the need to try anything else and don’t feel like it will help that much better than where I am now. Probably buy more down the road to be stocked up for future, I have enough to burn this barrel out so. I don’t shoot competitively, just for fun and hunting so.

 

[Dj907]

Here’s my 6.5 PRC

 

[42N8 1]

View attachment 7274114
Here’s my 6.5 PRC

How do you like the stock? I'm considering the same.

 

[Dj907]

How do you like the stock? I'm considering the same.

I like the stock a lot ??

 

[IHFarmer07]

Took the ol girl out tonight, 650yrds was ok, had cleaned the the powder residue out because I had a bullet blow up so I thought I would clean it a bit, didn’t clean the copper out though and the first three rnds were all sorts of wonky getting it seasoned, that’s why the one wide and right didn’t get counted and the rest was the scope correction. All rounds were loaded, realized I fucked up on charge weight, pulled bullets, resized, recharged and then seated same pulled bullets.

weather:50*F, 29.59inHg, 66%RH, -117 Dalt
53.4gr re23, cci200, 147eldm at 2.264bto, 10 shots were taken at this target.
1-2977, 2-2988, 3-2992, 4-3003, 5-2994
Av-2990, es-26, sd-9.4 these were loaded for a longer period of time)
1-3004, 2-3003, 3-2996, 4-2997, 5-2997
Av-2999, es-8, sd-3.7

1083yrd target......same load as the one just above here. It started to mist and target was starting to get blurry from the mist.
1-3009, 2-3003, 3-3004, 4-2998, 5-3003
av-3003, es-11, sd-3.8



Annnnd a little fun took two shots at 1083yrds with my re26 load....first shot was at the handle and second shot was a .2mil correction and hit great, no explosion though☹. 54.7g re26, fed 210m, 147eldm at 2.264”bto. Both shots were at 3013fps.

 

[IHFarmer07]

Anyone have some sort of starting powder charge for Re26 and Re23 shooting 120-127g solid copper bullets?......I have some 125g Badlands Bulldozers and I’d like to work up some loads but I can’t find any posted data to go off of.