6.5 PRC - state of the union in early 2020?

[Desk Jockey]

Looking for some in-the-woods perspectives. So, for those that have taken critters with these, what say ye?

This round seems to be gaining on the others in some of the gun press and it has its fans on the forums. Curious to hear who among you roksliders is shooting what with it and how is it working out.

 

[Evergreen]

Used mine in the field this last season for the first time. Montana mule deer went down in seconds. Shooting 140g Accubond at 3050fps. So far my only experience on a critter but very confident in using it deer out to 600 and elk out to 400.

 

[Brightwhite]

I don’t have the PRC but I have a 6.5-284 which is a ballistic twin. I shoot the 143gr ELDX at 2950 out of my 24” barrel. So far I have 7 one shot kills ranging from 50 yards (wild hog) to 400 yards (antelope). It’s dropped mule deer, a caribou, and an elk as well...again all 1 shot kills. I think any caliber pushing a 140 class bullet pretty fast makes it a deadly choice and the PRC is a good choice if you’re after a gun to shoot a variety of animals and not a 1000 yard gun for elk. When I shoot out my 6.5-384 barrel it’s going to be hard not to rechamber in the PRC to get the same ballistics just in a different package.

Are you looking to build or buy?

 

[jeffpg]

My history has been one of using a 7mm Magnum or a Fast 30 to cover everything from deer sized game to elk. Whenever I looked at the smaller calibers and compared ballistics I couldn't justify stepping down in power.

The 6.5 PRC has me considering it though. I am about to build another custom rifle, and although I have plenty of very nice factory rifles in 7mm Rem Mag, including many from the Leupold Custom Shop, my relatively new custom built long range rigs are based on the 28 Nosler and 300 RUM.

The decision I am now facing is whether to try the 6.5 with the new build, or to put that investment into a cartridge that I have extensive experience with and know that I love, the tried and true 7mm Rem Mag.

I am actually tempted to do both...

 

[Desk Jockey]

Are you looking to build or buy?

Thinking about buying. I am primarily a bowhunter and not exactly a rifle nut.

I have a 6.5 creed that I am very happy with that has proven to be good deer medicine back here in the east where most shots are less than 200 yards and the deer are ~150# give or take. I have a remington 700 in 300 win mag that isn't quite the gun I was hoping it would be. I don't see a lot of brown bear or moose in my near future, but i am trying to do some longer range target shooting and would like to push my hunting "comfort" range to 400 yards. I would also like to have a good rifle with a little more crack than the creed in the stable and my 300 is OK but not great in that role.

If I was going to buy something it might make sense to go with an round like the 6.5 PRC instead of a better win mag.

One of my concerns is that I am not a reloader really and I like to stick with widely available calibers. I tend to order ammo by the half case or case online but i like to be able to find 2-3 flavors of a caliber at my local wally world or sports shops, just in case. That kept me from jumping not he 6.5 creedmor bandwagon for a while but , once it started showing up in my local Walmart, I figured it was here to stay.

 

[sheepaholic]

The Christensen arms ridgeline are a great gun and great price point mine shoot factory ammo .5 moa.
Love the 6.5 PRC round replqced my custom 28 nosler with a ridgeline prc.

 

[Kotaman]

I’ve killed 3 sheep, two Caribou and a couple deer with my Gunwerks Clymer 6.5 PRC. Shooting the 143 Hornady ELD X @2975. Gun is super accurate and a proven killer. With that said, I’m gonna play around with a Weatherby 6.5 RPM in the Back Country Ti this year just for comparison sake.

 

[Blakelok]

A few custom builders have said that 6.5 PRC is outselling 6.5 CM, there are a ton of factory rifle offerings, and some additional ammo options coming out this year. I picked up a Mauser M18 for $500 to see how I would like the caliber. I’m pleased with the rifle, recoil isn’t bad at all, very accurate.

Won’t be using the ELD-X again for sage brush country hunting, but will gladly take it out on pasture shoots. You mentioned hunting back east and you don’t reload... I would hold off for another season and let the ammo manufacturers catch up. That being said this rifle is staying but won’t be my primary for the time being.

Texas Hill Country Whitetail at 110 yards with Hornady Precision Hunter:

 

[Ryan Avery]

My wife and I have taken seven animals with 6.5 PRC. It's a fantastic little round.

 

[Ryan Avery]

A few custom builders have said that 6.5 PRC is outselling 6.5 CM, there are a ton of factory rifle offerings, and some additional ammo options coming out this year. I picked up a Mauser M18 for $500 to see how I would like the caliber. I’m pleased with the rifle, recoil isn’t bad at all, very accurate.

Won’t be using the ELD-X again for sage brush country hunting, but will gladly take it out on pasture shoots. You mentioned hunting back east and you don’t reload... I would hold off for another season and let the ammo manufacturers catch up. That being said this rifle is staying but won’t be my primary for the time being.

Texas Hill Country Whitetail at 110 yards with Hornady Precision Hunter:

That can happen with almost any bullet at that speed, that close and hitting bone.

 

[Tahoe1305]

Agree with the thoughts on 6.5mm bullets going 2900+ being lethal. That said my factory Tikka with handloads is getting that 2900 with 143 ELDX and I couldn’t justify the minor increase in speed to jump to the PRC. Factory ammo would be a different story though. The Tikkas just have really long throats allowing to load Creedmoor long and get awesome performance.

 

[howl]

I see only two factory loads with about the same grain weight. Nothing wrong with that, just is.

 

[Blakelok]

Barnes has 127gr LRX coming out, but that is the only other factory hunting load I can find at the moment besides Hornady.

 

[carter33]

I’ve killed 3 sheep, two Caribou and a couple deer with my Gunwerks Clymer 6.5 PRC. Shooting the 143 Hornady ELD X @2975. Gun is super accurate and a proven killer. With that said, I’m gonna play around with a Weatherby 6.5 RPM in the Back Country Ti this year just for comparison sake.

What length barrel and powder if hand loading? I am having a 6.5 PRC built with a 20” barrel that should be complete in about a month. My first choice is the 143 eldx if they shoot well and I may try loading some 156 Bergers also. I have some H1000 on hand but am asking a local shop if they can order some N565 for me as well.

 

[Kotaman]

What length barrel and powder if hand loading? I am having a 6.5 PRC built with a 20” barrel that should be complete in about a month. My first choice is the 143 eldx if they shoot well and I may try loading some 156 Bergers also. I have some H1000 on hand but am asking a local shop if they can order some N565 for me as well.

24' tube. (just switched to a 22" but haven't chrono'd it yet) Have not reloaded for this as the factory Hornandy 143 ELD X shoots fantastic and is fairly inexpensive.

 

[joelbiltz]

7 for 7 out of a 6.5 PRC from 60-560 yards all in 2019. The javelina was killed at 60 with factory 143 ELDX. All the rest of the critters were killed with a 140 Berger VLD-H. From 80-560. All DRT, not one step after the shot on any of them. I am very pleased with this round. Light recoil and extremely accurate and kills very well!!!

 

[Motown]

Agree with the thoughts on 6.5mm bullets going 2900+ being lethal. That said my factory Tikka with handloads is getting that 2900 with 143 ELDX and I couldn’t justify the minor increase in speed to jump to the PRC. Factory ammo would be a different story though. The Tikkas just have really long throats allowing to load Creedmoor long and get awesome performance.

Just curious what load you are using getting 2900 with the 143’s? Not doubting you at all but I am going to start loading for my tikka shortly and want to try to get up around 2900 if possible.

 

[aron]

Has anyone burnt a barrel out yet or know how many rounds they are getting out of the 6.5 PRCs?

 

[Tahoe1305]

Just curious what load you are using getting 2900 with the 143’s? Not doubting you at all but I am going to start loading for my tikka shortly and want to try to get up around 2900 if possible.

There is another thread (below) that someone started talking about reloading the Tikka 6.5s, I have some stuff in there with Superformance and my buddy a few posts down with RL26. Both at 2900. Not hard to do, just have to load real long.

The Tikka 6.5 Creedmoor Reloading Thread

Hello all. I just placed an order for my first Tikka rifle. It is a Lite 24" chambered in 6.5 Creedmore. I've done quite a bit of searching on various forums for load data on this specific rifle, but it is always mixed in with other data. I figure this is a pretty popular rifle on this...

www.rokslide.com

 

[270quest]

I hunt with a Seekins Havak 6.5 PRC with NF 3-10X42 scope...139 scenars at 3050 FPS(Goin to play with some loads this spring to see if I can add 50-75 FPS)....Absolutely hammers stuff. Haven't had a chance to shoot an elk yet with it - but have no concerns or doubts it will do the job just fine as far out as I want to shoot.