Why no love for 6.5 PRC for ELR shooting?

W

Wildernesshunter

New member
Starting back about 6 months ago, I started researching a gun and load that would provide some fun, shooting 1 mile..... maybe out to 2,000 yards, on a seriously tight budget. Over and over I read that a .338 bullet was the minimum and it needed a BC over .7 and muzzle velocity close to 2,900 fps. Most authors laughed at anyone trying to do those shots with a 7mm or a 6.5mm.

So I ran the ballistics over and over with ammo off the shelf and hand loads and I was perplexed. I found the 6.5 PRC to be a contender on paper. .... so I bought one. (never mind the issue of finding ammo or even brass)

Look over these numbers below and tell me the 6.5 PRC can't do it... and then tell me why...???

Honestly, I would have gone 7mm Mag, but it takes a 8.5 twist barrel for the 180-190 gr bullets and pretty expensive shooting platform for the 7mm to find its magic... and then you have barrels burning out really, really quickly....

I did a 6.5 PRC with glass for less than $1,500. Savage 110 Tactical, Burris XTR II 5-25x50, 20 MOA Rail.


yA7dj2e.png


nPx0d43.png
 
T

taylorce1

New member
What you're expecting the cartridge to do at 2000 yds? I'll add a caveat that it also depends on a lot of other factors. I ran your bullet and MV through a calculator and it only has the numbers you posted to 1500 yards at sea level. If you wanted your numbers I had to run your data at 7600 ft above sea level. I didn't even get close to your numbers on thhe .338 Lapua until I dropped the altitude to 5600 ft above sea level, the .338 ran 1300+ fps at 7600 ft.

It would work just okay if your only requirement is 1200+ fps at 2000 yards, at 7600+ ft above sea level. It will definitely work for the weekend guy who wants to bang steel beyond 1000 yds at all elevations in the configuration you have. However, it isn't a true ELR cartridge the guys that compete at ELR would be using it if it was a serious contender.
 
M

MarkCO

New member
ELR goes past where the 6.5PRC can play. 2 to 3 miles is the money for ELR these days.

Even the 6.5CM can go to 2K.
 
T

tangolima

New member
YouTube videos on 2-mile competitions; the round hits the 5ft x 5ft plate and makes the noise. That's about it. Not much practical purposes. It is just amusement.

If I'm in that game, if, I will focus on improving the probability to hit. Reducing the flight time is the key. High MV and BC are the ways. I will even do guided projectile if it is allowed.

6.5mm is called ballistician's delight, not necessarily gun experts' delight.

-TL



Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 
J

JustJake

New member
Outside of a nichey group of owners, there's just no serious love among dedicated rifle cranks for the 6.5 Manbun. :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
S

stagpanther

New member
I haven't run the numbers--but those 338 LM numbers don't look right at first blush. The 285 ELDs are pretty good--but the bigger Bergers are better.
 
W

Wildernesshunter

New member
"I ran your bullet and MV through a calculator and it only has the numbers you posted to 1500 yards at sea level"

I should have mentioned that all those ballistics I ran in that table are at 5,000 feet elevation... and 30% humidity.... which is right where my range is located.

"ELR goes past where the 6.5PRC can play. 2 to 3 miles is the money for ELR these days."

My range goes to 2,000 yards. I have to drive a LONG way to find a 3k range, unless I just set up my own steels on the BLM land behind my house.... and take a UTV...to drive 6 miles round trip to apply some fresh paint or place/gather the targets. Having the World-class Cameo 2k range that is a 15 minute drive from my house is special..... Yeah, that's probably the only place I will shoot and maybe, do a competition every now and then.

"6.5mm is called ballistician's delight..."

Yeah, my old man had a weird love affair with his .264 Win Mag in a Pre-64 Model 70. Never really understood why he would 'wax eloquent', talking about sectional density, etc. But he loved that gun, calling it "Meat in the Pot".... and it harvested three animals that missed "The Book" by only a couple points each. His 16 point, 34" Mule Deer, killed close to Montrose, Colorado in 1972, scored 209 and with deductions finished at 188. It is one of the most beautiful mounts I have ever seen, boxy and thick.
 
Last edited:
T

taylorce1

New member
Wildernesshunter said:
"I ran your bullet and MV through a calculator and it only has the numbers you posted to 1500 yards at sea level"

I should have mentioned that all those ballistics I ran in that table are at 5,000 feet elevation... and 30% humidity.... which is right where my range is located.
Click to expand...

It still doesn't work for my calculator. Sorry for the bad screenshot.

 
S

std7mag

New member
It isn't necessarily about the 6.5mm bullet not being able to reach those distances.
It's more to do with seeing bullet impacts at those distances.
Mark & Sam usually shoot with the target set in a dry dirt field. It's easier to see impacts of smaller bullets under those conditions.

Then watch where the KO2M competitions are held.
Are you going to see the 6.5mm impact on a rock face?
Let alone add some vegatation.

If you can't see the impact, you can't correct.
 
T

tangolima

New member
Good point for terminal energy to mark the POI. But with better technology it is probably getting less critical. I will still focus on minimizing flight time to maximize hit probability. If I understand correctly, one has to make one hit in 5 attempts to get promoted to the next target, or a hit rate of 20% with corrections.

It is just a figure of merit I have come up.

MV x BC

A higher figure will give less fight time. Among the selections OP listed, 7mm seems the best.

I bought an used AR in 6.5mm grendel and haven't shot it yet. A poor man's rig to try my hands on shooting close to 1000yd perhaps. But my interest is cold bore shot on 16"x24" target, rather than walking the shot to target. It demands heavily on reading the wind. Will start with 300yd and promote to the next 100yd when I exceed 50% hit rate.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top