Just bought 6.5 PRC

[markg]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

2.950” col?

yes

Could go longer have some room in the mag

[wallz]

Originally Posted by markg

Was back at the range today and had some good accuracy results. Had a couple 1/2 MOA groups and no groups over 1 MOA. I was using some 130gr Sierra Match Kings I had laying around and some Berger Elite Hunters. Lapua was the brass used and H1000 is the powder. COAL is just what ever will fit in the magazine.

My final load will be using 143gr Eldx and I am hoping to get it over 3000 fps. I'm a bit nervous hearing your stories, because my rifle is a Tikka and I have had some tikka rifles with slow barrels before. I bought the PRC because of the velocity. I guess we will see once I've fired all my brass and do some pressure series with a chrono.

Nice!

With your horizontal string you might be slightly high on the powder charge.

Redneck chrony and my 156 gr bergers are moving at 2900 fps verified out to 1000M with dope and range time.

[markg]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

2.950” col?

Yes that is what I loaded the 143 ELDX at

[markg]

I decided to sell the rifle. Love it, shoots great but looks like my hunting plans for this fall have changed. I bought it to chase elk but the land I thought I could hunt on is not open and I dont like hunting crown land.

In fact I am considering giving up on hunting. Never seem to see any animals. Not to mention I am in my mid 50's. I had hoped to recriut some younger hunting partners but that fell through as well. So I dont think I need it anymore. My loss is your gain. You get to buy a broken in and load developed system that shoots 1/2 MOA and has an ES in the teens.

So Its up for sale if anyone is interested.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=423289

[crazy_davey]

Oh wow! What a whirlwind this thread has been!

New rifle, all the loading fun! Down to selling the rifle and quitting hunting, wow!

Thanks for the laugh

[Smokinyotes]

Wow I bought mine about the same time as you Mark and I haven’t even finished load development. I bought mine for shooting 300-600 yards, just basically to play around with. If it never kills an animal oh well, I’ve got other guns that I can use. I think at some point you will regret selling it.

[markg]

Originally Posted by crazy_davey

Oh wow! What a whirlwind this thread has been!

New rifle, all the loading fun! Down to selling the rifle and quitting hunting, wow!

Thanks for the laugh

Glad I could bring a little laughter to your day! I hope your laughing with me not at me.

I really enjoyed the load development process. It was fun. I had big plans but sometimes life doesnt go the way you plan. Ohh well. I hope the information shared on the thread helps others if and when they buy a 6.5 PRC.

I just kinda like the process. I recently purchased a Curtis Valor Action (with the switch barrel) and I think I will likely use the money from the sale to buy a 6.5 PRC Barrel and a magnum bolt face. The its rinse and repeat the process.

[markg]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

Wow I bought mine about the same time as you Mark and I haven’t even finished load development. I bought mine for shooting 300-600 yards, just basically to play around with. If it never kills an animal oh well, I’ve got other guns that I can use. I think at some point you will regret selling it.

Its all good. I really hope you find that right load. I got lucky with mine and found it quite quickly.

I mostly shoot targets anyway. Ive always enjoyed hunting but I kinda of suck at it. So I will turn the money from the sale into something target shooting related. Its just what I do. I am hoping that in the next couple years Ill pay for a guided ELK hunt then I will have to buy a hunting specific rifle again. Until then cycle the cash to the target shooting hobby. Thankfully I have been blessed with the means to do so.

[crazy_davey]

Originally Posted by markg

Glad I could bring a little laughter to your day! I hope your laughing with me not at me.

I really enjoyed the load development process. It was fun. I had big plans but sometimes life doesnt go the way you plan. Ohh well. I hope the information shared on the thread helps others if and when they buy a 6.5 PRC.

I just kinda like the process. I recently purchased a Curtis Valor Action (with the switch barrel) and I think I will likely use the money from the sale to buy a 6.5 PRC Barrel and a magnum bolt face. The its rinse and repeat the process.

Yes, laughing with you for sure. I have been there many times, just never quit hunting.

I have slowed down a lot over the past years. I don’t buy and sell nearly as much as I used to. I finally realized I wasn’t gaining anything other than spending more money.

Found a nice rounded collection, bought piles of reloading supplies and kinda quit there. It was a rinse repeat process and got tired of it.

Now I have a pile of guns, a lifetime of supplies and happy where I’m at.

Cheers!

[markg]

Originally Posted by crazy_davey

Yes, laughing with you for sure. I have been there many times, just never quit hunting.

I have slowed down a lot over the past years. I don’t buy and sell nearly as much as I used to. I finally realized I wasn’t gaining anything other than spending more money.

Found a nice rounded collection, bought piles of reloading supplies and kinda quit there. It was a rinse repeat process and got tired of it.

Now I have a pile of guns, a lifetime of supplies and happy where I’m at.

Cheers!

Glad to hear I am on a similar journey as you went on. Ill keep an eye on your posts in the future and accumulate a bit of wisdom (maybe). I'll bet that your glad to have the reloading components in this current climate of shortages and back orders!

[waldedw]

Was down at nose hill range yesterday for the first time, very nice set up and well worth the 2 hr drive, we loaded up 2 pickups and 6 of us went, did our orientation and bought memberships.

Anyway it was a chance to walk my 6.5 PRC out given that there are numerous targets at various ranges, we had a great day with very little wind and it was a snap to get out to 900 yards, less than 1 MOA windage, at 1100 yards it took me 4 shots to walk it in, I don't have a kestral and my cheat sheet was out 1.5 MOA once dialed in 4 straight hits.

Then I headed for 1400, again my cheat sheet was out this time by almost 4 MOA, the breeze had picked up a bit so we had just over 3 MOA windage, I was all around it and finally manage a hit but I sure wasn't consistently ringing it, 1400 is a long way I have never been out that far before, lots of factors come into play. We met Oscar there for orientation at 3:00 and it was getting late so we packed up and headed home, now that we are members us old retired guy's can head down there anytime we want, we'll go early next time pack a lunch and make a day of it.

It is a great place to shoot, we have a spot in the battle river hills where we can shoot but really by the time we get there, set up our stands and hang targets at various ranges we can make the trip to nose hill, set you gun up and shoot pack it up and drive away no fuss no BS.

My feeling is that 1400 yards is getting to the outside edge for the 6.5 PRC to consistently ring steel, then again that could be my old eyes and not so steady hold Once I get a good supply of components and set up the 7mm PRC we'll see how it does out that far. I know for the 33XC it was a piece of cake.

[Smokinyotes]

Nice Ed. Was that your US869 load that you were using.? How many moa were you dialling for 1100 and 1400.

[wallz]

Thats awesome. That 1400 is a real poke out there.

I was finally starting to hit it with some consistency this last weekend at our range with the 6.5CM.

My PRC I've only had out to 1200m. Just never really tried further with it.


Remember even if there is no wind at that distance the coriolis effect will kick in as well and add a few inches drift.

[waldedw]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

Nice Ed. Was that your US869 load that you were using.? How many moa were you dialling for 1100 and 1400.

Thanks, yes that was the last of the 142gr NABLR ahead of 67.5 gr US869 in ADG brass standard WLR primer chrono was 2982 average, my dial at 1100 was 28.8 MOA and at 1400 was 45.4 MOA both of which are bang on if using the 4DOF chart but on my standard chart they showed 27.6 and 41.8 MOA respectively.
Both the standard and the 4DOF chart are very close until you get to about 750 then they start to deviate from each other and the 4DOF chart proved to be correct so I will be using it in the future.

[markg]

Thought I would ask how you guys are doing on your load development? Have you been out shooting much this summer?

[waldedw]

I guess YES would be the correct answer, I have shot a bunch in the last 6 weeks but it's been all shotgun and trap, 4,400 rounds to be exact so I really have not had a chance to shoot the 6.5 PRC or any other rifles for that matter except for the one day when we went to Nose hill about a month ago or so. I did a bunch of brass prep yesterday and have 6 different test loads loaded, I'm headed for the lake tomorrow so hopefully after the long weekend I'll get out and test them.

[wallz]

Yep, been shooting all summer, the 6.5 CM anyways. About 900 trigger pulls since late April.

I did put a new load together with Staball HD and the 156 gr bergers for the 6.5 PRC, and verified my dope out to 1000M the weekend before last.

[Smokinyotes]

Was shooting my 6.5 PRC. With 58.5 gr of R26 and a 143 gr eldx I’m getting 3038fps, no pressure signs and groups sub 1/2”. This is the load that I will probably stick with for now anyhow. I was also shooting my buddies 7RM today. My boney old shoulders can’t take the pounding like they used to.

The 6.5 PRC is a pleasure to shoot.

[ScottFitter]

I finally got mine back from Savage after warranty. They sent me a 20 shot group target. 19 of the 20 were all one 1/2" hole, the 20th is about 3/8" from that. Now I'll be loading up a charge of 4831sc and seating some rounds at different depths and then play with some charge weights. I hope to get to test it out on Monday.

[waldedw]

Hope things work our good now that it's back from savage, let us know how your loads works out.

[ScottFitter]

Originally Posted by waldedw

Hope things work our good now that it's back from savage, let us know how your loads works out.

I wish they did to, but they didn't. 3" group at 50 yards. A 22lr that shoots like that doesn't make the cut, let a lone a Pre ision Rifle Cartridge.
Supposedly they adjusted the headspace and reckoned, however, I doubt they put a bore scope down or shot at anything past 10 yards to make that target sheet they sent back.

I already have an email in to them, just waiting to hear what they will be willing to do.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by ScottFitter

I finally got mine back from Savage after warranty. They sent me a 20 shot group target. 19 of the 20 were all one 1/2" hole, the 20th is about 3/8" from that. Now I'll be loading up a charge of 4831sc and seating some rounds at different depths and then play with some charge weights. I hope to get to test it out on Monday.

Did you ask what load they used for that 20 shot group?

[waldedw]

Originally Posted by ScottFitter

I finally got mine back from Savage after warranty. They sent me a 20 shot group target. 19 of the 20 were all one 1/2" hole, the 20th is about 3/8" from that. Now I'll be loading up a charge of 4831sc and seating some rounds at different depths and then play with some charge weights. I hope to get to test it out on Monday.

I am sure that they used factory loads for their test group, it's strange that you can't get it to shoot with handloads, mine is the opposite I have not yet been able to get a load to shoot into the .264" that I shot with precision hunter 143ELDX ammo, of course that could be be me old eyes and other parameter's come into play.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by waldedw

I am sure that they used factory loads for their test group, it's strange that you can't get it to shoot with handloads, mine is the opposite I have not yet been able to get a load to shoot into the .264" that I shot with precision hunter 143ELDX ammo, of course that could be be me old eyes and other parameter's come into play.

Because my rifle shot so well with the 143gr factory load, that is the bullet that I chose to test with. If he can find out which factory load Savage used, he can start with the bullet that they used, and hopefully find a load that works with little effort.

[ScottFitter]

They didn't, and will not release that data to me. However, I got it back and it still will not group. When I took it to a gunsmith before I sent it in the first time, I was told that the chamber had a chip out of it. They adjusted headspace and reckoned the barrel but it still will not shoot. I talked with Savage directly and Savage Canada should be getting a hold of me again for another return authorization. I mad it very clear that at minimum I want a new barrel. When I talked with the guy from the USA customer care he said that it was normal procedure to just replace the whole thing if it came back in with the same issue.
Now another month long wait, and hope I can get it back in time, and find enough powder to develop a load, and have it ready for hunting season.
I have a POS Savage Axis that shoots fantastic. Seeing as this is a higher model in their line up, I have no doubts that it will if they actually take the time to properly diagnose it and not just slap a bandaid on it.

[chingo]

nice

[ScottFitter]

Quick update for those that care.

Just a couple days after the last post I called Savage Canada and had a conversation with their head gunsmith apparently. He arranged shipping and had me write up an email with the issues.
Well, this time he seemed to take it a bit more serious.
The changed the barrel, rechecked headspace, etc. They gave me a 4 shot target, 0.695". Not horrible at all. This was with 143 ELDX.
I took it to the range yesterday. 30kmh gusting and swirling windward I managed to group, smallest about 7/8", biggest about 1 1/4". Considering wind conditions I am decently happy with that. It will have to do for hunting season and then I can do some development.

[markg]

I am glad it worked out better this time. I hope your able to harvest a nice animal with it this fall

[Smokinyotes]

The 6.5 PRC is fast becoming my “new” favourite cartridge. With around 300 rounds down the barrel now I’m really happy with the performance of the cartridge on steel and paper. With R26 and a 143 gr ELDX I’m getting 3044 fps, no pressure signs and under 1/2” groups. This Tikka CTR I have now shoots pretty good and significantly better than what the C/A Mesa did.

[elkhunter11]

I developed a load for a friends 6.5PRC today. The rifle has proven to be fussy, but today it shot three consecutive groups around 1/2moa using the 129grAccubond Long Range, and IMR7828SSC.