Summary in Short: The 6.5 PRC and 7mm PRC are both versatile, long-range cartridges suited for hunting and target shooting. The 6.5 PRC offers lighter recoil and is ideal for deer-sized game, while the 7mm PRC uses heavier bullets, delivers more energy, and provides better performance on larger game such as elk and moose. Overall, the 6.5 PRC is a great lighter option, but the 7mm PRC is the better all-around hunting cartridge due to its greater versatility and power.
Hornady Precision Rifle Cartridge series has been a hit among hunters and target shooters alike, and within the lineup, the 6.5 PRC and the 7mm PRC have proven to be extremely popular. Both take advantage of the high Ballistic Coefficient projectiles needed for long-range work, and both offer a blend of respectable velocity and shooter-friendly recoil levels.
Based on the .375 Ruger, necked down to hold the appropriate bullets, it was the 6.5 PRC which came first, delivering magnum performance in a short-action cartridge. Many viewed the cartridge as the big brother to the 6.5 Creedmoor, using the same projectiles, but at a higher velocity level. The 7mm PRC is the latest in the series, and is a long action cartridge based on the same .375 Ruger parent case. Using a 1:8 twist, it can utilize projectiles with very high B.C. values, and some have referred to it as “everything the 7mm Remington Magnum should’ve been.”
Chatting with other hunters and shooters, I’m often asked which of these PRCs makes the better choice. And while I love the .300 PRC—it hits like a hammer—the two smaller siblings are admittedly much easier on the shoulder. Just which of the lighter PRC cartridges makes the most sense to the hunter depends largely on what the task at hand actually is, and how to best serve your needs. Both have the dual-purpose capability of being right at home in both the hunting fields as well as the target range, and both have an excellent lineup of available factory ammunition. Let’s take a closer look into what makes this pair tick, and which might make the best choice for you.
The 6.5 PRC was the first in the line, being released at the 2018 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, and it took full advantage of the popularity of the 6.5mm bore diameter. Designed to function in a short-action rifle, the 6.5 PRC uses a case measuring 2.030 inches, with a 2.955-inch cartridge overall length. Being rimless and beltless, the 30-degree shoulder handles the headspace duties and the case head shares the common 0.532-inch diameter of the H&H case family. The bigger case shows its advantage over the Creedmoor by giving a velocity boost of just over 200 fps. The 143-grain ELD-X bullet leaves the barrel at 2,960 fps, and the 130-grain CX monometal is cruising at 2,975 fps; the target crowd gets a 147-grain ELD Match at 2,910 fps.
The 7mm PRC is a long-action cartridge, released in 2022, using the same case-head diameter and 30-degree shoulder of the PRC family, but in a case measuring 2.28 inches, with the 3.340-inch overall length common to the Springfield family of cartridges. Using a 1:8 twist to stabilize the long, heavy bullets which make long-range work so much easier, Hornady offers a 160 grain CX monometal and 175-grain ELD-X—both at 3,000 fps—and a 180-grain ELD-Match at 2,975 fps.
The trajectories of the two cartridges are very similar, dropping roughly six inches at 300 yards and 18 inches at 400 yards, when using a 200-yard zero. Both of these cartridges have what it takes to be a 1,500-yard target cartridge, and I've taken both of them out farther than that figure. But in the hunting world, the real appreciable difference is going to be the bullet weights. If you’re a deer hunter, and tend to stick to game species of similar size, you'll do just fine with the smaller and lighter 6.5 PRC. The bullets in the 120- to 147-grain range will be just about perfect for whitetails and pronghorn, while handling mule deer, black bear, feral hogs and more. I had great results with the 130-grain CX bullet in Hornady’s Outfitter series while culling fallow deer and roe deer in England. The larger species, such as elk and moose, have certainly been taken cleanly with the 6.5 PRC, but I appreciate the heavier bullet weights offered in the 7mm PRC. I used the 175-grain ELD-X load to take a black bear boar in British Columbia, and while I could’ve made the shot with the 6.5 PRC, that additional bullet weight from the 7mm PRC lent a bit of confidence. On the other end of the spectrum, I used the same bullet on a Wyoming pronghorn with excellent results. It's a very versatile load.
The heavy-for-caliber match bullets in each cartridge have impressive B.C. values, with that 147-grain ELD Match sporting a G1 B.C. of 0.697, and the 180-grain ELD Match in the 7mm PRC coming in at 0.796, so you’ll see a slight advantage in both trajectory and wind deflection values in the 7mm PRC. The 6.5 PRC sees bullets as heavy as the Berger 156-grain, and the 7mm PRC can go as low as the 155-grain Federal Terminal Ascent. So among the factory loaded ammunition choices, the 7mm PRC has a wider selection of bullet choices, and for the handloader, the floodgates are opened with the full complement of 7mm diameter bullets.
I feel the 6.5 PRC is a great cartridge, but one which has its limitations among the varied species to be hunted. So for an all-around hunting cartridge, I like the 7mm PRC better, for its heavier bullets and increased striking energy. With 700 ft.-lbs. more energy at the muzzle—comparing the 143-grain load for the 6.5 PRC to the 175-grain load for the 7mm PRC—the larger cartridge gives the hunter a bit more flexibility among the wide range of game animals we pursue. For a one-gun approach, the 7mm PRC is a great choice.
