6.5 PRC performance on deer

[BrentM]

My rifle killed 4 mule deer bucks last season. 2 with 143 eldx, 2 with 135A tips. 300-400. Most dropped in their tracks but 2 with the 135's ran a little ways with massive terminal damage. Totally acceptable to see them run a few yards before piling up.

The comment of the cm seemingly being better is weird. That's like saying a 308 is better than a 300WM. Really doesn't make any sense at all.

 

[JAYgs8163]

Big difference with a 140 Berger. I think you have more rapid expansion than the Eld-X. I use the Bergers with fantastic results. I have switched to the 156 Berger though and leave to 140's to my Creedmoor.

 

[cajun]

Dont get hung up on the parent cartidge. Once the bullet leaves the case it's essentially a 6.5 bullet traveling at xxxx velocity. Bullet selection plays a larger role than the parent cartridge when the velocities are reasonably close. The PRC has more velocity. How you use that depends on your situation.

 

[Jack300WSM]

Big difference with a 140 Berger. I think you have more rapid expansion than the Eld-X. I use the Bergers with fantastic results. I have switched to the 156 Berger though and leave to 140's to my Creedmoor

I don't have any experience with the ELDX. I looked for Berger 156's but non existent. I already had the 140's in Target VLD and Elite variety for my CM so I'm gonna try those to start. You have any issues with penetration though at close range based on the PRCs speed?

 

[HVGBDT]

My 34 year old handicapped son & I had the same rifles in 6.5-284 & Rem 7 mags. We sold them & bought Christensen Arms Mesa LR "his" & i got their MPR, both rifles are 6.5 PRC. We will hunt these from rockchucks to Elk. Best move we've made yet! We reload. Use RL26 with 143eldx. Very accurate! Fun to shoot. He hits a 2"bullseye at 800 yds! "He's a better shot than i am"!!

 

[Jack300WSM]

I always see guys talking about the 6.5SS. I would have built a 6.5-284 or 260ai. The PRC caught my attention plus my smith has the reamer so it's the step up I've been looking for. Plus I'm a tinkerer and figured the components, since Hornady and now Lapua are backing it, would be readily available..... I was wrong

 

[Greyfox]

I have shot three dozen whitetail and mule deer with my 6.5x284 which duplicates the performance of the 6.5 PRC. Ranges have been from 200-1000 yards, average shot for all, 450 yards. All have been one shot kills, most DRT except for a few that were dead at 25-50 yards. All were shot with Berger 140 HVLD's and JLK VLD's at 2975-3000FPS.

 

[SteveBurton]

I have rifles in both chamberings and have used the ELD-X in each. As has been stated previously, once the bullet leaves the muzzle, the cartridge doesn't matter. Every animal I have hit has gone down within 30 yards. Exit holes have averaged around 1-1/2". I used the Berger 144 hybrid in my PRC last season and the two whitetail that I shot dropped in their tracks. There was a lot more damage than with the ELD-X but I do like seeing an animal drop and not have to worry about tracking. Exit holes were around 2" and lots of bloodshot meat around them. Way more than with the ELD-X which tells me that more energy is being delivered to the animal with the Berger.
If distances are going to be kept under 500-600 yards, go with the Creedmoor. I don't think the extra 200 FPS is going to make much of a difference.

 

[HVGBDT]

I have shot three dozen whitetail and mule deer with my 6.5x284 which duplicates the performance of the 6.5 PRC. Ranges have been from 200-1000 yards, average shot for all, 450 yards. All have been one shot kills, most DRT except for a few that were dead at 25-50 yards. All were shot with Berger 140 HVLD's and JLK VLD's at 2975-3000FPS.

We also loved our 6.5-284s. But, we gained 150-175 fps with the same bullet. I figured it was the middle compromise for us. Eliminated reloading for 2 rifles!

 

[Glenn Tullius]

I'm getting ready to rebarrel one of my 700's. I've been wanting to try 6.5 PRC for awhile now. Got the dies, and getting components (if/when they come available). I've got an uncle who kills a lot of deer but he said for some reason the 6.5 PRC punched holes in three whitetails, they all ran off and hardly a blood trail. He said he was using factory ELDX loads. He also said he had better luck with the 6.5 CM. I know you can chalk it up to the yardage being less than 150yds for all three but I thought the bullet would've come apart and been more devastating than what he witnessed. I didn't find out where they were hit as far as a lethal hit or not. Anybody else experienced the same or better experiences with the PRC? My usage will be mostly whitetails? Thanks

Here's my real life experience with the 6.5 prc with the eldx bullets. Distance was 154 yards, quartering shots the length of the body. Big deer, didn't die on the spot. He jumped and walked about 10 yards.

 

[JAYgs8163]

I don't have any experience with the ELDX. I looked for Berger 156's but non existent. I already had the 140's in Target VLD and Elite variety for my CM so I'm gonna try those to start. You have any issues with penetration though at close range based on the PRCs speed?

Nope, no issues at all. It's more about bullet selection than it being a 6.5PRC as @cajun said. I shoot the 140s out of my CM at 2992 and they perform flawlessly.

 

[Greyfox]

We also loved our 6.5-284s. But, we gained 150-175 fps with the same bullet. I figured it was the middle compromise for us. Eliminated reloading for 2 rifles!

What velocity were you getting out of your 6.5x284's? I have not seen a difference much of a difference between my 6.5x284's and the 6.5 PRC. Case capacity is just about identical between the two.

 

[BrentM]

What velocity were you getting out of your 6.5x284's? I have not seen a difference much of a difference between my 6.5x284's and the 6.5 PRC. Case capacity is just about identical between the two.

I've seen a difference and you know I love the 6.5-284. The PRC just seems to out run it a bit. I see right around 150 fps in similar-ish loads and barrel lengths. My 24" 284 barrels liked to run 2920-2950 whereas my 22" PRC runs 3030-3050, 140 class bullets. I have a 18" PRC barrel to get broke in and it seems to be OK running a 140 at 3000 but I will back it off and run a 135 at 3025-3050, is the plan anyway. It's a wolf rifle anyway, no need for heavies, just run a 135 and send it

 

[vancewalker007]

I'm getting ready to rebarrel one of my 700's. I've been wanting to try 6.5 PRC for awhile now. Got the dies, and getting components (if/when they come available). I've got an uncle who kills a lot of deer but he said for some reason the 6.5 PRC punched holes in three whitetails, they all ran off and hardly a blood trail. He said he was using factory ELDX loads. He also said he had better luck with the 6.5 CM. I know you can chalk it up to the yardage being less than 150yds for all three but I thought the bullet would've come apart and been more devastating than what he witnessed. I didn't find out where they were hit as far as a lethal hit or not. Anybody else experienced the same or better experiences with the PRC? My usage will be mostly whitetails? Thanks

If the majority of you shots on game are less than 400-500 yards you're not going to gain much by changing to a 6.5 PRC. Where I hunt most of our shots are in the 400-600 yard range and sometimes farther, so have more velocity pays off. Where the PRC really shines over say a 6.5 CM is in the 500-1000 yard space. As far as effect on game none of the deer I have shot or others have shot with my 6.5 PRC have gone more than 20 yards with most just DRT. All have been shot with the Berger 156 EOL.