Best Cartridge for NRL Hunter?

[Bergerblaster]

Last year was my first year competing in a few NRL hunter matches. I purposely built an Open Light rifle in 25 Creedmoor. I’m working on building a new rifle for Open Heavy. My original thought was to stick with the 25 Creedmoor, but I’m half tempted to build a 6.5 Creedmoor.

I drank the 25 Creedmoor Kool-Aide but now starting to realize I’m not really gaining anything over the 6.5 Creedmoor. Everyone wants to say the 25 has less recoil, and I’d say that could be true, but not at velocities to meet power factor. Now that the 25 Creedmoor is SAAMI approved, the published load data backs up my thought that most of us are loading at or above max pressure to meet power factor.

I think the 25 Creedmoor is a great round, but with only a couple bullets to choose from and having to push it hard to meet power factor, I’m wondering if I should consider something else. I’ve never owned a 6.5 Creedmoor, but it appears it also needs to be pushed at the upper end to meet power factor but you have more options for bullets.

Let me know your options, thank you!

 

[Hondo64d]

The power factor formula is really heavy bullet biased. 140s and heavier will get you there pretty easily with the 6.5 Creedmoor but with 130s or lighter you’d have to push it pretty hard.

John

 

[lintond]

I’m building a 6.5 because of the following reasons for me personally.

- more bullet selection
- Easier to make PF with a shorter barrel
- More options to play with bullet & velocity vs being on the edge of pressure. Combo of two above.
- I already had 6.5 dies so no need to neck down or get new reloading parts.
- overall more popular so resale is likely easier and crowd sourcing info is more plentiful

Impatiently waiting on my action back from UM and then I’ll have her put together.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Carl Ross]

I’d lean 6.5 as the ballistics are SOOOO close and the 6.5 can be run farther from pressure due to the heavier bullets available, as others noted.

But, if you want the best round…



Unfortunately you can’t run it in the best guns.

 

[wind gypsy]

I really don’t like having to push pressure up there. I’m sure the 138 ATips will help the 25 with a little more breathing room. 25 SAW would be another if a guy wants to be fancy and have a little lower pressure.

I’m a x47 fan so my ultimate open gun would be that shooting 144s. Pondering rifle ideas, it’s hard to not want to have something that could serve double duty in PRS sportsman class which leaves a guy stuck with 6.5 creed.

 

[Bergerblaster]

Yeah I think even with the 138’s you are still pushing it. The 25 SAW would be nice but Id rather not go down the wildcat rabbit hole.

 

[Juan_ID]

6.5 creed cuz it’s cheap and easy…

 

[VirginiaBeach]

The right answer is 6.5 creedmoor but I prefer the x47 personally. If you’ve already shot a season you should think back on the types of stages that you struggled on. Was there some factor involving your cartridge choice that you struggled with or really felt an advantage with the 25? With a 6.5 running heavier bullets you can give yourself more time to get back on target to spot your impacts/misses more effectively than a 135 going 2840 or whatever you’re loading it to. You could also see if your current setup will shoot the factory stuff well- then you don’t have to make power factor and I’m sure it will be running a little slower. Velocity is really only your friend in NRL for tie breakers.

 

[Bergerblaster]

I really don’t see any difference in recoil on the recoil calculator if you keep everything around power factor between the 6.5 creed 25.

 

[khuber84]

My reloading program shows 25cm with a 135 at 2800fps from a 24in barrel to be right at 60k psi. I'd want be at avg mv of 2830 to ensure powder factor. Lots of guys running near 2900, likely 65k psi. Not smart. Go 6.5cm 7.5tw and shoot anything 144-156gr down to stupid slow and still make power factor.

 

[HandgunHTR]

Sounds like somebody needs to have a discussion with the NRL sanctioning body and get the power factor requirement removed.

 

[Bergerblaster]

Yeah I’m running 135’s from a 24 inch at 2838 fps using 40.8 grains of H4350. I’m right at the top end

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

I've ran 6.5 PRC for the last 3 years. Just because that's what I had build for hunting.

Now I'm doing a defiance 6.5 creed build, and have the Bergara MG lite on order in 6.5 creed for factory class.

So I can run the defiance build for open heavy and the MG lite for open light or factory depending on what I wanna do.

Ken

 

[doc holiday13]

Sounds like somebody needs to have a discussion with the NRL sanctioning body and get the power factor requirement removed.

PF is a thing because in PRS people are using super low recoil 6 creed. The idea of NRL is that its geared towards hunters so they want heavier hunting calibers.

 

[HandgunHTR]

PF is a thing because in PRS people are using super low recoil 6 creed. The idea of NRL is that its geared towards hunters so they want heavier hunting calibers.

Oh, I understand why they did it, I am just not in agreement that low recoil rounds are somehow inferior LR hunting rounds.

If you want to differentiate yourself from PRS and create a “Hunting” category, focus on the firearm configuration, not the cartridge.

For example, limit the barrel length to 24” and the overall weight to 11#, because not many “Hunters” are carrying around 28” barreled 16# rifles. I am not saying none do, but most don’t. Something like that.

 

[doc holiday13]

Oh, I understand why they did it, I am just not in agreement that low recoil rounds are somehow inferior LR hunting rounds.

If you want to differentiate yourself from PRS and create a “Hunting” category, focus on the firearm configuration, not the cartridge.

For example, limit the barrel length to 24” and the overall weight to 11#. Something like that.

PRS has no weight restrictions. My buddies PRS rifle is 22#. A light PRS rifle is 17# . NRL does have different classes too so it prevents there from being certain advantages. (factory, light, heavy) . Additionally you don't have to make power factor if you shoot a factory gun OR if you shoot commercially loaded ammo. However PF does determine who wins in the event of a point tie

 

[wind gypsy]

Barrel length is a nothing burger. 24", 28", who cares.

I actually kind of like having power factor. Makes you focus on recoil management more. Appeals to me more than having a bunch of 16# dashers or 22 ARCs ruling the roost and its not like 45 rounds of 6.5 creed in a day is punishing.

 

[Ramem7mm]

I put a 25 Creed together this year and shot at 2 different NRL Hunter matches and enjoyed shooting it in the open heavy class. Some impacts were tough to spot but I could see most of them. It is a little bit more work than a 6.5 with maybe factory ammo but not really that much and I like having something somewhat unique even though its been around for awhile. I shoot some local PRS matches as well with it but add some weights to it. Its a fun gun to shoot and is pretty accurate so I think I am going to stay with the 25 myself.

 

[CCoble]

6.5x47 Lapua. No problem meeting power factor along with less recoil than the Creedmoor. Nothing bad to say about the Creedmoor either but in a competition setting reduced recoil typically yields more points. Hence the popularity of the Dasher & GT in PRS.

 

[AndrewMT34]

6.5 creedmoor would be my pick specifically for NRL Hunter. You can load very light with 147's or 156's and make power factor.

There's also some weight behind the thought of running your hunting rifle, just to get as much practice as possible.