My 6.5 PRC Thread

[wboggs]

Now, that is the right attitude! I'm building one that will run with my friend's fire breathing .338 lapua without much recoil.
Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[waterdog]

Good info. I am just beginning with my PRC and I hope the weather gives me a few good days to play.
Thanks for all the info. This is a gold mine!

 

[wboggs]

Good info. I am just beginning with my PRC and I hope the weather gives me a few good days to play.
Thanks for all the info. This is a gold mine!

Is your rifle complete and ready to start testing? Keep us updated on the details.

 

[Rtheurer]

Same Performance as the 6.5X284 Looks like.

 

[wboggs]

Same Performance as the 6.5X284 Looks like.

Maybe alf could give us his comparison of the two. I believe he has experience with both.

 

[alf]

I haven't done a comparison on case capacities, but I believe the PRC has a slight advantage. I had a good load with the PRC with 140 VLD's at 3200, might be a stretch with a 6.5-284.

My #1 LR deer gun in a 26" 6.5-284 shoots 130 VLD's at 3150 for comparison.

 

[Rtheurer]

 

[Rtheurer]

In the past the powders of choice for the 6.5X284 have Been the faster powders like H4350 and H4831SC. The pressure would peak before you could get a lot of speed.
The Trend now is to run H1000, Retumbo, and R26 which is producing much higher velocity and also great accuracy. But its not the new Darling anymore so you just don't see the work being done with it like in the past.
Sorry to Jump into this great thread. You have done a real nice write up.
Great job fellas.

 

[alf]

My first 6.5-284 I wasted a third of it's barrel chasing powders, before finally settling on H-4831-SC. Now that's all I use. I used to run 142's at 3075 in my 1K guns, so that's where my experience lies.

My PRC is just a vessel to burn up the rest of my H-1000, not chase velocity.......

 

[wboggs]

My first 6.5-284 I wasted a third of it's barrel chasing powders, before finally settling on H-4831-SC. Now that's all I use. I used to run 142's at 3075 in my 1K guns, so that's where my experience lies.

My PRC is just a vessel to burn up the rest of my H-1000, not chase velocity.......

 

[wboggs]

For those wishing to attain top velocity, RL26 might be the one to test. I will test it when I complete my new rifle. I have some and it is superior in a standard .260.

 

[alf]

For those wishing to attain top velocity, RL26 might be the one to test. I will test it when I complete my new rifle. I have some and it is superior in a standard .260.

Which is my point in a round about way. Any high energy powder used in one can be used in either, so until someone compares actual capacities, we're not comparing apples to apples.

 

[alf]

So here's what I did to compare capacities to the best of my abilities.

I took a 6.5-284 case and a PRC case, both well formed from multiple firings. Both have almost the same neck length, within .015", so I dumped AA-2230, since it flows like water from my Sinclair measure with a 6" drop tube, going up a click at a time, until the powder reached the neck/shoulder juncture of each case, and weighed the results.

My redneck results show a 1 1/2 grain advantage to the PRC. While a minimal gain, a gain none the less.

 

[wboggs]

So here's what I did to compare capacities to the best of my abilities.

I took a 6.5-284 case and a PRC case, both well formed from multiple firings. Both have almost the same neck length, within .015", so I dumped AA-2230, since it flows like water from my Sinclair measure with a 6" drop tube, going up a click at a time, until the powder reached the neck/shoulder juncture of each case, and weighed the results.

My redneck results show a 1 1/2 grain advantage to the PRC. While a minimal gain, a gain none the less.

 

[wboggs]

That small powder gain will translate into a velocity gain that probably is within the variation among barrels. Another nice piece of work by alf.
Bill

 

[alf]

Hornady reloading data:

https://press.hornady.com/assets/site/hornady/files/load-data/6.5-prc-v2.pdf

 

[wboggs]

I don't have a prc rifle to test RL 26 in but I am not surprised that it produces top velocities.
I have loads for my standard .260 which show 2856 with the 147 producing about
0.3" groups. I ran out of case capacity before any case head expansion occurred. The Hornady data shows a top load of 55.7gr.with the 147 and 3050. This is 10grs more than my highly compressed 260 load.
It will be an interesting project. Too bad there is such a long delay for the reamer.
Bill

 

[Trophied]

All I DON'T have is an action. That and having a 6.5 Creednoor (no typo) barrel rechambered. The stock, Trigger Tech trigger, bottom metal (both BDL and Magpul with a custom 3 round magazine - nobody's ever seen one), are waiting on the ARC Nucleus action that I can't even order yet. I missed the Shot Show special, so I'm out an extra $150 for the action. One option would be a TL Hunter action, but then that requires another barrel with Remage thread to be a switch barrel, and I'm not sure it's even close to the ARC action quality wise. My issue is finding someone to rechamber the barrel for less than it would cost to buy a whole new custom barrel - not easy to find in the Texas Hill Country. I'm almost at my max dollar wise for the time being to find out if this is even a really good idea. My other option is sell it all off, and buy another shotgun and go bird hunting. Not all that bad an option, considering I already have one of the last series of Hartford built 7mm WSM genuine CRF model 70's and have restocked it into a full aluminum chassis Bell and Carlson for a hunting rifle, and boy was Winchester's blueing beautiful! Everyone that sees this thing in the tan with black spider web stock thinks it gorgeous!

 

[wboggs]

All I DON'T have is an action. That and having a 6.5 Creednoor (no typo) barrel rechambered. The stock, Trigger Tech trigger, bottom metal (both BDL and Magpul with a custom 3 round magazine - nobody's ever seen one), are waiting on the ARC Nucleus action that I can't even order yet. I missed the Shot Show special, so I'm out an extra $150 for the action. One option would be a TL Hunter action, but then that requires another barrel with Remage thread to be a switch barrel, and I'm not sure it's even close to the ARC action quality wise. My issue is finding someone to rechamber the barrel for less than it would cost to buy a whole new custom barrel - not easy to find in the Texas Hill Country. I'm almost at my max dollar wise for the time being to find out if this is even a really good idea. My other option is sell it all off, and buy another shotgun and go bird hunting. Not all that bad an option, considering I already have one of the last series of Hartford built 7mm WSM genuine CRF model 70's and have restocked it into a full aluminum chassis Bell and Carlson for a hunting rifle, and boy was Winchester's blueing beautiful! Everyone that sees this thing in the tan with black spider web stock thinks it gorgeous!

Manson reamers had some in stock a few weeks ago. Much cheaper than the new barrel route. Give them a call.
Bill

 

[wboggs]

Manson reamers had some in stock a few weeks ago. Much cheaper than the new barrel route. Give them a call.
Bill

Does anyone have information on bottom metal and magazines that will reliably work with the loaded prc cartridges? I have not had any luck finding something suitable.
Thanks
Bill