What to know about a 20" 6.5 PRC

[PS_727]

Considering a pretty light weight 20" 6.5 PRC

Just looking for the pros and cons of going with a 1 in 8 twist 20" Carbon barrel. What hunting bullets will work best with a 20" 6.5 PRC barrel. Would be used mainly for Deer, Bear, Antelope and potentially Elk. I will be using a 9" suppressor for now.

Any info on this would be appreciated.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Do it, use an 8 twist for almost any lead bullet available. Faster twist if you want mono's.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

@PNWGATOR has a short prc.

 

[ID_Matt]

156 Bergers are the ticket for that chambering in my opinion. We have killed a lot of animals with that bullet.140 ELDM, 147ELDM, 140 elite hunter would all be good choices as well.

 

[Woitey]

My PRC also has the 1/8 twist and the 124 Hammer Hunters shoot into .2 for three shots with 61.0 grains of Magnum.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Mine is cut at 20” and 1:7.5”. Was shooting 153 Atips at 2860fps and had such inconsistent wound channels that I stopped using the bullet and switched to a 130 TMK at 3000 fps.

 

[PS_727]

I was more so checking about the 20" barrel length, not so much the twist. I wanted to make sure i wasn't handicapping myself too badly with 20".

 

[mtnrunner260]

I'm getting 2750 with an 18 in proof and 9 in can.
147 eldm and 58.4 retumbo.

 

[Jr4]

My 20” 6.5 prc 7.5 twist, shoots 156 Bergers at 2860 fps
It’s my current favorite gun

 

[MTtrout]

Not 20” but my 21” 6.5 PRC is a blast to shoot. I don’t not see why a 20” would be different. 147 eld-m so far and will be loading monos soon to test out. Used it this past fall for the first time and it killed a hand full of big game

 

[Ernie]

I was more so checking about the 20" barrel length, not so much the twist. I wanted to make sure i wasn't handicapping myself too badly with 20".

18" with Factory Hornady 143 ELD-X = 2818 fps. That gives me over a 1800 fps (local atmospheric conditions), a bit beyond 850 yards.
With reloaded 140 AB's, I was able to run it a tad faster.

A 20 inch barrel will add around 25-35 fps per inch more, so unless you are wanting to kill game beyond 900 yards, a 20 inch barrel will do you just fine.

 

[PS_727]

Thanks for all the input. I decided to go for it.

 

[cassidybond]

My 20” 6.5 prc 7.5 twist, shoots 156 Bergers at 2860 fps
It’s my current favorite gun

Care to share your powder and charge? Having trouble with my 20” Sako S20. Have tried Retumbo and Staball HD thus far.

 

[Jr4]

Care to share your powder and charge? Having trouble with my 20” Sako S20. Have tried Retumbo and Staball HD thus far.

N565 work up every gun is different

 

[D R T]

Thanks for all the input. I decided to go for it.

Whatcha gettin'? Building or off the shelf?

 

[PS_727]

Whatcha gettin'? Building or off the shelf?

For that one I ended up with a Christensen Ridgeline Fft dropped into a MDT HNT26 with an Otter Creek Hydrogen L, very pleased with it.

 

[D R T]

For that one I ended up with a Christensen Ridgeline Fft dropped into a MDT HNT26 with an Otter Creek Hydrogen L, very pleased with it.

Sweet!

 

[Fishmaster196]

Mine is cut at 20” and 1:7.5”. Was shooting 153 Atips at 2860fps and had such inconsistent wound channels that I stopped using the bullet and switched to a 130 TMK at 3000 fps.

Not a criticism, but if you were seeing inconsistent wound channels you were killing animals?

 

[PNWGATOR]

Not a criticism, but if you were seeing inconsistent wound channels you were killing animals?

True.

The wound channels were consistently inconsistent enough that I stopped using them. The BC was great and I was optimistic they would kill efficiently, but they didn’t.

 

[Gbrecka]

For that one I ended up with a Christensen Ridgeline Fft dropped into a MDT HNT26 with an Otter Creek Hydrogen L, very pleased with it.

How do you like the otter creek? Down to that or the scythe for my first can.