26 Nosler or 6.5 Prc Hunting

[Arneson]

Shoota elk a any day with .24 at normal distances not a fan of hunting them anyway timing around work isnt good

 

[pickens72]

Hi,

I currently shoot a Remington 700 7mm rem mag but I am getting the new gun itch. I was looking at the 6.5 PRC in a Christensen arms ridgeline but found a 26 Nosler for $300 off. With this money I could buy dies, brass and bullets. For a gun that will be strictly used for hunting is there any reason to get the PRC over the 26 Nosler? I handload and would be using the gun for everything up to elk in which I would probably use the 7 mag. Also barrel life is of little concern as I would shoot 20 rounds a year max with this gun.

Thanks

Iv got both. I run a 124 hammer in at 3525 in the 26! Shoots very good. Prc runs them at 3175. Groups great

 

[Don A Parsons]

I'm doing the 6.5/06 since I have an endless supply of brass...

Of course I'll tap it kool on the mid hot charges for range time,,, then crank it up for critters. Ha...

Nothing to hot as I'll try to stay in the 2880 to 2900 ish ft-per seconds using the 140/42 boolitz...

That's plenty good enough for close range Elk and Moose up here in the North... Dam trees don't allow for distance...

The nice thing about this build is shooting range time for 8 months of the years and winter time predator control.

Oh Yha,,, bring on the good times.

 

[KC Huntin]

I just had a custom 6.5 PRC built. I'm currently working up a load for it, but it'll easily shoot .5" groups with the factory Hornady ammo. What I like most is it's pushing the factory stuff to about 2950fps and it kicks about like a 6.5 creed.

Specs?

 

[Badgerclaw]

Hi,

I currently shoot a Remington 700 7mm rem mag but I am getting the new gun itch. I was looking at the 6.5 PRC in a Christensen arms ridgeline but found a 26 Nosler for $300 off. With this money I could buy dies, brass and bullets. For a gun that will be strictly used for hunting is there any reason to get the PRC over the 26 Nosler? I handload and would be using the gun for everything up to elk in which I would probably use the 7 mag. Also barrel life is of little concern as I would shoot 20 rounds a year max with this gun.

Thanks

I dont have ether, but I can tell you a few things about the nosler case, as I've been messing with the 28 nosler for two years and three barrels now. I also know a few people with the 6.5 prc.

Like you said, you'll only be shooting 20 rounds a year. I would recommend more to really learn your rifle and verify your drop data at different altitudes, temperatures, ect... but if your only going to shoot twenty, the nosler will last you awhile. Something you could do with the $300 you save, is take the rifle to a gunsmith and have them run a throating reamer and add about .050" freebore. My PTG throater has a 1.5 degree leade angle compared to the SAMMI 3 degree angle on the 26 and 28 nosler reamers. This helped relieve some pressure in my 28 nosler and I was able to get more powder in the case. You will be hard pressed to fill up the case behind a 130-150 gr bullet being pushed through a 6.5mm hole, without adding some freebore.

The 26 nosler will still push a 6.5 bullet fast enough to take down an elk, even in a SAMMI spec chamber. However if your only shooting 20 rounds a year, I would recommend not shooting game passed 500. Just my personal opinion. The 26 shoots flat enough that you can go hunt at a different altitude/ temperature, and still hit within a few inches of your tested data at 500 yards.

Before the days of heavy high bc bullets, if you talk to the old timers, they used speed to make up for bullet wieght. I believe that is why the 25-06 is so loved. Pushing light bullets at stupid speeds and under 400 yards I believe it will drop just about any animal on the planet. Long story short, that 26 nosler will do an Elk just as well as your 7mm because of its speed (within a certain distance). Use bullets that will still penitrate if you hit the shoulder.

My buddy built a 6.5 prc on a remington 700 with a shilen 8 twist blank and was not able to reach advertised velocities, he also had trouble getting it to shoot his hand loads. It shot factory ammo well but he was not able to replicate the factory load. This could be a number of factors including a bad barrel, bad chamber job, damaged crown, ect... but I know he just wasn't immpressed. He had me rechamber the rifle in 6.5-300 WSM and he loves it. It's approching 26 nosler velocities in a short action! It shoots well (same barrel as the prc) and every handload shot under an inch at 100 yrds, he just had to play around to find the 1/2 moa load he settled on.

I'm sure there are some stupid accurate, stupid fast 6.5 prc's out there but just keep in mind, it's relitively new and you may not get what your expecting out of it. This is the problem I faced when I jumped on the 28 nosler band waggon. Love the cartridge but it took 3 barrels and a throating reamer to get what I wanted out of it. At least out of the 26 nos and 6.5 prc, the 26 has been around a little longer, and there is a lot of tested data/first hand experience out there to use as a reference.

I'd expect the polls favor the 6.5 prc because there are a lot of people on that bandwagon currently, and they might be the same people who got burnt by the 26 nosler, like I did with the 28. They are all great cartridges, they just need time for people to research and develope proper freebore. I saw a post on page 2 talking about the stepped freebore in some weatherbys. Kudos to weatherby for taking the time to optimize the performance of their cartridge by developing a good chamber/ freebore relationship from the factory!

 

[jpope02]

Now tell me why you want to replace your 7mm rem mag with a 6.5 PRC or a 26 Nosler To hunt with? The 7mm Mag will best the either one if it is a dedicated hunting rifle. If you just want a new rifle my choice would be the PRC. I shoot all 3 and all 3 will do the job. I think Ammo availability would dictate my choices- 7mm' excellent and inexpensive. PRC, getting more popular every day and inexpensive. 26Nosler, ammo is hard to find and expensive. Limited choice of factory rifles....I checked the PRC box only because there is not a 7mm Mag box.

 

[Sykes]

6.5 PRC gets my vote. Push a 140 vld to 3100 fps and itll kill no problem. Or run a 147 eldm to 3000+. For handloading the PRC will burn a lot less powder than the 26 and will be very well behaved compared to the 26 nosler which I've heard can be finicky. Plus the support the PRC has and will have when it comes to ammo and brass will be all the more reason to go with it. You'll enjoy shooting the PRC enough you'll be grabbing it more than you think! I have a 6.5 PRC CA Ridgline and it's a great shooting rifle.

 

[Badgerclaw]

I shoulf have added to my earlier post. If I had 1 cartridge to use for the rest of my life, it would be the 7mm Remington Magnum

 

[PhilMW]

Hi,

...take a look at the Ruger Hawkeye Long Range Precision Rifle in 6.5 PRC ~ possibly "the" best deal out there this side of $1100 <<
It's a good looking rifle.
Try GunBroker.com

I currently shoot a Remington 700 7mm rem mag but I am getting the new gun itch. I was looking at the 6.5 PRC in a Christensen arms ridgeline but found a 26 Nosler for $300 off. With this money I could buy dies, brass and bullets. For a gun that will be strictly used for hunting is there any reason to get the PRC over the 26 Nosler? I handload and would be using the gun for everything up to elk in which I would probably use the 7 mag. Also barrel life is of little concern as I would shoot 20 rounds a year max with this gun.

Thanks

 

[J Doss]

Hi,

I currently shoot a Remington 700 7mm rem mag but I am getting the new gun itch. I was looking at the 6.5 PRC in a Christensen arms ridgeline but found a 26 Nosler for $300 off. With this money I could buy dies, brass and bullets. For a gun that will be strictly used for hunting is there any reason to get the PRC over the 26 Nosler? I handload and would be using the gun for everything up to elk in which I would probably use the 7 mag. Also barrel life is of little concern as I would shoot 20 rounds a year max with this gun.

Thanks

 

[HobieH3]

If your itching to spend money and it is a want then it doesn't matter as money is not the issue. I would build a 6.5 Sherman

I was gonna shill for Elkaholic but you got there first. Long (long) term looking at the 6.5SST

 

[PhilMW]

Hi,

The Barrel:
Hornady designed the 6.5 PRC "ground up" to "improve" on the 6.5 creedmoore.
Supposed to be less wear on barrels.
READ data on Hornady Site...
I'm not into tail-gate debates with basement engineers.

I currently shoot a Remington 700 7mm rem mag but I am getting the new gun itch. I was looking at the 6.5 PRC in a Christensen arms ridgeline but found a 26 Nosler for $300 off. With this money I could buy dies, brass and bullets. For a gun that will be strictly used for hunting is there any reason to get the PRC over the 26 Nosler? I handload and would be using the gun for everything up to elk in which I would probably use the 7 mag. Also barrel life is of little concern as I would shoot 20 rounds a year max with this gun.

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 103481]

Read the post guys OP is not getting rid of his 7 mag

 

[Rjrhino88]

Now tell me why you want to replace your 7mm rem mag with a 6.5 PRC or a 26 Nosler To hunt with? The 7mm Mag will best the either one if it is a dedicated hunting rifle. If you just want a new rifle my choice would be the PRC. I shoot all 3 and all 3 will do the job. I think Ammo availability would dictate my choices- 7mm' excellent and inexpensive. PRC, getting more popular every day and inexpensive. 26Nosler, ammo is hard to find and expensive. Limited choice of factory rifles....I checked the PRC box only because there is not a 7mm Mag box.

I agree that these will not do more than my 7 mag on game, it is the case of wanting to try something different. I bought my Rem 700 in 2002 and along the way have replaced the trigger installed a McMillan and bedded it. Since the introduction of the carbon barrel I have wanted one and the ridgeline seems to fill the gap as semi custom. I do not have a reputible gunsmith that I know of near me which also factors in the decision of not doing a wildcat.

I appreciate all of the advice so far as it has all been helpful.