Well being a newb I learned something today. I had worked a load up for 7prc with max load of 67.1gr of H1000. Load worked well, good grouping, average speed 2818fps. So I figured what the hay i’ll start with the max recommended load for the 6.5prc, 59 gr of H1000. Good group, average speed 3135fps, 14.1 Std Dev. All in all not bad except for the very heavy bolt lift, and 3 blown primers. Learned Lesson, start low and work up.
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Thanks for posting this. Important lesson.
I live in the wild side and just come down 1 or 1.5 grains from max most of the time and just never really see pressure. But down to the bottom and up is the safest way.
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Max according to Hornady at 59.0gr gives 3100fps which average chrono speed was 3135fps.
I have worked up 10 rounds at 56.5 (2 levels down) which is supposed to give 3000fps.
Also worked up 10 rounds at 57.7 (1 level down) which is supposed to give 3050fps.
We will see.
Oh wow. Yeah, then that original load was SUPER hot. Scary to see a primer getting punched out. Glad you’re okay!
Which is interesting because if you believe in what Satterlee preaches, then about 3% below Max load is a sweet spot. And for most hunting caliber loads that works out to be about a grain or a grain and a half
Ok just got back from the range. The 57.7gr H1000 produced average of 3016.5fps, with a spread of 15.5fps and a Std Dev of 5.3fps. Not too bad. Bolt was a little stiff but not like the 59.0gr load.
The 56.5 of H1000 produced an average of 2834.4 fps, with a spread of 34.7fps and a Std Dev of 10.9fps. Bolt was easy.
This photo was the 57.7gr load. 5 rounds tight, one flier was cold shot at 100 yards.
This photo was the 56.5gr load. 5 rounds at 100 yards
So since I am hunting and not in competition I think either would be ok, but for hunting the average 3016.5fps and the 15.5fps spread with 5.3fps Std Dev is really hard to beat.
FYI this was a Seekins Precision Havak Bravo, 24" barrel, Burris Veracity 4-20x50, with AB Raptor suppressor. Trigger set to 1lb 8oz.
Just a couple observations.
- Interesting to me that just over 1 grain more of powder would increase your velocity by 182 fps. It varies by caliber but most times seems that the numbers show somewhere between 45 - 70 fps per grain of powder added. Not exact but I have never gained 182 fps from a single grain of powder.
- The “cold barrel shot, is a shot”, so don’t waive it off; your hunting shots are always cold barrel. Could have been a weird brass, bullet, combo that produced it, it happens.
- The lower velocity group is not a bad group. 5 shots inside 1 inch by the square dimensions(?). I would shoot that load again on that same target, and if it prints another 5 inside that square, including the cold barrel round, that is a consistent load that you should keep. Work around that load recipe to try and refine to gain some more velocity or accuracy.
- Some guns like what they like…the killing energy on a 6.5 PRC is still pretty good even with a 2815 fps load.
- I have a 308 right now that will shoot a lot of things ok to good (1.125 or better), but it only shoots 1 bullet weight in a certain velocity curve at a consistent .750 down to .375 all the time. That bullet and load would not be my first choice, but they will do the job and I am not going to burn a lot of reloading materials trying to make it do something it wont.
Good luck