The 6.5 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) is a 6.5 mm (.264 in) rimless, bottlenecked centerfire rifle cartridge that Hornady introduced in 2018 for short-action rifles, and today it is loaded chiefly for long-range hunting and precision shooting.
This page sets out the 6.5 PRC loads we stock whose makers publish their own ballistics: muzzle velocity and energy, what each load has left downrange, and how far each drops from a stated zero. It then sets the 6.5 PRC against the 6.5 Creedmoor, the cartridge it is most often weighed against, on SAAMI’s shared basis, and answers the questions shooters ask most about it.
6.5 PRC ballistics chart
Each row is one maker’s own figure for the item number shown. Read the test barrel column before comparing rows: Nosler and Hornady state a 24 in barrel, Berger states 26 in, and Federal and Barnes state none, so Nosler’s 2,900 fps and Berger’s 2,900 fps are not the same measurement. The ballistic coefficient column carries the same warning. G1 and G7 are two different drag models, so a G1 figure can only be set beside another G1 figure; Hornady’s ELD-X lists both .625 (G1) and .315 (G7) for one bullet. Federal gives .497 without naming a model, and Nosler gives no coefficient at all.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load | Item no. | Bullet weight | Bullet | Muzzle velocity | Muzzle energy | Ballistic coefficient | Maker’s application | Test barrel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Trophy Copper | P65PRCTC1 | 120 gr | Trophy Copper | 3,050 fps | 2,478 ft-lb | .497 not published | Big Game, Long Range | not published |
| Barnes LRX | 30830 | 127 gr | LRX | 3,010 fps | 2,556 ft-lb | 0.468 G1 | Hunting, Big Game | not published |
| Nosler AccuBond | 61014 | 140 gr | AccuBond | 2,900 fps | 2,614 ft-lb | not published not published | Deer Sized Game | 24″ (twist 1-8″) |
| Hornady ELD-X® | 81621 | 143 gr | ELD-X® | 2,960 fps | 2,782 ft-lb | .625 (G1) / .315 (G7) G1 and G7 | Medium Game 50-300 lbs; Large Game 300-1500 lbs | 24″ |
| Hornady ELD® Match | 81620 | 147 gr | ELD® Match | 2,910 fps | 2,764 ft-lb | .697 (G1) / .351 (G7) G1 and G7 | Target/Match | 24″ |
| Berger Match Grade Elite Hunter | 50010 | 156 gr | Elite Hunter | 2,900 fps | 2,914 ft-lb | 0.679 (G1) / 0.347 (G7) G1 and G7 | Hunting (long-range precision hunting) | 26″ |
Velocity and energy downrange
Each cell gives velocity and energy at that range. The makers stop at different distances: Berger publishes to 400 yd, Federal, Barnes and Hornady to 500 yd, and Nosler alone goes on to 800 yd. “Not published” means the maker’s own table ends before that range, and nothing has been filled in. The test barrel is in each row label, and the same caution about comparing rows applies.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (test barrel) | Muzzle | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd | 600 yd | 700 yd | 800 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal 120 gr (not published) | 3,050 fps / 2,478 ft-lb | 2,856 fps / 2,174 ft-lb | 2,671 fps / 1,901 ft-lb | 2,493 fps / 1,656 ft-lb | 2,322 fps / 1,436 ft-lb | 2,158 fps / 1,241 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Barnes 127 gr (not published) | 3,010 fps / 2,556 ft-lb | 2,807 fps / 2,222 ft-lb | 2,612 fps / 1,925 ft-lb | 2,426 fps / 1,660 ft-lb | 2,247 fps / 1,424 ft-lb | 2,076 fps / 1,216 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Nosler 140 gr (24″ (twist 1-8″)) | 2,900 fps / 2,614 ft-lb | 2,714 fps / 2,290 ft-lb | 2,536 fps / 1,999 ft-lb | 2,365 fps / 1,738 ft-lb | 2,200 fps / 1,504 ft-lb | 2,042 fps / 1,295 ft-lb | 1,890 fps / 1,111 ft-lb | 1,746 fps / 948 ft-lb | 1,611 fps / 807 ft-lb |
| Hornady 143 gr (24″) | 2,960 fps / 2,782 ft-lb | 2,808 fps / 2,503 ft-lb | 2,661 fps / 2,248 ft-lb | 2,519 fps / 2,014 ft-lb | 2,381 fps / 1,800 ft-lb | 2,248 fps / 1,604 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Hornady 147 gr (24″) | 2,910 fps / 2,764 ft-lb | 2,775 fps / 2,514 ft-lb | 2,645 fps / 2,283 ft-lb | 2,518 fps / 2,069 ft-lb | 2,395 fps / 1,871 ft-lb | 2,275 fps / 1,689 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Berger Match Grade 156 gr (26″) | 2,900 fps / 2,914 ft-lb | 2,764 fps / 2,646 ft-lb | 2,631 fps / 2,398 ft-lb | 2,501 fps / 2,167 ft-lb | 2,375 fps / 1,955 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Bullet drop, with the zero range stated
Drop is the height of the bullet’s path above (+) or below (−) the line of sight, and it means nothing without the zero. Every load here is zeroed at 200 yd, so the bullet is above the line of sight at 100 yd, on it at 200 yd and below it beyond. Nosler and Hornady also print a figure at the muzzle, −1.5 in; the other makers print none. Federal leaves its own 200 yd cell blank, so the table does too instead of filling in a 0.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (zero) | 0 yd | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd | 600 yd | 700 yd | 800 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal 120 gr (200 yd zero) | Not published | +1.4 in | Not published | −6.3 in | −18 in | −36.5 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Barnes 127 gr (200 yd zero) | Not published | +1.5 in | 0 in | −6.6 in | −19.1 in | −38.4 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Nosler 140 gr (200 yd zero) | −1.5 in | +1.6 in | 0 in | −7 in | −20.3 in | −40.7 in | −69.5 in | −108.1 in | −158.1 in |
| Hornady 143 gr (200 yd zero) | −1.5 in | +1.5 in | 0 in | −6.4 in | −18.2 in | −36.2 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Hornady 147 gr (200 yd zero) | −1.5 in | +1.5 in | 0 in | −6.5 in | −18.4 in | −36.5 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Berger Match Grade 156 gr (200 yd zero) | Not published | +1.52 in | 0 in | −6.55 in | −18.65 in | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
What the numbers mean for a shot
Start with the two Hornady rows, because they are the cleanest comparison on the page: same maker, same 24 in barrel, same 200 yd zero. The 143 gr ELD-X leaves at 2,960 fps and the 147 gr ELD Match at 2,910 fps, so the lighter bullet starts ahead. By 500 yd the order has reversed: the ELD Match is at 2,275 fps and 1,689 ft-lb, the ELD-X at 2,248 fps and 1,604 ft-lb. Their drops at 500 yd are −36.2 in for the ELD-X and −36.5 in for the ELD Match, so on trajectory alone they are hard to tell apart; the difference is in what they carry.
Muzzle velocity alone says little about what arrives. The Federal 120 gr leaves at 3,050 fps, the fastest in the table, and the Barnes 127 gr at 3,010 fps. At 500 yd the Federal is at 2,158 fps and 1,241 ft-lb and the Barnes at 2,076 fps and 1,216 ft-lb, while the Nosler 140 gr, which left at 2,900 fps, is down to 2,042 fps but still holds 1,295 ft-lb. The heavier bullets keep their energy. At 400 yd, the last range every load in the table publishes, the Hornady ELD-X has 1,800 ft-lb, the ELD Match 1,871 ft-lb and the Berger 156 gr 1,955 ft-lb, against 1,436 ft-lb for the Federal and 1,424 ft-lb for the Barnes. That lines up with the G1 coefficients the makers publish: .625 for the ELD-X, .697 for the ELD Match and 0.679 for the Berger, against 0.468 for the Barnes. The barrels differ by row, so treat small gaps with caution.
In inches, the loads sit close together at short range and spread as the distance grows. At 300 yd the published drops are −6.3 in for the Federal, −6.4 in for the ELD-X, −6.5 in for the ELD Match, −6.55 in for the Berger, −6.6 in for the Barnes and −7 in for the Nosler. At 500 yd they are −36.2 in for the ELD-X, −36.5 in for the Federal and the ELD Match, −38.4 in for the Barnes and −40.7 in for the Nosler; Berger’s table ends at 400 yd. Beyond 500 yd only Nosler publishes, with −69.5 in at 600 yd, −108.1 in at 700 yd and −158.1 in at 800 yd, and 1,111 ft-lb, 948 ft-lb and 807 ft-lb left at those ranges. A drop card built for one load should not be used for another.
The Maker’s application column of the first table is the ceiling on what this page will say about use. Nosler’s label is Deer Sized Game, Hornady’s for the ELD-X is Medium Game 50-300 lbs and Large Game 300-1500 lbs, and Hornady’s for the 147 gr ELD Match is Target/Match, which by its maker’s description makes it a target load, not a hunting one. The Federal Trophy Copper and the Barnes LRX are sold lead free, which matters where non-lead ammunition is required. Minimum caliber, minimum energy and bullet-material rules vary by state and by species, and your state wildlife agency, not a retailer, is the authority on what you may hunt with.
Twist rate, chamber and pressure
ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4 sets the 6.5 PRC at a maximum average pressure of 65,000 psi and specifies a test barrel 24.000 in long with a twist of 1 turn in 8.00 in and a .264 in groove diameter. Those are the conditions SAAMI’s own reference velocity is measured under. A rifle with a slower twist than 1 turn in 8.00 in is outside them, and a slower twist may not stabilize the longer bullets in the tables; Nosler is the only maker here that states its test-barrel twist, 1-8 in. Check the twist your rifle’s maker lists against the bullet weight before you buy.
The 65,000 psi ceiling is higher than the 62,000 psi the same standard gives the 6.5 Creedmoor. The two use the same .264 in groove diameter in SAAMI’s test barrel, but they are different cartridges and do not interchange in a chamber. Fire a 6.5 PRC round only in a rifle chambered and marked for the 6.5 PRC, and read the box and the barrel stamp every time.
Barrel length is the remaining variable. The makers that state one use 24 in or 26 in, and none publishes a shorter-barrel figure, so a rifle with a shorter barrel should expect lower velocities than the muzzle column shows. These tables cannot say by how much.
Winchester loads are not charted
We also stock Winchester in the 6.5 PRC, but no Winchester load appears in the tables. The Winchester item page checked for this guide states that no ballistics data is available at this time, so there is no Winchester figure here to print. If Winchester publishes figures for its other 6.5 PRC loads, they are not in these tables.
6.5 PRC vs 6.5 Creedmoor: the comparison on one test barrel
Two makers’ catalog tables cannot be laid side by side, because each maker chooses its own bullets and test barrel, and some publish no barrel at all. The muzzle table above shows the problem inside the 6.5 PRC alone.
SAAMI, the industry body that writes the cartridge standards, is the one shared basis. ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4 fixes the test barrel, its twist and groove diameter, the maximum average pressure and a nominal velocity for each reference load, so two cartridges can be read off the same rules. The table below uses SAAMI’s figures only and no maker’s.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 6.5 PRC | 6.5 Creedmoor |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Z299.4 | Z299.4 |
| Maximum average pressure | 65,000 psi | 62,000 psi |
| Standard test barrel length | 24.000 in | 24.000 in |
| Test barrel twist rate | 1 turn in 8.00 in | 1 turn in 8.00 in |
| Test barrel groove diameter | .264 in | .264 in |
| SAAMI’s only reference load for each | 147 gr — 2,900 fps / 2,745 ft-lb | 140 gr — 2,690 fps / 2,249 ft-lb |
| Nearest lighter weight the 6.5 Creedmoor lists | Not listed | 129 gr — 2,940 fps / 2,475 ft-lb |
Both cartridges are tested in the same barrel: 24.000 in long, 1 turn in 8.00 in, with a .264 in groove diameter. Pressure is the one difference in the specification rows. SAAMI sets the 6.5 PRC at a maximum average pressure of 65,000 psi and the 6.5 Creedmoor at 62,000 psi.
The velocity rows need care, because the two cartridges share no bullet weight in this table. SAAMI lists a single 6.5 PRC reference load, 147 gr at 2,900 fps, which computes to 2,745 ft-lb. For the 6.5 Creedmoor it lists more than one, and the table shows two: 140 gr at 2,690 fps and 2,249 ft-lb, and 129 gr at 2,940 fps and 2,475 ft-lb. The 6.5 PRC bullet is heavier than either and its computed energy is higher than both, but the lighter 129 gr 6.5 Creedmoor load is listed at 2,940 fps against 2,900 fps for the 6.5 PRC. SAAMI does not publish energy, so the ft-lb figures are computed from its velocities.
What the table cannot settle is which cartridge is flatter or keeps more energy at 500 yd. SAAMI publishes no ballistic coefficient and no drop, and which cartridge is flatter depends on the bullet as well as the case. For a fair look downrange, compare two loads from one maker in one barrel length, as the two Hornady rows above allow for the 6.5 PRC.
We stock the other side of this comparison too: 6.5 Creedmoor ammo.
6.5 PRC ballistics questions
What is a 6.5 PRC equivalent to?
Nothing is an exact equivalent. The cartridge it is most often set against is the 6.5 Creedmoor, and the SAAMI table above shows how they line up: the same .264 in groove diameter, 24.000 in test barrel and 1 turn in 8.00 in twist, but a maximum average pressure of 65,000 psi for the 6.5 PRC against 62,000 psi for the 6.5 Creedmoor. SAAMI’s single 6.5 PRC reference load is 147 gr at 2,900 fps; the 6.5 Creedmoor loads shown are 140 gr at 2,690 fps and 129 gr at 2,940 fps. They are different cartridges and do not interchange in a chamber.
Is the 6.5 PRC stronger than the 308 Winchester?
This page does not tabulate the 308 Winchester, so it cannot answer that directly. What it can show is where the 6.5 PRC stands against the 6.5 Creedmoor on SAAMI’s shared basis: 65,000 psi maximum average pressure against 62,000 psi, and a reference load of 147 gr at 2,900 fps and 2,745 ft-lb against 140 gr at 2,690 fps and 2,249 ft-lb. A fair comparison with the 308 Winchester needs the same treatment, both cartridges on SAAMI’s basis rather than two makers’ catalog figures.
Is the 6.5 PRC as accurate as the 6.5 Creedmoor?
Nothing on this page measures that. None of the makers in the tables publishes a group size, and SAAMI publishes velocity and pressure, not accuracy. The SAAMI table shows the two tested in barrels of the same length, twist and groove diameter, 24.000 in, 1 turn in 8.00 in and .264 in, so it gives no reason to expect the test barrel to favor either. Of the loads charted, the only one its maker labels Target/Match is the Hornady 147 gr ELD Match, and that is a use label, not an accuracy figure.
How much does a 6.5 PRC drop at 500 yards?
With a 200 yd zero, the published drop at 500 yd is −36.2 in for the Hornady 143 gr ELD-X, −36.5 in for both the Hornady 147 gr ELD Match and the Federal 120 gr Trophy Copper, −38.4 in for the Barnes 127 gr LRX and −40.7 in for the Nosler 140 gr AccuBond. Berger publishes drop only to 400 yd, where its 156 gr Elite Hunter is at −18.65 in. Drop depends on the load and the zero, so a figure for one load should not be dialed for another.
Is the 6.5 PRC more expensive than the 6.5 Creedmoor?
Nothing in the makers’ ballistics tables or in SAAMI’s standard bears on price, and prices change, so this page states none. The price on each product page is the one to compare, load for load.
Is the 6.5 PRC too small for elk?
The tables cannot settle that, and no maker in them names elk. The only label that gives a weight is Hornady’s for the 143 gr ELD-X: Medium Game 50-300 lbs and Large Game 300-1500 lbs, with 2,782 ft-lb at the muzzle and 1,604 ft-lb at 500 yd. Federal labels the Trophy Copper Big Game, Long Range; Barnes labels the LRX Hunting, Big Game; Berger labels the Elite Hunter Hunting (long-range precision hunting); and Nosler labels the AccuBond Deer Sized Game. Hornady’s Target/Match label on the 147 gr ELD Match is not a hunting label. Rules on minimum caliber and energy vary by state and species, so check your wildlife agency before choosing a load.
Where to buy these loads
Every load in the tables above is stocked at Hilltop Armory. Browse the full 6.5 PRC ammo range, which carries makers beyond the ones charted here — the tables are limited to loads whose manufacturer publishes figures that could be verified, not to everything on the shelf.
