Anyone loading for 6.5 PRC? Any tips or recommendations on powder?

[gaza916]

Magnum primers required, or will my CCI Large Rifle ones be OK?
I have opted for Viht N170 powder to start load dev with, as the Viht manual shows loads for a good spread of projectile weights, and it may be ever so slightly kinder on my barrel than faster options.
While looking at lead free 6.5mm projectile offerings currently in stock, Lehigh defence controlled chaos 130gr look like an option. I don't suppose anyone has experience of them??
Interested in any ones experience rather than hearsay please, on any of the above.

I am getting an extra 50’ per second MV by using Federal 215 primers over CCI large rifle or BR2 primers.

 

[Lateral]

I am getting an extra 50’ per second MV by using Federal 215 primers over CCI large rifle or BR2 primers.

You may, or may not be able to use the extra 50fps, depending on the accuracy/velocity node, or it may allow you to save a little powder.

 

[finnbear270]

Up to now, Just using CCI standard Large rifle.

 

[finnbear270]

Shot a few different loads this afternoon, will post pics tomorrow Yew tree particularly good as were TTSX along with GMX three different powders all good off sticks & safe in my rifle.

 

[finnbear270]

140 Grain GMX's 3200 fps avg 60.6 Grains RS 76, CCI LR ADG brass.
120 Grain TTSX's 3180 fps avg 50 Grains N160, CCI LR ADG brass.
120 Grain TTSX's 3180 fps avg 53 Grains Reloder 26 CCI LR ADG brass.
112 Grain YEW TREE's 3120 avg 54 Grains Reloder 26 CCI LR ADG brass. 6.5 PRC 26" barrel.
SAFE IN MY RIFLE, work up guidance applies.
No pressure signs, no ejector marks, All primers look good. Particularly happy with all, but the Yew Tree stand out.
Bit of a messy pic with the damned I phone, YEW Tree's on top of GMX's, off sticks unfortunately, as nowhere good for prone on bipod.
Second pic of foxing rig after load tests, scored a good heavy dog followed by a Vixen, sucking a good bitter by 10:15.

 

[hammo]

140 Grain GMX's 3200 fps avg 60.6 Grains RS 76, CCI LR ADG brass.
120 Grain TTSX's 3180 fps avg 50 Grains N160, CCI LR ADG brass.
120 Grain TTSX's 3180 fps avg 53 Grains Reloder 26 CCI LR ADG brass.
112 Grain YEW TREE's 3120 avg 54 Grains Reloder 26 CCI LR ADG brass. 6.5 PRC 26" barrel.
SAFE IN MY RIFLE, work up guidance applies.
No pressure signs, no ejector marks, All primers look good. Particularly happy with all, but the Yew Tree stand out.
Bit of a messy pic with the damned I phone, YEW Tree's on top of GMX's, off sticks unfortunately, as nowhere good for prone on bipod.
Second pic of foxing rig after load tests, scored a good heavy dog followed by a Vixen, sucking a good bitter by 10:15.

I would be very pleased to get similar results. The patient wait for my variation to come back goes on!

 

[zambezi]

140 Grain GMX's 3200 fps avg 60.6 Grains RS 76, CCI LR ADG brass.
120 Grain TTSX's 3180 fps avg 50 Grains N160, CCI LR ADG brass.
120 Grain TTSX's 3180 fps avg 53 Grains Reloder 26 CCI LR ADG brass.
112 Grain YEW TREE's 3120 avg 54 Grains Reloder 26 CCI LR ADG brass. 6.5 PRC 26" barrel.
SAFE IN MY RIFLE, work up guidance applies.
No pressure signs, no ejector marks, All primers look good. Particularly happy with all, but the Yew Tree stand out.
Bit of a messy pic with the damned I phone, YEW Tree's on top of GMX's, off sticks unfortunately, as nowhere good for prone on bipod.
Second pic of foxing rig after load tests, scored a good heavy dog followed by a Vixen, sucking a good bitter by 10:15.

 

[hammo]

Finally grouped and zeroed. All four groups more than acceptable, but 54gr the clear winner.
Viht n160, Lehigh cc 130gr bullet.
Do not copy load without working up.

 

[finnbear270]

Nice result.

 

[hammo]

Finally grouped and zeroed. All four groups more than acceptable, but 54gr the clear winner.
Viht n160, Lehigh cc 130gr bullet.
Do not copy load without working up.

Note- this should read N170.

 

[Wsm]

118 grain Peregrine V4 very consistent 3100 average 54 grains N160 Fed LM

 

[hammo]

Back to the range today, ELD-X 143gr with N170.
Tidy little group with 54.5gr of powder.
On the way home I crono'd one of the 130gr Lehigh controlled chaos. 2560fps which although on the slow side provided a one hole group. The low speed did not surprise me, its very mild to shoot and the barrel did not heat up much beyond lukewarm with a 3 shot string.
I will load some more ELD-X and get one over the crono, should in the same ballpark speed.
I'm going to carry on with the N170 for now, accuracy being king,; but may try a faster powder later on.
I
The ELD-X groups all impacted 4 inches low, 2 inches left. From the zero of the 130gr controlled chaos. Quite a bigger difference than I expected!

 

[hammo]

I should have tried N160 first, looking back at others results.

 

[hammo]

latest installment of my loading so far....
N160 is working well, but the speed of 2750fps with ELDX 143gr, although exactly what the load data predicted, is not quite as fast as I had hoped for. Accuracy is everything of course, and I was fortunate to hit a clear node easily.
I have just purchesed the Hornady 11th edition manual, and Reloader 26 is promising a big bump in velocity. I have ordered a small tub, lets see what it gives me. For what its worth, I admit I have gone about this arse about face - I should have spent more time reading up others experience; the N170 although super accurate, was too slow, the N160 a marked 200fps gain. I do remember Reloader 26 being mentioned somewhere, perhaps I should have followed that lead?
If the Reloader 26 offers no big increase, I may well just stick with the N160. It does the job.

 

[Jelen]

latest installment of my loading so far....
N160 is working well, but the speed of 2750fps with ELDX 143gr, although exactly what the load data predicted, is not quite as fast as I had hoped for. Accuracy is everything of course, and I was fortunate to hit a clear node easily.
I have just purchesed the Hornady 11th edition manual, and Reloader 26 is promising a big bump in velocity. I have ordered a small tub, lets see what it gives me. For what its worth, I admit I have gone about this arse about face - I should have spent more time reading up others experience; the N170 although super accurate, was too slow, the N160 a marked 200fps gain. I do remember Reloader 26 being mentioned somewhere, perhaps I should have followed that lead?
If the Reloader 26 offers no big increase, I may well just stick with the N160. It does the job.

Try Vihtavouri N565. Using it in my friends loads and it gives a good case fill and will give you the extra velocity you're after.
It is a hot powder though, so if you intend to do a lot of Range shooting, or long strings of shooting be aware.

 

[hammo]

Try Vihtavouri N565. Using it in my friends loads and it gives a good case fill and will give you the extra velocity you're after.
It is a hot powder though, so if you intend to do a lot of Range shooting, or long strings of shooting be aware.

Tub of Reloader 26 is inbound, so that's my next project.

 

[hammo]

I'm using Hornady 143gr ELD-X, RL26, CCI BR2, Lapua brass, SAAMI OAL 2.955".

I'm getting circa 3070fps, very accurate. The primers are perfect, but a very slight witness mark from the ejector, nothing I'm worried about.

I'm loading same bullet and powder, federal 215 magnum primers, ADG brass. Getting just under 2900 fps half inch group. I'm happy with that, would be pushing it to try and go faster for the next node up.
Reloaded 26 certainly given me the speed I wanted.

 

[Dave_45]

To resurrect this thread ...

I'm getting a prc folks , what factory offerings are there ?

Ideally with long barrel to get the best out of it.

Doubly ideally would be a sako finnlight


Please advise ....

There's also a 6.5 284 in Edinburgh rifles I'm also a gnats hair from buying ,I'm just wary of buying it as I don't know the barrel history