6.5 PRC/SAUM shortest barrel length

[Oklahoma33]

Current build is a 6.5PRC or SAUM built with the following:

ARC CDG short action
TT primary
MDT HNT26 folder
Atlas Bipod
ATACR 7-35 (MOA for all you haters)
TBAC Ultra 9 (compensating for something)
H1000
Hornady 143gr ELD-X
Hornady once fired brass (will probably buy Lapua)

I’m not settled on barrel length yet. I’ve seen some run down to 18” with good performance. Looking for some of you guys with experience in your builds. I’d like to shoot out to a mile. Shoot coyotes out to 1000. Shoot deer and elk out to 800.

 

[Mike D Texas]

I have a 21” 6.5SAUM Improved.

144 Berger LRHT/H1000 3100fps.

Have shot to a mile. 14.5 MIL at 8000’ DA.

I don’t know what the MOA conversion is because MOA is gay.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I have a 21” 6.5SAUM Improved.

144 Berger LRHT/H1000 3100fps.

Have shot to a mile. 14.5 MIL at 8000’ DA.

I don’t know what the MOA conversion is because MOA is gay.

What powder are you using?

 

[Mike D Texas]

What powder are you using?

H1000


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[Oklahoma33]

I have a 21” 6.5SAUM Improved.

144 Berger LRHT/H1000 3100fps.

Have shot to a mile. 14.5 MIL at 8000’ DA.

I don’t know what the MOA conversion is because MOA is gay.

“Improved” meaning you had the throat milled for extra case length?

MOGay huh?! Haha

 

[Sadler]

My 18” 6.5 PRC is shooting 156 Bergers 2860. Using ADG brass, 215M primers, and 59 grains of N565

 

[hereinaz]

I can shoot all sorts of stuff to a mile, but what is your expectation for precision?

Have you looked at a ballistic calculator for typical wind drift in your area?

My 22 BR with 80 grain ELDm bullets is still going fast enough out to 950 to initiate expansion and kill coyotes, but it will drift a lot.

To shoot to a mile, you have to find a bullet and velocity at your environmental conditions—temp, pressure, humidity and see if the bullet is still supersonic. My 22 BR won’t do it without going subsonic first. Some bullets handle the transonic phase better than others.

A friend’s 22 inch 6.5 PRC rifle with factory loads is transonic at the same distance as my 22 BR, about 1200-1300 yards at the lower elevation we are at the range.

To shoot a mile, and have bullets supersonic, you usually need to squeeze all the velocity possible from the barrel length. Or be shooting in hot temperatures at high elevations.

The short rifle movement is fine for any typical hunting range, but the mile shot will suffer without the velocity.

 

[hereinaz]

“Improved” meaning you had the throat milled for extra case length?

MOGay huh?! Haha

Ackley “improved” changing the body taper and shoulder angle.

 

[Mike D Texas]

“Improved” meaning you had the throat milled for extra case length?

MOGay huh?! Haha

Ackley’ish improved. 45° shoulder and removed body taper.

It is throated longer. My COAL is 3.100” with the 144LRHT.

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[zrodwyo]

I have a 18” 6.5 saum that shoots 140 eld m at 3,000. 61gr h1000.

My intent was to run my ultra 5 on this build but it is extremely loud with the 5”. I run an ultra 9 on it now.

 

[Oklahoma33]

I have a 18” 6.5 saum that shoots 140 eld m at 3,000. 61gr h1000.

My intent was to run my ultra 5 on this build but it is extremely loud with the 5”. I run an ultra 9 on it now.

I have the untra 9 right now. How’s your barrel holding up running that hot?

 

[Oklahoma33]

Ackley’ish improved. 45° shoulder and removed body taper.

It is throated longer. My COAL is 3.100” with the 144LRHT.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

So you started with SAUM brass and fire formed to improved? If you went thru the trouble of running improved why not go improved +P?

 

[zrodwyo]

I have the untra 9 right now. How’s your barrel holding up running that hot?

It’s fine. I would consider 61 grains a warm-ish load in my barrel. I could run a couple more grains if I wanted.

 

[JoeDirt]

My 6.5PRC is a 20" 1/7 twist barrel, Thunder Beast 7". Im at 2900-2950fps with factory Hornady ELDX.

My plan is to eventually load Hammer Hunters with a slightly faster burning powder.

 

[khuber84]

I'd most def go Saum. The saum has a 4gr capacity advantage. The only advantages to prc, is brass options and factory ammo. I've shot out a few prc and saums, I'll only build saums from here on out. I prefer 156/153.5s, if you suspect short range inside 400g engagements 100% the time, a 140tgk had similar bearing surface as the heavy Bergers. My reamer is 0.220 freebore length, loaded rounds are 3.130 touching lands.

 

[Oklahoma33]

I'd most def go Saum. The saum has a 4gr capacity advantage. The only advantages to prc, is brass options and factory ammo. I've shot out a few prc and saums, I'll only build saums from here on out. I prefer 156/153.5s, if you suspect short range inside 400g engagements 100% the time, a 140tgk had similar bearing surface as the heavy Bergers. My reamer is 0.220 freebore length, loaded rounds are 3.130 touching lands.

What does that make your seating depth? New to the reloading side but I’ve got most of the gear necessary.

 

[khuber84]

What does that make your seating depth? New to the reloading side but I’ve got most of the gear necessary.

I can seat up to 40k jump before bearing surface goes below nk shoulder junction. I've found the 156s like to jump 25k in numerous rifles, the 153.5 typically are 35-40k jump. The 140 tgk shot well 20-25k off as well. I typically don't post base to ogive measurements as use an oddball tool for acquiring these dimensions.

 

[Quicksilver]

18” C6 prefit 6.5 saum, 130 Bergers, 61.2gr n565 and 2920fps. Bolt lift at around 3040fps. 120rds down the tube and wouldn’t mind if it sped up slightly.

 

[Oklahoma33]

I can seat up to 40k jump before bearing surface goes below nk shoulder junction. I've found the 156s like to jump 25k in numerous rifles, the 153.5 typically are 35-40k jump. The 140 tgk shot well 20-25k off as well. I typically don't post base to ogive measurements as use an oddball tool for acquiring these dimensions.

Uh oh, idk what you just said. You talking about pressures?

 

[Longtine]

Uh oh, idk what you just said. You talking about pressures?

He’s talking about the distance the bullet jumps to engage the lands. 25k = 0.025” jump etc