Browning X-Bolt Speed LR 035557294 6.5 PRC

The 6.5mm is a popular caliber for both hunting and long-range shooting, and two of the most popular chamberings in this diameter are the 6.5 Creedmoor and the 6.5 PRC. We have most recently covered 6.5 PRCs in the June 2023 issue, looking at the Bergara Premier MgLite, the Christensen Arms MPR, and the Springfield Armory Waypoint 2020 BAW92465PRCCFGA. Most recently, we covered rifles chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor in the August 2023 issue, namely the Savage Impulse Elite Precision 57888, Tikka T3X CTR, and the SIG Sauer Cross 65-18B-FLC.

But if you’re on the fence about which chambering might be better, we explored the variances in accuracy, ballistics, and recoil between these two chamberings when shot shoulder to shoulder, plus we wanted to see if there were any differences in barrel materials. So this time, we pitted two carbon-fiber barrels from Proof Research and BSF against each other and used a stainless-steel sporter-contour barrel to give you a familiar touchpoint in a rifle you might already own.

Here, a Savage Model 100 Ultralite uses a Proof Research barrel, and a Springfield Armory 2020 Waypoint sports a BSF barrel, and a Browning X-Bolt Speed LR employs a steel barrel. The Savage and Browning were chambered in 6.5 PRC and the Springfield in 6.5 Creedmoor. You can read our earlier coverage on these rounds free as part of your subscription, so for more, check the Gun Tests Master Index at Gun-Tests.com and search for “Creedmoor” or “PRC” to see all of the archived material on those rounds. 

Cartridges are a lot like personalities; all are a bit different, and some characteristics can endear you or rub you the wrong way. The 6.5 Creedmoor (6.5 CM) was developed in 2007 and grew in popularity almost instantly due to its accuracy, flat trajectory, excellent terminal ballistics, and low recoil. It is an easy cartridge to shoot well, and we have used the round in a variety of rifle tests.

The 6.5 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) was developed in 2013, and it has gained a loyal and growing following. It has all the attributes of the 6.5 Creedmoor as well as more juice for longer distances, making a 1,000 yards seem like a chip shot. The 6.5 PRC has more than 250 fps more velocity pushing the same weight bullet as the 6.5 Creedmoor. The 6.5 PRC uses a larger-diameter case than the 6.5 Creedmoor. The fatty 6.5 PRC cartridge is about 30 percent larger than the 6.5 Creedmoor, so it can fit more powder. A downside is rifles chambered in the 6.5 PRC will have a lower magazine capacity due to the chubby cartridges. Both calibers fire long, skinny bullets that have high ballistic coefficients, so they slice through the air easier than other cartridges, and trajectories are flat. The high sectional density, or the bullet’s weight compared to its cross-sectional area, is high, so the bullet penetrates deeply, which makes them very effective for hunting. The overall length of the each cartridge is very similar, 2.9 inches for the 6.5 PRC and 2.8 inches for the 6.5 Creedmoor, each loaded with a 140-grain bullet. Both can be used in short actions, so your rifle can be trimmer and lighter, which is an asset in a hunting rifle.

Most hunters may (ideally) shoot only one round at an animal during the season, so lightweight hunting rifles are usually outfitted with skinny sporter- or featherweight-contour barrels to reduce weight. However, barrel taper also affects heat response, so a hunter with a skinny barrel on his rifle who needs to shoot more than five shots at time may experience stringing, wherein shot impacts change unexpectedly, growing group sizes. So a skinny barrel saves weight, but it heats up faster, and accuracy can degrade.

Also, the stiffer or more rigid a barrel, the more accurate it usually will be. That’s why target rifles have large-diameter barrels that look like a water pipes. Barrels whip when a bullet is fired through them, causing vibration. The stiffer the barrel, the less vibration and, in theory, the better the accuracy. All barrels vibrate and can shoot great groups as well as bad groups. 

All carbon-fiber barrels are built with a steel internal barrel, called a liner, that is wrapped by carbon fiber. The carbon fiber reduces weight and is touted to dissipate heat. Depending on the barrel maker, that carbon fiber is wrapped and bonded using different methods, which we’ll get into later on.

We all want to be like James Fenimore Cooper’s Natty Bumppo and need only one shot to slay a deer or elk. Which of these rifles are best able to accomplish that? 

How We Tested

To gather accuracy data, we fired a trio of three-shot groups at 100 yards and allowed the barrels to cool between groups. The next step was to fire three sets of three-shot groups — nine shots in total — in succession, without allowing the barrel to cool. This allowed us to see if accuracy degrades as the barrel heats up. The firing procedure was the same for all rifles. We used a bipod attached to the front sling swivel stud and a toe bag. A CVLife 6- to 9-inch bipod with an M-Lok adapter ($28; Amazon.com) was new to us. The bipod attached to the sling swivel stud on the Savage and Browning. We needed the adapter for the M-Lok rail on the Springfield. The bipod is made of fiberglass. The legs can be independently adjusted from 6 to 9 inches, it weighed only 8 ouches, has no-slip rubber feet, and the legs fold up. For the price, this is good bipod option. We liked how easy it was to adjust and deploy. Attaching the bipod to the stud was tedious and easier when using the M-Lok adapter. 

For optics, we attached a Burris Signature HD 5-25x50mm scope ($650; OpticsPlanet.com) and a Primary Arms GLx 4-16x50mm FFP scope ($750; PrimaryArms.com) with an illuminated ACSS-Apollo-6.5CR/.224V reticle.

The Burris scope has a 30mm tube with an FFP illuminated Ballistic E3 reticle. It has six brightness settings and has crosshairs calibrated to popular cartridges. The PA scope has a ACSS APOLLO 6.5CM/.224V reticle that looks like high-school-geometry homework, and at first glance seems complicated. It offered a large field of view with clarity to the outer edge of the lens. The large uncapped turrets have a low profile; clicks are crisp, tactile, and audible. The turrets are also locking and zero resettable. The ACSS Apollo reticle features built-in target ranging and range-adjusted wind holds from 5 to 20 mph. If we owned any of these rifles, we’d create a cheat sheet and tape it to the stock for specific loads. There are horizontal hash marks for compensating for wind, too. Each click is 1⁄4 minute of angle (MOA), and there is a total of 65 MOA for elevation and windage. The exposed turrets are low profile and have a push/pull locking feature. The Burris Signature has a side parallax knob that also contains the battery and allows for brightness adjustment. The clarity of the glass was crisp all the way to the edge. This scope acted like it cost a lot more. The weight of the scope is only 24 ounces, so it won’t bog you down when hunting. 

That’s how we started out. Continue reading to find out where we ended up.

Browning X-Bolt Speed LR 035557294 6.5 PRC

$1280

Gun Tests grade: A-

The X-Bolt had an excellent trigger and a buttery-smooth action. Accuracy was stellar, and recoil quite manageable. Accuracy degraded as the barrel heated up. 

The Speed LR (Long Range) is built on Browning’s X-Bolt action. The X-Bolt action features a 60-degree bolt lift for rapidly cycling the action. The bolt manipulation was liquidly smooth. The Savage action felt as if it were rusted in place compared to the Browning X-Bolt’s movement.

The two-position safety is ambidextrous and is located on the top tang. It locks the trigger and bolt. The X-Bolt is designed to be very safe with a bolt unlock button on the upper part of the bolt handle. Press this button when the safety is on to rack the bolt to load or unload the rifle.

The rifle comes drilled and tapped, but it didn’t have the X-Bolt integrated scope mount system ($115; Browning.com). The detachable box magazine is flush fit, which we liked because that is the field-carry spot for a rifle, and a flush-fit magazine is more comfortable to carry than an extended magazine. Capacity is three rounds in 6.5 PRC. You can single-feed rounds into the chamber with the magazine in place. This is convenient especially when shooting off a bench or in prone position.

The trigger is adjustable, but you need to remove the bottom metal to get at the trigger, which adds steps. The trigger broke at 3.2 pounds, and that was plenty fine, in our opinion.

The 26-inch barrel has a sporter contour with fluting, which reduces weight, adds rigidity, and exposes more surface area of the barrel so it can cool quicker. A Browning Hawg muzzle brake was attached to the muzzle.

The receiver was bedded in the front and rear of the action, and the barrel free floats in the composite stock. The comb is adjustable with up to 1 inch of adjustment. A hex wrench is required to loosen and remove the four screws. The recoil pad was Browning’s Inflex 1 model with nicely rounded edges for fast snag-free shouldering. It helped tamed the added recoil from the 6.5 PRC.

A bronze Cerakote covered the metal, and the stock had an Ovix camo finish. Even though some of us think bronze has been overdone as a firearm finish, we thought this was a sharp-looking rifle. Total weight with scope was slightly more than 7 pounds and overall length was 46 inches.

The X-Bolt was comfortable to shoot off the bench, and we really didn’t notice the additional muzzle velocity and associated recoil from the 6.5 PRC. It is a pleasant rifle to shoot and is accurate. The best three-shot group at 100 yards measured 0.45 inch with Nosler Trophy Match launching a 140-grain AccuBond bullet. Hornady Precision Hunter with a 143-grain ELD-X bullet was second with a 0.55-inch group, and Hornady Match with a 147-grain ELD Match bullet measured 0.67 inch. Across all ammo groups, averages were 0.57, 0.61, and 0.73 inches. Nice-shooting rifle when you can take your time. When we moved to successive shots, the barrel heated and the groups became larger than 1 MOA. Still not bad, but something to think about if your fourth or fifth shot is past 200 yards. 

Our Team Said: As a traditional steel-barrel long-range rifle, the Speed LR is a good choice. The action was silky smooth, and the trigger was excellent. However, the rifle stumbles as the barrel heats. If you shoot only a round or two at game at a time, then this is a good choice.

To collect accuracy data, we fired three-shot groups from a bench using a rest. Distance: 100 yards. We recorded velocities using a ProChrono digital chronograph set 15 feet from the muzzles.

Written and photographed by Robert Sadowski, using evaluations from Gun Tests Team members. GT