6.5 PRC Ballistics Chart

6.5 PRC drop and wind charts for the two Hornady factory loads most people shoot: the 143 grain ELD-X hunting load and the 147 grain ELD Match. Roughly 250 fps of extra speed over 6.5 Creedmoor with the same bullets. Every number below is solved live by the ballistic calculator on this site, not copied from a book — treat it as a reference starting point, not a substitute for truing your own rifle at distance.

Standard conditions used for every chart on this page

Zero
100 yd
Sight height
1.5 in over bore
Atmosphere
59 °F, 29.92 inHg, 50% RH, 0 ft (ICAO standard)
Wind
10 mph at 90° (90° = full-value crosswind from the right)
Shooting angle
Spin drift / Coriolis
Off — not modelled by this solver

6.5 PRC factory loads

Muzzle velocity
2960 fps
Bullet
143 gr Hornady
BC
0.315 G7
Drop @ 500 yd
-43.6 in / -8.32 MOA / -2.42 MIL
Drop @ 1000 yd
-264.3 in / -7.34 MIL
10 mph wind @ 500 yd
13.3 in / 0.74 MIL
Goes subsonic
still supersonic at 1000 yd

Source: Hornady Precision Hunter 6.5 PRC 143 gr ELD-X (published G7 BC 0.315, 2960 fps). Manufacturer page. Drag model labelled on every table: G7.

Open this load in the calculator
6.5 PRC 143 gr drop chart — inches over range, 100 yd zero
6.5 PRC 143 gr velocity and energy chart — fps and ft·lbf over range

6.5 PRC 143 gr drop and wind table (G7)

6.5 PRC 143 gr ELD-X trajectory: drop, wind drift, velocity, energy and time of flight
Range (yd)Drop (in)Drop MILWind MILVelocity (fps)
0-1.50.000.002960
50-0.2-0.120.082884
1000.00.000.152808
150-0.9-0.160.212734
200-2.9-0.400.282661
250-6.2-0.690.342589
300-10.8-1.000.422517
350-16.7-1.330.502447
400-24.1-1.670.582379
450-33.0-2.040.662311
500-43.6-2.420.742244
550-55.8-2.820.822179
600-69.9-3.240.912114
650-85.9-3.671.002051
700-104.1-4.131.101989
750-124.4-4.611.191928
800-147.0-5.101.291868
850-172.1-5.621.391808
900-200.0-6.171.501750
950-230.5-6.741.611692
1000-264.3-7.341.721635

Dimmed rows are below the speed of sound, where published coefficients and this point-mass model are both least reliable. The solver stops once velocity falls too low to model honestly.

6.5 PRC mini DOPE card

Range (yd)Elevation MILElevation MOAWind MILWind MOA
100-0.00-0.000.150.53
2000.401.390.280.95
3001.003.420.421.45
4001.675.750.581.98
5002.428.320.742.55
6003.2411.130.913.13
8005.1017.551.294.44
10007.3425.251.725.92
Build a full DOPE card

How to use this chart

  • Match the zero first. These tables assume a 100 yard zero; a 200 yard zero shifts every row.
  • Match the sight height. 1.5 inches is used here; a high AR mount is closer to 2.6 inches.
  • Match the air. Standard sea-level air is thicker than most hunting country, so real drop at altitude is usually less than shown.
  • True your muzzle velocity. Box velocity comes from a test barrel — chronograph yours, then re-run it in the calculator.

Related cartridges

6.5 PRC ballistics FAQ

How much does 6.5 PRC drop at 500 yards?
6.5 PRC with the Hornady 143 gr ELD-X load (0.315 G7 BC at 2960 fps) drops 43.6 inches below the line of sight at 500 yards from a 100 yard zero in standard sea-level air, which is 8.32 MOA or 2.42 mils of elevation. It is still carrying 2244 fps and 1599 ft·lbf there.
How much does 6.5 PRC drop at 1000 yards?
264.3 inches below the line of sight, or 7.34 mils / 25.25 MOA of come-up, with 1635 fps left. Time of flight is 1.37 seconds, so a switching wind matters more than the elevation by then.
How much does a 10 mph crosswind push 6.5 PRC?
A full-value 10 mph wind moves it 4.6 inches at 300 yards and 13.3 inches at 500 yards — 0.74 mils. Half-value wind is roughly half that; the wind hold, not the drop, is what usually misses.
Should I dial MIL or MOA for this chart?
Whichever your scope is marked in — the two columns describe the same come-up. One mil is 3.6 inches at 100 yards and one MOA is about 1.047 inches, so mils give coarser, faster clicks and MOA gives finer ones. Never mix a mil reticle with an MOA turret.
Where does 6.5 PRC go subsonic with this load?
It is still supersonic at 1000 yards under these conditions, which is why the table stays useful across its whole range.

Before you trust these numbers

Factory muzzle velocity is a starting point measured in a test barrel. Barrel length, throat, temperature and lot number all move it, and 50 fps of error is worth most of a click at distance. Confirm on paper at 300 and beyond before you hold off an animal or a plate.

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