Rechamber - 6.5x284, 6.5 PRC, 6.5??

[Charlie-NY]

I have a heavy benchrest style rifle that I used for shooting LR groundhogs. The rifle was originally a 6mmRem 40x rifle before it was rebuilt with a Shehane Tracker stock, 28" Lilja bbl in 6.5x284 (8tw), Jewell trigger and wears a Nightforce scope. The rifle has been shot enough that the average group size has doubled but will still print just over 2" @ 400yds. While the throat looks well worn, the remainder of the barrel looks pristine.

I've decided to set the barrel back a few inches and rechamber it. Before I get started, I was wondering if I should rechamber in 6.5x284 or should I try something new/better. Maybe a 6.5PRC but that would require a bolt nose modification or change. I have dies and brass for the PRC.

Maybe there's a cartridge I haven't thought of that would provide good ballistics with better barrel life.

Any recommendations?

 

[effendude]

IMHO, it's still hard to beat a 6.5-284 for performance.
Scott

 

[284winner]

IMHO, it's still hard to beat a 6.5-284 for performance.
Scott

Especially if all your going into is the 6.5 PRC. Why going into a magnum bolt face and components to get almost the same exact performance. Particularly to just shoot ground hogs. Accuracy is as good as it gets with your original cartridge even if a few feet per second is your gain with the PRC. That will not improve.

 

[alf]

Imma fan of both cartridges, but there's little to gain by bumping up to the the PRC.

Hit the 6.5-284 easy button.......

 

[Clancy]

6.5-284 is still the one to beat. The rest is just marketing.

 

[Coyotecreek]

If you go to any PRC you will have to get a bolt with mag bolt face.

 

[B23]

Like pretty much all the others that have posted before me, I have both and I'm a fan of both, but if I already had a 6.5-284 and all the stuff needed to load for it, and, my action was standard bolt face I don't think I could ever see going to the expense of opening the bolt face up just to get basically equal performance by switching to the 6.5 PRC.

Maybe, and it would be a slim maybe, would be if I had a regular SA Rem 700, not a single shot 40X, and I wanted to run it as a repeater and not eat up a lot of case capacity by seating the bullets deeper so they'd feed through magazine. Under those circumstances I could possibly see switching to one of the short mags like the PRC, SAUM, or WSM but the OP said this is a 40X so that's a moot point.

The 6.5-284 never seems to disappoint so it's kind of one of those "if it ain't broke don't fix it" kind of things.

 

[SKWERLZ]

Easy route is the 6.5x284 so no new bolt or mods needed

 

[STOMP442]

The PRC will do absolutely nothing better than 6.5-284, except cost you more money and effort.

 

[Charlie-NY]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I guess I'll just have a few inches chopped off the breech end and get it rechambered in 6.5x284.

I did this once before on another rebuilt 40x which was a 22-243AI. The rifle shot at least as good as it did originally. Today it's a 6mmBR thanks to all the input I got here. Thanks to the handy work of AW, I shot a .48" group at 417yds last week. Not bad for a guy who is blind in one eye and deaf in the other.

 

[Old Navy]

I agree with all the above on the 6.5X284 so why did a lot of folks here pump the 6.5 PRC up?

 

[B23]

I agree with all the above on the 6.5X284 so why did a lot of folks here pump the 6.5 PRC up?

Both in a short action using it as a repeater, not a single shot, the 6.5 PRC will out perform the 6.5-284 but put the 6.5-284 in a LA and it catches back up and there's very little difference.

The 6.5PRC is the better performer of the two when used in a true SA, as a repeater, and I think that is why it came to be.

Hornady does a good job of filling the gaps with new cartridges. It's a similar argument when comparing the 6.5 Creedmoor to the 260 Rem where even though the 260 has a little more case capacity when you put both in a true SA the Creed has a slight edge but put them in a medium action and the 260 Rem pulls back ahead.

 

[wasskeet]

I agree with all the above on the 6.5X284 so why did a lot of folks here pump the 6.5 PRC up?

Main rationale as I understand it is relatively simple - SAMMI spec. Factory rifles and ammo off the shelf.

 

[284winner]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I guess I'll just have a few inches chopped off the breech end and get it rechambered in 6.5x284.

I did this once before on another rebuilt 40x which was a 22-243AI. The rifle shot at least as good as it did originally. Today it's a 6mmBR thanks to all the input I got here. Thanks to the handy work of AW, I shot a .48" group at 417yds last week. Not bad for a guy who is blind in one eye and deaf in the other.

With the cost of components today, having brass already is another huge plus. Good luck

 

[nakneker]

6.5-284, might not be as exciting as something new like the PRC but you have the dies, you know the cartridge, probably have brass. Easy peasey choice.

If you gotta have something new and don’t mind spending a little coin then the 6.5 PRC would be a fun one.

 

[Jprice1313]

6.5x284 just for moneys sake, changing bolt face can be expensive.