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Regardless of your feelings about it, it's very difficult to deny the success and popularity of 6.5 Creedmoor. But if 6.5 CM is good, then 6.5 Precision Rifle Cartridge must be even better, right? I think you would be hard-pressed to be disappointed regardless of what option you choose. So, let's take a real-world look at the performance of these two calibers, head-to-head, to see if the extra juice that the 6.5 PRC packs is really worth the squeeze. I had two nearly identical rifles built one in each of these calibers, and the data below is generated from them.
Factory Ammo Selection and Performance
While the 6.5 CM has 11 more years on the market, the versatility of the factory load offerings is impossible to deny in comparison. At the time of writing, MidwayUSA has 90 factory offerings in 6.5 CM listed on the website, varying in grain weight from the 90-grain Nosler Varmageddon to the 156-grain Elite Hunter from Berger. The 6.5 PRC is no slouch with 26 different options, but the PRC starts at the 120-grain Trophy Copper by Federal to the same 156-grain Elite Hunter from Berger. There aren't really any varmint loads available for the 6.5 PRC. Even though the bullet offerings could essentially be the same, they are not. If bigger game or target shooting is your preference, you may not care, and the extra 280 fps that the Berger offering has in 6.5 PRC might be just what you are looking for. Overall, most of the 6.5 PRC loads focus on larger game hunting, while the Creedmoor has a bit of everything.
When looking at target loads for the Creedmoor, you will be looking at factory offerings around the 140-grain mark, while with the PRC you will probably want to take advantage of the slightly heavier bullets with higher BC (ballistic coefficients). To attempt to offer the best comparison, I picked the factory offerings for Hornady Match in both calibers. So, in the Creedmoor, there are both 140 and 147, and in the PRC only 147 is available.
Both of these rifles are sporting 26" barrels, so it's not too surprising that the measured velocity is higher than the box velocity printed on the box which is based on 24" offerings. By using the standard populated values in the Hornady 4DOF calculator, we can really define what that extra 236 fps is doing for us. Using 1200 fps as the point where a bullet goes transonic (pick a different value if you prefer), the PRC has essentially 200 yards of distance before the bullet has to go through the transonic region (1450 yards vs. 1250), but we really need to ask ourselves if we care.
Using another tool that is relatively new to me, the Applied Ballistics WEZ analysis, I believe we can more accurately answer this question. Using the default settings in their WEZ analysis and inputting the velocity, SD (standard deviation), and precision (group size) that we were able to achieve, a much clearer picture appears. This analysis is run on a 16" square plate at varying distances. Every round has essentially 100% chance of hitting the target at 600 yards and in. Unless you are concerned with energy on target, inside of those distances there really isn't a huge advantage of one over the other. As the distances get further, the PRC shows its legs, and at 1 mile (1,760 yards), the PRC has almost 2x the chance of hitting the target, though perhaps not for the reason you think. In this case, the PRC factory ammo gave us an SD of 17.2, whereas the Creedmoor was all the way up at 24.7 for the 147-grain loads. This variance in the load is by far the biggest reason for the disparity in hit percentage. When we compare the 140-grain Creedmoor load, even when using a lower BC projectile, we can see, with its lower SD in velocity and better precision (.62 MOA vs. 1MOA), the 140-grain Creedmoor gives us a better opportunity to hit our target at every distance, though not by a huge margin. Before you run over to pick out your new 6.5 PRC, make sure you check out the reloading section of this article if that is an option you're willing to consider.
Recoil and Barrel Life
While it seems few want to admit that recoil can affect their performance, it is a factor. In Modern Advancements in Long Range Shooting Volume 3 by Bryan Litz, he proposes a new equation that he calls TOP Gun (Theory of Precision) and puts some interesting data on how much that extra recoil affects our ability to hit our target. In this case, whether you want to blame the rifle or the shooter, the 6.5 Creedmoor is going to be the easier cartridge to handle for a given rifle weight. If you are attempting to achieve the same precision (group size), you would need to use a heavier rifle in 6.5 PRC.
Before we talk about barrel life, most folks aren't going to wear a barrel out unless they are using it for competition or someone else is buying the ammo. So, before this sways your opinion one way or another, make sure it actually matters to you.
When it comes to barrel life, there is a clear winner here, too. While I haven't burned through my first PRC barrel yet, the internet seems to think that 1k rounds is a good round number, but your mileage may vary. I replaced my first 6.5 Creedmoor barrel at close to 3000 rounds, and I think that most folks at that point would have kept shooting it. Personally, needing to change a barrel means I had a lot of fun, but you need to make the best decision for yourself.
Cost
No matter which way you slice this subject, the Creedmoor is going to be the most affordable option. The ammo is generally cheaper, besides being more widely available. Even if you bring reloading into the topic, though they use the same projectiles, the PRC cases cost more, and the amount of powder is going to be more due to the larger case. If cost is a consideration, the Creedmoor is going to get a few bonus points in this category.
Reloading
While reloading is not for everyone, before you discard it completely, I want to give you some real data that may make you consider it. The PRC is very new to me at this point, so better numbers than the factory ammo shouldn't be a challenge, but quoting anything here would require a crystal ball, and mine is broken. I can tell you what I have been able to achieve in my Creedmoor with Lapua cases, CCI primers, H4350, and the same Hornady 140 ELD-M used in the factory ammo above. Though it's not a 10-shot group, when I first started breaking in the new rifle, I was able to get multiple groups well under .5 MOA (minute of angle), and while this isn't going to increase the hit percentage much on its own, the more consistent velocity certainly will. Without tuning, my first reloads were running a velocity of 2789 FPS (feet per second) and a respectable SD of 8.3 FPS. Even with some groups in the .3 MOA range, let's use .5 MOA and this updated velocity information in the WEZ simulator with the Hornady 140 ELD-M, I am able to increase my hit percentage to well beyond the stats that the 6.5 PRC was able to put up, despite the higher BC projectile and higher velocity.
Let me be clear, I am not shaming anyone who wants to pick up a few boxes of factory ammo and head to the range. I understand. However, the added performance should not be ignored if you're willing to go to the effort. I am sure that everyone experience is different, but this is one of the biggest reasons to try your hand at reloading. Not just to be able to shrink your groups, but also to be in better control of your velocity.
Overall, both of the calibers have multiple quality and price options for the brass. The Creedmoor has another advantage here as well. Creedmoor brass is available in both large and small primer brass options, whereas the PRC is available in larger primer only. When primers are in short supply, like they have been for the last few years, this is definitely something to think about.
For powders, the Creedmoor will likely win again, as it simply has more options in your reloading manuals. Generally, the PRC needs slower burning powders, and more of them, to achieve that extra velocity. It doesn't mean that you won't be able to meet your needs with the PRC, it just means that you might have better odds of finding what you are looking for in the Creedmoor.
Conclusion
No matter which route you go, you won't be disappointed. There is not such a huge difference between these cases that you will suffer too much buyer's remorse. The choice between the two largely depends on individual preferences and intended usage. If you prioritize lower recoil, cost, and availability, the 6.5 Creedmoor remains a top choice. If you want that extra 200 yards of performance and flatter trajectories and are willing to accept slightly increased recoil, the 6.5 PRC is sure to impress.
--Bolt Action Reloading
