Reloading conundrum - time constraint.

Hi all,
I have a bit of a special birthday hunt coming up and due to covid lock downs I haven't been able to sort a load for the rifle I'd like to take. It's 6.5PRC so no way am I getting factory ammo for it. Rifle is brand new.
At best I may be able to make it to the range once between then and now. I have 143grn ELD-X and Sierra Matchkings (was going to use to follow the manufacturers break in procedure but to be fair I'm skeptical on barrel break in as a concept in general), ADG brass, Federal primers, and H4831sc.

I'd like to set up a prelim load for it as have the following plan:
Load either to mag length, 0.020" off lands, or Hornady max COAL in reloading data (which ever is shorter).
Load weight charges from 2gr off max load in 0.5gr steps x5 each.

Shoot for groups and velocity and choose best of the bunch. Load up the best of the bunch and go hunting (limit shots to 300m as won't have time to check drop at extended ranges against chart but can test to 200m). I have a labradar for velocities/ballistics. Refine load later.

Just checking if anyone else has a different plan? Plan B is take the .270. But I would really quite like to take the new 6.5PRC. I know the .270 is probably the sensible choice - but new toys and all...

I would load 5 at one grain under max and five at max, and then use either one of those that work best. Do the load development later. One lot under max just in case your rifle wont handle the max load and has a sticky bolt. You will have to live with the accuracy you get. (If you have to sight it in as well before hand - than load a handful more of the under max load.) I hate being on the clock like that and there is never enough time at the range. And what if it rains.
THats what I would do anyway but your shorthand version of a load deveopment is probably better than what I do...
Good luck.

I'd just load up a good number of a middle-of-the-range load and concentrate on getting the rifle sighted in. You may not have the most accurate or fastest load, but it won't be miles off and will be plenty good enough for hunting, and should be at least as good as factory ammo.
One issue is that your powder doesn't have any data listed for the 6.5PRC on the Hodgdon or ADI websites

I have reloading data from Hornady with this powder:
https://press.hornady.com/assets/sit...6.5-prc-v2.pdf
Shows a max of 54.7gr using the ELD-X 143gr projectiles.
I have also seen consistent reports of people loading 57-58grn with no pressure signs so I'm fairly certain staying under max should avoid any issues.

I might load up a bit of a smaller selection of loads nearer the top end but more of each and then focus on sighting in and then a bit of testing here and there. I'm sure I'll be doing just as good as factory.
Now to just get a few hours at the range!

I seem to get best results by starting with a small jump, like 10 thou .... assuming you have a good read on max COAL in your rifle. Then I'd go with 3x from 2 gn's below book max up to 0.5gn above, or perhaps 0.3 then 0.6gn above book max assuming you're not dealing with compressed loads. And watching carefully for pressure as you work up.

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Originally Posted by Makros

Hi all,
I have a bit of a special birthday hunt coming up and due to covid lock downs I haven't been able to sort a load for the rifle I'd like to take. It's 6.5PRC so no way am I getting factory ammo for it. Rifle is brand new.
At best I may be able to make it to the range once between then and now. I have 143grn ELD-X and Sierra Matchkings (was going to use to follow the manufacturers break in procedure but to be fair I'm skeptical on barrel break in as a concept in general), ADG brass, Federal primers, and H4831sc.

I'd like to set up a prelim load for it as have the following plan:
Load either to mag length, 0.020" off lands, or Hornady max COAL in reloading data (which ever is shorter).
Load weight charges from 2gr off max load in 0.5gr steps x5 each.

Shoot for groups and velocity and choose best of the bunch. Load up the best of the bunch and go hunting (limit shots to 300m as won't have time to check drop at extended ranges against chart but can test to 200m). I have a labradar for velocities/ballistics. Refine load later.

Just checking if anyone else has a different plan? Plan B is take the .270. But I would really quite like to take the new 6.5PRC. I know the .270 is probably the sensible choice - but new toys and all...

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Greeting @Makros,
You might want to read the other thread @kiwi-adam that deals with the same problem. Simply put you will just be wasting components in trying load development with a brand new barrel. They need a number of rounds to smooth up and bed in. I think you are on the right track. If it was me I would just pick a load that I was comfortable with say 1 grain under max, around 53.5 grains of H4831SC and load 10. Use these to zero the rifle and check that the accuracy is reasonable. It does not need to be that flash for 300 metres. If OK load some more and go hunting. It really is that simple. Load development can wait. Whatever you do don't wimp out and take the .270 although just between you and me it would likely work just as well.
Good hunting Grandpamac.

take the mighty .270 and take the time to use new rifle with load you know is ok.....or take it,risk wounding something when its 450 not 300 and you have a go anyway,and risk a bad start and falling out of love with new rifle from the get go....

or just pick middle of data load with the cup n core projectile and just use it and stop over thinking it....

The reality is the PRC is not that much better than the 270WIN. Take the 270 and ensure that any error is the shooter instead of any dodgy reloading.

Once free from lockdowns, take the time to develop the right load for the PRC.

Again, the PRC isn't that much better anyway.....

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Originally Posted by mimms2

500 FPS or so, flatter trajectory and more FPE when it arrives... There's a reason no-one shoots benchrest with .270...

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I guess it's just as well the deer cannot read the Ballistics charts then.

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Originally Posted by mimms2

Also I'd load to .02 from lands or mag length whichever is longest

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Eh? Whichever is longest means either the rounds won’t fit in the mag, or he’ll be jammed into the lands! Surely you mean whichever is shortest?

Settle down @Micky Duck, @Uplandstalker and @mimms2, @Makros has informed us that he has a bit of a special birthday hunt coming up and he has a new rifle. These two items may be related hence my advice not to wimp out and take the .270. The two cartridges are similar in many ways in spite of being introduced almost 100 years apart. Case capacity is roughly similar but the .270 is handicapped by it's slow twist. The high BC projectiles regarded as essential by actual and aspiring long range hunters are not commonly available in 270 calibre and wouldn't stabilise in almost all .270 rifles anyway. The twist problem has been addressed in the 6.8mm Western but the chances of new .270 Win rifles being given faster twist range between slim and none at all.
It amuses me that the the same people in the US that regarded any 6.5mm rifle as evil only 20 or so years ago now praise them to the heavens. I wonder if the 7.92 calibre will be popular in the US soon.
Regards Grandpamac.

Hi all thanks for the useful input.
I've come up with a plan and am comfortable I'll either find a load that'll be serviceable during what will effectively be just sighting in and getting familiar to rifle, or I'll take the .270. I would like to take the rifle for the reasons @grandpamac alluded to. I haven't taken any leave all year and being working too much and my partner has organised a hunt for us so it'll be a bit of a special occasion.
I even brought the rifle with plenty of time to take it on a few hunts and do load development - I thought...

Also turned out the mag length was dead on 3.000" so I went with the Hornady max OAL of 2.955 which gives the round a comfortable clearance in the mag. Loaded up a test cartridge (no primer/powder) with sharpie on the projectile and no sign of the lands at this length so they are somewhere further out. How much further matters to me not - I can go deeper in load development but I can't go much longer and I'm not interested in single feeding. One day I might get interested enough to find out what the exact jump is but as it's a new rifle I'll give it a 100 or so roads before getting excited.

This is not for the calibre - .270 vs 6.5PRC still go bang and perforate things. I have them as it's interesting not because one replaces the other. Hell I'd have to get rid of half my gear if I was clearing out redundancy... I could also take a 7mm Rem Mag, or a .308, or a .243, or a .303, or a .375H&H but where would the fun be in that when the new sparkly one can come along.

@Makros either way, enjoy both the 6.5 PRC and the Special Birthday! There is something special about shooting a rifle that ammunition and components are not in abundance.
Good luck with the Hunt!
Can't wait to hear about how it went and the results of your load development!

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Originally Posted by mimms2

I'd have a crack at seeing how much you can cut/file/grind off the mag to increase length.
I'd also find the lands, just as a matter of interest.

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Is an internal floor plate mag so that measurement is metal to metal inside the stock. I don't think grinding anything will be on the cards.
Oh I'll find the lands. For load development when I get to it.

If it were me, i would set 5 rounds at .05" off the lands (or more). All this '.01" off the lands' is commonly used for VLD's for long range shooting (IMO) but it appears to stem from the BR crowd. I just don't reckon its the optimum solution. I'm not calling the .01" thing a myth, but i do question any given rifle's ability to actually keep this setting over a full day of competition.
Wouldn't throat erosion introduce a greater variation percentage, say .005" erosion loss of the lands themselves (over 200 shots taken) so that's 50% of .01". However that same loss vs the .05" setting is only 10%. Even if i'm way out on the erosion rate, that ratio WILL be right no?
That's my muddled reasoning for the graph below

These clearly show a stability window for projectiles seated further back.

https://precisionrifleblog.com/2020/...elopment-data/

Attachment 184188

*this is bound to cause keyboard flames, sorry in advance haha ;)

I thought I'd circle back around and thank everyone for their help.
Sorted a load very quickly with 0.5grn under max delivering about 0.75" of an inch at 100m. Good enough for a new barrel and I'll settle on this for a while before tinkering more.

The hunt was awesome. My partner and I were in the Ruahines for a week on the tops for the week of my birthday in early December.
We were in the clouds more often than not which constrained things a bit but I loved it. Got to relax with my partner and we got to go hunting when the weather and visibility allowed. Probably the best hunt I've had for a long time. All the alpine plants were flowering as well which was a treat for us who enjoy a bit of botany.

We both got a deer. I got a fat stag. Shot in the back of the head at 175m. It had laid down facing away from me and chewing it's cud so went for the base of the skull and it upon the shot laid it's head down without so much as a twitch.
Stag:
Attachment 189716
My partner shot a yearling at just on 200m with her .270win. basically a perfect chest shot for an animal quartering towards, through front side shoulder, through heart and lungs. No exit though which surprised me. Took two very wobbly steps and dropped on the spot.
Attachment 189717

Again, thanks.

Why dont you settle for a box of factory loads and enjoy your special hunt.
Plenty of time afterwards to experiment .
Iam off on one of those trips next month for my 60th