History
Hornady standardized the 6.5 PRC with SAAMI in 2018. It grew out of a wildcat by George Gardner of G.A. Precision, who wanted the high-BC 6.5mm bullets the Creedmoor made popular, but moving faster and reaching farther while still feeding from a short action.1
Hornady refined the design and positioned it as the magnum sibling of the Creedmoor, a cartridge for hunters and extreme long-range shooters who wanted roughly 200 yards more reach without stepping up to a finicky full-size magnum. Factory loads push the 147 grain ELD Match to 2,910 feet per second.1
Lineage
The 6.5 PRC descends from the .375 Ruger family by way of the .300 Ruger Compact Magnum, a beltless case necked to 6.5mm.1 It fires the same .264 inch bullet as the 6.5 Creedmoor from a larger, fatter case, and its larger sibling on the same parent is the .300 PRC.
Specifications
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Case type | Rimless, beltless, bottlenecked |
| Bullet diameter | 6.71 mm (.264 in) |
| Neck diameter | 7.54 mm (.297 in) |
| Base diameter | 13.51 mm (.5319 in) |
| Rim diameter | 13.51 mm (.5319 in) |
| Case length | 51.56 mm (2.030 in) |
| Overall length | 75.06 mm (2.955 in) |
| Case capacity | ~67.7 gr H2O (nominal; varies by brand)1 |
| Primer size | Large rifle |
| Belted | No |
| Rifling twist | 1 in 8 in (203 mm, SAAMI and C.I.P. standard)2 |
| Max pressure | 65,000 psi (SAAMI); 4,400 bar / 440 MPa (C.I.P.)2 |
| Recommended barrel | 26 in, 1:8 twist |
Barrel Design
The 6.5 PRC burns slow magnum powders, so it wants a longer barrel than the Creedmoor to finish the burn and reach its velocity. Twenty-four inches is the practical floor; 26 inches is where it shows its advantage, and the tables below are computed there. The 1:8 twist matches the standard and stabilizes the 140 to 147 grain match bullets.
That extra velocity is the whole reason to choose the PRC over the Creedmoor. It pushes the same high-BC bullets noticeably faster, which flattens the trajectory and pushes the transonic window farther out, but with more recoil and shorter barrel life.
Range Ammo Performance
Norma Golden Target · 143 gr HPBT $1.25/rd
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Elevation (mil) | Energy (ft-lb) | Windage (mil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3046 | -0.3 | 2946 | 0.3 |
| 100 | 2904 | 0.0 | 2678 | 0.1 |
| 200 | 2766 | -0.3 | 2429 | 0.3 |
| 300 | 2631 | -0.8 | 2198 | 0.4 |
| 400 | 2500 | -1.5 | 1984 | 0.6 |
| 500 | 2372 | -2.2 | 1787 | 0.8 |
| 600 | 2249 | -2.9 | 1605 | 0.9 |
| 700 | 2129 | -3.7 | 1439 | 1.1 |
| 800 | 2013 | -4.6 | 1286 | 1.3 |
| 900 | 1900 | -5.6 | 1146 | 1.5 |
| 1000 | 1790 | -6.6 | 1018 | 1.7 |
| 1100 | 1684 | -7.7 | 900 | 2.0 |
| 1200 | 1580 | -9.0 | 792 | 2.2 |
| 1300 | 1478 | -10.3 | 694 | 2.5 |
| 1400 | 1380 | -11.8 | 605 | 2.8 |
| 1500 | 1286 | -13.4 | 525 | 3.1 |
| 1600 | 1196 | -15.2 | 454 | 3.4 |
| 1700 | 1116 | -17.2 | 395 | 3.8 |
| 1800 | 1070 | -19.4 | 363 | 4.2 |
| 1900 | 1038 | -21.8 | 342 | 4.5 |
| 2000 | 1012 | -24.5 | 325 | 4.9 |
| 2100 | 988 | -27.3 | 310 | 5.3 |
| 2200 | 965 | -30.4 | 296 | 5.6 |
| 2300 | 944 | -33.6 | 283 | 6.0 |
| 2400 | 923 | -37.0 | 271 | 6.3 |
Muzzle velocity 3046 fps is estimated at 26 in from the 24 in factory figure of 2986 fps at about 30 fps per inch. Expect your own barrel to read a little differently. Velocity is color coded green supersonic, yellow transonic, red subsonic; treat transonic and subsonic rows as approximate.
Match Ammo Performance
Hornady Match · 147 gr ELD Match $2.05/rd
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Elevation (mil) | Energy (ft-lb) | Windage (mil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2970 | -0.3 | 2879 | 0.3 |
| 100 | 2842 | 0.0 | 2636 | 0.1 |
| 200 | 2717 | -0.3 | 2409 | 0.3 |
| 300 | 2594 | -0.9 | 2196 | 0.4 |
| 400 | 2475 | -1.5 | 1999 | 0.5 |
| 500 | 2359 | -2.3 | 1816 | 0.7 |
| 600 | 2246 | -3.0 | 1646 | 0.9 |
| 700 | 2136 | -3.8 | 1490 | 1.0 |
| 800 | 2030 | -4.7 | 1345 | 1.2 |
| 900 | 1926 | -5.7 | 1211 | 1.4 |
| 1000 | 1825 | -6.7 | 1087 | 1.6 |
| 1100 | 1727 | -7.8 | 973 | 1.8 |
| 1200 | 1630 | -9.0 | 868 | 2.0 |
| 1300 | 1536 | -10.3 | 770 | 2.2 |
| 1400 | 1445 | -11.8 | 681 | 2.5 |
| 1500 | 1356 | -13.3 | 600 | 2.8 |
| 1600 | 1270 | -15.0 | 527 | 3.0 |
| 1700 | 1189 | -16.8 | 461 | 3.3 |
| 1800 | 1116 | -18.8 | 407 | 3.7 |
| 1900 | 1073 | -21.1 | 376 | 4.0 |
| 2000 | 1044 | -23.5 | 356 | 4.4 |
| 2100 | 1019 | -26.1 | 339 | 4.7 |
| 2200 | 996 | -29.0 | 324 | 5.0 |
| 2300 | 975 | -32.0 | 310 | 5.3 |
| 2400 | 955 | -35.2 | 298 | 5.6 |
Muzzle velocity 2970 fps is estimated at 26 in from the 24 in factory figure of 2910 fps at about 30 fps per inch. Expect your own barrel to read a little differently. Velocity is color coded green supersonic, yellow transonic, red subsonic; treat transonic and subsonic rows as approximate.
Trajectory
FAQ
Is the 6.5 PRC just a magnum 6.5 Creedmoor?
In role, yes. It fires the same .264 inch bullets from a larger beltless case at the same 65,000 psi, pushing them roughly 150 to 200 feet per second faster than the Creedmoor.1
What barrel length and twist should I run?
Twenty-four to 26 inches with a 1:8 twist. The slow magnum powders need the length to burn fully, and the 1:8 is the standard twist for the heavy 6.5mm match bullets.2
Does the 6.5 PRC headspace on a belt?
No. Despite its magnum performance it is a beltless case that headspaces on the shoulder, like the Creedmoor and unlike the older belted magnums.2
How much more reach does it have than the Creedmoor?
Roughly 150 to 200 yards more supersonic range with the same bullet, because it starts that bullet faster. The tradeoff is recoil and barrel life.
Citations
- (2018). Chain Breaker: Hornady’s 6.5 mm PRC. American Rifleman. accessed 2026-05-30.
- (2018). C.I.P. TDCC Datasheet — 6.5 PRC. Commission Internationale Permanente (C.I.P.). accessed 2026-05-30.