Every year brings its share of new calibers. Over the past 20 years, one brand has stood out for its innovation in this field: Hornady.
Indeed, Hornady is behind several global successes, including the famous 6.5 Creedmoor caliber, which appeared in 2008 and quickly became very popular. They are also responsible for the ARC calibers (22 ARC and 6 mm ARC), designed to be the best on the AR-15 platform.
More recently, in 2018, the PRC caliber family (6.5 PRC, 7mm PRC, and 300 PRC) was born, to fill the gaps in the historical magnums (7RM / 300WM)
from left to right: 6.5 PRC / 7mm PRC / 300 PRC
There is no doubt that these calibers will be a great commercial success in the years to come!
This article focuses only on the 6.5 PRC, while the 7mm PRC and 300 PRC calibers will be covered later.
The 6.5 PRC: “A 6.5 Creedmoor on steroids”
from left to right: 6.5 PRC / 6.5 CM / 6.5x47L
Designed to maximize the performance of a 6.5mm (.264”) caliber in a short action, the 6.5 PRC replicates the performance of the 6.5-284 Win in a more compact form factor.
The 6.5 Creedmoor (6.5 CM) is optimal for long-range shooting (TLD), but it lacks energy for long-range shots on big game. The 6.5 PRC fills this gap for American long-range hunters, European use of this type of caliber is less "common"
In order: 6.5 Creed / 6.5-284 Norma / 6.5 PRC / 300 WSM
How was this accomplished? By a design inspired by a proven design: the case is very close to the geometry of a 300 WSM magnum base case for short action, a similar experiment had been done with the 6.5 SAUM a few years ago, but without much success (lack of communication, quality components available, serial weapons...)
The magazine of the Bergara B14 Wilderness in 6.5 PRC: Short mag 300 WSM magazine
The 6.5 PRC has a case length similar to that of the 308 Win (51 mm), it thus allows the use of projectiles with a high ballistic coefficient while remaining in a short action format, as it is a Hornady caliber, the LHT and positions of the grooves on the standards (SAAMI & CIP) are particularly well suited to those who shoot low drag projectiles from Hornady ( 140 gr ELD-M, 143 gr ELD-X, and 147 gr ELD-M)
You will have understood, we are on a caliber for those who shoot far...
Some French hunters might say: “yes, but a 6.5 caliber is too small for big game hunting in France, and also for shooting far...”
It is however interesting to remember that for over a century, Swedish and Finnish hunters have been using the 6.5x55 to hunt elk with 6.5 projectiles with performances far removed from our modern projectiles, and with operating pressures even further removed from our modern magnum ammunition with its 4400 bars (the 6.5x55 SE having a maximum operating pressure of 3800 bars)
Case volume 6.5 PRC: 68 grains of H2O
6.5X55 Case Volume: 58 grains of H2O
Case volume 6.5 CM: 52 grains of H2O
This represents a 25% increase in volume over the Creedmoor.
Here are some examples of the velocities that Hornady reports on their range of ammunition:
Speeds 143gr ELD X 6.5 PRC: 2960 fps (902 m/s)
Speeds 140gr SST 6.5X55 SE: 2735 fps (834 m/s)
Speeds 143gr ELD X 6.5CM: 2700 fps (823 m/s)
We note a gain close to 70 m/s on the 6.5x55 SE (be careful the 6.5X55 is not loaded with the same projectile, Hornady does not offer 143 gr ELD X in this caliber)
And a speed gain close to 80 m/s on the 6.5 creedmoor
A WEZ analysis to show the improvement in impact probabilities between a 6.5CM and a 6.5 PRC (for those who do not know the WEZ analysis, go to this link: WEZ
The conditions tested:
Hornady factory ammunition (143 gr ELD-X) at the respective velocities of:
823 m/s in 6.5 CM AND 902 m/s in 6.5 PRC
Atm pressure = 1013 Hpa
Temperature 20°C
Wind +- 1m/s (2.23mph)
SD speed 3 m/s
Weapon group: 1 MOA
Target size: circle diameter 20 cm at 600m and 30 cm at 1000m
| Caliber | 6.5 CM | 6.5 PRC |
| Simulation of 1000 shots at 600 meters |  |
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| Result at 600 m | 70% of impacts in the 20 cm diameter target | 76.5% of impacts in the 20 cm diameter target, i.e. 10% additional impacts |
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Simulation of 1000 shots at 1000 meters on a circle Diameter 30 cm |
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Result at 1000 m |
34.4% of impacts in the 30 cm diameter target | 41.3% of impacts in the 30 cm diameter target, i.e. 20% additional impacts in the target |
To put it simply, the energy of the 6.5 PRC is the same energy as the 6.5CM... 200 meters further.
For hunting: The 6.5 PRC is an ideal caliber for mountain hunting due to its excellent ballistic characteristics, low recoil, and the light weight of short action rifles. In addition, quality ammunition is readily available. However, this caliber does not offer a significant advantage for hunts where the distance is less than 300-400 meters.
For sport shooting: The 6.5 PRC is a hybrid caliber, ideal for those hesitating between a 6.5 Creedmoor (6.5 CM) and a magnum. It offers a similar cost of use to the 6.5 CM when reloading, with only 0.7 grams more powder than a 6.5 CM, or about 10 cents per cartridge. However, it is important to note that the barrel wears out more quickly, with an estimated life of around 2000-2500 rounds.
My use: Personally, I use a Bergara B14 Wilderness in 6.5 PRC with 143 grain ELD-X projectiles at 880 m/s. This combination offers remarkable ballistics and moderate recoil, making it my compact and portable weapon for hunting and some long-range shooting sessions with moderate consumption of cartridges.