6.5 PRC Loads

clrems77 said:

Hello.
I couldn’t find many posting on 6.5PRC load development, so if I’m missing it please direct me to the right thread.

Lapua Brass
Fed 210M
H-1000
Berger 156 hybrids.

Speeds seem to be good around the 2900fps range and I’m working with seating depth to tighten up the groups.

What powder charge weights and speed are most of you seeing?
More importantly, what seating depth/jump are you finding working best?

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I think as long as you're not seating deep enough for the bearing surface to be in contact with the neck-shoulder junction (to avoid contact with any donut), any seating depth starting point is good. Then do OCW testing and then refining with seating depth test.

Maybe some there will help:



I haven't shot any 156's, but have shot 5 other projectiles and they all see to do well somewhere between 2920 and 3020 (though somewhat hot loads) and mostly seated long for the extra case capacity. Retumbo and RL-23 have worked best for me.

Can’t believe we don’t have a sticky for 6.5 PRC loads.

Anyone running 127gr LRX in this cartridge at short action mag length (say 2.950” max) with any of the following three powders? Thoughts on these powders for the bullet?

VV N570
H1000
Retumbo

24"
56gr RL26
147 ELD
New Lapua brass 2970fps
Hornady 2x 3000FPS

straightshooter1 said:

I think as long as you're not seating deep enough for the bearing surface to be in contact with the neck-shoulder junction (to avoid contact with any donut), any seating depth starting point is good. Then do OCW testing and then refining with seating depth test.

Maybe some there will help:

6.5 prc COAL and cbto question 156gr Berger

Hello everyone. First time reloaded here. Just want to make sure I’m doing everything safely. A little background: Using an XM length action from defiance. Loading 156 burgers with either h1000 or n565, and 215s (all I have) I’m getting a cbto and coal length at the lands well beyond the...

www.snipershide.com

I haven't shot any 156's, but have shot 5 other projectiles and they all see to do well somewhere between 2920 and 3020 (though somewhat hot loads) and mostly seated long for the extra case capacity. Retumbo and RL-23 have worked best for me.

View attachment 7949844

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Where did you download the target, looks like it is supposed to be here somewhere?

KnowNothing256 said:

Can’t believe we don’t have a sticky for 6.5 PRC loads.

Anyone running 127gr LRX in this cartridge at short action mag length (say 2.950” max) with any of the following three powders? Thoughts on these powders for the bullet?

VV N570
H1000
Retumbo

Click to expand...

I'm your huckleberry...



N570 looks a bit slow




H1000 also a bit slow




Retumbo definitely too slow



Might I suggest some N560?

KnowNothing256 said:

Can’t believe we don’t have a sticky for 6.5 PRC loads.

Anyone running 127gr LRX in this cartridge at short action mag length (say 2.950” max) with any of the following three powders? Thoughts on these powders for the bullet?

VV N570
H1000
Retumbo

Click to expand...

I'm using N565 with the 124 Hammer Hunter (actual weight is 126). It hits 3190 pretty easily. I would expect 560 to be even better.

ForgeValley said:

Where did you download the target, looks like it is supposed to be here somewhere?

Click to expand...

I don't recall right off, but you can download I use here on the pdf file below . . .

Dogtown said:

I'm your huckleberry...


View attachment 7985280
N570 looks a bit slow


View attachment 7985282

H1000 also a bit slow


View attachment 7985284

Retumbo definitely too slow



Might I suggest some N560?
View attachment 7985285

Click to expand...

Take a look at RL23, if you can find any, maybe that'll work for you? It works great for me on the heavier projectiles, like the Berger 140 Hybrids.

58gr RL26 will push a 147ELD 3100fps.
H1000 is about 100 fps slower for the same charge.

2aBaCa said:

58gr RL26 will push a 147ELD 3100fps.
H1000 is about 100 fps slower for the same charge.

Click to expand...

I’ve abandoned trying to find RL26 at this point, but yeah I’d love to run it.

What have folks seen on temp stability for N560/565/570? Internet reports vary.

…so let’s get some more internet reports lol

Oh, and if it changes what I should run, this’ll be a 20” barrel with an Ultra 7 on it.

I've been shooting .338LM and .300NM with N560/N565/N570 for years now and they're plenty stable. N570 is just really dirty.

Assuming QL has N568 as too slow also?

Not bad

i would expect a 127gr bullet to be traveling a little faster.

Dogtown said:

View attachment 7986010
Not bad

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Still better than H1000, Returmbo, et al

2aBaCa said:

i would expect a 127gr bullet to be traveling a little faster.

Click to expand...

I don’t know about others, but I haven’t been able to get this bullet screaming out of my 24” 6.5CM. 2812 FPS, 41 gr of RL-16. The bullet is so long for the weight that it eats up powder space, and maybe it being a harder bullet makes it tougher to squeeze through the bore, I dunno. But yeah, if it was a 130gr lead core bullet I’d expect to push 3000 fps in that CM setup; the monos don’t necessarily play by the same rules. Just my limited experience tho.

Dogtown said:

Still better than H1000, Returmbo, et al

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You wouldn't be able to run one last QL sim using N565, would you? You've made me think far too hard about this haha

Thanks man

Looking to work one up here soon. 26” proof carbon with ultra7
Hornady brass
210m
Have h1000 and rl26
Berger 140’s

Any starting advice? Charge weight or seating/jump preferences

You're going to hit pressure long before you get the case filled.



It looks like starting around 54gr of RL26 would be a safe starting point.





You probably won't hit pressure with H1000, so you could start at 55gr and still be safe, but you're already almost at full case fill % at that starting point.

This is pretty fascinating stuff

It's an outdated application, but the program still works very well and the component data is updated regularly (ie different bullets, cartridges, powders, etc). I've been using it for about 16 years and it's been an essential tool in my reloading kit, helping to test and experiment with combinations of components long before buying/shooting. BUT, its only a predictive tool, not ground truth. You can tune it to match real world results, but it's best taken as only a ballpark guide.

It has some really handy features, like say "hey, I want to see how this bullet will shoot across a range of powders with a 97% fill ratio and pressure limit"




Whoa, check out Norma MRP powder!

Hmm, interesting, didn't realize that N560 would be partially unburnt in a 24 26-inch barrel, I wonder if it's the right choice for my 20" barrel with can setup...

ETA: Haha love to see Reloder 16 up there, talk about an across-the-board powder. It's already my powder for 22BR and 6.5CM lol

KnowNothing256 said:

I don’t know about others, but I haven’t been able to get this bullet screaming out of my 24” 6.5CM. 2812 FPS, 41 gr of RL-16. The bullet is so long for the weight that it eats up powder space, and maybe it being a harder bullet makes it tougher to squeeze through the bore, I dunno. But yeah, if it was a 130gr lead core bullet I’d expect to push 3000 fps in that CM setup; the monos don’t necessarily play by the same rules. Just my limited experience tho.

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Have you tried Hammer bullets?

In my limited experience with them, they shoot as fast or faster than similar weight lead bullets and accuracy doesn’t suffer with velocity gains.

Hickswr said:

Have you tried Hammer bullets?

In my limited experience with them, they shoot as fast or faster than similar weight lead bullets and accuracy doesn’t suffer with velocity gains.

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I haven't, but they've been on my radar, I hear generally good things. Worth selling my LRX stash and switching? They're about a 30% markup over the LRX and although I won't be shooting a ton of them, I still have to do load development and zeroing next year which'll burn maybe 100 rounds.

KnowNothing256 said:

I haven't, but they've been on my radar, I hear generally good things. Worth selling my LRX stash and switching? They're about a 30% markup over the LRX and although I won't be shooting a ton of them, I still have to do load development and zeroing next year which'll burn maybe 100 rounds.

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I can only speak for 6mm creedmoor, but in 3 rifles the LRX wouldn’t do better than 3/4” MOA with a fair amount of load development. The 88gr hammer hunter shot 1/2 MOA or better out of all 3 rifles on the first load I tried.

Hickswr said:

I can only speak for 6mm creedmoor, but in 3 rifles the LRX wouldn’t do better than 3/4” MOA with a fair amount of load development. The 88gr hammer hunter shot 1/2 MOA or better out of all 3 rifles on the first load I tried.

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I was able to get mine down to ~1/4" with an OCW first then a Cortina-style seating depth ladder, but you aren't the only person I've heard say they've struggled with accuracy with monos. If I couldn't get accuracy with the LRX, or if I could get meaningfully better external/terminal ballistics with the Hammers I'd certainly look into it. I just wish it didn't cost so much money in components and barrel life to experiment with. Carbon barrels ain't cheap.

156
55.6 RL26
Hornady or Bertram brass
FGMM 210M
2900 fps

Tag for weekend after next

This should be pinned at top with other calibers.

For 120-135 bullets 4831sc is great, and easy to find right now.

following

New Peterson Brass
Federal 210 primers
58.7gr of H1000
143 ELDx
24" Proof CF Tikka Prefit
2.955 OAL

2975 FPS