6.5 PRC 156 grn Berger EOL using MAGPro

[Farmboy491]

Reloading data for the 6.5 PRC has been hit or miss with any given powder / bullet combination. I was looking for load data to use with Accurate MagPro powder and the 156 Grain Berger ELO Elite Hunters and really couldn't find any data. Accurates website load data stopped at 147 grain bullets. I used their load data to plot start / max loads versus bullet weight and came up with a good correlation to start my loads. Of course, start low, work up. I wound up landing on 57 grains Mag Pro, 156 Berger ELO, 2.308 CBO (to fit my Magazine), CCI 34, Nosler Brass Trim 2.023 and Magnetospeed 2860 fps. Browning X-Bolt Stalker 26” Barrel I’m currently breaking in and it is still speeding up. 0.5 MOA at 100 yds. Should break the 2900 fps benchmark as it loosens up. I may need to adjust powder again a little to tweak accuracy as barrel peaks. Just thought this info might help someone else.

 

[ronsatspokane]

I was getting 2958 driving those 156's with H1000 and Fed 210M's. Shot well (as in 1/2 MOA or better for the first 7-10 rounds) but the setup did not work well for F Class.

 

[OmegaRed]

sub

 

[wboggs]

I also had a half moa load using H1000 around 2950
but the scarcity.of the Bergers prevented me from using them

 

[Farmboy491]

I was getting 2958 driving those 156's with H1000 and Fed 210M's. Shot well (as in 1/2 MOA or better for the first 7-10 rounds) but the setup did not work well for F Class.

F Class?

 

[ronsatspokane]

F Class?

A form of competition. Lot of people on this forum are involved in it. I was developing what is referred to as an F Open gun for 1000 yard competition. In theory the 6.5 PRC should run with the 284 that most who shoot F Open are running. It would for the first half of a 20 round string but it generated enough carbon and heat that it would start to drift. Tried two different 1.25 straight barrels and same results in both. Love the caliber and would have kept it for hunting but that duty is already taken by a 300 WSM (which is another caliber I tried for F Class but at the end of 3 or 4 20 round strings in a day I'd be beaten up).

 

[wboggs]

Do you think reducing the velocity to around 2900 with a high bc bullet would be enough to get through a fast 20 shot string?

 

[OmegaRed]

I just got a barrel and will posting some results after I get some seat time. Have a 26" 8 twist. Shot some 120 grain bullets for barrel break in worked up to 50 grains of N560. Ten shot group was under an inch off a bipod, printed a few three shot groups that looked like this.

In that setup it had lots of headroom for powder...only around 2800fps. Not working it up until the rest of these bullets are shot up on steel. Then I'll be trying out 140 eldm and 140 vldh