6.5 PRC Help

[Bobcat 33]

I’ve got a 20” prc and you’re gonna have to really step on it to get 3k.

I shoot 130 tmk and tgk’s at 2850-2900ish. That’s with 58.5gr of n565. I didn’t load it any hotter because it shot tiny little groups with that load

Thanks for your help i tried 565 for the first time this evening. 57.5 gave a beautiful group and velocity was 2850, 58 gave me a 3/4" group vel 2871. Im going to shoot over and step up to 58.5 . This has been my best powder yet. I know im going to have to settle for under 3k wishing i had a longer barrel but will make it work.

 

[Backcast88]

Thanks for your help i tried 565 for the first time this evening. 57.5 gave a beautiful group and velocity was 2850, 58 gave me a 3/4" group vel 2871. Im going to shoot over and step up to 58.5 . This has been my best powder yet. I know im going to have to settle for under 3k wishing i had a longer barrel but will make it work.

565 is the best powder I have found to be the best for a lot of 6.5 prc's. I shoot 59.5 and my buddies rifle likes 59g.

 

[Ganderzone]

Looks like everyone else already mentioned it but your not getting 3k safely with 140s. I have a Christensen mesa ft in 6.5 PRC with 20" barrel. With Lapua brass 4831sc I can push 140s to 2900 but you may only get two, max three loadings before the primer pockets give out. Start lower but shoot for 55-55.5 grains of 4831sc, these are hot so work up in half grain increments. I'll be trying n560 shortly but 4831sc shoots great groups.

 

[coast range]

565 is the best powder I have found to be the best for a lot of 6.5 prc's. I shoot 59.5 and my buddies rifle likes 59g.

Tikkas?

 

[Kleiss1]

123 SST in my Grendel killed several whitetails.

 

[JGRaider]

RL26 + 139gr Scenar.

 

[Backcast88]

Tikkas?

Mine is a Seekins PH2 and my buddies is a Seekins Element. Both shooting Peterson brass and CCI 200 primers.

 

[Bobcat 33]

Finally have something working on this give and take game. Tonight for the second time i shot a sub 1/2" moa 100 yards with the 130 TGK at 2870 fps using 57.5 grains of v-N-565. I did have a load i dint get a chance to shoot the other day due to getting dark. It was 62 grains of mag pro vel. at 3080 200 fps faster then the 565 but just under an inch group. Wondering if i should try over or cut back 1/2 grain and see. Like the 565 load the way it groups but the 200 fps has me thinking. At the end of the day would you be satisfied with 2850 from a 20" pipe? And if i had it to do over i would of bought a 24" barrel.

 

[Kleiss1]

The Elk don’t know how fast it hit him.

 

[Bobcat 33]

The Elk don’t know how fast it hit him.

Just deer for this rifle

 

[Kleiss1]

I killed my Elk in Arizona last year at 612 yards with a Browning long range and a Hornady 143. Didn’t move. I’m 72 years old.

 

[Mattman215]

I get 2900 with 140 24in brux. But I chose the most accurate charge and not the fastest. I’m about 2 grains off signs of overpressure. I prob could have safely hit 3k but it just was not important to me.

 

[Bobcat 33]

I killed my Elk in Arizona last year at 612 yards with a Browning long range and a Hornady 143. Didn’t move. I’m 72 years old.

Good for you !

 

[Bobcat 33]

I get 2900 with 140 24in brux. But I chose the most accurate charge and not the fastest. I’m about 2 grains off signs of overpressure. I prob could have safely hit 3k but it just was not important to me.

Good advise , thank you !

 

[Backcast88]

Finally have something working on this give and take game. Tonight for the second time i shot a sub 1/2" moa 100 yards with the 130 TGK at 2870 fps using 57.5 grains of v-N-565. I did have a load i dint get a chance to shoot the other day due to getting dark. It was 62 grains of mag pro vel. at 3080 200 fps faster then the 565 but just under an inch group. Wondering if i should try over or cut back 1/2 grain and see. Like the 565 load the way it groups but the 200 fps has me thinking. At the end of the day would you be satisfied with 2850 from a 20" pipe? And if i had it to do over i would of bought a 24" barrel.

I've seen deer killed with a 204 ruger and I've killed a few with a 223. Both of those were way less in terms of energy compared to the 130 TGK at 2850.

I would test a little more weight of n565 as long as you don't have pressure signs. i think you can get closer to 2950 and still keep it about 1/2-5/8 MOA.

 

[Bobcat 33]

I've seen deer killed with a 204 ruger and I've killed a few with a 223. Both of those were way less in terms of energy compared to the 130 TGK at 2850.

I would test a little more weight of n565 as long as you don't have pressure signs. i think you can get closer to 2950 and still keep it about 1/2-5/8 MOA.

With 57.5 g 560 yesterday i hit 3070 with a .550 group. Finally things are looking up. I have paid my dues with this gun.

 

[1990DSM]

N560 wakes the 6.5PRC up.

 

[Nimbus73]

I'm new enough to reloading that I'm certainly in no position to give advice, and one thing I am having to learn myself is what are realistic vs over zealous velocities. My main guns I'm loading at the moment are my 6.5 PRC Bergara HMR with a 26" barrel and my old 243 win Remington 600 recently rebarreled with a 20" barrel. In both guns, I've struggled with what should be the appropriate velocities for whatever load I'm trying. For my 243 in a 100gr Sierra Gameking, ~2815-2830 is my speed and in a 80gr TTSX 3130 fps is what I've settled on. For the TTSX, I even bought a box of Barnes ammo to shoot just to compare velocity to. My load was within 15 fps of the factory ammo but is giving me 3/4 moa vs 1.5 moa in the factory load. In my PRC, I'm still trying to figure it out with 156 Bergers. Using N560, I start seeing pressure signs about 2930, and my happy spot is just a tad over 2900fps. Weather permitting tomorrow, I'll be confirming some 140gr Accubond on top of H1000 at an expected 3010 fps velocity. It will probably be a little bit more since those velocities were on 75 degrees days and now the the temps are getting into the 90's here in S Louisiana. I've pushed velocities much higher thinking something was lacking in my reloads, but at the end of the day after thorough reflection and finding new information on my particular loads I have dialed my expectations back. I've come to realize there are guys on multiple forums with the knowledge, experience and firearms built to handle the higher pressure/velocities they tout and then there are the speed queens that think everything should shoot 3300fps and probably don't realize their speed brags are unrealistic and potentially dangerous. I'm not in the first category and don't want to put myself in the second. There are publications on the internet that give in-depth information on realistic velocities for given barrel lengths that have helped me understand better. One site that is fresh on my mind is Ballisticstudies.com. It has helped bring me back to earth. For some reason it seems like I recently read an article on Shooting Times also talking about barrel length and velocity, but my notebook isn't handy. Sorry if that ruffles anyone's feathers, that's just how I see it. Like I said earlier, I myself am learning so I'm always on the lookout for load data, and loading techniques from other folks' results good or bad to glean from.

 

[JGRaider]

Over my 40 yrs of reloading, I've learned that chasing top velocity is a waste of time.

 

[Bobcat 33]

Finally seeing the rainbow. Few days a go with the 130 tmk Shot my 3rd group 1/2 moa at 3071 with 57.5 N-560
Had another using 57.5 N-565 but velocity was only 2878.
Wanted to try a 140 have some berger"s and sst's heard conflicting stories on performance so i thought i would go old school and get a box of Hornady 140 innerlock FB spitzer lead tip. H-1000 did not perform 2 night ago. Went out tonight 82 degree and humid. With the n-560 55 grains, .651 group @ 2886. With 56 grains n-560 group was .489 @ 2949 fps. 12.3 ES , This load there was a slight bolt lift feel and small mark on the case. Bit 82 degree humid i wont be hunting. Im thinking now of trying 55.5 grains next time out.
With n-565 started at 55.5 , 56.5, and 57.5 highest vel was 2859 bad group but es was 6.2. Is there a reason to shoot a bad group with a low ES or was it me?
Im thinking for the 140 if im 2925 ish that is pretty good velocity for a 20" pipe?
Ill be hunting anywhere from 20 yard shot to 450 yard shots which bullet of the 2 mentioned to go for. I do know from experience the hornady fb lead tip kills and destroys everything around here. I dont are to mess with any more bullets i now have 150 rounds down this thing with 2 bullets and 5 different powders. One of the most annoying guns i ever fooled with. It chokes on the wrong medicine you feed it.