6.5 PRC with light bullets

[wboggs]

Anyone load 6.5 bullets 100grs or less? I'm looking for the best powder to work up loads.
Thanks
Bill

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

One of the 4895's ( H or, IMR ) would probably "work", very well.
I've shot, IMR 4895 in, a .270 WBY Mag. with, 110 JHP's @3,500+ FPS and that Load, would send Chunks of, stew meat all over, the hillside when busting Coyotes ( NOT,.. fur friendly ! ).
Fast Powders for, LIGHT Bullets,.."usually", work best,.. IMHO

 

[wboggs]

Thanks
I've come to the same conclusion after looking at the Hodgdon load center for 6.5-284, 6.5-06, and 6.5 Rem Mag data. They all show the light bullets doing well with 4895, varget, 4350.
In 1958 I had a 264 mag that I loaded with 85 gr sierras. In those days you had 4350 and 4831. No chrono but it shot like a lazer, probably 3800+.
Thanks for your input. I will post when I get some loads.
Bill

 

[wboggs]

I see there is no interest in this topic. There will be very little in the neck and excessive jump in a standard throat. My use is very specialized and accuracy is secondary but I will post when I get some results

 

[Kurz]

I was digging around in my components storage the other day and found some Hornady 6.5mm 95 gr. VMAX I had forgotten about. My notes indicated that I bought them for some testing with the 6.5 WSSM cartridge. These bullets are perfect for the standard chamber for magazine length shooting which also plays to the use for shooting prairie dogs and rock chucks.

I also tested some in the 6.5 Super LR chamber I had at the time. Again, well suited to the magazine constraints and performed well on prairie dogs.

Apparently, Re-17 was the powder of choice, generating somewhere in the range of 3,500 - 3,600 fps at the muzzle. Not the pinnacle of velocity but near the useable top end.

I never bothered with the 6.5 PRC since I didn't want a varmint length chamber reamer which would not get as much use as the chamber reamer I designed for the longer, sleeker bullets for competition.

 

[wboggs]

Thanks, as you note, the chamber throat is the problem with light bullets.
I am only looking for max velocity to test on steel plates for penetration

 

[ebb]

get the lightest 6.5 bullet Barnes makes

 

[wboggs]

The 220 swift with conventional bullets has produced good penetration in steel. Military AP core bullets do well but velocity in lead core bullets can produce surprising results

 

[shoot4fun]

Thanks, as you note, the chamber throat is the problem with light bullets.
I am only looking for max velocity to test on steel plates for penetration

I wanted to try the 6.5PRC with a 135 grain bullet from a custom maker so, knowing the long free bore of the SAAMI spec reamer, I had Manson provide a SAAMI dimension reamer with zero free bore for the project.
Maybe you would want to do the same but, on the other hand, think of the Weatherby Principle of having very long free bore to help keep pressure down. In reality you won't be long about making your short free bore chamber long shooting those little bullets and hyper-velocity.

 

[wboggs]

I wanted to try the 6.5PRC with a 135 grain bullet from a custom maker so, knowing the long free bore of the SAAMI spec reamer, I had Manson provide a SAAMI dimension reamer with zero free bore for the project.
Maybe you would want to do the same but, on the other hand, think of the Weatherby Principle of having very long free bore to help keep pressure down. In reality you won't be long about making your short free bore chamber long shooting those little bullets and hyper-velocity.

You are right about throat erosion. I'm only to shoot a few to test on steel. My rifle

 

[wboggs]

has a long freebore for my usual 150smks
Many years ago I shot the speer 85s at close to 3900 in my 264win but twist was 9. I'll see if they can stand close to 3700 in my 7.5 tw.

 

[shoot4fun]

has a long freebore for my usual 150smks
Many years ago I shot the speer 85s at close to 3900 in my 264win but twist was 9. I'll see if they can stand close to 3700 in my 7.5 tw.

It may shoot a very few before fouling and barrel heat take a toll on those light (varmint) bullets and they start coming apart.
A buddy once built a 22-6MM with a 7 twist. He worked up a load with 75Amax and all looked great at 450 ASL. We went to the TX Panhandle to take out a long distance prairie dog. At 3,500 ASL it was a totally different animal. Round 37 came apart not 50' outside the muzzle and so did 38-40. He put that rifle away; never even cleaned it before he found out he had pancreatic cancer.

 

[wboggs]

It may shoot a very few before fouling and barrel heat take a toll on those light (varmint) bullets and they start coming apart.
A buddy once built a 22-6MM with a 7 twist. He worked up a load with 75Amax and all looked great at 450 ASL. We went to the TX Panhandle to take out a long distance prairie dog. At 3,500 ASL it was a totally different animal. Round 37 came apart not 50' outside the muzzle and so did 38-40. He put that rifle away; never even cleaned it before he found out he had pancreatic cancer.

I had a 22-6mm with 1-8 that shot berger 80.5s at 35-3600 and they held together.