6.5 PRC The Fastest Growing Hunting cartridge

Honestly wouldnt know, but of id guess that locally and in NEW rifles, the CM probably would be top dog, then three or four of the traditionals (most likely the .270, .308 and ??? ) would be next, then somewhere down in 5 or 6th would be the PRCs with the 6.5 being slightly ahead of the 300.

I know of 4 PRC rifles in use, but they are also second or third in line for the shooters. MOST of the one or two rifle guys do not go for the PRCs, and choose something like the .223, CM, .270, .243, or .308 OR they go bigger with a 7Mag or .300WM...a notable thing ive noticed is fewer and fewer people are choosing the .30-06.

anyway, hopefully it keeps doing well, the 6.5PRC is certainly a nicely balanced cartridge.

If I had a nickel for every 6.5 PRC rifle I've transferred in the last decade I wouldn't have enough $ to buy a postage stamp.

This isn't to disparage the round, but to point out that articles in gun magazines aren't exactly unbiased.

I think its marketing hype.

"Fastest growing" doesn't mean much when you are at virtually zero to begin with. If you sold ten 6.6 PPRRCC (much more powerful than the puny 6.5 PRC) this year, and sold a hundred next................thats a HUGE percentage increase in sales. Meanwhile, .308/6.5 Creedmoor, .300WinMag, etc are selling tens of thousands of units a year.

Probably makes sense that it would be the fastest growing new hunting cartridge… what other new hunting cartridges are there, and if that exceptionally small list, which of those would be growing faster?

I’m the tallest person which lives at my home. Ain’t saying much since my wife is short and my son is 9yrs old, but since the comparative field is pretty limited, it’s a true claim.

It could very well be the fastest growing but I think it will plateau somewhere towards the bottom of the top 10. Just as with all the other magnums, it’s a fantastically capable cartridge, but a little much for the average hunter who is shooting 120 lb deer at 80 yards.

I remember all the hype in F&S when it came out years ago -- lots of new rifles chambered in it that the industry (magazines, manufacturers, distributors, and dealers) wanted to sell. I was skeptical that the market (shooters) could absorb yet another cartridge, at least at the kind of rate of adoption that 6.5 Creedmoor gained, yet I couldn't help but speculate that is exactly what the industry was hoping for ("let's do it again").

I have to say, the PRC look great on paper, both in 6.5 and 300. I don't see a practical need for it in North American hunting, but I can see why people that think they want to hunt at 600 yards or 800 yards could look at 6.5 Creedmoor on paper (the ballistic data) and start thinking they need some kind of "Magnum." You know, for those Elk shots at 800 yards. They know they probably don't need that, but they want to have it. Now comparing the PRC to established magnums, it has favorable qualities, particularly in support for extreme low drag bullets. But it's not the only one. 6.8 Westerner is an even more recent offering, but besides that, the 26 Nosler, 6.5/300 Weatherby, the Nosler, and more are all vying for this use-case, besides the traditional cartridges like 264 Win Mag, 7MM Mag, 270, .30-06 etc, 300 Win Mag, and the older Weatherbys.

Personally, I'm set with one of the older "obsolete" magnums. It shoots relatively light bullets and uses the magnum powder capacity to extend the MPBR out farther than I want to shoot. It won't take super-long ultra-high BC bullets for those 400+ yard fantasy shots, and that's fine with me.

On the other hand, I need rifles for my sons. They started on bolt-action in an intermediate cartridge, but will need more power to make decisive hits on mule deer at over 200 yards here in the west. 6.5 Creedmoor, 308, or a traditional cartridge like 270 would be more than enough. I hunt MPBR, but they will probably get laser rangefinder binoculars someday and dial, but we don't do that for now. Whatever we get, I will have to tool-up to reload a new cartridge so there is no existing cartridge in my inventory to favor. I am leaning toward Tikka T3X which is offered in 270, .30-06, 308, 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5 PRC. Because I hand-load, nobody has to suffer more recoil than is necessary to get the job done. Because the Tikka action is one-length, there's no advantage to short-action cartridges in that respect. Why shouldn't I choose 6.5 PRC over the Creedmoor or the others?

I know a few guys that have recently switched or are currently switching to it. It's definitely gaining popularity.

Considering all the bs going on the last few years I'd say there selling very well, like mine and wouldn't mind another in a different flavor rifle. Tho I'm looking to do a 7 prc next after my 9.3x62 is about done.

horsemen61 said:

I just read an article on my newest issue of shooting times that says the 6.5 PRC is the fastest growing Hunting Cartridge so I ask all of you Do you belive this if yes or no please explain Why?

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Sounds like a “fact” I could pull out of nowhere, that you couldn’t easily disprove.

If I were trying to sell something to people (or write an article for people wanting to sell something) that people probably don’t need anyway, I would come up with stuff like “fastest growing” because anyone that knows better would call foul on “most effective hunting cartridge” or “most proven hunting cartridge”, instantly. Then any argument I make after that is less persuasive, because it’s obvious I am full of BS.

There was a time when the 300 blk was the fastest growing cartridge that could be used for hunting too….

I have two target rifles in 6.5 PRC and two in .300 PRC. The 6.5 PRC is really a step up from the 6.5 CR. I was not invested in other magnums so it worked great for me. But I'm not hunting with it, as I only hunt whitetails and deer and have plenty of other less powerful chamberings for that.

There are numerous older options that work about as well or better than the 6.5 PRC, but the PRC case is easy to work with and load for and overcomes most of the shortcomings of the older options. If I were hunting mule deer the 6.5 PRC would be a good option, maybe for elk though I would probably want something different for that.

Hornady has a good track record with their new offerings and I think the 6.5 (and .300 PRC and 7 PRC) will be around a long time. I was on the fence about the 6.8 Western but probably will take a pass on it in favor of the 7 PRC.

dogtown tom said:

If I had a nickel for every 6.5 PRC rifle I've transferred in the last decade I wouldn't have enough $ to buy a postage stamp.

This isn't to disparage the round, but to point out that articles in gun magazines aren't exactly unbiased.

I think its marketing hype.

"Fastest growing" doesn't mean much when you are at virtually zero to begin with. If you sold ten 6.6 PPRRCC (much more powerful than the puny 6.5 PRC) this year, and sold a hundred next................thats a HUGE percentage increase in sales. Meanwhile, .308/6.5 Creedmoor, .300WinMag, etc are selling tens of thousands of units a year.

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Exactly! This is all money & sponsoring. Any gun rag will say whatever you want if you’re paying them! The 6.5prc is a nice cartridge, sure..
Especially when the idea FIRST came out; when it was called the
6.5 SAUM.

I keep saying this. There’s NOTHING new! People keep rehashing the same ideas. Bring a cartridge out & call it the “Whisper”. If it fails, bring out a decade later & call it the “Blackout”.. instant hit! It’s all just marketing strategy. I stay away from anything “mainstream”. When the powers that he say so & so is the BEST, you can be sure something better exists!

I worked for a custom rifle builder for 6-7 months before he moved from CA to Idaho. 6.5 chamberings were dominated by 6.5 PRC (mostly for hunters) and 6GT for competition shooters.

Just my experience.

6.5 prc was a fine idea but I am holding out for something with longer skinnier bullets, tighter twist.

LoonWulf said:

the CM probably would be top dog

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Absolutely, at least around my area. Every other new rifle on the walls is in 6.5 Creed, and I'm not exaggerating.

Come to think of it .300 Win Mag is surprisingly common as well, for some reason. I know of no one who shoots it.

The greatest percentage increase is from the difference between zero and one... .

Scout21 said:

Absolutely, at least around my area. Every other new rifle on the walls is in 6.5 Creed, and I'm not exaggerating.

Come to think of it .300 Win Mag is surprisingly common as well, for some reason. I know of no one who shoots it.

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There's at least a few of us on here running 300 win mags, and I know quite a few local hunters who prefer the 300s including the ultras. .....
That's a lot of cartridge for what most of us do, but it definitely has a solid following.

someguy2800 said:

It could very well be the fastest growing but I think it will plateau somewhere towards the bottom of the top 10. Just as with all the other magnums, it’s a fantastically capable cartridge, but a little much for the average hunter who is shooting 120 lb deer at 80 yards.

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That is correct, but so is the 270, and it was the Holy Grail for decades. Granted, there were fewer options back then.
The way I see it, the 6.5 PRC might become the successor of the 270. Less recoil, high BC bullets (Accurate),...overall a better-designed cartridge.
The biggest obstacle is price, of course. And, also, the 6.5 CM

mshootnit said:

6.5 prc was a fine idea but I am holding out for something with longer skinnier bullets, tighter twist.

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6.5 SS

hk45shootist said:

That is correct, but so is the 270, and it was the Holy Grail for decades. Granted, there were fewer options back then.
The way I see it, the 6.5 PRC might become the successor of the 270. Less recoil, high BC bullets (Accurate),...overall a better-designed cartridge.
The biggest obstacle is price, of course. And, also, the 6.5 CM

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Yeah at the time that 270 came to be I don't thing there even was a short action bolt rifle available, so it makes sense that cartridges like 30-06, 270, 7x57, and 257 Roberts ruled the day since those are the cartridge lengths that all the rifles were made for. I have been saying for a long time that 6.5C is the modern replacement for 270. They accomplish pretty much the same thing in a much more efficient package. I guess I see the 6.5 prc as a 7mm magnum replacement since the case capacity is part way between a 270 and 7mm Rem Mag.

I think a 6.5 PRC gives you an advantage over a 6.5 Creedmoor like a 30/06 gives you an advantage over a 308 Win. I recently ordered a barrel for a hunting rifle that is being assembled by a gunsmith. He knows all the good steps to make it sing and I don’t know them. At some point the merits of long bullets / heavy for caliber bullets will be understood much better. Put more velocity with said bullet(s) and they end up with more energy at all ranges over slower moving projectiles of the same weight.
Still, a 6.5 PRC won’t make deer more dead than my 280 Rem or my 7mm Weatherby. The point is the 6.5 PRC can do it, fast, with accuracy the loose nut behind the sights puts out, and I’m not a one rifle guy so bring ‘em on.

High Plains said:

I think a 6.5 PRC gives you an advantage over a 6.5 Creedmoor like a 30/06 gives you an advantage over a 308 Win. I recently ordered a barrel for a hunting rifle that is being assembled by a gunsmith. He knows all the good steps to make it sing and I don’t know them. At some point the merits of long bullets / heavy for caliber will be much understood much better. Put more velocity with said bullet(s) and they end up with more energy at all ranges over slower moving projectiles of the same weight.
Still, a 6.5 PRC won’t make deer more dead than my 280 Rem or my 7mm Weatherby. The point is the 6.5 PRC can do it, fast, with accuracy the loose nut behind the sights puts out, and I’m not a one rifle guy so bring ‘em on.

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And with less pain in your shoulder.

Here in Maine, many hunters just want to use a cartridge that will fully penetrate a 10 inch diameter pine tree and kill the buck standing behind it. An '06 will do it easily and new rounds having similar bullet construction and ballistics will probably sell quite well, provided the ammo makers stop making '06, .270 win, 7mm-08, and .308 Win ammo. Good luck with that!

There’s NOTHING new! People keep rehashing the same ideas.

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Maybe 90% accurate. Changes come in small increments. But over time several small changes add up to a significant difference. If we'd stopped innovating and trying to improve things, we'd all still be using sharp sticks to hunt with.

I have no issue with the 6.5 PRC. I also have no desire to own one. I have no issue with those who want to shoot big game at extended ranges as long as they have the skills to do it and use capable tools. I don't have those skills, nor does the vast majority of hunters.

I'm a little surprised that the 6.5 PRC is as popular as it is. There have been several fast 6.5's in the past that didn't succeed. And the additional speed the PRC offers over the Creedmoor version is of no use to the vast majority of shooters.

60-70 years ago, the flatter trajectory of cartridges like 270 and 25-06 were a small advantage which allowed easier hits on game out to around 300 yards with the bullets, and optics of the day. But today's bullets and optics have made virtually all modern cartridges legitimate 300-yard big game cartridges.

Beyond 300 yards all cartridges have enough bullet drop to require accurate range data and optics that will let you compensate for it. The fact that a 6.5 PRC shoots a little flatter than 6.5 CM just isn't much of an advantage. If you can dial in for 10" of bullet, drop with the 6.5 PRC, you can just as easily dial in for 15" of drop with the 6.5 Creedmoor. Or a 308, a 7-08, or a 30-06 etc.

To my mind the biggest advantage of the faster MV, (and higher BC bullets), is that impact velocity sufficient to cause bullet expansion is moved out to longer range. And a little less wind deflection. Trajectory is easy enough to compensate for.

Cartridges like 260, 6.5CM, 7-08, and 308 will still impact fast enough to get bullet expansion to at least 400, maybe 500 yards. That is farther than the vast majority of shooters can shoot. Being able to get bullet expansion at 600-700 yards is wasted on me. And most other shooters.

But as I said earlier if you have the skills or want to develop the skills for shooting at those ranges then I think it is a great choice. I've owned multiple 7mm and 300 magnums over the years. I've settled on 308 and 6.5CM and don't feel at all handicapped. And I still think the vast majority of shooters would be better off with cartridges in that class.

jmr40 said:

I'm a little surprised that the 6.5 PRC is as popular as it is. There have been several fast 6.5's in the past that didn't succeed. And the additional speed the PRC offers over the Creedmoor version is of no use to the vast majority of shooters.

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I use it strictly for long range target shooting. Makes it a little easier to get out to 1300, even 1500 yards, over the 6.5 CR.

I think it being as popular for hunting as it has become is a secondary side benefit. It is great for mule deer, overkill for whitetails. It is "adequate" for elk at not too long ranges and maybe moose. There are definitely better options available for those.

I like it for target shooting. Its easy to handload. Hornady does a good job of support with the chamberings their introduce; many will say their marketing and hype machine knows no equal. Be that as it may, I like it better than the 6.5-284 I was previously using. As was mentioned above, building a better mousetrap is often incremental. I think it has caught on so quickly because of the popularity of those shooting the 6.5 CR looking for the next good thing.

citizenconn said:

I use it strictly for long range target shooting. Makes it a little easier to get out to 1300, even 1500 yards, over the 6.5 CR.

I think it being as popular for hunting as it has become is a secondary side benefit. It is great for mule deer, overkill for whitetails. It is "adequate" for elk at not too long ranges and maybe moose. There are definitely better options available for those.

I like it for target shooting. Its easy to handload. Hornady does a good job of support with the chamberings their introduce; many will say their marketing and hype machine knows no equal. Be that as it may, I like it better than the 6.5-284 I was previously using. As was mentioned above, building a better mousetrap is often incremental. I think it has caught on so quickly because of the popularity of those shooting the 6.5 CR looking for the next good thing.

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I kept the 6.5-284 and gave the 6.5prc to troy, but i definitely agree two sides of the same coin.
I took a feral bull with the -284 and a single 143Eld-X a few years ago, and while not bullet proof, they generally take some killing. Id be quite happy armed with either for most things I think.

I also kinda feel like those two are reaching the edge of "sensible" 6.5/264 case capacity and general use effectiveness.
Much more and your edging into the extreme end of the spectrum.