Buy or Build a 6.5 PRC

[Alaska Bowman]

Plan is 6.5 PRC with a Scythe-Ti (already own). Im a western hunter, Elk and Deer, looking at 800 and in... and I want to spot my shots.

I have a 20" Seekins PH3 6.5 PRC on backorder. It was like $1650 from EuroOptic.

I'm growing impatient and im hearing of really slow performance using the factory loads I want to shoot (143, 147 Hornady) as well as some firing pin issues... so im considering a, you guessed it, Tikka build.

Right now I can get thr new 22" Tikka for like $850, throw a Rokstock lite in it (when they cone out) maybe upgrade the trigger and bottom metal, and im right at the price of the Seekins, but with much, much less ffeatures. On the PH3 I have a full m-lok rail, build in 20moa pic, 60deg bolt throw, interchangeable bolt face and barrels. But on the Tikka you have the proven durability, etc.

So, those with experience shooting either of these, with factory ammo- what kind of speed and accuracy are you seeing? What would you do differently or recommend? How would you compare the bolt lift, after firing, of the 2 if tou have experience with both?

 

[N2TRKYS]

Buy a Tikka t3x lite stainless. Take it out of the box, throw on a scope, lighten the factory trigger, and go kill stuff. Zero need to do anything else to it. I love mine. Eurooptics had it for $600 about a month or so ago.

 

[Alaska Bowman]

Buy a Tikka t3x lite stainless. Take it out of the box, throw on a scope, lighten the factory trigger, and go kill stuff. Zero need to do anything else to it. I love mine. Eurooptics had it for $600 about a month or so ago.

Do you have one in 6.5 PRC? What's your barrel length and what speeds are you getting with what ammo? Shooting/hunting suppressed? What do your 10-20 shot groups look like? Can you spot your shots with your build?

 

[N2TRKYS]

Do you have one in 6.5 PRC? What's your barrel length and what speeds are you getting with what ammo? Shooting/hunting suppressed? What do your 10-20 shot groups look like? Can you spot your shots with your build?

I do have one. They come in a 24” barrel. I’m getting 3000 fps with 140 Accubonds and just shy of that with 142 grain ABLR. These are handloads. I don’t think I ever checked the velocity of the Hornady 147 eldm ammo that I used to get my scope on paper. Somewhere around 1/2” groups at 100 yards. None of my rifles are suppressed. I didn’t have to build mine, Tikka did it for me. I saw the buck I killed this year fold and drop in the scope. It was about a 200 yard shot facing right at me. I shot him in the chest and I saw his back legs buckle and his head go back. Pretty cool.

FWIW, I have the same rifle in a 6.5 Creedmoor and it is just as awesome! 140 grain Accubonds handloads traveling 2800 fps from a 24” barrel.

 

[Blake C]

Factory ammo is almost always slow. And most people see the first box go so slow thinking its the rifle or ammo. Barrels will gain velocity. In my experience it's been after at least 150rds. On my 6.5prc I saw a 100fps increase from when it was new. But to get the 156g to go above 2900fos I had to hand load

 

[Telford29]

I just did the same thing. Bought a 6.5 prc tikka with 22 in barrel. ordered a rokstock and some UM rings. Still deciding on scope. I had originally wanted to spin the barrel off and turn it into a 6UM. Every tikka that I have I load for, so after some pondering on the thing I think I’ll keep it in original form and just try factory ammo in this one. Hopefully it works out.

 

[WhatToHunt]

Recently converted Tikka lover here. 6.5 PRC T3x stainless from Eurooptic, came 24" had it cut to 22" and threaded, factory stock aside from the vertical grip I added. Nomad Ti XC suppressor getting 2772 fps with factory 147 eldm. Absolute dream to shoot (and practice a lot with) and accurate to boot. Never felt more confident behind a rifle, although the .223 T3x I got after that is even more fun to shoot and accurate AF too. Shot a mule deer buck this year at about 375 yards at 15x (should have gone down on magnification but things happen fast). While I didn’t spot the shot, got back on the deer fast enough to see him drop and expire. Highly recommend.

 

[Frozenlead]

The brother in-law has a 24” ctr in a mdt XRS chassis. Was getting around 2800fps with factory 147eldms. Around 1.3” 10rnd groups. Only about 20rnds down the pipe at that time.