utm fk

70 G&A february 2020 | the 6.5 PRC mAGnum
6.5x300 WEATHERBY MAG.
.26 NOSLER
.264 WIN. MAG.
6.5 PRC
Introduced in 2017, the
author believes that the
6.5 PRC (left) is possibly
the best 6.5mm hunting
cartridge ever designed.
engineered for accuracy,
it provides excellent
velocity in a short-action
cartridge. Ballistics mirror
the .264 Win. mag. (near
right). It’s slower than
6.5mm muscle cartridges
such as the 6.5-300
Weatherby (right, middle)
and .26 nosler (far right),
but doesn’t have any of
the temperamentality.
gunpowder contained inside enables faster and more even
ignition than a traditional long, slender propellant column. As a
result, it’s more efficient and more consistent. Both are good for
accuracy.
Also, the shoulder angle is steep enough to provide square
and concentric alignment without introducing significant feeding
issues. When paired with min-spec match-grade chambers, more
consistency — that word again — results.
Finally, and critically, the chamber’s throat dimensions are
designed to promote bullet concentricity and alignment as the
projectile enters and engraves into the rifling leade. Hornady
designed the 6.5 PRC, and much of the black magic that makes
the 6.5 Creedmoor so incredibly
accurate was incorporated
when engineers designed the
6.5 PRC’s throat.
One other characteristic is
worth noting: The 6.5 PRC
achieves admirable levels of
velocity without pushing the
envelope so far that accuracy,
barrel life and the forgiving
nature of the round suffers.
It’s not a muscle cartridge like
the .26 Nosler or 6.5-300
Weatherby. Those cartridges
have their place, but are not as
versatile and forgiving as the
6.5 PRC is.
excellent accuracy such as this .39-inch three-shot group is common
with Barnes Bullets new LRX. this 100-yard group was fired
using Ruger’s new m77 hawkeye Long Range hunter.
Missing Puzzle-Piece Barnes Bullets has just introduced factory
loaded 6.5 PRC ammunition, adding a much-needed dimension
to the cartridge.
There’s been a missing piece to the 6.5 PRC picture: a factory
loaded, tough, deep-penetrating bullet designed for heavy bodied
game such as elk. Hornady’s factory ammo is loaded with the
streamlined 143-grain ELD-X bullet, an outstanding extendedrange
deer bullet. However, I’ve observed that the ELD-X sometimes
pancakes on impact and fails to penetrate deep enough for
quartering shots on up-close elk, particularly when fired at 6.5
PRC velocities.
The lack of controlled-expansion bullets in factory ammo is no
problem for handloaders. The
6.5 PRC world is their oyster
and they can choose whichever
projectile they wish to
shoot. For those who lack the
time or inclination to roll their
own ammo, it’s an issue.
Hopefully, Hornady will soon
introduce a factory load with a
heavy version of its tough GMX
bullet. Until then, the Hornady’s
6.5 PRC ammo is best reserved
for deer-sized game.
Enter Barnes To make the
6.5 PRC capable of taking big,
heavy bodied bull elk from