6.5 SAUM versus PRC? In short barreled gun, for suppressed hunting. Or other options? How short?

[cdherman]

OK, here is what I learned from my recent other post about 6.5 variants. 6.5 PRC is the "easy" button so to speak, but 6.5 SAUM/GAP is interesting.

I want to create a short 6.5 gun with suppressor for deer blind work. Max range perhaps 500 yrds. For anyone out there with experience with SHORT barrels -- other chamber options? What barrel length? Thinking 18"

I have this useless Bartlein barrel that I can get shortened, rechambered, fluted and threaded for a can. Its a good barrel chambered in the wrong cartridge and tooooo long. So I have to stay .264.

Irony is that I have a 6.5x55 Swede Tikka T3 Lite that is pretty accurate with its 22" barrel. Its sweet in a blind or field or wherever. But isn't chasing the next perfect gun always the fun!!!! Cannot realistically suppress the Tikka with the pencil thin barrel.

 

[nwmnbowhunter]

16.5 inch 6.5 saum 140 hybrids at 2825

 

[WeiserBucks]

SAUM if you reload, PRC if you don't.

 

[waveslayer]

SAUM all the way if you're going short. I'm considering a 16" beast to build, all in 6.5 SAUM

 

[ARlife4me]

if you can find brass or enough saum ammo, then go saum (make sure you can find ALL reloading components 1st). i went prc due to that's all i could obtain in brass, dies and ammo at the time of choosing. same reason i went 7saum instead of 7wsm. i don't want to neck up or down or even have brass identification stating differently.

 

[highdrum]

Saum has a 4gr powder capacity boost. If I was going short barrel 6.5 and still wanted 2900+ fps performance, w/o being near pressure, I'd probably do a 6.5-7prc on an 18" barrel. Lapua Peterson and ADG all making brass now.

 

[gk6654]

I have a 16" 6.5 saum it does seem to like the supppressor

 

[azsugarbear]

You can't lose either way. I run a 6.5 PRC with 20" PR carbon barrel and suppressor. I handload the 160 gr. Matrix VLD to 2,925 fps with RL26 (this is a max load).

 

[jja600]

I have both and like both. If I were to do it again I would just do the SAUM. Why? Because I like different. Get the SAUM (GAP 4S) if you handload. Brass can be found easily. Redding makes dies.

 

[BrentM]

OK, here is what I learned from my recent other post about 6.5 variants. 6.5 PRC is the "easy" button so to speak, but 6.5 SAUM/GAP is interesting.

I want to create a short 6.5 gun with suppressor for deer blind work. Max range perhaps 500 yrds. For anyone out there with experience with SHORT barrels -- other chamber options? What barrel length? Thinking 18"

I have this useless Bartlein barrel that I can get shortened, rechambered, fluted and threaded for a can. Its a good barrel chambered in the wrong cartridge and tooooo long. So I have to stay .264.

Irony is that I have a 6.5x55 Swede Tikka T3 Lite that is pretty accurate with its 22" barrel. Its sweet in a blind or field or wherever. But isn't chasing the next perfect gun always the fun!!!! Cannot realistically suppress the Tikka with the pencil thin barrel.

PRC, SAUM, Sherman. All those are great in a short barrel small magnum style case. I run a 18" on one of my prc's and its an awesome set up. I'd not hesitate on any of those.

Another option is a 260Ai or 6.5 CM. Both work well in short barrels and lighter bullets like 120-130 grain. Very effective to 500.

 

[JuddL]

16" saum here…I've shot 123 scenars and 130 Berger vldh both running around 3k fps. I'm on my second one because a good friend talked me out of the first one. The guys I hunt with named it Nasty. So I'm on Nasty 2.0. Short of a Nilgai, I'd use it to hunt anything in TX and truth is it'd smoke a Nilgai too I just like a little bigger gun for that.

 

[jrock]

I prefer the 6.5 SAUM with 140+ bullets over the 6.5 PRC. Definitely another plus to that case with a short barrel.
You could have a smith thread your Tikka barrel with a machined adapter, but I'd still opt for the 6.5 SAUM over the Swede

 

[Bud LaRoche]

20 inch GAP4's 3100 135Atips

Have two Tikka Sporter pencil barrels both threaded no problem at 9\16 x24 .

 

[Quicksilver338]

Tikka 18" 6.5 saum running 130 Bergers, 2955fps with n565 powder.