6.5-7mm prc

[LTH181818]

I'd say 800ish is about tops for the 7PRC. You might get a little more...might get a little less.

Thanks

 

[h_1ag]

A 6.5CM on a ammunition pressure test barrel will only go about 1700 rounds. When they see the pressure swing and a velocity loss at the same time then they know they are on borrowed time with the barrel and will pull it. Remember they are loading a spec bullet at a spec velocity for box ammo.

Shooting a accuracy test barrel or you or I running a gun in a match in 6.5CM we can chase the tune and I'll say tops your looking at 3k rounds. That's it.

6.5PRC on ammunition pressure test barrels....if they are nice to the barrel (that's how it was put to me) the most they get out of them is 900 rounds. They've burnt those barrels up in a little over 400 rounds. I'll say an average is around 600ish rounds for barrel life (peak accuracy).

Guys shooting a 6.5WSM in F class ( my buddy ran one and we made him 3 barrels at one time)...each barrel died right around 550 rounds. Peak accuracy was gone and or the barrel wouldn't hold accuracy long enough to put 60-80 rounds on it in a day for a match. Had to pull the barrel. Now on a hunting rifle...yes you could get more out of it.

I've seen 26 Nosler test barrels only make it to 449 rounds for barrel life before they started having issues and had to throw the barrel away. I've got pictures and round count data from the company that did the work for reloading data. When they sent me pictures of the throat area of the chamber they asked me to guess the caliber and round count. I said 300wm and 800 rounds. They said nope...26 Nosler at around 110 or 140ish rounds. I forget which it was.

Yes sometimes it's the guy overloading / hot rodding it as you/we say that doesn't help anything.

Not taking care of it (properly cleaning it or intervals between cleanings or getting it too hot) also works against you.

Watch the powder you load...double based powders will burn the barrel faster as well. I only load single based powders. The trade of with double based powders is yes you can get a higher velocity at a normal pressure but the trade off is the powder typically burns at a higher flame temperature....that will work against you as well.

About a year ago a bullet/ammo maker working on a new reloading manual told me they omitted 26 Nosler from they're loading manual. They couldn't get enough rounds on the barrel with it to come up with reliable loading data to put it in the book. So they just left it out. When you hear stuff like that...makes you take a step back at times and take a hard look at things.

Great detail here- thanks for sharing. Suddenly I'm second guessing pulling my PRC out for a PRS comp now….

 

[Northkill]

How a rifle is shot is the biggest factor. In a 5-shot string, the 4th shot does as much damage as the first 3 shots combined. And the 5th shot twice as much. At least in the larger cases where this effect is amplified - hitting high temps quicker.

 

[Beluebow]

Is not the 7PRC a couple grains less H20 than the .264 Win?

No personal experience with the 7PRC....I was talking about the 7/6.5PRC......6.5PRC necked up to 7mm.

 

[K.E.C. Darkside]

Back years ago when Remington introduced all the new short action and ultra mag rounds we made all the ammunition test barrels and had to sign a non disclosure agreement because they where not released yet.

I told the senior engineer on the phone and I quote, "I fricking love you guys! Keep coming out with these new rounds especially the barrel burners. Keeps us in business!" He didn't have a response.

On a serious note though....these way over bore over case capacity rounds are a pain in the butt for us. We end up dealing with the guy who calls with the following problems....

My barrel quit shooting at X amount of rounds! It must be bad steel!

It won't hold accuracy after a few rounds!

You can just think of what comes our way. That's just a sample.

I've seen barrels so carbon fouled that you cannot see the grooves back at the chamber end of the barrel. We clean it really good and guess what...accuracy comes right back. We just dealt with a customer with a 25cal custom magnum round (I won't name what it is). Barrel started out shooting in the sub 1/2moa range and by 300 to almost 400 rounds it will only hold like 1moa or just over that. Sent the barrel in and we have to tell him...bud it's toast! The barrel gave you everything it had. Yes he shot it like a bench gun and it was built as a hunting rifle. We spent 2 weeks cleaning it and all we did was mine carbon out of it just so we could get a good look at it.

Calibers like 26 Nosler, 6.5PRC, 7STW you name anything that can fall into that category and they are a pain in the butt for us. We get plenty of data from ammunition test barrels we make and we know what a normal barrel life/round count is and they are taking care of the barrels and keep meticulous data.

Take a 308win case and neck it down to 243win and you take barrel life for the 308w which could easily go 10k rounds and hold 1/2moa to a 243win that wrecks the barrel in 800ish rounds (by necking the case down/reducing the bore size you have turned that 243w into a magnum round. Or take that 30cal barrel and instead of 308w chamber and turn it into a 300wm or 300 Norma for example and your looking at 1000k rounds give or take a little for peak accuracy/barrel life. By doubling the case capacity etc...your going to shorten barrel life. No way around it.

Then you have wildcat calibers where there is no reliable test data. Like a 6.5 300 Norma with bullets running at 3700fps or a 25/300wby with loads running bullets at 3800fps etc... or pick any other wildcat round and your told that I'm pushing the bullet at 3200fps and I have no pressure signs etc...but similar case capacity/caliber rounds will only give you say 500-600 rounds tops for barrel life and the guy isn't happy when the barrel pukes at 550 rounds and doesn't want to hear what you have to say.

Heat kills. The average temperature at the throat area of the chamber is from about 2200 to 4000 F. Depends on powder etc...but for reference 2200F is the temperature of lava. Yes it only happens for milliseconds when your shooting but it will work against you. Now figure in rate of fire, cleaning or lack there of etc...

If you cannot hold your hand on the barrel because it's too hot...your killing the barrel from a barrel life perspective. Shoot 20 rounds in a row thru a 300wm chambered barrel. By the end of that 20 rounds from a cold barrel...the barrel temperature will be about 195F. No way your holding your hand on the barrel.

Yes sometimes the game we play (competitive match shooting) you might run the gun hard and fast...but that's the nature of the game. You take what comes with it.

You want the super duper fast high velocity stuff....you take what comes with it.

284win on a F class gun you can get about 2k rounds out of the barrel....chamber that barrel in a 7 short mag and your looking at about 600-800 rounds on a f class gun.

The old saying goes...you want to go fast...it's going to cost you $ to go fast.

Thank you for your time and information.
Have a Great Day. David

 

[stazmania]

I agree with these last few post. That is why I stated in my post about "my long range hunting rifle" would be a 6.5x7 prc. This rifle will not be a daily driver. I have 6.5 creedmoors for that. I my job was just to cull animals or I only hunted for the meat, I would shoot a 308, 30-06, 7x57, 6.5x55, I really like the last two. But I am not that guy I am the guy that love the equipment/rifles and does not get many chance to use them in the field hunting. I can not imagine that I would ever get enough opportunity two hunt big game that barrel life would ever be a factor. The guns and the equipment are a way to add to the enjoyment and prolong the excitement of the limited hunting opportunity afforded me today. Barrels on a rifle are like tires on a drag race car, the fast you want to get, it is more fun to get to the end of the drag strip fast, and that is going to cost you. I your only goal is to get to the end of the drag strip bring your daily driver, it will last a long time "never wear out" and you will make it to the end of the track. But will it be as much fun? Shoot what make you happy.

 

[tracybartlein]

No personal experience with the 7PRC....I was talking about the 7/6.5PRC......6.5PRC necked up to 7mm.

6.5PRC necked up to 7mm will be easier on the barrel. For the most part your burning less powder than the 7PRC does.

I equate the 6.5PRC necked up to 7mm to be a tad lighter on average for the powder charge but the 7PRC your running about 10% or more powder than a 7 Rem. Mag for powder charge.

 

[tracybartlein]

I agree with these last few post. That is why I stated in my post about "my long range hunting rifle" would be a 6.5x7 prc. This rifle will not be a daily driver. I have 6.5 creedmoors for that. I my job was just to cull animals or I only hunted for the meat, I would shoot a 308, 30-06, 7x57, 6.5x55, I really like the last two. But I am not that guy I am the guy that love the equipment/rifles and does not get many chance to use them in the field hunting. I can not imagine that I would ever get enough opportunity two hunt big game that barrel life would ever be a factor. The guns and the equipment are a way to add to the enjoyment and prolong the excitement of the limited hunting opportunity afforded me today. Barrels on a rifle are like tires on a drag race car, the fast you want to get, it is more fun to get to the end of the drag strip fast, and that is going to cost you. I your only goal is to get to the end of the drag strip bring your daily driver, it will last a long time "never wear out" and you will make it to the end of the track. But will it be as much fun? Shoot what make you happy.

A hunting rifle being used as a hunting rifle and your not sitting at the bench with it burning 50 rounds a day or running the gun in a rifle match are two different worlds. The average hunting rifle will last a guy his life time and then some usually.

 

[tracybartlein]

How a rifle is shot is the biggest factor. In a 5-shot string, the 4th shot does as much damage as the first 3 shots combined. And the 5th shot twice as much. At least in the larger cases where this effect is amplified - hitting high temps quicker.

In the one post.... shoot 20 rounds one after another thru a 300wm. From a cold barrel to the 20th round the temperature was a 195F.

Agreed 100% with what you wrote!

 

[Northkill]

In the one post.... shoot 20 rounds one after another thru a 300wm. From a cold barrel to the 20th round the temperature was a 195F.

Agreed 100% with what you wrote!

I have one of your 400MOD's on a 7 Allen Mag build but so far just shoot it a couple spaced out shots out of season and all harvests have been 1-shot scenarios. Doing great so far. Should last me a long time.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I have two new Bartleins being installed now. I wanted them in the 400MOD steel but my smith claimed that the steel is too hard on his reamers. He would only rebarrel in Barlein's regular SS.

 

[Northkill]

I have two new Bartleins being installed now. I wanted them in the 400MOD steel but my smith claimed that the steel is too hard on his reamers. He would only rebarrel in Barlein's regular SS.

My smith said there wasn't much noticeable difference with reaming the 400MOD vs standard.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

Interesting in the barrel life for this cartridge. If you are using for hunting a 6.5mm with the 156 gr and the HP behind it is great if only hunting and you can get quite a few years out of a barrel. I see a lot of people talk about barrel life, but if hunting - how much are you shooting every year? Well maybe you shoot a lot to stay in practice and need a barrel that goes 1,000, 1,500, 2,000 rounds.
I would say any cartridge that burns a barrel out in 4-500 rounds don't chamber it in an expensive barrel or any barrel. Just breaking in a barrel and tuning a load is going to be 50-100 rounds. Then getting it dialed into shooting 3-800 yards for hunting a couple more hundred rounds.
THEN the barrel will start loosing accuracy.???
Well I should not talk we have Kreigers in 6.5x284 shooting H-4350 and 142SMK then a.338LMAI with 300gr OTMs & Retumbo. BUT we always have two barrels to start with. One to break-in TUNE the loads and the second to finish.
I have taken barrels (Kreiger, Bartlein) 6mm & 6.5mm from PRS competition rifles after they said the accuracy was diminishing (1,000 round) or they just wanted a new barrel for the shoot. I Took the barrel did a good cleaning for carbon rings and copper and then cut the muzzle back 1/2" and recrowned and the barrel was shooting 1/4" MOA.
Sometimes it is just cleaning, new crown and maybe moving the chamber back a bit to make a like new barrel.

 

[Gpkhill2]

I don't know who Eric Cortez is but, if you mean Eric Cortina; he stated during an interview with gavintoob recently, that he and most other "F class" shooters use 284 Win.

Yes sorry Cortina. I was listening to his podcast with Dan Newberry about OCW loading and He said that he just won the Southwest Nationals with a 7PRCW which is a 6.5PRC necked up to 7mm