The 6.5 Creedmoor is a centerfire rifle cartridge that has long-range potential due to high ballistic coefficient. The ammunition has a good selection of bullets from 85 to 160 grains in various styles. The 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge length of 2.825 is capable of chambering in short-action bolt rifles and AR-10 semi-automatic rifles.
U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- The 6.5 mm has been around in some form since the early 1890s in various countries using it for their rifles. At that time bullets and powders were not as good as today. Fouling and dirty powder and primers were some of the problems with small calibers of the day.
Two of the earlier 6.5mm rounds were the 6.5 Dutch and Carcano. One of the complaints was the lack of stopping power. Most of them used a 160 gr. RN-FMJ or a similar weight. They gave good penetration but only made a small hole in a soldier. Uruguay even had some Mauser model 71s re-barreled to a 6.5 known as the Daudeteau. The French navy also used it in the 1890s for a few years. The Japanese military used it for years. Some other countries either used or tried it at one time. Militaries replaced them with more powerful rounds over time. Many of the 6.5 rounds share a similar case capacity to the Creedmoor, though not interchangeable. The Swedish 6.5 X 55 has an excellent reputation for accuracy, an is popular in Europe for hunting. The model 96 Mauser is well regarded even today.
There are several new rounds that are becoming popular for one reason or another. They may seem to be useless but they are growing in popularity, such as the 300 AC Blackout and the 6.5 Creedmoor. There are companies making rifles and ammo is being produced.
6.5 Creedmoor
The 6.5 Creedmoor is a strong suit for all shooters due to the accuracy of the round in most rifles. This caliber, there are some rifles and bullets made especially for competition. Otherwise, there would be no reason to introduce the 6.5, as it is less powerful than the 260 Remington. The 260 is popular and is an adequate hunting round and most rifles are accurate with it. Still, the 6.5 Creedmoor is a fraction of an inch more accurate in a target rifle.
Most people could not tell the difference.
Brass is being produced for the 6.5 Creedmoor for reloaders like myself. For this test, I obtained some Starline brass. In the past, I’ve used Starline and they produce quality brass at reasonable prices. For some reason, Starline offers their brass in both small and large primers. Some target shooters prefer the small primer, allowing for consistent burn in loads. I will stick with the large ones, especially with full power loads and slower powders such as the new IMR 4451. There is a good selection of bullets from 85 to 160 grains in various styles. For those of us who use cast bullets, there are a few available as well as bullet molds. For info on their growing line, you can go to their Starline Brass for updates.
Kinetic makes a couple of calibers with the intention of expanding and I received a few cases from them which did well during testing. In the past, their 308 brass did fine for the information you can go to Kinetic Industries.
Ruger sent their bolt action American rifle with a Vortex 4×12 scope. The Vortex is a high-quality scope and I have used them in the past with good results. I used one on a bear hunt and it did very well in limited daylight. The Ruger American is a less expensive rifle but I have always found that they perform above their pay grade. These rifles have always been reliable, accurate and safe to shoot.The Ruger may lack the aesthetics of a high-dollar rifle, but shooting it shows it is worth every dollar. Since a deer or bear doesn’t judge a rifle by its looks but it performance we will do the same.
The Ruger American rifle lacks sights but has a scope mount. There is a screw on cap at the muzzle, enabling the use of a suppressor to where legal. The bolt has three lugs which makes it a 70 degree lift as opposed to the 90 degree on a two-lug bolt. Both systems are good so a choice would be a personal preference. The extractor is a small claw type and the ejector is spring-loaded. Neither gave me any issues during the test, and a lot of ammo went through the gun. The trigger from the factory is fine but is adjustable if desired. There is a thick, soft recoil pad which isn’t needed for this round. The recoil of the 6.5 Creedmoor should be no problem for most shooters. The pad may help out with shooting by gripping your coat or shirt, enabling a quicker shot.
The 6.5 Creedmoor has found favor with competition and target shooters but hunting will be my focus.
The 6.5 caliber has long-range potential due to their high ballistic coefficient. The rifle has a 22” barrel with a 1 in 8 twist, and it should stabilize almost anything. The real long and streamlined bullets should work well and perform well at long ranges.
6.5 Creedmoor Ballistics Chart
| Load | Bullet | Velocity | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43.5 grains IMR 4166 | 85 gr Sierra HP | 3112 | OK |
| 12 grains Target | 85 gr Sierra HP | 2237.9 | Consistent |
| 40 grains 4166 | 107 gr Sierra HP | 2902.7 | Nice Load |
| 40 grains 4166 | 120 gr Sierra | 2725.9 | High ES |
| 10 grains Target | 120 gr Cast | 1471.6 | Very Consistent |
| 10 grains Unique | 120 gr Cast | 1451 | Very Consistent |
| 14 grains Blue | 120 gr Cast | 1807.67 | Consistent |
| Double Tap | 127 gr HP | 2882.8 | Nice Load |
| 41 grains 4451 | 139 gr Privi | 2696.3 | Good Hunting Load |
| 40 grains 4451 | 139 gr FMJ | 2727.5 | OK |
| Double Tap | 140 gr Flex Tip | 2548.3 | Consistent |
| 40 grains 4451 | 140 gr Barnes Match King Brass | 2659.3 | Mild - Fair |
| 12 grains Blue | 140 gr Cast | 1480.31 | Consistent |
| 38 grains 4451 | 160 gr Hornady | 2354.2 | Mild - High ES |
When testing any new gun there are a few things to look for. First is safety, be sure you are not using overloads that may damage the gun. With a modern gun such as this Ruger, shoot factory loads along with the hand-loads to start. That will give you a good idea what to expect. For this test, I used some factory ammo from Double Tap.
I have worked with Double Tap ammo a lot in the past, and it is one of the best brands around. Exceeding their velocities would be difficult and unsafe. That is generally true with other good brands. Double Tap is growing and has a good selection of all types of ammo. In the last 20 years or so, factory ammo has improved by leaps and bounds in both accuracy and velocity. The 6.5 Creedmoor is a precision target shooting load, which it does very well, given a good rifle and ammo. One advantage that the 6.5’s have is their target bullets have a high ballistic coefficient. This means that they will do well at long ranges plus they lack excessive recoil.
One thing that is often overlooked, reduced and cast bullet loads. They use less powder and inexpensive bullets are perfect for such a use. They are as accurate as the full power but not at long distances. Small game is perfect for such loads. These loads can harvest editable species without destroying a lot of meat. Varmints and groundhogs will be easy targets at moderate ranges.
Here in Arizona, we have a lot of ground squirrels. They are small and don’t sit in one spot for a long time, creating quite a challenge. A reduced load requires good accuracy and it would be capable of being useful out to a hundred yards or so. It is good practice for future large game hunts. Since you are shooting at ground targets be sure to know where your bullets are going as ricochets are a danger. More often than not the bullet is going too slow to have the ground break them up. A lightweight thin jacketed bullet will help out in that regard.
So why not take a lightweight jacketed bullet and launch it at about 1500 FPS instead of three thousand feet per second?
It will do the job as well and be easier on the gun. If it is hot then this will slow up the barrel heating. With a little load development, they will be as accurate.
Hodgdon Powder has introduced several new flake powders meant for handguns. They also give consistent results with rifles using reduced and cast bullet loads. The new IMR flake powders and one of my very favorite powders, Unique, the results are very consistent.
The 6.5 Creedmoor is a target shooting load meant for long range. For that, you need bullets that have a high ballistic coefficient. Meaning, they will maintain their velocity even at the longer ranges. The 6.5 bullet does that, without the excessive muzzle blast and recoil that larger rounds have.
To give an example, the 142 grain Sierra Match King has a BC of .550 at lower velocities and a .595 near the muzzle. To compare a 160-grain semi-pointed has a BC of from .353 to .390. The Match King has a very small hollow point meaning it won’t open up and Sierra does not recommend it for hunting. The 160 grain is a soft point and with its high sectional density, penetration should be good. But, since it is blunt the BC is much lower so it will drop faster. Like all calibers, there is a good selection of bullets. So there is no excuse to use the wrong bullet for a specific purpose.
Put a little time into research and shooting and the 6.5 won’t disappoint.
6.5 Creedmoor Rifles for Sale | 6.5 Creedmoor Uppers for Sale | 6.5 Creedmoor Ammo for Sale
About Bob Shell:
A Custom Reloader of Obsolete and Antique Ammo, Bob Shell, writes about the subject of Guns, Ammo, Shooting and Related Subjects. Visit: www.bobshellsblog.blogspot.com.
I wonder why so many shooters are bagging on the Creedmoor. So many of the arguments are comparing larger (harder on the shoulder or harder on the wallet) loads.. The beauty of the gun is it’s performance and versatility, (especially at long range) in a short action, easy on the wallet – round. If that doesn’t light your flint, don’t buy one but why trash it and make apples and oranges comparisons? I Love mine and it will be a great gun for grandson also, who will have a choice of 30.06, .243, and others including the Creedmoor.. Personally I… Read more »
Late to this conversation, as articles are often recast. Just have to add a slight caveat to your claim of “easy on the wallet.” In relation to those BIG boomers, .300 Winchester Magnum and such, no doubt; however, funny thing happened on the way to ‘economy’ with the 6.5 Creedmore, though the case is a reconfigured .308, as an example, 50 Nosler .308 cases are $13.45 cheaper than their 6.5 Creed! The 6.5 shooting crowd are definitely being “price gouged” for the 15 year “overnight success” of that round!
I have a .308 parent to the 30TC which is parent to the 6.5 creedmoor . Have to say that both the 30 tc and 6.5 tend to out perform the 308. Its like a carburated motor compared to electronic more efficient and better performance with out as much fuel and weight. But still enjoy a day at the range with all 3.
Have a couple Ruger Americans, we like anything Ruger;) In .308 a R hand and a L hand model. Accurate, my grandson downed a 4×5 Muley on his first youth hunt with one shot @235 yds, using his granddad’s (proud old man) load! That said, this is about the 6.5 Creed. TC is wanting in on the “affordable” bolt rifle game and was running a sale. Picked one up w/4-12 scope for something just over $300, Compass model. Main reason being, having been a long time seeker of that “holy grail” of 1″ MOA rifles, I was interested in their… Read more »
It’s like owning a Corvette ZR1, or a watch that’s water proof to 1000 ft. The 6.5 creedmoor was designed by long range competitors for competition. People like the idea of something made for an extreme . 98% of creedmoor owners will never shoot competitively to 1200 yrds, but it’s cool to own a rifle chambered in a cartridge that’s capable of that without dislocating your shoulder (exaggeration). There are many other rounds that will do it too, but of the ones actually designed from scratch to compete at distance, not many have 30+ options for factory ammo. For example,… Read more »
@NS72, I like your analysis, but … The minor problem with the 6.5 Creed is that Hornaday went with the larger primer so as to keep the hunters happy. Lapua went with the smaller primer to keep the competitors happy. The 6.5 Lapua has more brass (due to the smaller primer hole) and therefore a little more umph. I think that 6.5 Creed is more popular due to Hornaday’s advertising and ammunition development. I did a side by side comparison, and went with the 6.5 x 47 Lapua cartridge; a rifle custom made for that round; and make my own… Read more »
Sounds fair to me, Wild Bill . For someone in the position your in, an in depth comparison of popular bench 6mm and 6.5mm cartridges, then a pick based purely on ballistics makes perfect sense .
For me, and probably the majority of average gun loving Americans, the creedmoor makes more sense . Its just easier to own without the major commitment . After all, the advertising hype had made it possible to pick up ammo just about everywhere.
GOOD SHOOTIN and be safe!
..I bought a TC Compass in 6 5 CM with the idea I’d present it to my youngest son as a light recoiling entty level deer rifle. With the rebate that S&W was offering at the time I oaid 270 something WITH a Vortex 4×12 scope ! Took it out yo the range to sight it in with Hornady 129 grain ammo , and Hornady “Full Boar” 120 grain GMX ammo. Both loads shot under an inch ! I’ve kept the rifle and restocked it with a Boyd’s laminated stock (gave my son a Remington 600 in 6mm Remington I’ve… Read more »
My comment is on the Remington 600 you gave your son. Your a good man. I bought my Remington 600 in 308cal.
in 1968. Yep, I’m proud that I still have it. Soon it will be my 28 year old grandson’s and hopefully his new son’s someday. The 600’s aren’t a common as they used to be. Thanks for sharing your story
jz
Old vet: Absolutely! Also, part of the reason I rounded up a TC Thompson Compass in 6.5 CM, claimed 3 shot 1MOA or less @100 yds – out of the box with quality factory ammo, no tinkering required. I watched a “salesman,” no medaled competition shooter, prove that with two different factory loadings using two different bullet weights! After rounding up my copy, I verified the fact with SIX different, quality, factory loadings – 120-143 grain bullets. If u r nearly as old a vet as I am, you know that bak-in-tha-day, getting any, non custom build, standard rifle to… Read more »
I do wholeheartedly agree about these Ruger American rifles. We’ve two All-Weather stainless ones in the hunting safe chambered in .270WIN and .30-06SPRG, both outfitted with identical Leopold 4-12 glass. They have performed flawlessly in all conditions. through two hunting seasons with 3 family members filling the freezers. Of course we all expect our rifles to do the same and it is rare when one doesn’t. I will admit, while in the guns shops in the last few months, I’ve witnessed more 6.5 Creedmoor bolt guns go out the door than any other caliber.
Always have loved Ruger guns! Also have a pair of RA’s in .308, one a lefty, for a left eye dominant teenager! The boy took his first 10 pt Muley with it, not long ago. My “load,” so “prouded up Granddad” with that one shot and down deal! He will tell you, however, that my TC Compass in 6.5 Creed is far more of a pleasure to set off! Unlike the many that have poo pooed the “need” for another cartridge, there should always be the “need” for another gun! 😉 Especially when, like those RA’s, you can pick up… Read more »
I would like to say…
The 300 Winchester magnum should be
Pronounced as such…
I HEAR AND READ …300 WINMAG
REMMY FOR REMINGTON
WINNY FOR WINCHESTER
THE LIST GOES ON
New to this site, my first actual site posting, I typically just read and mind my own. Today though Firewagon posted that someone near him shot a 10 point muley. Was that 10 on each side? Or 10 points total? Here in the West that’s a 5×5 or 5 point muley buck. We don’t count like you would on whitetails. If your muley was 10 and 10 you have a record. I’m out all the time, biggest this winter I saw was a 5×6. Lots of 6.5 hype. Due to various health reasons I’m shooting steel now as opposed to… Read more »
Interesting! Of Southun heritage, that was a 10 pointer that me grandson laid low! Made the shot on his initial “youth muley hunt.” As you note, it was accomplished in Texas, so, I reckon, by BIG BOY counting, the “10 pointer,” was actually a 5×5. Records not withstanding, a 13 year old’s highlight! BTW, a one shot kill, off of a wire fence, @ a range finder verified 235 yards, with a Ruger American in .308 – left hander. As it turned out, a good harvest, as the “old boy” was already missing at least one tooth.
Firewagon, anytime we can get the grandkids out is a good thing. And turning them onto their first nice muley is a treat. Cherished memories 4-ever. My end of summer goal is to shoot steel at 1760 yards with my 6.5 CM. After buying it I can see why their is a rave about the caliber. I do agree with the others though, there are better choices for game. My gun is heavy enough with no jump that I can stay in the scope and watch the bullet strike. Plus it carries the heavier bullets out to the range I… Read more »
Opinions are like rectums: everybody has one. Gentilemen, I have never pulled a gun new from the box and had it shoot the best it can. They’re as individual as fingerprints or DNA. They require you work with them to develop them to their very best. That is part of the fun of it! Shooting at distances beyond 300 yards consistently means you have to have an intimate relationship with that gun developed over time. I very much doubt a game animal shot with a lapua, 600 Remington or 6.5 cm will be able to identify the cartridge they were… Read more »
Man there are a lot of bitter people posting on here. It a rifle cartridge and it’s not like Hillary came up with it. If you don’t want it don’t buy it.
I would think that the reloader’s perspective on the 6.5 Creedmore would be: Buy the 6.5 Lapua, instead.
I do not remember any cartridge getting as much media hype as the 6.5 creedmoor. There are so many better hunting cartridges.
-7mm-08 is one of my favs.
@Mathew W, Hornaday has a lot of R&D money tied up in the 6.5 CM. All the hype and advertising is to ensure business success. The 6.5X47 Lapua is a much better long range target cartridges than the 6.5 CM. And as you so correctly observe, there many hunting cartridges that are superior to the 6.5 CM. So many in fact that one could not list them all here. The 6.5 CM is all about profit.
“….much better long range target cartridge….than the 6.5 CM.” As they, and the 260 Remington, are ballistically similar, that appears to sound like my rig is better than your rig overstatement. It actually, being a slightly smaller case, has less powder capacity, possibly impacting velocity loss to the 6.5 by as much as 5-10 fps! 😉 A better case for NOT using the x47 is that American manufacturers don’t offer components, and those Lapua cases aint cheap!
@Firewagon, I had not made a comparison between the 6.5 Lapua and the 260 Remington. I believe that I read something about the .260 Rem being a barrel burner and not living up to its potential because Remington made the rifle model that corresponded with the .260 cartridge with to short a barrel, but I could be wrong.
That is the nice part about our sport, we have so much to choose from, experiment with, and compare.
So many have mentioned the .260 Remington I included it showing the x47 Lapua and 6.5 CM as all being ballistically similar, and any comments attempting to show one better than another, for hunting, is incorrect. As to accuracy, or more to the point, competition purposes at long range, the 6.5 CM is the current choice, with rare exceptions. There def are better hunting cartridges, my 300 WinMag is a fav, w/Sierra 190MK bullets @3085 fps it drops 30″ less than the 6.5 w/142 Sierra tipped MK @1,000 and 40″ less at 1100 and, of course retains over 1,100 fpe… Read more »
LOL, 10 years in the making! Certainly “better hunting cartridges;” however, for long range competition the benchmark now appears to be the 6.5 Creedmoor. Read after several “reach on out there and touch ’em” competitors, and they commented that compared with the .308, in the wind, the 6.5 shooters were having to dial in HALF the windage corrections. As to hunting, the American Rifleman article, I think, showed that taking all manner of plains game in Africa was effectively and efficiently done with the “skinny bullets.” BTW, one of the main objects in the development of this boy was “reduced… Read more »
Hurry everybody! Jump on that latest-greatest caliber bandwagon. Meanwhile I’ll continue to harvest my game with my numerous .270WIN and .30-06SPRG rifles, protect what’s dear to me with my 5.56 & .308WIN ARs. I fail to see the need for something that a .243WIN-.308WIN can already do well, but that is just me. When the 6.5 Creedmoor has lasted 50+ years, harvested plenty of game, and/or been adopted by our Armed Forces ll consider one, maybe.
Where’d you come up with this gem:
“The 260 is popular and is an adequate hunting round and most rifles are accurate with it. Still, the 6.5 Creedmoor is a fraction of an inch more accurate in a target rifle.”
Not a fact. Completely made up. Purely an opinion, written as though it were an actual fact.
It is not an opinion. If the 260 was more accurate then the 6.5 that would be the round used in competition. The 260 is slightly more powerful & I would prefer it to the 6.5 as I don’t shoot competition and the 260 would give slightly more power especially with heavy bullets. But to be honest for a sub 30 caliber in that length the 7 mm-08 is better then either. In the future I will be writing a piece on the 7 mm-08 for Starline
@Mr Shell, You must not presume that KCsmith is an honest commentator with an honest comment. He writes much like, and his nom de plume is very similar to a well known sour puss that trolls here.
Gotcha. So it’s a fact then, not just your opinion. Because people don’t use .260rem in competitions.
I don’t have any information that states the 6.5 is more accurate than .260rem, but you obviously must have a source I do not.
Please cite the source of this fact. Thank you.
…and to the peanut gallery, I don’t feed trolls.
TC Thompson has been running a rebate special on their 6.5 Creedmoor Compass rifle. They make the claim of 1″ or less three shot groups @100 yds w/”Factory Ammo.” Not match stuff, just Factory. No tinkering required. Watched a demo of an out of the box (“assumed” no photog trickery) TC Compass do that very thing with two different loads – a 120 or 129 (bad old timer memory) load and a 140 load – both rendered under the 1″ claim! Sandbag rest, 3-9 Vortex Crossfire scope (cheap), no cooling between shots. As someone mentioned about the Ruger American rifle,… Read more »
I just bought the T C Compass 6.5. I can’t wait to try it out!
Little doubt you will not be disappointed! My oldest son, at the time I think 13-14 yo, set the, then, junior record at one of this IHMSA shoots using a 10” TC 7mmTCU. Best I know, they don’t build junk!
Bob, many are missing a major requirement in the protocol for the 6.5 CM development. RECOIL. Geared, of course, to competition, the goal was better performance beyond 600 or 1,000+, with less recoil that reduced recoil enduced fatigue, which better scores would be the benefit, from all day shooting. The Sep ‘17 American Rifleman has an excellent article on the 6.5 CM, “an overnight success 10 years in the making.” Short answer being, definitely succeeded! Believing there needs be little excuse for just “one more” gun, I pulled the trigger on the TC Thompson Compass in 6.5 CM. The promotional… Read more »
7mm08 should be just as popular in my opinion
7mm08 is hard to beat in any application just my opinion
Ok I see No reason for a 6.5 Creedmore when you still have a 308 Win that you can reload up and down as you need from 100 grain up to 200 if need be, and for accuracy I doubt if anyone can hold it to get the most out of a 308. Sniper School X 3 , 3 years in country. Been reloading the 308 since 1965 and hunting with it, 1000’s of rounds through them
You’ve clearly earned the right to your opinion. When you’ve seen something work for decades it’s hard to imagine a reason to change. That said if it’s an improvement I’d rather the men who put their asses on the line have every possible advantage. Some military snipers will be adopting the round and others are kicking the tires. All I hear is the efficiency of the round and the ballistic coefficient are phenomenal.
I don’t disagree, but there are guys who can shoot it out. If I remember the biggest differences start at about 600 yards. .308 has a much quicker fall off and shift. But in most places, you would be hard pressed for 600++ Yrds to shoot. I own both, and have loaded .308 for quite a few years now, and as you said the .308 is a very versatile cartridge, but I see no reason that the 6.5 CM won’t be as well. I am actually tho king of going to an 85 grain bullet for coyotes for the 6.5… Read more »
U shud have little problem running about any 85 grain bullet, constructed for HV, well over 3,000 FPS in that 6.5!
Hornady’s 95 grain varmint round in 6.5 cm has a stated muzzle velocity of 3300 fps. Should be a killer varmint round.