NON-TYPICAL rifle build in mind; need some help...

[Rugerjim]

If you wanna be exotic go a 6.5-284 is what you want.

Or a 6.5/7 WSM.
Simples.

 

[Rugerjim]

Or you could be a real man and just shoot a 264 Win Mag. Easy, everywhere, brass galore. (AI it if you wanna be exotic.)

 

[PAGSDIII701]

20" 1:7.5" 6.5SS suppressed
156 EOL @ 3001fps when leaning on it. This is my hunting load, not an every day load. ES 3, SD 1.5. 6 shot string was 3001, 3000, 3001, 3002, 3001, 3001
View attachment 247766
View attachment 247767
View attachment 247768

I have several other loads too. None are close to max loads.
144 LR Hyb @ 3022 (had up to 3088)
150 SMK @ 2925 (had up to 3021)
129 Absolute Hammer @ 3165 (had up to 3268)

How's the Tangent Theta?

 

[PRCLITE]

Thank you for the comments. I'm still trying to weigh everything out. I love my PRC and the 6.5 family as a whole. I would essentially be starting a new build or rebarrelling to subtract 4" of barrel length which is expensive either way you look at it. I would love to stick with the PRC and just build a load to match my needs in a 20" barrel but I wasn't sure how much I would lose in performance. What I didn't want to do was fund a whole new build on the same caliber to find out I should've gone bigger and badder. I wonder what kind of speed I can get out of the 156 Berger on the short barreled 6.5PRC.... anyone have those numbers?

 

[JC in Calif]

I am thinking about starting a somewhat unorthadox build and need help from the experts out there. I'm currently hunting with a 6.5PRC which I love. I've have been shooting/hunting suppressed on/off with it and the only thing I don't like is the length of the barrel and suppressor together which on my current rifle is 31".

I've got an idea to build on a hot rod cartridge but cut the barrel down to 19 or 20 inches which will give me the barrel length I want but also slow my cartridge down as to not burn my barrel out so quickly. The key for me is to pick a cartridge either in the 6.5mm or 7mm family that usually screams with a standard 24 or 26 inch barrel and by cutting it down still achieves the same or better numbers than I'm getting with the PRC. If I would cut the PRC down, I would have less energy and speed than a 6.5CM which isn't what I want. The big deal is I need to pick a caliber that will still have efficient powder burn with a shorter barrel. I'm thinking one of the short mags is going to get the nod, but I'm not completely sure. Any suggestions on caliber?

I think you will still face barrel erosion, reguardless of barrel length. The barrel will still erode ahead of the chamber, no matter the barrel length. I might consider adding even a couple of inches of barrel length and perhaps look at some of the available 6mm cartriges that might give me the desired f.p.s...240 Wby, 6x47L....

 

[jshepherd61]

I am thinking about starting a somewhat unorthadox build and need help from the experts out there. I'm currently hunting with a 6.5PRC which I love. I've have been shooting/hunting suppressed on/off with it and the only thing I don't like is the length of the barrel and suppressor together which on my current rifle is 31".

I've got an idea to build on a hot rod cartridge but cut the barrel down to 19 or 20 inches which will give me the barrel length I want but also slow my cartridge down as to not burn my barrel out so quickly. The key for me is to pick a cartridge either in the 6.5mm or 7mm family that usually screams with a standard 24 or 26 inch barrel and by cutting it down still achieves the same or better numbers than I'm getting with the PRC. If I would cut the PRC down, I would have less energy and speed than a 6.5CM which isn't what I want. The big deal is I need to pick a caliber that will still have efficient powder burn with a shorter barrel. I'm thinking one of the short mags is going to get the nod, but I'm not completely sure. Any suggestions on caliber?

I would look at the 7 SAUM however any time you step up in caliber and faster cartridges you risk the fact that the powder burn is slower and you may not get full burn in a much shorter barrel, this could cause many different issues if it is still burning powder inside your can! Best thing to do is pick out a few calibers and run them through QuickLoad! This will give you an idea of powder burn!

 

[PRCLITE]

20" 1:7.5" 6.5SS suppressed
156 EOL @ 3001fps when leaning on it. This is my hunting load, not an every day load. ES 3, SD 1.5. 6 shot string was 3001, 3000, 3001, 3002, 3001, 3001
View attachment 247766
View attachment 247767
View attachment 247768

I have several other loads too. None are close to max loads.
144 LR Hyb @ 3022 (had up to 3088)
150 SMK @ 2925 (had up to 3021)
129 Absolute Hammer @ 3165 (had up to 3268)

At what distance would you feel comfortable taking a shot on a bull elk?

 

[dspeak90]

I am thinking about starting a somewhat unorthadox build and need help from the experts out there. I'm currently hunting with a 6.5PRC which I love. I've have been shooting/hunting suppressed on/off with it and the only thing I don't like is the length of the barrel and suppressor together which on my current rifle is 31".

I've got an idea to build on a hot rod cartridge but cut the barrel down to 19 or 20 inches which will give me the barrel length I want but also slow my cartridge down as to not burn my barrel out so quickly. The key for me is to pick a cartridge either in the 6.5mm or 7mm family that usually screams with a standard 24 or 26 inch barrel and by cutting it down still achieves the same or better numbers than I'm getting with the PRC. If I would cut the PRC down, I would have less energy and speed than a 6.5CM which isn't what I want. The big deal is I need to pick a caliber that will still have efficient powder burn with a shorter barrel. I'm thinking one of the short mags is going to get the nod, but I'm not completely sure. Any suggestions on caliber?

You should check out Sherman Wildcat Cartridges his SS and Max lines are probably right up your alley they are best in short or mid length actions. Alterra arms has done tons of testing on the SS and Max cartridges and they are getting ridiculous results with short barrels. I'm building a 338 max on a long action so I can seat my bullet out as far as possible, I should be able to push a 230 eld-x to 3000fps with a 22" barrel.

 

[BrentM]

Thank you for the comments. I'm still trying to weigh everything out. I love my PRC and the 6.5 family as a whole. I would essentially be starting a new build or rebarrelling to subtract 4" of barrel length which is expensive either way you look at it. I would love to stick with the PRC and just build a load to match my needs in a 20" barrel but I wasn't sure how much I would lose in performance. What I didn't want to do was fund a whole new build on the same caliber to find out I should've gone bigger and badder. I wonder what kind of speed I can get out of the 156 Berger on the short barreled 6.5PRC.... anyone have those numbers?

It depends on how hard you stand on it. I run a 156 at 2900 in my 22". I can run 2950-2970 but the low sd and high accuracy at 2900 is just superb. I prefer a 135 in my prc and run those at 3100, can do 3150 but again, the 3100 is a solid node and wicked. I've killed a pile of yotes this year from 500-1125 with that load. That is what I am going to run in the 18". I had a trifecta saturday. I shot 3 yotes at 500, 550, 600. I hit the 1st one, missed the 2nd and realized it was further out, dialed up 1, drt, the last one ran quite a ways across the side of the mountain and I ranged about where I thought it might stop, it stopped to looked back for its buddy and drt. 3 yotes, 4 shots. I have a lot confidence in this PRC to do what it is supposed to do and don't see a need to switch. I think the short mag cartridges are going to perform well in short barrels vs a longer cartridge like the 6.5-284. I have a pile of 6.5-284's and they keep pace with the prc in a short barrel. Longer barrels, they are closer.

 

[504TMS]

It's always difficult to respond without knowing all the elements of another person's decision 'matrix,' that is, the competing 'values' which include money. One out of the box solution might be Desert Tech. While I don't own one (a their price point is too high = a limiting value), with the 'bullpup' design they get fantastic performance without sacrificing barrel length, either in a gas-gun or bolt-action.

 

[PAGSDIII701]

It depends on how hard you stand on it. I run a 156 at 2900 in my 22". I can run 2950-2970 but the low sd and high accuracy at 2900 is just superb. I prefer a 135 in my prc and run those at 3100, can do 3150 but again, the 3100 is a solid node and wicked. I've killed a pile of yotes this year from 500-1125 with that load. That is what I am going to run in the 18". I had a trifecta saturday. I shot 3 yotes at 500, 550, 600. I hit the 1st one, missed the 2nd and realized it was further out, dialed up 1, drt, the last one ran quite a ways across the side of the mountain and I ranged about where I thought it might stop, it stopped to looked back for its buddy and drt. 3 yotes, 4 shots. I have a lot confidence in this PRC to do what it is supposed to do and don't see a need to switch. I think the short mag cartridges are going to perform well in short barrels vs a longer cartridge like the 6.5-284. I have a pile of 6.5-284's and they keep pace with the prc in a short barrel. Longer barrels, they are closer.

My "Like" is for DEAD DOGS!

 

[PRCLITE]

It depends on how hard you stand on it. I run a 156 at 2900 in my 22". I can run 2950-2970 but the low sd and high accuracy at 2900 is just superb. I prefer a 135 in my prc and run those at 3100, can do 3150 but again, the 3100 is a solid node and wicked. I've killed a pile of yotes this year from 500-1125 with that load. That is what I am going to run in the 18". I had a trifecta saturday. I shot 3 yotes at 500, 550, 600. I hit the 1st one, missed the 2nd and realized it was further out, dialed up 1, drt, the last one ran quite a ways across the side of the mountain and I ranged about where I thought it might stop, it stopped to looked back for its buddy and drt. 3 yotes, 4 shots. I have a lot confidence in this PRC to do what it is supposed to do and don't see a need to switch. I think the short mag cartridges are going to perform well in short barrels vs a longer cartridge like the 6.5-284. I have a pile of 6.5-284's and they keep pace with the prc in a short barrel. Longer barrels, they are closer.

Definitely a solid performer on yotes but I'm curious about medium and large game results. Would this 156 Berger be a better alternative than the ELD-X?

 

[PRCLITE]

It's always difficult to respond without knowing all the elements of another person's decision 'matrix,' that is, the competing 'values' which include money. One out of the box solution might be Desert Tech. While I don't own one (a their price point is too high = a limiting value), with the 'bullpup' design they get fantastic performance without sacrificing barrel length, either in a gas-gun or bolt-action.

Thank you, I looked into the desert techs years ago but not really my style.

 

[25WSM]

I'm building a 300wsm on a 16 inch barrel. The last one shot subsonic so nice and if I needed more distance I could load them up. I run an 8 inch titanium can on it and it's normal rifle length and still rocks with heavies and h4350. Still compares to a 22 inch 3006. Here is a link to a tikka someone cut short.

300WSM cut to 18.5 inches — HUNT BACKCOUNTRY

huntbackcountry.com

Shep