6.5mm Craze? 264WM vs 6.5 SAUM vs 6.5 PRC?

Which 6.5 is the easiest to tune, PRC, Creedmoor, SAUM, x284 Norma?? Out of all these I have a Creedmoor and Grendel, the Grendel is an AR, but I have been looking into the other three, just have not decided which one to build. Anyone out there with experience in the PRC, SAUM and x284 Norma on load development? Which did you like or was the easiest to tune?
 
I like 6.5s. I have a few but my first one I got 20 years ago was a 264WM. I run a 26" Lilja on a Winchester action and a B&C stock. It still is my big game rifle of choice outside of river bottom white tails. I own a 6.5 CM and it nice but about 500fps slower than my WM. It is still a good caliber easy to shoot and very capable. I also own a 6.5 Grendal but haven't stretched its legs yet. I built a 6.5WSM for a friend, might have to do one for me. 6.5x284 and the PRC are very similar and don't forget the 6.5/06AI or 260. I will own one of each as I'm a 6.5 whore. Today's day and time it's difficult to find alot of brass but I've seen 264WM brass in the store last week. The 264 is best when you don't headspace off the belt and will last longer. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. When you start looking at BC and SD the 30 cal doesn't catch up till you get into a 200gr or higher bullet typically. I'm sure there are exceptions now but that a general rule.
 
I like a lot of choices, if you don't then stop reading about them. We don't want to be limited just because you're not happy. Stop all the whining! Shoot what you like and leave others to do the same. 6.5 saum shooter.
Not whining, or campaigning, just expressing a viewpoint…Like you. But I don't have a burr in my saddle.
 
I like a lot of choices, if you don't then stop reading about them. We don't want to be limited just because you're not happy. Stop all the whining! Shoot what you like and leave others to do the same. 6.5 saum shooter.
This is a discussion forum, if we limited our discussions to only the older long established cartridges there wouldn't be much to discuss.

Options are great, kicking them around before you spend several thousand dollars on one of them is even better.
 
But a short action is 1.8oz lighter than a long action.......

The absurdity of that claim lies in that it's usually made by a male hunter who probably has 1,000+ ounces of extra body fat that could be gotten rid of before "action weight" actually matters.
Take an extra pee before you start up the mountain, problem solved.😂

I get it to an extent for guys who are climbing mountains chasing sheep and goats, but I'll take a long action all day ever day even if I were shooting a short action cartridge just for the extra mag length.
 
Which 6.5 is the easiest to tune, PRC, Creedmoor, SAUM, x284 Norma?? Out of all these I have a Creedmoor and Grendel, the Grendel is an AR, but I have been looking into the other three, just have not decided which one to build. Anyone out there with experience in the PRC, SAUM and x284 Norma on load development? Which did you like or was the easiest to tune?
Not those but my 6.5LRM is probably by far the easiest I've ever owned when it came to load developement.

If anything it was a problem because I tried about 10 different loads with 5 different bullets of different types and weights and it ate everything and still shot bugholes.

I know, bad problem to have, 😂
 
And he killed it for the most part when he jumped into partnership with Hornady to promote the PRC.
Yep, his call. I still love my 6.5saum. I'm 68 and this is my all time fav rifle/caliber.
That's not to say aren't other great calibers, the saum fits perfectly to where and what I hunt.
 
Yep, his call. I still love my 6.5saum. I'm 68 and this is my all time fav rifle/caliber.
That's not to say aren't other great calibers, the saum fits perfectly to where and what I hunt.
All the back and forth aside, that's really all that matters. You're happy with it and have confidence in it. That will put a lot of meat in the freezer by itself.
 
Which 6.5 is the easiest to tune, PRC, Creedmoor, SAUM, x284 Norma?? Out of all these I have a Creedmoor and Grendel, the Grendel is an AR, but I have been looking into the other three, just have not decided which one to build. Anyone out there with experience in the PRC, SAUM and x284 Norma on load development? Which did you like or was the easiest to tune?
I own/have owned and or loaded for 6.5 CM, 6.5PRC, and 6.5x284. They all are easiest load to find, but in different ways.

I will say that the PRC is the tightest ES/SD of all of them and the most accurate at any distance in any temp; with h1000 and 156 Berger. The x284 LOVED the 140 Berger AND 143 eld. Equal accuracy but 140 significantly faster. The need-more shot everything I tried decent enough to find a good node. but 123-143 seem to be the sweet spot. In that weight range, every bullet had really broad nodes, I mean 2-3x the size of the PRC and x284 nodes. But widest es/sd spread.

I guess to answer your question, it depends on definition of easy. Broad nodes & widest selection of bullets =CM; multiple very accurate loads=x284; best load with heaviest bullet for ELR and best consistency when pulling the trigger=PRC. I would pick PRC if forced to pick one because they have all had tightest es/sd—that's easiest to me, because that spread is more important than speed almost to the point of me getting neurotic about it. Any thing that gets to single digits the fastest is a winner (caveat: it also had the smallest nodes=coincidence? 🤷🏻‍♂️)

All my own anecdotal experience with smaller sample sizes of about 10 rifles across those 3 calibers. Take it for what it's worth. Hope that helps.
 
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