6.5-7mm prc

[tracybartlein]

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.

B.S.!

Yes it does machine differently but it doesn't burn the tools up any faster etc...per se. Might not last quite as long as cutting standard 416R but nothing that is going to break the bank etc...your not going to wreck a tool with one barrel or with 5 barrels etc...haven't seen it.

Use your normal speeds and feeds and use good tools.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

B.S.!

Yes it does machine differently but it doesn't burn the tools up any faster etc...per se. Might not last quite as long as cutting standard 416R but nothing that is going to break the bank etc...your not going to wreck a tool with one barrel or with 5 barrels etc...haven't seen it.

Use your normal speeds and feeds and use good tools.

That's good to hear. My next barrel(s) will be made with your harder steel.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Beluebow]

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.

You mean Erik Cortina...

Most of the top shooters have moved on from the straight 284 (a few hold outs) and went the magnum route......Top ten at NRA LR Nationals....all magnums except two.....top ten at Southwest Nationals all magnums except one.....the recent Texas LR state match (Third largest fclass match in the country) top ten were all magnums.

 

[tracybartlein]

That's good to hear. My next barrel(s) will be made with your harder steel.

Thanks for the feedback.

Welcome!

It's not necessarily harder but the chemical composition is slightly different to help with wear and take the heat a little better. On the RC scale it is the same or a tad harder than standard 416R but for the average stuff it is a little harder.

 

[blvette75]

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.

Nice post any info on rounds for 6.5 x 300 weatherby, thanks.

 

[tracybartlein]

Nice post any info on rounds for 6.5 x 300 weatherby, thanks.

As far as.....?

What are you using the gun for? Hunting I assume.

Again it's a hot rod in 6.5. It's not going to give you anymore barrel life wise vs a 6.5PRC. In a 6.5PRC with H1000 powder your loading about 54gr. In a 6.5x300wby your loading upper 70's grains of powder. Almost 80gr. That's about a 30% increase in the powder charge. Will only shorten barrel life.

My opinion...your lucky to get 500 rounds out of the barrel before you see an accuracy loss.

You also have to ask yourself... what is your accuracy requirement? If you say .6moa.... it's toast by that 500 round mark. If your o.k. with 1.25moa.... then the barrel might go a 1k rounds.

Even at 500 rounds. If you get your new barrel / new rifle and you work up some loads and lets say after 60 rounds you settle on X load. You take the gun to the range before hunting season and you put 10-20 rounds on it to check zero and be comfortable with it again. You go hunting and you shoot 3 rounds thru it for the season. So lets say 25 rounds a year tops. Even at 500 rounds of barrel that will give you 20 years of hunting.

You want to sit down and shoot 50 to 100 rounds a month thru it.....your going to get a years worth of life out of it.

 

[stazmania]

This is long range hunting, If you want to lob in a few rounds a target use your "practical efficient" cartridge. But if you want to kill the hell out of something "humanely/clean" constantly/ethicly at long range, in real field conditions, you odds go way up using a cartridge/bullet combination designed to get the job done. If you don't want to shoot game at long range why pay the price in barrel life, recoil, and component price. Oh yeah and it is ok to own/shoot efficient practical bullet/cartridges "long barrel life types" at targets at any distance, and it is a great way to learn to read wind and environmental condition in preparations for the "BIG GAME"

 

[blvette75]

As far as.....?

What are you using the gun for? Hunting I assume.

Again it's a hot rod in 6.5. It's not going to give you anymore barrel life wise vs a 6.5PRC. In a 6.5PRC with H1000 powder your loading about 54gr. In a 6.5x300wby your loading upper 70's grains of powder. Almost 80gr. That's about a 30% increase in the powder charge. Will only shorten barrel life.

My opinion...your lucky to get 500 rounds out of the barrel before you see an accuracy loss.

You also have to ask yourself... what is your accuracy requirement? If you say .6moa.... it's toast by that 500 round mark. If your o.k. with 1.25moa.... then the barrel might go a 1k rounds.

Even at 500 rounds. If you get your new barrel / new rifle and you work up some loads and lets say after 60 rounds you settle on X load. You take the gun to the range before hunting season and you put 10-20 rounds on it to check zero and be comfortable with it again. You go hunting and you shoot 3 rounds thru it for the season. So lets say 25 rounds a year tops. Even at 500 rounds of barrel that will give you 20 years of hunting.

You want to sit down and shoot 50 to 100 rounds a month thru it.....you're going to get a years worth of life out of it.

Great information, I was looking for a velocity upgrade for hunting over my 6.5 creedmoor, HMR and going for a lighter weight mountain gun, figured I would like a Weatherby, could go 6.5 PRC or Weatherby 6.5 RPM, but really like the 6.5 x 300.

 

[sable tireur]

It's always great to have professionals such as Tracy and Frank contributing their expertise and experience to these conversations. There is nothing better than to get the right information straight from the makers.

Thank you for all your help!

 

[K.E.C. Darkside]

Great information, I was looking for a velocity upgrade for hunting over my 6.5 creedmoor, HMR and going for a lighter weight mountain gun, figured I would like a Weatherby, could go 6.5 PRC or Weatherby 6.5 RPM, but really like the 6.5 x 300.

Go with the 6.5-300 You will not regret it.

 

[blvette75]

Go with the 6.5-300 You will not regret it.

Thanks for the feedback, James

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

25-7 prc

 

[stazmania]

6mm x 6.5 prc

 

[tracybartlein]

6mm x 6.5 prc