PRS Caliber Help

D

DocRDS

Head Maffs Monkey
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 21, 2012
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The Great Beyond
#1
Ugh SO i finally am gonna get off my ass and get an MPA "Production" rifle--in reality just a nice rifle cause I'm a good guy and I deserve it (and I think MPA fits my wants--custom action that takes prefits, chasis)

Now the stupid choice of caliber. Rather than try and start a caliber war--is there any major difference between 6.5 vs 6 Creedmore. Since I am not challenging for the podium but rather just trying to be a better shooter, is it a wash (I know all top guys are 6mm guys), but cost/ballistics all seem to be a wash.

The only thing I've seen is 6 is easier to get back on target to spot trace and 6.5 is easier to see impacts. Other than that "Pick One"

And for those in the meme crowd, if I do go 6, maybe I'll get the Gay Tiger and paint the stock to reflect. I do have pink grips on my USPSA gun because its hysterical.

Edit: Barrel Life--not a concern. It more important that I can get the barrel changed in an afternoon than how often. I imagine multiple barrels either way
 
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#5
Or shoot the creedmoor barrel out and rebarrel to 6 dasher, that seems to be a popular route people are going
 
#6
Only other consideration, whether or not you want to reload. You aren’t going to find factory ammo for BR’s or Dashers. I know prime is making 6gt ammo now, so that’d be a good option if you don’t want to reload.
 
#10
I'd go with the 6.5 Creed. Berger is making ammo for it, and although it may be difficult to find right now, it has shot great out of my rifles,

It is also loaded in Lapua brass so when it comes time to reload, you're good to go.
 
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#11
MinnesotaMulisha said:
I'd go with the 6.5 Creed. Berger is making ammo for it, and although it may be difficult to find right now, it has shot great out of my rifles,

It is also loaded in Lapua brass so when it comes time to reload, you're good to go.
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I agree with this. If you get the MPA in 6.5 the recoil difference isn't much and if you learn to be fundamentally sound, you can win local matches with a 6.5 Creedmoor. You'll have 2.5 to 3k rounds to learn before you rebarrel. Plenty of factory ammo.
 
#14
I second the "just pick one and go out and shoot" option. Just watched Phillip Velayo's Tikka 6.5 CM build vlog on YouTube. In the latest vlog that he released yesterday, he competed with it in a match and placed 7th out of 47 shooters. He attributed his lost points to the barrel heating up/stringing towards the end (iirc 8-12 round count on a stage) and shooter error.
 
#18
Tungsten7 said:
Hold up now sir, we talking the man's cartridge of 6mm and 6.5 not your tiny and slow and completely different 260.

Remington, when your company needs to be remembered by a round and not your guns.
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You would be surprised at how many people at matches are shocked to find that my 260 pushes the same bullets faster with better dope. It's like an alien technology or something. 6.5CM shooters are the millineals of rifle shooters.
 
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#19
ScottDWallace said:
You would be surprised at how many people at matches are shocked to find that my 260 pushes the same bullets faster with better dope. It's like an alien technology or something. 6.5CM shooters are the millineals of rifle shooters.
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Someone argued with me it was a longaction round.. I'm considering it for my next gun because right now it's in stock EVERYWHERE and 6.5 is no where to be had.
 
#20
If you don’t load, don’t even consider 6gt. You’re looking at 1.80+ a round. For the amount of cash you’d spend on 2000 rnds, you can buy like 3 6cm barrels and enough hornady ammo to burn one out.

6.5 or 6cm or possibly .260 are really the only realistic options for factory ammo. Personally if barrel life isn’t a big deal, 6cm is easy button for prs.
 
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#23
@DocRDS go 6 creed. It has les recoil than 6.5 and will be more enjoyable to shoot for longer periods at the range. Daniel Defense offers it in their new Delta 5 version 2.


rydah said:
6.5 creedmoor ain’t holding anyone back from winning matches.
Shooting a 130gr with the weight of most rifles now a days (+18 lbs), you wont have any issues spotting impacts and if you do then some training and instruction is what’s needed not gear.

Also I hate to sound like a broken record but check out the ARC Nucleus production rifle. You can’t beat it for the price at the moment. It’s a crazy deal.

I’m sure the rifle offered by ARC is of great quality, but I just can’t get past how ugly they are - to me that chassis is hideous. Luckily it’s one choice among many that we can spend our money on.

Good luck to the OP.
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#24
MinnesotaMulisha said:
I'd go with the 6.5 Creed. Berger is making ammo for it, and although it may be difficult to find right now, it has shot great out of my rifles,

It is also loaded in Lapua brass so when it comes time to reload, you're good to go.
Click to expand...

Ssssshhhhh... you're giving away my best kept secret lol. I love the Berger loaded ammo and usually keep a couple of cases on hand for those times when i can't reload or I'm just too lazy. It shoots VERY well out of my rifles
 
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#25
so i ran a factory bergara bmp in 6.5 cm first 2 seasons on nrl and a bunch of local matches i really like the cartridge 140 eldm bla bla then i started running a 6br 110 sierra match kinks zero recoil by comparison to 6.5 not a thump issue but man what a diff remaining on target in glass spotting misses etc had a few hick ups with mag feeding issues i think thats worked out now im hearing good things about 6gt near xc performance with none of the br mag head aches so its definatly on my radar when this barrel hits end life the lack of small rifle primers currently has me thankful that i have a 6.5 large rifle primer brass and a solid supply to feed it but really choosing is a personal thing since your considering several of the 6s im gonna guess your a reloader...
 
#28
Don’t worry about factory ammo. Any place that stocks Hornady match in 6.5 also likely stocks 6mm Creed. If you are unconcerned about barrel life and don’t mind rebarreling then 6mm is simply a joy to shoot and easy as pie to make up accurate loads for. Drop a 108ELD match or Berger Hybrid on top of 40.4 grains of 4350 and you’ll likely be darned close to a sweet spot.
It also looks like that MPA is being offered in 6GT if you reload. I haven’t shot it but I’ve been curious about the cartridge and it seems logical.
 
#29
I will start out by saying there is a reason all of the top shooters are shooting a 6mm cartridge. There was a time several years ago you would see some 6.5x47s in the mix, but I don't ever remember any of the top guys shooting 6.5 creed. 6 creed, yes. but not 6.5.

Since you don't want to have to reload, i would look at the 6 creed. a bunch of guys are still shooting it and have won with it this year, so its a very capable round. Hell, i may spin up a barrel for one for my impact actions (I have one in an AI that i don't shoot comp with anymore) if i can't get my hands on any more SRP or Varget for my dasher and/or 6GT.

honestly, not much else to say about that. I see no reason to get the 6.5 over the 6. period
 
#30
mpk1996 said:
I will start out by saying there is a reason all of the top shooters are shooting a 6mm cartridge. There was a time several years ago you would see some 6.5x47s in the mix, but I don't ever remember any of the top guys shooting 6.5 creed. 6 creed, yes. but not 6.5.

Since you don't want to have to reload, i would look at the 6 creed. a bunch of guys are still shooting it and have won with it this year, so its a very capable round. Hell, i may spin up a barrel for one for my impact actions (I have one in an AI that i don't shoot comp with anymore) if i can't get my hands on any more SRP or Varget for my dasher and/or 6GT.

honestly, not much else to say about that. I see no reason to get the 6.5 over the 6. period
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Not sure where your info comes from. There was definitely more than “some” 6.5x47 and 6.5cm was very popular. Both were very popular among top shooters around the 2012-2015 and prior to that.
 
#31
Also THE OP IS NOT A TOP SHOOTER. He has a lot of work to do from where he is at now just starting and any small differences in ballistics or recoil between 6.5 or 6mm will not make any difference. He will be a few barrels down before he even has to start worrying about it.
 
#32
Dthomas3523 said:
Not sure where your info comes from. There was definitely more than “some” 6.5x47 and 6.5cm was very popular. Both were very popular among top shooters around the 2012-2015 and prior to that.
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My info is from shooting matches. And yes, that’s what I said. A few years ago people shot 6.5s. Now no one does, and certainly not the 6.5 creed. There is a reason for that. You obviously don’t understand, so let me explain. And it doesn’t matter if the OP is a top shooter or not. Why would you start to compete in a sport and handicap yourself from the get go.

Simply, the game has changed. The competition has gotten better and better. So, the MDs have made stages harder and harder, shooting off of more rickety barricades and at smaller targets to separate out the top shooters. As such the shooters have adapted, favoring heavier rifles and smaller, very accurate calibers to be able to maintain as much stability and recoil control as possible.

So, the assessment stands. Out of the conditions and wanting quality factory match ammo, get the 6 creed. Period.
 
#33
Rob01 said:
Also THE OP IS NOT A TOP SHOOTER. He has a lot of work to do from where he is at now just starting and any small differences in ballistics or recoil between 6.5 or 6mm will not make any difference. He will be a few barrels down before he even has to start worrying about it.
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Not true at all. And why would you invest in dies and a setup to know you are going to change in the future. That’s just stupid

The fact that he is not a top shooter is irrelevant. The point is there is a reason the top shooters are using specific calibers. And why wouldn’t you want to take advantage of those?
 
#34
mpk1996 said:
Not true at all. And why would you invest in dies and a setup to know you are going to change in the future. That’s just stupid

The fact that he is not a top shooter is irrelevant. The point is there is a reason the top shooters are using specific calibers. And why wouldn’t you want to take advantage of those?
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it is not irrelevant at all. People get into the sport shooting .308s. He need to practice. The fact is he can not take advantage of any of the small differences now. He needs a few years of shooting to learn the game and practice. He will get more of that per barrel with a 6.5. Easy to change over when he can tell the difference. Plain and simple.
 
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#35
Rob01 said:
it is not irrelevant at all. People get into the sport shooting .308s. He need to practice. The fact is he can not take advantage of any of the small differences now. He needs a few years of shooting to learn the game and practice. He will get more of that per barrel with a 6.5. Easy to change over when he can tell the difference. Plain and simple.
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Of course he can. How can he not take advantage of the less recoil and being able to spot more misses/impacts? That’s the most ridiculous advice I’ve heard of yet

Might as well suggest he gets a 308, fixed power moa scope and go fill an old sock with sand. I mean that’s how we all did it in the past. None of this is a right of passage. The few extra round you get is insignificant. Honestly if you are worried about barrel life, this is the wrong sport to get into.
 
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#36
mpk1996 said:
Of course he can. How can he not take advantage of the less recoil and being able to spot more misses/impacts? That’s the most ridiculous advice I’ve heard of yet

Might as well suggest he gets a 308, fixed power moa scope and go fill an old sock with sand. I mean that’s how we all did it in the past. None of this is a right of passage. The few extra round you get is insignificant. Honestly if you are worried about barrel life, this is the wrong sport to get into.
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With a good brake and a typical weight rifle there is no problem spotting hits with a 6.5. Ridiculous is you thinking you can’t. That’s the 6mm brainwash that you cant do anything if it’s not a 6mm. But in the end it’s up to the OP and he can learn his own lessons.
 
#37
@mpk1996 I thought this was the other PRS build thread of recent postings and the OP in that was a brand new shooter. This guy is too and my advice still stands but just wanted to say I had the threads confused.
 
#38
Just listened to a podcast with Jon Pynch, and Dan Bertochini apparently shoots and wins national matches with a 6.5 creedmoor. With solid fundamentals there is practically no issue maintaining the reticle on target under recoil with the 6.5cm, with dramatically longer barrel life.
 
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#40
Rob01 said:
With a good brake and a typical weight rifle there is no problem spotting hits with a 6.5. Ridiculous is you thinking you can’t. That’s the 6mm brainwash that you cant do anything if it’s not a 6mm. But in the end it’s up to the OP and he can learn his own lessons.
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Ok. So then explain to me why all of us shoot 6mm then? Why have we all gravitated away from the 6.5 to the 6? If it was better wouldn’t they dominate?

The difference here is this. If he had a 6.5 creed and was asking if he could/should shoot it to start or if he should buy another rifle, then yes. Keep what you have. Same if he had a good 308, I’d advise the same

But he is buying a new rifle for PRS. So why wouldn’t you go where everyone else has gone? Why reinvent the wheel? For a few hundred rounds of extra barrel life?

And with the same good brake and weight rifle, the 6 will recoil less than the 6.5.
 
#41
Mxridr said:
Dan has not placed lower than 2nd shooting a 6.5 creedmoor. He is an excellent shooter. Look at the prs and nrl standings.
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That’s not entirely true.

Actually didn’t know dan was shooting the 6.5. I don’t know him, but know Jon pretty well. Jon shoots a dasher. And I don’t know of another shooter in the top 50-60 not shooting a 6. So good on dan doing it with a 6.5.

But one out of 60+ does not make a trend. It’s more of an anomaly. As I’ve said before. Can you do it? Sure. But why?
 
#42
Can’t answer why but there is a large herd mentality in this sport. One guy wins with a pink rifle wearing a unicorn horn and there will probably be 10 guys out the week after with that set up.

The recoil on both is more than mild enough to spot shots and make hits fast. It up to the shooters skill set to win.
 
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#44
If you are trying to see if we are in our positions due to what we shoot I know it’s not the case with me. I shoot the 6.5 as well as a 6 Creed and a .308 in matches. All depends on what I feel like shooting at the time. Got a .223 barrel being spun up now so that will be fun next year too.
 
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#46
reubenski said:
For competitions, I have 2x 308s, a 223, and 4 x 6mm's. I don't shoot 6.5 purely because I think it's redundant and less optimized to a 6mm in competition. The only 6.5 i have is for hunting. Competition only requires the steel to make a "Ting" sound. It doesn't require a 178gr or 140gr bullet to do that. Not really sure why a person would think they even need a 6.5
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Why? Why not? Variety is the spice of life. I like shooting this sport for fun or I wouldn’t have been doing it for almost 18 years. Have shot different calibers for my own reasons. I like the 6.5 as I don’t have to replace the barrel as often but it still performs. Yes the 6 has slightly less recoil but as I said both are light enough to do the job at hand. If the OP wants a 6 Creed then great. He will have fun with it too hopefully.

OP, Calibers are always changing in this sport so you will go crazy chasing the next and latest and greatest. Pick a solid performer and learn to shoot it.
 
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#49
Rob01 said:
Can’t answer why but there is a large herd mentality in this sport. One guy wins with a pink rifle wearing a unicorn horn and there will probably be 10 guys out the week after with that set up.

The recoil on both is more than mild enough to spot shots and make hits fast. It up to the shooters skill set to win.
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If you don't think there is a recoil advantage to shooting a 6mm over the 6.5mm well, you just will never get it. you keep saying its mild enough to spot shots. sure, under certain circumstances. And thats what you are not getting. Its not about the 99 shots, its about the 2-3 that you get the advantage. the others don't matter as far as caliber goes. you will see them (or not) regardless. Its that shot thats off of the poor barricade or whatever that you see and the guy shooting the 6.5 doesn't. And don't tell me its not the case, its simply not true. thats where the advantage is. seeing that one shot that others didn't and being able to correct and make the follow up shots. Its the same as having top end glass. its not worth 50 points in a match, its worth 1, maybe two. And now those points matter at the top.

you say "well this guy isn't a top shooter". so what. so he should suffer because of it? maybe he sees one or two more shots during a match and can correct. realizes what he has done "wrong" and can fix it. Gives him more confidence for the rest of the match rather than seeing nothing and hitting nothing.

I don't know why guys are always think that cause someone else is using it they are fanboys. thats just ignorant. thats the 1970s marine gunnery sergeant saying everyone only needs to shoot with iron sights on their rifle cause thats how they did it and it worked just fine. great you do OK with a 6.5. but its inspite of having one, not because you have one. lets face it, i wouldn't be shooting a dasher in an ELR comp. I wouldn't be pushing the 6mm in a king of 2 miles. right tool for the job, and if one tool gives me the advantage, thats what im going to use. period
 
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