Does the 6.5 PRC have enough ass?

[BRTreedogs]

This isn’t really an accurate description of what the OP asked. He asked about the cartridge AND limits to effective range while hunting elk.

Most of the comments gave advice on both topics.

Ethics are personal. If you are legal, you have to find YOUR ethical limit. There is specific range limit for ethical hunting. My limit is closer than [mention]Ryan Avery [/mention] ‘s. I shoot a lot. He shoots A LOT more than me.

Boil down the advice, and you come to this:

1. YES, the cartridge is capable.

2. Practice … and find out YOUR limits, and don’t exceed them.

Good advice for the OP’s question, IMO.

Just because max ethical range is asked doesn't mean they immediately plan to shoot that distance on game.

 

[Brandon1234]

Great advice!

 

[Jeremyc_1999]

I interpreted the original post (and maybe thread title) as another guy just trying to buy skill. I left my response and thought about leaving it at that. I then read through the rest of the thread and I am glad I did. It became quickly apparent to me that the OP was wanting to learn and not wanting to buy game. By the time I go to my post 6 pages later, I thought about deleting it or editing it because I wrote it with an aggressive and biting tone. I didn't. There are some good points in my post, but I figured it was better to man up and apologize (something that doesn't seem to happen enough these days, especially on forums) and admit my wrong. @Ernie post #140 is spot on and that @Jjustus16 can ignore the bad and take the good information in this thread to learn to become a better hunter.

 

[Ernie]

Thank You Sir!

 

[Matt Cashell]

Just because max ethical range is asked doesn't mean they immediately plan to shoot that distance on game.

Of course.

 

[ReaptheHeat]

Even many of the people who have killed ( and recovered the animal) at " long range". Won't admit the missus, and wounding losses. ( which many don't even know if they hit the animal, if it don't drop right on the spot.) Not sure why the hunting aspect has disappeared from hunting, and it's become a long range competition. ( laziness, is my suspition) Or try to kill it, no matter what it takes attitude. Crazy, it's evidence that this is being " taught" to people just entering the hunting sports, and getting close and making a humane kill should be first.

The internet is meming "LR hunting" into existence. You only see guys that practice a ton and shoot competitions posting about it. I honestly question how many people in a state like Colorado take their rifle past 100 yards more than the week before hunting season.

I just don't see the point of risking a missed shot or non-fatal wounding shot because I don't want to close distance on an animal. I practice to 700 yards but my limit when hunting is about 450. Wind is too variable, field conditions, no perfect rest, etc.

 

[SwiftShot]

The internet is meming "LR hunting" into existence. You only see guys that practice a ton and shoot competitions posting about it. I honestly question how many people in a state like Colorado take their rifle past 100 yards more than the week before hunting season.

I just don't see the point of risking a missed shot or non-fatal wounding shot because I don't want to close distance on an animal. I practice to 700 yards but my limit when hunting is about 450. Wind is too variable, field conditions, no perfect rest, etc.

How many ever target shoot past 100 yards. I know very few that will even stretch it past 200 yards. It is funny. They will never practice anywhere near the distance they would shoot an animal at. I will stretch myself well past what I would shoot game at. The key is to shoot a lot and know your limitations.

 

[Ernie]

It was a progression of distance for me.
I lived in NE Colorado, back in the 80's, and I now live in NE Wyoming.
Even in the 80's I was stretching a 10" 222 Rem, and a 14" 7mm TCU Contender barrels out to around the 350ish range on pd's. The TCU's max distance for deer/antelope sized game max's out around 250 yards. With rifles we were shooting pd's past the 450 yard mark. As the end of the 80's got closer, we were shooting further yet, As the 90's (center-grip 14" 7mm-08 and 15.5" 284 Winchester XP-100's) progressed, so did our distance, and we started shooting steel a little and pd's. We would set paper targets up at distance to see where our actual drops were. When Bushnell released their 400 yard LRF in 1996, that was a game changer for us. From that point on, we kept shooting further and further, and every time Leica came out with a better LRF, I bought it. In the late 90's were shooting on steel out to grand. Also in the 90's I got my first 17" 6.5-284 Winchester XP-100, and a 15.75" lightweight 7.82 Patriot XP-100 (#3 contour I think).
Of course, we were either unethical or liars, when were were killing mule deer, antelope, and elk further than a lot of rifle hunters were back then with center-grip XP-100's in 6.5-284, 7mm-08, 284 Winchester, and 7.82 Patriot.

 

[Dos Perros]

@Ernie, I think you captured what people are generally uneasy about...that people are choosing to shoot animals at further and further distances for reasons not related to efficiently killing the animal. I don't know if it's ego or some sort of dick measuring contest or what. I'd like to keep an open mind about it but I don't think I'll ever understand it.

 

[SportingSLC]

I contemplated this myself, I have taken a few animals with 6.5 including a cow elk at 500 yards. I thought maybe with a mono metal bullet the 6.5 PRC would be up to the task. I love the accuracy of the "new" cartridges, but in the end I decided that some elk seem to be bullet proof and more mass is needed. I ended up ordering a 6.8 Western, probably not as accurate as the 6.5's, but the bump in bullet weight seems like it should do the trick. Hopefully I will get to test my theory out this year. If the 6.8 is not up to the task, I guess I will just have to buy another gun chambered in something else

 

[wind gypsy]

 

[Jjustus16]

I contemplated this myself, I have taken a few animals with 6.5 including a cow elk at 500 yards. I thought maybe with a mono metal bullet the 6.5 PRC would be up to the task. I love the accuracy of the "new" cartridges, but in the end I decided that some elk seem to be bullet proof and more mass is needed. I ended up ordering a 6.8 Western, probably not as accurate as the 6.5's, but the bump in bullet weight seems like it should do the trick. Hopefully I will get to test my theory out this year. If the 6.8 is not up to the task, I guess I will just have to buy another gun chambered in something else

I was considering a 6.8 initially, but a lot of people persuaded me to move to the 6.5 PRC.

 

[BigCountry82]

Shooting at any distance is knowing YOUR personal limitations.

6.5prc will make you a fine caliber to learn shooting at distance and hunting along the way. As Ryan said earlier find a mentor or a school. Most important burn some powder and start wearing out a barrel or TWO. This is America do what you wanna do. Dont ever let anyone try to down you or shame you because your style dont align with theres. To many people looking to crucify folks bc of the way they wanna hunt and do things.

 

[Jjustus16]

Shooting at any distance is knowing YOUR personal limitations.

6.5prc will make you a fine caliber to learn shooting at distance and hunting along the way. As Ryan said earlier find a mentor or a school. Most important burn some powder and start wearing out a barrel or TWO. This is America do what you wanna do. Dont ever let anyone try to down you or shame you because your style dont align with theres. To many people looking to crucify folks bc of the way they wanna hunt and do things.

Great outlook. Thanks for the input.

 

[OKHunter84]

I haven't read all the posts so if someone already mentioned this, I apologize. I'm sure either cartridge will work fine. I'd worry more about which gun you want to carry. You're going to carry it a hell of a lot more then you'll shoot it.

Also with the distance, 700 is a hell of a long ways. Not only from a shooting that far stand point, but of making sure it's the bull you're after and knowing what's in-between you and them. Packing an elk is not an easy task. If you bust one in some nasty country from damn near a half mile, you might bite off a hell of a chore getting to that critter and getting it back out.

 

[Steve from GA]

If the .270 has been whacking and stacking elk for decades, then the 6.5 PRC will do just fine if:

You shoot within your abilities
You shoot within the effective range of the caliber
You use a quality bullet
You put it in the kill zone

Do all of the above and you will have yourself a dead elk. Simple as that.

 

[pirogue]

Popular among ladies and feeble old men

 

[WhelenAway]

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