It’s Official — SAAMI Approves Hornady 6.5 PRC and 300 PRC
The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI®) has accepted two new Hornady-marketed cartridges, the 6.5 Precision Rifle Cartridge (6.5 PRC) and the 300 PRC. Notably, for both cartridges, SAAMI lists a Maximum Average Pressure (MAP) of 65,000 PSI. The 300 PRC is NOT just a necked-up version of the 6.5 PRC. The 6.5 PRC has a 2.030″ case body length, while the 300 PRC is considerably longer, with a 2.580″ case body length (rim to case mouth). Both PRCs share a fat 0.532″ rim diameter, hence these cartridges require a magnum bolt face.
The 6.5 PRC is designed for the PRS and tactical crowd. GA Precision’s George Gardner, who helped develop the 6.5 PRC cartridge, has posted: “It’s a non-rebated short mag based on a short RCM [Ruger Compact Magnum] case. It has 3-4 grains less capacity than the 6.5 SAUM which nets about 30-50 fps deficit to the SAUM.” Cartridge and chamber drawings for both RPCs are available from SAAMI:
6.5 PRC SAAMI Blueprint HERE | 300 PRC SAAMI Blueprint HERE
Both cartridges were developed by Hornady Manufacturing Company, a Voting Member of SAAMI. “SAAMI member companies are the leaders of firearm and ammunition development and innovation,” said Rick Patterson, SAAMI’s Executive Director. “Both the 6.5 and 300 PRC cartridges seek to meet the demand for increased accuracy in today’s trending sport of long-range shooting, and we are pleased to add these new cartridges to our SAAMI Standards.”
New 6.5 PRC Is a Short Magnum Requiring Magnum Bolt Face
Dubbed the “big brother” to the 6.5 Creedmoor, the 6.5 PRC fits in short or medium actions with a standard magnum bolt face (.532″). The case geometry features a long cartridge case neck and 30-degree case shoulder. It sort of looks like a 6.5 Creedmoor on steroids. For its factory-loaded 6.5 PRC Match Ammo, Hornady is showing a 2910 fps Muzzle Velocity with the 147gr ELD Match bullet. That’s not very impressive. Why go to the trouble when you can get those kind of velocities from a 6.5-284 with a standard bolt face? The 6.5 PRC requires a magnum bolt face. Moreover, the 6.5-284 is a barrel burner. The 6.5 PRC surely promises to be likewise.Now, to be fair, with handloads, we expect you’d see meaningful speed gains with the 6.5 PRC compared to the 6.5-284. Also it may work better than a 6.5-284 in a short-action magazine — that may be what Hornady is thinking…
The .300 PRC — A Longer Version of the 300 Ruger Compact Magnum
The 300 PRC seems to be more a hunting cartridge than a cartridge for tactical games. Talking about this cartridge, Hornady states it would be an “excellent choice… for hunting applications” as well as “long-range precision shooting”. Inspired by the 300 Ruger Compact Magnum (RCM), the 300 PRC has a longer case body (2.580″) compared to the 300 RCM (2.100″), for more case capacity. That gives it the ability to push big .30-caliber bullets at higher velocities. But honestly, there are many other well-established Magnum hunting cartridge, so we doubt the .300 PRC is going to become popular among the hunting crowd. Time will tell however.
“Both the 6.5 PRC and the 300 PRC are multi-functional cartridges that are excellent choices for target and match shooting as well as hunting applications,” said Joe Thielen, Hornady’s Assistant Director of Engineering. “The primary focus of the design of both the 6.5 PRC and the 300 PRC has always been long-range precision shooting.”
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Tags: 300 PRC, 6.5 PRC, 6.5-284, Hornady Precision Rifle Cartridge, PRS
6.5 PRC SAAMI location: https://saami.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/6.5-PRC-Public-Introduction-6-28-2018.pdf
As if there is not already enough cartridge versions in these two calibers!
What a waste?
Come up with something totally new and unique for a change!!!
Now I can sleep at night.
Hornady needs to make better 7mm rounds as that is the best pill for everything!! Highest BC for recoil and range beyond most good shooters and will drop any game in a magnum. 6.5 is a target round unless you can hit deer in the perfect spot every time at short range.
Nice to see that Hornady has taken my .300 Nevada Desert Magnum mildcat and put a 30-degree shoulder on it. I put a 17°30′ shoulder on mine for better feeding; case length is 2.494 inches. I get 3000 fps from 68.0 grains of H4831SC; 3500 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. Accurate as hellsinki, too…
Jason, your claim re: the 6.5 is absurd. The 6.5 is only a target round if you make it so. No caliber bullet is good at taking deer with bad hits period.. The B.C. of the 6.5 bullets is what make it a long range phenom.. Correct bullet selection is what makes it a great hunting round. I’ve shot deer with everything from 22mag to 458 win mag. (deer die with them all!)
Hornady dances around the protected Newton family of rifle cartridges. They make sure Hornady’s rounds won’t go into the same caliber Newton rifle chamber.
Hornady’s cases have more capacity, due to thinner brass case walls. The new 7mmPRC cases split the difference between their 6.6mm and 300 PRC. Sort of a simplified 284 Winchester, with more versatility?