Why 6.5CM over 6.5PRC if you reload?

[Paper boy]

If you reload, why would someone in the market for a new rifle buy a 6.5CM over a 6.5PRC? It would seem that factory ammo, recoil and barrel longevity are the only positives of the 6.5CM over 6.5PRC. From what I read is the 6.5PRC is ~200-250FPS faster than the 6.5CM if all else is equal. Ive been debating buying a new deer rifle and am wanting a 6.5prc but people keep telling me that for my needs a 6.5CM will do just fine (Deer out to 400 yards). In my head it is a win win to buy the 6.5PRC but maybe im missing something. With a 6.5prc I could load bullets at 6.5CM speeds for reduced recoil or I could have a fast heavy bullet for longer shots or should I ever decide to get into an elk hunt. The 6.5PRC could become very popular and have over the counter ammo similar to the creed which could make the point a wash. If it doesnt become super popular then yes, im stuck with a unpopular rifle, which could be hard to sell should I ever want to sell it but I dont tend to sell guns. So please, tell me why I should get a 6.5CM over the 6.5prc? Am I missing something? I am not saying this to sound like a smart alec or anything, im truly asking if there is something im missing. I guess the argument could be why get a 6.5prc at all since I reload. Why not some other wild cat then? Well my one reasoning for the PRC over 6.5-284 or something similar is the 6.5prc does have a chance to become a popular cartridge where as the others have already basically died out or never took off.

An ongoing question. if you are such enough to be able to afford every caliber out there get both. But if your like MILLIONS of us, that's just not the case. In fact you make a good case on the selection.
I am NOT a hunter, I am a competition target shooter that reloads all my ammo that I shoot. I have a Sako TRG 22 ib 6.5 cm that I love but got it before the PRC was an issue. My Sako costs $3,050. from European Optics (great people) it soots great and I adore it but, unfortunatley can't be rebarreled to a PRC. the PRC requires a magnum size bolt face to handle the round and the short action of the CM can't handle the PRC case length.. Bottom line, the CM is a great round shoots straight and far but, the PRC canid do anything the CM can do and more. Sure, there are tons of calibers out there it can drive you crazy, if your not already

when I do all this again, it will be on the PRC. on the negative of all this is the availability of PRC brass is thin, mostly Hornady offerings out there, I think Nosler offers some but currently few others. The PRC is gaining popularity at a good pace and I'm sure it will remain popular and is growing in Long range shooting and does make a great shooting round. I really think that the 6.5 PRC will win this race. good luck!

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

Anyone that truly reloads would not get a 6.5 PRC or 6.5 Creedmoor. The allure is the ability to buy ammo over the counter.

If you reload, reload the 6.5 SAUM, it has superior performance over the others listed.

I "truly reload" and I shoot the creed. The creed is at it's best hand loaded. I still pick common cartridges so I dont have to fight to find brass

 

[BrentM]

I "truly reload" and I shoot the creed. The creed is at it's best hand loaded. I still pick common cartridges so I dont have to fight to find brass

I lol'd at that. I had a saum, have the 6.5-284's, creed, and prc. The saum produced about 50 FPS faster but was a pain to source brass. I don't miss it.

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

I lol'd at that. I had a saum, have the 6.5-284's, creed, and prc. The saum produced about 50 FPS faster but was a pain to source brass. I don't miss it.

Nothing worse when you need something and you can't find it!

 

[Frog4aday]

I've always felt the 6.5 CM was a great TARGET cartridge, just as it was designed to be. The fact that it made a very good deer round, too, was just a bonus.

The 6.5 PRC is what a 'hunting' version of the 6.5 CM should be; modern, efficient cartridge design in a short action, fired out of rifles 'twisted' for the 'heavy-for-caliber' bullet designs, but at greater speeds to minimize wind drift and drop.

The 6.5 CM is being usurped by it's little brother on the target ranges (6mm CM) and getting bested on the hunting fields by it's bigger, newer brother (6.5 PRC.) I don't think the 6.5 CM will ever fade away at this point, but I think the 6.5 PRC is the rising star here in regards to hunting. Since that's what you want to do with it, then the PRC is your huckleberry.

 

[Shootin4fun]

If you can only have 1 rifle of this type, PRC would be a good choice. You can load it light as you suggested. Recoil is a significant consideration if you plan to shoot it a lot. Which you should. A brake on either will reduce recoil proportionately. There is some niftyness in a short action cartridge. Less powder, somehow seems more portable, and when I reload for the CM it's just less of a big deal mentally to me compared to my 7RM. I don't mind loading this and that experimental stuff with the CM, but I'm pretty selective when it comes to the 7RM. It's 50% more powder and it is meant to do some serious business. More serious than a PRC. I wouldn't mind a PRC for the fun of it, I've considered it, but I don't know that it recoils much less than a 7RM, and the 7RM has better terminal performance than the PRC. Only so much time to reload. A nice spectrum to own along these lines is 243 6.5cm 270, 7RM... A nice jump between each. There is a significant difference between the 6.5CM and 7RM, and in terms of stopping power probably a significant difference between PRC and 7RM. Hope I've made you stop and ruminate over it even more

 

[Ranger Rick]

By that logic why not a 6.5 Weatherby. Or 26 nosler? You can always keep finding more speed in the next size up cartridge.
So it's kinda like chasing the next big thing. You can never catch it. Now as for your needs either will work I shoot my creed and larger game than deer at that distance and it works great makes a mess of the boiler room and goes right out the other side most the time. I think it's reasonable to find what you are gonna use it for and then get a cartridge that does that. The creed fits that bill great. Plus it will have less recoil than the pro. Which is always a nice thing even if you are not sensitive. I shoot some big boys and I still love the no recoil of my creed. I love the round just hate the people that think it's the greatest ever. It's perfect for what I use it for.

Why not? The narrow focus of the question. It's Creedmoor vs PRC

 

[BrentM]

If you can only have 1 rifle of this type, PRC would be a good choice. You can load it light as you suggested. Recoil is a significant consideration if you plan to shoot it a lot. Which you should. A brake on either will reduce recoil proportionately. There is some niftyness in a short action cartridge. Less powder, somehow seems more portable, and when I reload for the CM it's just less of a big deal mentally to me compared to my 7RM. I don't mind loading this and that experimental stuff with the CM, but I'm pretty selective when it comes to the 7RM. It's 50% more powder and it is meant to do some serious business. More serious than a PRC. I wouldn't mind a PRC for the fun of it, I've considered it, but I don't know that it recoils much less than a 7RM, and the 7RM has better terminal performance than the PRC. Only so much time to reload. A nice spectrum to own along these lines is 243 6.5cm 270, 7RM... A nice jump between each. There is a significant difference between the 6.5CM and 7RM, and in terms of stopping power probably a significant difference between PRC and 7RM. Hope I've made you stop and ruminate over it even more

I think you have to define significant. I've built several 7rm. No doubt one of the best all around cartridges, but I suppose it depends on the need. If we are talking velocity based bullet structure or energy you can argue both directions.

 

[jasonco]

What barrel length and velocity are you seeing with the 156?

2600 fps in 24", 2700 in 26". RL17

 

[BrentM]

2600 fps in 24", 2700 in 26". RL17

I think you'll like the prc. I'm testing at 2900 with the 156 in a 22" proof. Not sure where it'll finish out but somewhere close is my guess. I stopped load testing to finish building the new rifle, then I'll fijish it up

 

[vancewalker007]

Anyone that truly reloads would not get a 6.5 PRC or 6.5 Creedmoor. The allure is the ability to buy ammo over the counter.

If you reload, reload the 6.5 SAUM, it has superior performance over the others listed.

So I guess I'm a fake reloader. You're funny. There are plenty of other reasons to stay away those niche cartridges. The ridiculous cost of cases and the rebated rim not withstanding. Plus the SAUM doesn't have as much performance headroom over a PRC that a PRC has over a CM. And all those bigger 6.5s start getting overbore and a pain in the *** to get good accuracy out of with several bullet powder combos. I predict we'll soon see the 6.5-300 Weatherby go the way of the Dodo. The SAUM is a fine cartridge but I have had 5 years of an expensive to load for wildcat and I'm done. The 7 LRM has been a very accurate cartridge but I'm tired of spending 1.97 per case to reload it. My PRC will do everything my LRM did in a lighter, less recoiling, cheaper to load for, more accurate (across more bullets) platform that yes, has some great factory ammo also available.

Plus I get to turn my LRM into a 7 Rem Mag or 300 win to use as a travel rifle for trips to kill the African beasties.

 

[Deleted member 107796]

Given your original question, I'd say one advantage is everyone and their dog selling 6.5CR components for dirt cheap and on sale.
Still, I'd personally take the additional fps of the PRC over the CR. Once you get your brass, you're set.

 

[Coyote_Hunter]

Anyone that truly reloads would not get a 6.5 PRC or 6.5 Creedmoor. The allure is the ability to buy ammo over the counter.

If you reload, reload the 6.5 SAUM, it has superior performance over the others listed.

I'm going to have to all 'BS' on that.

Got my first centerfire, a 7mm RM, '82 and have been reloading ever since. Currently reload for .223, .22-250, .243 Win, .257 Roberts, 6/5-06 AI, .270 Win, 7mm RM, .300 BLK, .30-30, .308 Win, .30-06, .300 WM, .338WM, .375 Win, .44 Mag and .45-70 for rifles. Add at least five more for handgun cartridges. Don't have a 6.5CM but I do have a Savage 111 that will likely become a 6.5PRC for a variety of reasons:

The rifle will likely go to a family member sometime down the road and only one SIL reloads.

1. I believe the 6.5 PRC will be a big winner in the marketplace with good availability of inexpensive brass and factory ammo in the long term.
2. The exterior ballistics are similar (but don't quite equal) that of my 6.5-06AI.
3. The rifle is currently a 7mm RM. A 6.5PRC has the same diameter as the belt on the 7mm RM – no worries about feed lip or mag follower modifications to ensure smoot feeding.

 

[Dumptruck]

Just my 2 cents. Get what you want. Its Your money. When I buy a new rifle I will shot it and find what it likes. (Reloads or Factory) and buy enough of it to ware the barrel out. When the barrel is shot out ,all the memories are made, and the components are gone. I will sit my fat butt in my chair and start scrolling the forums and figure out what is latest and greatest and start all over. Good luck with your choice and the memories to come.