Comments on: New Hornady 6.5 PRC — Precision Rifle Cartridge

By: Bubba O

Bubba O — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 16:41:38 +0000

I own and shoot almost daily. I’m a maintenance director at a gun run. I’m retired and enjoy doing all this. I shoot 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 300 PRC, and 6mm ARC (AR15).
I love my 6.5PRC however I’m in the process of building a 6mm ARC. WHY? Economics. I love shooting small groups as far away as I can. Does the paper or steel know the difference when I hit and hear impact? No. Does my pocket book? Damn right.

I may also go with 6Dasher or 6BR too. Why just have one more rifle when you can gave 2..or 3 more! My buddy shoots the 6Dasher and is trying to sway me his way. All in all though price of everything and availability will determine it. I reload of course. In a pinch Hornady 6mm ARC is usually on the shelf at Academy near me.

By: Scott

Scott — Sat, 20 Jun 2020 23:43:19 +0000

I guess so much for all of the 2017 “this cartridge will flop” comments. 6.5 PRC is an excellent, well designed cartridge and coming on strong in acceptance.

By: Bert

Bert — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 00:15:17 +0000

I own a 6.5-284 NORMA Savage 110. And a couple of 6.5 Swedes, military surplus and CZ 550 hunting rifles.

I have shot 10 deer so far with these, also a lot of targets and tin cans during load development and informal practice (plinking!) too.

I have never shot a deer with factory ammo with these rifles because what I want is either not made, or isn’t accurate in the available factory choice of bullets, velocities and base to ogive lengths/OALs.

I bought a 6.5CM AR-10 “Hunter” variant last summer (August, 2019) too. Broke in the barrel and played with it a bit, put a couple hundred rounds of factory and hand loads down the tube, did some hunting load development. And then left it home and hunted with the 6.5-284 this year. I’m selling this rifle, it shoots 5 rounds at 100 yards under an inch no problem, but it’s not a hunting rifle which suits me. Too heavy, needless ammo capacity, a pain to carry. Someone doing PRS who doesn’t have to CARRY it will like it though.

So, this “6.5 CM AI” analogue stuff is all mildly interesting to me. But I’m working the OTHER end of the spectrum. 6.5 Grendel? Nice, low recoiling, kills deer to 300 yards just fine and when am I going further, ethically! Looks like my next rifle buy will be a CZ micro Mauser. Deer don’t need suppressing fire, neither do targets.

By: Larry Woods

Larry Woods — Sat, 26 Oct 2019 02:10:33 +0000

Doesn’t matter until you use one very little recoil having said that the 6.5 rem mag would have been and still be had they got the twist/ barrel length right look at 264 win powder / case capacity,most 80% or less tells me why do you want the larger case ? Do the sums and you will find the 6.5 / 300 wsm bang for buck is well ahead of the 26 and the rest.in aust.the cost of reloading has gotten out of control $75 for 1lb powder $100 box projectiles $295 box 100 cases 6.5 cm or 6.5-284norma so bang for buck controls all

By: Kyle

Kyle — Sat, 07 Sep 2019 08:06:58 +0000

A little insight to start, I’ve been reloading everything from pistols to shotguns since 1974. I reload for myself and others, and have contemplated adding special reloading to my business. I am a gunsmith, still learning more all the time, and forever I hope. I study and understand ballistics, conducting my own tests and helping others with theirs problems and decisions. So I know a little about guns.
Everyone is jumping on the 6.5 bandwagon, and why not the marketing says they are the “be all – end all” of cartridges. The hype (marketing), around the 6.5 PRC is the same crap just a new bullet. If you are a hunter, one of the owners of Gunwerks hunts everything, I mean everything with a 6XC not a 6.5 PRC. If you are a target shooter there are bullets out there that destroy the PRC. Many are in different calibers, however if you want a 6.5 I would recommend the .264 Win Mag. The 6.5s that barely beat it out are the 26 Nosler and the 6.5-300 Wby, both using much more powder in much bigger cases. This extra cost only gets them 100- to 150-fps more than the 6.5 Win Mag, that pretty much kills them. So if you have to have the newest cartridge on the block then purchase the PRC, otherwise buying one makes no sense. I was just in a store checking out the rifles and there was a nice Christensen in 6.5-284 and 3 Ammo deletion to go with it. There were no 6.5 PRC rifles or ammunition to be found. The 6.5-284 is a great cartridge and it is used by Gunwerks, the guys who helped developed the 6.5 PRC!

By: John

John — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 21:59:28 +0000

I think the 6.5 PRC will go big with the PRS crowd. If you have ever been to matches you will see competitors are spending bank for small advantages. The fact that you can get a 147 ELD with a B.C. of .696 traveling 2900+fps gives a big advantage over say my .260 rem pushing a 140 grain VLD with a .611 B.C. at 2800fps. If your shooting at a 8″ target out of a dog house at 800 yards close does not get those critical points. Besides PRS competitors live to spend their money on new gear and rifles.

Editor: Makes sense, seemingly. Except for the fact that the top PRS competitors are going in the opposite direction — to smaller 6mm cartridges. Look at the latest Precision Rifle Blog PRS survey. Many top guys are running the 6mm Dasher and even the standard 6BR now. I know one top guy who will be running a .22 BR. Less powder, less recoil, cheaper bullets, more than adequate accuracy. Honestly, I’m not sure what the 6.5 PRC is needed for. Our advice — stick with a cartridge with Lapua Brass.

By: Justin

Justin — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 20:32:20 +0000

I’m getting one!

Have wanted a short action 6.5mm to compete with the 270win. and not the 270wsm.

Tried talking myself into the 6.5creed but just was too slow for me, for hunting.

I’d like to see them offer a 120 and 130gr type hunting bullet.

By: garland

garland — Thu, 27 Dec 2018 13:36:06 +0000

Short fat vs longer cases with same capacity , longer powder columns are more efficient .. As are shallow shoulder angles , the 300 H&H delivers more velocity for every grain of powder burned over any .30 magnum ..
Short actions only save a few ounces in weight and only offer milliseconds in bolt op speed. 6.5 x 06 will beat the short fat cases in 6.5mm of equal case capacity breaking the 3,000 mark with the 155 MK with 30 inch barrels ..
I have the 2 chambered barrels and two reamers 6.5 Rem mag and 6.5 X 06 both on long actions and a few thousand dollars in the comparison ..

By: barry

barry — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 21:11:38 +0000

it was all setteewd when the 256 newton was desingned and no american company has
out performed it . however in europe they have a 6.5 X65 which dubs the 6.5/06 an thus all others are just plain inferior..

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 02 Dec 2018 22:19:16 +0000

I’m just too damn old for all of this !!! I joined the Marine Corps in 1970 when I was 17 years old . Immediately fell in love with my M-14 . I have been shooting rifles chambered in the old .308 round ever since . I don’t shoot competitively or shoot exotic game at long ranges . The ONLY modern technology that I have embraced is the Berger bullets for dropping deer in their tracks and using a Precision Armament M4-72 Muzzle Brake that takes ALL of the recoil out of my DPMS 308 so that my old bones don’t get beat up !!!