6.5 PRC seating depth

[vancewalker007]

Hello,

This is my first post other than to introduce myself.

I've been reloading for quite some time, but this rifle will be my first foray into really fine tuning for the best accuracy I can get. I'll be loading Berger's 156gr EOL Elite Hunters. I've read the 6.5 PRC likes a bit of jump. Customer service has been awesome and suggested starting .015 off the lands and keep going in .015 increments to .06. Having never experimented with seating depth, I'm wondering if the .06 off the lands is the max. Thanks for the advice!

Every rifle will be different. Unless you have an extended magazine at 15 off might not fit in your mag. At 15 off you'll be close to 3.1in OAL. That's where I shoot the 156 and it shoots great. You will likely easily find a sweet spot. The 156 is a great shooting bullet. It's all I've used for hunting for over 3 years. Its accounted for 4 Coues bucks and 18 plains game. Mostly with 1 bullet.

 

[Dragoon300]

My 6.5 PRC barrel is throated long so I can seat the 156's with the rear of the bearing surface at the case shoulder juncture. At that point I am .010 off the lands. My mag length is 4" so no problem for me. Mine shoots 1/4 moa 5 round groups. I too find the Berger hybrids to be very tolerate of seating depth changes, do the recommended testing and find the best depth for your gun. That said, make sure all of your other load parameters are consistent when doing your test or you really won't know for sure.
I love my PRC, it's a great shooting round, have fun with yours!

 

[ajkellerusmc]

Watch for increases in pressure as you seat deeper, You probably will not have to go that deep with the 156 as others have stated above before you find the sweet spot for your load.

 

[Tulsa Reiner]

Hello,

This is my first post other than to introduce myself.

I've been reloading for quite some time, but this rifle will be my first foray into really fine tuning for the best accuracy I can get. I'll be loading Berger's 156gr EOL Elite Hunters. I've read the 6.5 PRC likes a bit of jump. Customer service has been awesome and suggested starting .015 off the lands and keep going in .015 increments to .06. Having never experimented with seating depth, I'm wondering if the .06 off the lands is the max. Thanks for the advice!

My 6.5 PRC liked a .020" jump, using Reloder 26, 56.8 gr., shooting Berger 156 EOL's with Federal 210M primers. This gave me 2900 fps from a 20" barrel.

 

[Henson]

My 6.5 PRC liked a .020" jump, using Reloder 26, 56.8 gr., shooting Berger 156 EOL's with Federal 210M primers. This gave me 2900 fps from a 20" barrel.

What gun are you using?
Also where does that put your COAL?

 

[Henson]

I have 20in Carbon barrel on B-14 crest and only thing that will sometimes group is the factory 156 EOL BERGER. NONE OF THE HORNADY WORK.

 

[BrentM]

I have 20in Carbon barrel on B-14 crest and only thing that will sometimes group is the factory 156 EOL BERGER. NONE OF THE HORNADY WORK.

Sounds like a convo needs to be had with warranty.

 

[Tulsa Reiner]

My 6.5 PRC liked a .020" jump, using Reloder 26, 56.8 gr., shooting Berger 156 EOL's with Federal 210M primers. This gave me 2900 fps from a 20" barrel.

I was incorrect when I said above that I had loaded the Berger 156 EOL's for my 6.5 PRC.
In fact I loaded 140 gr Berger Elite Hunters over Reloder 26 with Federal GM 210M primers, and seated them 0.050' back from the lands. With 55.2 to 55.6 grains of RL 26 I measured MV's of 2851 to 2873 fps. All yielded SD's below 10, and the best was an SD of 3.8 (5 shot group) and ES 9.
I don't usually measure COAL, and don't have it for this load.
These were fired from my Gunwerks rifle with a 20" barrel.
I hopes this helps, even though it wasn't with Berger 156gr EOL's. I think the 140 gr bullets are better suited to the 6.5 PRC.

 

[BrentM]

I was incorrect when I said above that I had loaded the Berger 156 EOL's for my 6.5 PRC.
In fact I loaded 140 gr Berger Elite Hunters over Reloder 26 with Federal GM 210M primers, and seated them 0.050' back from the lands. With 55.2 to 55.6 grains of RL 26 I measured MV's of 2851 to 2873 fps. All yielded SD's below 10, and the best was an SD of 3.8 (5 shot group) and ES 9.
I don't usually measure COAL, and don't have it for this load.
These were fired from my Gunwerks rifle with a 20" barrel.
I hopes this helps, even though it wasn't with Berger 156gr EOL's. I think the 140 gr bullets are better suited to the 6.5 PRC.

That is really really slow for a 140. Sure sounds like a 156. My 22" ran 156's at 2915 and my 18" runs 2815. Haven't tested the 20", but I'm running a Sherman improved this time and only seeing 3100 with a 135. For some reason this barrel is slow.

 

[Beluebow]

Assuming this is a hunting rifle, I would start 0.005" and go in incremenus of 0.005" until I get to 0.080". 3-5 shot groups.

Then, starting long, I would shoot until I see group size get small and then increase.

That's 48-80 rounds to find seating depth for a hybrid style bullet in a hunting rifle, seems like a lot.

I would start my load dev at mag length then work back if necessary.