6.5 PRC hunting rifles.

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dvdcrr

New member
Just a quick question to this very knowledgeable crowd. Who all is making really decent hunting rifles in PRC? Lets just say under $1100., no custom jobs.
 
"...Too new..." Very likely. The PRC is another answer to an unasked question. It appears that other than Christensen Arms and Sauer nobody is currently chambering it.
Where you are matters. Cabela's is a Sauer dealer but show no Sauer 6.5 PRC rifles on their site. They do list the ammo(one load only) though. Regular price is $39.99 per 20. Currently on sale at $35.99. Nobody but Hornady loads it either. So you will not find it(or brass and dies) in small places.
Precision Optics is up here too. That site says they were supposed to have 'em or more likely be able to order 'em last June/July. They mayor may not have the 2 they seem to have ordered. That $1,099.00 is Canadian dollars too.
 
Doubt it will be in the <$1K hunting rifle envelope. Just not the niche it is pointed at. Savage is really the only company that chambered the 6.5x284 in what could be considered a hunting rifle. Several higher end, $1500 to $10K rifles in that caliber. The 6.5PRC seems to be on a parallel path so far.

What do you plan to do that an extra 50 yards over the 6.5CM, .260Rem or bevy of other 6.5s in standard actions can't?

I like new calibers as much as anyone and I get the play with many of them in various venues, but the 6.5PRC is, to me, truly the answer to a question no-one asked. The .224V and .300PRC have some appeal to me for specific niches, but I really can't see anything the 6.5PRC offers except more cost. It is more finicky to load and needs to be run near max to get the low SDs (as compared to the other 6.5s). IMHO, it is the one cartridge that has come out in the last 10 years that should not have.
 
6.5 PRC was developed for PRS. The idea was to get the fastest 6.5 allowed by the rules (under 3200fps) in a short-action rifle.

Outside of those constraints, I don’t know that it makes much sense.
 
I think one would be pretty sweet, with the added velocity over the other 264's and being in a short action.
Also beltless case.
I would throw a 130 gr. Swift Scirocco 2 in there as fast as I could get it, 24" barrel.
 
Even more interesting is that Hornady has also rolled out a 30 PRC--but it looks like it's a necked down 375 Ruger to 30 cal. They seem kinda modestly claiming it's a bit faster than a 300 win mag--I would imagine it's spitting fire since the 375 is a "wallopalooza" cartridge.:D
 
The 375 ruger is a fantastic design IMO (I have one and reload for it)--but I don't think it was developed with high SD bullets in mind, so to get real long range hitters in 30 cal my guess is they are going to have to knock the shoulder back significantly and sacrifice capacity in the process. Still am very interested--and hope they don't jinx the cartridge with a bunch of marketing hype that it can't/doesn't meet.
 
6.5PRC seems just fine as a hunting cartridge, especially when one considers that the 6.5CM was designed for the AR10 platform for shooting out to 600 yards in matches.
PRS varies hugely in range, out towards 1,200 yards. And your first shot counts, no sighters.

Gunwerks developed the 7mm LRM, 375 Ruger necked to 7mm. Available in their hunting rifles, just not for $1,100.

Why not re-barrel an existing rifle? Should keep you under your budget, if you have time.
Get to reloading. 375 Ruger brass can be had. Dies should be available from Hornady, and possibly Redding.
 
You have 30 Nosler which pretty close to 30x375 Ruger. I've looked at both and I know couple that are shooting 28 Nosler.
 
MRC has some left handed American Standard rifles on gunbroker.com for $1300. You might see if they offer it in a cheaper configuration by calling them.
 
6.5PRC seems just fine as a hunting cartridge, especially when one considers that the 6.5CM was designed for the AR10 platform for shooting out to 600 yards in matches.
Click to expand...

They're shooting the Creedmoor out past a mile at targets. It still has enough impact velocity, energy, and bullet weight to be effective as a hunting round out to 700ish.

It does not shoot particularly flat however. Which isn't a problem for target shooters who can always adjust their sights for the range they are shooting. Or even hunters with range finders and modern optics they know how to use.

The faster 6.5's, and the PCR is just one of several, only add 100-150ish yards of useful range to the CM. But they all shoot flatter than the Creedmoor.

The hurdle the fast 6.5's have to clear is that the 6.5 Creedmoor is already effective farther than the vast majority of shooters are capable of shooting. There are only a handful of shooters good enough to take advantage of it. And at a high cost.
 
I said designed for, not capable of.

Most hunters would have never thought of shooting an elk from 400 yards with a 7mm-08 when it first came out.
 
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