6.5 PRC Lightweight Backcountry Rifle

[njc89]

Is there any concern buying (or building ) a 6.5 prc in a standard short action? With a SAAMI spec oal of about 2.9”, don’t you get into similar limitations as say a 284 Winchester if you want to shoot longer bullets or load them out a ways?

 

[hicountry1]

CA Ridgeline, 6.5prc,Stockys carbon fiber stock....

Easily under 7lbs all up with a lighter scope.

 

[bkraushaar]

I'm considering changing from my .30-06 to something slightly lighter recoiling for deer/elk (sub-500yrds). Could the 6.5prc be a good choice for that?

 

[Nicaburns]

The PRC is a pussycat for recoil that most folks seem to equate as about 308 level. Definitely well below the venerable ‘06

 

[hereinaz]

I'm considering changing from my .30-06 to something slightly lighter recoiling for deer/elk (sub-500yrds). Could the 6.5prc be a good choice for that?

Yes.

And, the 6 or 6.5 creed are adequate/better for sub 500 yards.

If my shots are going to be inside 500 yards, I take my 6 mm BRA which is about like a 6.5 creed ballistically.

 

[Dsellen14]

What barrel? Is there anything wrong with the one they come with? Wouldn't chopping off 4" of a superlite get me there? I don't think the fluting starts for about 5 or 6".

Yep its not much meat from the end of the fluting to the tip of the barrel.. Enough for maybe 4".

 

[700-223]

I'm considering changing from my .30-06 to something slightly lighter recoiling for deer/elk (sub-500yrds). Could the 6.5prc be a good choice for that?

Yes, it’s an excellent choice for that.

 

[Ecampbell25]

Save up and build a custom. I couldn’t find what I wanted so I built it. More expensive but I got what I wanted.

If that’s not the route you want to go. Look at seekins or Springfield armory’s waypoint.

 

[mmenart]

There is very little that separates the 6.5 PRC and a 270 at hunting ranges. The recoil, like the 270, is between a 308 and 30-06. Your specs point toward a custom rifle, as most of the short-barreled, compact factory rifles are chambered in lighter cartridges. Also, factory rifles for 6.5 PRC tend to have mid-length barrels compared across a set of cartridge offerings. I'm not entirely sure why, perhaps because the thinner calibers prefer a longer barrel to get up to speed and/or velocity (as a function of barrel length) being a very heavily focused selling point of Hornady's cartridges. There are a few factory options though with some overlap:

The Weatherby Camilla has a 13" LOP, if that matters to you more than barrel length (22" without the brake). Would have to go 280 AI or .243 for something similar to 6.5 PRC. Top of your price range for just the rifle.

Mark V® Camilla Ultra Lightweight - Weatherby, Inc.

The Camilla Ultra Lightweight was designed by women, for women. The graceful lines are befitting of the way the stock fits female shooters. FINISH Barrel / Receiver / Brake - Midnight Bronze Cerakote Bolt / Bolt Knob / Trigger Guard / Safety - Graphite Black Cerakote Hand-laid, raised Monte...

weatherby.com

Xbolt SPR has a 13 5/8 LOP with a 20" barrel in 6.5 PRC. Meets your price point with a good scope.

X-Bolt Speed SPR - Bolt Action Rifle - Browning

Bolt-action Browning X-Bolt with suppressor-ready, match grade, fluted sporter weight barrel. Composite stock with OVIX camo. Smoked Bronze Cerakote metal finish.

www.browning.com

T3x compact comes with a 12.5" LOP and 20" barrel, comes in a few lighter calibers but 308 kills elk and works well in a shorter barrel. Meets your price point with a great scope.

Choose your own Tikka rifle from a variety of innovative models

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If it is 6.5 PRC ballistics you are after, Backfire has done some talky bits on a 20" barreled 6.5 PRC and 24" barreled 6.5 Creed being only 30 fps apart. It's the same idea as a shortened 30-06 shooting as fast as a longer barreled 308. You could flip this though and split the difference for a 22" 6.5 Creed. No animal would know the difference inside normal hunting ranges, and you could be more confident with the lower recoil on the mountain and at the range in a light weight rifle.

That brings up another factory option, a Savage 110 Ultralite, which has adjustable LOP down to 12 3/4. The 22" 6.5 CM option is 5.8 lbs. This could work well for both you and your kid, as you can change the pull length as needed, and the recoil would be more kid-friendly. They also offer a 22" 270, which would have a higher mag capacity than a 6.5 PRC, more reliable feeding from a slimmer cartridge, the same ballistics inside of 500 yards, and a bit more surface area in the expanded slug.

Or get a fancy custom gun for yourself and a standard youth model for your kid..