6.5 PRC 156 load development

[BrentM]

PRC is not likely not going to hit those levels. I was running 215m's with ADG brass and 147's in a 22" and seeing bolt lift at 57.4. 58.5 was defintialy max at 2900. In a 26" i'd guess that is 3000. I did find that H1000 is slower at book max numbers than RL26 and retumbo by a fair margin. For example book max h1K was 2827, retumbo 2911, RL26 2900. Seems like retumbo and rl26 are pretty close but RL26 was showing less signs of pressur at similar velocities. This weekend I will run 210m's instead of 215's and zero in on a velocity node and see how it goes.

 

[Chevy_52]

I don't think so. I think the 26 nosler has to much powder capacity to bore size to be a great shooter on average, plus barrel life is horrible. The prc seems to do A good job at bridging the gap between the 260rem and the 264 win. Mag. IMO

I appreciate your comment but quite frankly the 26 Nosler doesn't bridge this gap, it exceeds it by far and I have been shooting it for 3 years and if you can live with the above mentioned shortcomings it is an absolute hammer on deer at long range. (750 rounds down the barrel and still very accurate... .6 MOA with 140 grain EH Bergers)

 

[Mach 1]

I appreciate your comment but quite frankly the 26 Nosler doesn't bridge this gap, it exceeds it by far and I have been shooting it for 3 years and if you can live with the above mentioned shortcomings it is an absolute hammer on deer at long range. (750 rounds down the barrel and still very accurate... .6 MOA with 140 grain EH Bergers)

I would expect you to still have accuracy at 750 rounds. At 1100 rounds I think you'll find you accuracy is going by the way side and your throat is all but toast. That I'd if your running the 26 nosler to its capability. I personally think the 6.5 prc would be a better choice but my guns get shot a lot. I don't want to have to rebarrel and do new load development every year or 15 months. If you only shoot the 26 nosler every so often it's fine. I hit the load development hard and love to tinker with loads. I dust don't want 1/4 of my barrel life used up by load development and dope verification.

 

[8andbait]

Wow, this really went off the rails.

It was supposed to help guys with a 6.5 PRC who wanted to try the 156 EOL.

It wasn't intended to discuss several other cartridges.

Bertram brass
CCI BR2
RL26
156 seated at .050 jump

55 gr-2900 FPS
56 gr-2948 FPS
56.5 gr-2976 FPS heavy bolt lift.
Picture below was 54-56 gr at 324 yards.

Three shots at the dot were 56.5
H1000, 210 primer and 156 at .050
324 yards.

About 70 degrees, tail wind a little right to left 5-10 mph,

3 minutes between shots, significant mirage off the barrel by the time I shot the H1000 rounds.

 

[jasonco]

Bartlein 3 contour or 3 groove?

 

[8andbait]

3 contour

 

[Greyfox]

IMO, you will have a difficult time pushing the 156EOL in a 26" barrel much past your still bolt lift level of 2900FPS, even with the performance level of R26 or N565. Your free-bore of .130" is the limiting factor. Velocities in the 3000FPS range would be likely with a free-bore closer to .190" and seating depths that are .010"-.030" off the lands. Even with this free-bore it's possible that you would be limited to a feed from the top position in the magazine only. I'm not so sure all this is the end of the world with cartridge capacities in the 6.5PRS and 6.5x284 class. In my 6.5x284, running optimized loads for the 140 BergerHVLD @3050FPS against the 156's at 3000FPS, drop drop values and wind-drift comparisons are a push out to +1000 yards in my rifle. I think the primary attraction with these cartridges, is an additional 15-20% in FPE, which is might be moot for the game and distances normally hunted. While the 140 class bullets have performed quite well(running velocities at 3000FPS) on game at my max hunting distances, I'm anxious to test the 156's, of which little has been reported on this aspect thus far.

 

[8andbait]

Went back this morning with Hornady brass and RL26

156 at .050 jump
Top left was with magnetospeed shooting 156 and 140 EOL Bullets

I had no pressure signs with any loads in the Hornady brass.

Just for comparison I took some 140 EOL's at .020 jump, RL26, 210M, Hornady brass.

Given an average of 2910 for the 156 and 3050 for the 140, they are basically identical at 1000 yards for impact velocity. Velocity retained at the target means more to me than energy when using long range bullets.

They both shoot great so flip a coin, I'll be trying the 156 on game this fall, I expect excellent performance like any other berger bullet.

 

[FURMAN]

8andbait, are your dies actually sizing your brass? I have Redding, Hornady, and Lees for the 6.5 PRC and NONE are sizing at the base. I have zero problems until the case is fully formed to .532 at the base and then I get bolt click. This is usually after 3 firings. The cases come out of the chamber at .532 and out of the dies at .532.

 

[8andbait]

I'll have to check, I'm using a Hornady bushing die.

My brass doesn't have any resistance when chambering. I push the shoulder back .002.

 

[FURMAN]

I'll have to check, I'm using a Hornady bushing die.

My brass doesn't have any resistance when chambering. I push the shoulder back .002.

Mine always chamber fine and I am bumping .002 as well but I am talking about the spot .2 ahead of the base of the case.

 

[8andbait]

I understand what you are saying, I just never measured that area of the brass since I've never had any resistance.

I've heard there were some 300 PRC dies that wouldn't fully size but those were tough to chamber.

 

[Sykes]

8andbait, are your dies actually sizing your brass? I have Redding, Hornady, and Lees for the 6.5 PRC and NONE are sizing at the base. I have zero problems until the case is fully formed to .532 at the base and then I get bolt click. This is usually after 3 firings. The cases come out of the chamber at .532 and out of the dies at .532.

I just checked mine after reading this. My 4x fired brass and 2x fired brass all measure .530 before and after. On the 4x fired brass I'm getting the bolt click like your saying, I was wonder what the neck was going on. The 2x fired brass isn't doing that and they all chamber fine. I'm using Redding dies

 

[vancewalker007]

IMO, you will have a difficult time pushing the 156EOL in a 26" barrel much past your still bolt lift level of 2900FPS, even with the performance level of R26 or N565. Your free-bore of .130" is the limiting factor. Velocities in the 3000FPS range would be likely with a free-bore closer to .190" and seating depths that are .010"-.030" off the lands. Even with this free-bore it's possible that you would be limited to a feed from the top position in the magazine only. I'm not so sure all this is the end of the world with cartridge capacities in the 6.5PRS and 6.5x284 class. In my 6.5x284, running optimized loads for the 140 BergerHVLD @3050FPS against the 156's at 3000FPS, drop drop values and wind-drift comparisons are a push out to +1000 yards in my rifle. I think the primary attraction with these cartridges, is an additional 15-20% in FPE, which is might be moot for the game and distances normally hunted. While the 140 class bullets have performed quite well(running velocities at 3000FPS) on game at my max hunting distances, I'm anxious to test the 156's, of which little has been reported on this aspect thus far.

My 26in Proof with 58.1gr of H1000 reaches 3000 fps easily with no pressure signs. I went all the way to 58.4gr with no pressure signs. So 58.1gr to 58.4 was one big velocity node from 3001-3013. I only needed 2990 fps out of the 156gr to exceed the 143 gr ELDX performance. I tried 8133 but never got over 2960fps and case filled up