Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Why the hate of the 6.5 creedmoor?

Drift value doesn't mean schit if you can't read the wind. Ooops, forgot about all the monster bucks with wind flags up their asses.


Much ado about nothing.

If you don't know how to read the wind, a bullet with less drift will serve you better.

Sounds like a job for a good and fast 6.5 then...264 winny, 26 nosler, 6.5 wby etc...

I'm not a fan of smaller and slower for hunting. Keeping things simple has worked for me. The new sexy 6.5 is the Weatherby extended ranges don't require a Kestrel and a drop chart out to 500+ yards.

The new wonder caliber is a very nice short range deer and antelope gun if you aren't planning to twist turrets.

That sounds familiar. <grin>


Jerry

"Bullets matter more than headstamps."

And the 6.5 has some sleek hunting bullets.

You are, I assume, being facetious.

Below are the numbers for the Weatherby factory ammo (130g Scirocco II) and with estimated values for a 147g Hornady ELD. For comparison, the Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor 147g ELD factory load is included. Also included, because I ran the numbers for my own enlightenment, is data for my 6.5-06AI 130g Scirocco-II handload and estimated values for a 6.5-06AI 147g ELD handload.


Using 'Point Blank' again, 50F, 7500', 10mph drift, MPBR zero for 6" target (+3" max rise, 3" max drop)


300 yards
=========================
6.5 Creedmoor
4.58" drop, 3.32" drift, Hornady 147g ELD, .697 B.C. @ 2695fps, 24" barrel

6.5-06AI
1.42" drop, 3.39" drift = Swift Scirocco II, .571 B.C. @ 3161fps, 24" barrel, handload
2.36" drop, 3.04" drift = Hornady 147g ELD, .697 B.C. @ 2980fps, 24" barrel, estimated handload (subtracted 95fps from known 140g load)

6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum
0.05" drop, 2.60" drift = Swift Scirocco II, .571 B.C. @ 3476fps, 26" barrel, factory load
0.49" drop, 2.65" drift = Hornady 147g ELD, .697 B.C., 3300fps, 26" barrel, estimated handload (subtracted 95fps from WBY 140g load)


500 yards
=========================
6.5 Creedmoor
36.21" drop, 9.99" drift, Hornady 147g ELD, .697 B.C. @ 2695fps, 24" barrel

6.5-06AI
23.45" drop, 9.91" drift = Swift Scirocco II, .571 B.C. @ 3161fps, 24" barrel, handload
26.73" drop, 8.65" drift = Hornady 147g ELD, .697 B.C. @ 2980fps, 24" barrel, estimated handload (subtracted 95fps from known 140g load)

6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum
17.02" drop, 8.75" drift = Swift Scirocco II, .571 B.C. @ 3476fps, 26" barrel, factory load
19.14" drop, 7.56" drift = Hornady 147g ELD, .697 B.C., 3300fps, 26" barrel, estimated handload (subtracted 95fps from WBY 140g load)


A couple other comparison points:

A new Weatherby 6.5-300 runs from $1900 up. With the naked action, Timney trigger, action truing, bedding, PTG reamer, a custom fluted/heavy Krieger barrel, gunsmithing work by Krieger, shipping and everything else, my Interarms Mark X 6.5-06AI was about $1710 all in. A Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor can easily be had for under $400.

Weatherby ammo runs $98 a box. There is lots of 6.5 Creedmoor ammo available in the $20-$30 range with some lower and some higher. Norma's 6.5 Creedmoor/130g Scirocco II ammo lists for $40 a box at Midway USA. My 6.5-06AI 130g Scirocco II loads run $28 a box if I buy new brass, $16.40 if reusing brass. (Glad I reload!)


[Edited to add...]

Given the recoil differences, the 6.5-300 would be my last choice for most purposes.

[End edit.]

What is your load for 110's in the Roberts?

Bear in mind that in my Ruger M77 .257 Roberts, bullets couldn't touch the lands with a stick...

WW +P brass
CCI 200 primer
46.5g H4350
3163fps, 22" barrel

Wrong thread, deleted post and pout in correct one.

I don't like trendy. Would rather a 243.

First, I don't hate the creedmoor. I hate fads.

Let's say it isn't a fad and ends up on big box stores shelves everywhere.... Then,
I do think it has a ton going for it as a do all first or last gun. If you have other stuff, it's probably not any better for normal uses. If you are starting someone out or looking at a one gun hunting arsenal, it has perks over a 243 and others. I'm not even looking at long range use, which is still a niche....Realistically. Tacticool only gets you in the door at a show.

It's a shooter's cartridge. Pure & simple. That's the reason to own it- shoot the [bleep] out of the rifle built around it.

Not being facetious - when hunting deer and elk I want to be able to leave my overthinking brain out of the shot as much as possible - so 300 yards and closer is point and shoot. Everything farther than 350 yards is first laser range find then hold with either Z800 reticle on the 300 Weatherby or Z600 reticle with the 7mm RM on the appropriate line. Both rifles are hand load tested to match the trajectories on the reticles in hunting conditions.

I practice to 800+ yards with both rifles but have only shot one pig at 513 and 1 elk at 550 yards so my real world long range is limited compared to some posters here.

This is the "hunting rifle" forum not the - "cool new target craze wanabee sniper - ballistic coefficient is everything" forum or the 6.5 would be king.

The Weatherby 6.5 would make it point and shoot out to 400 yards on big game animals. That is a sexy 6.5 - one that makes longer shots less of an algebra problem and more of a quick hunting solution.

I'm always curious about the mathematical information and find all the ballistic stuff to be quite interesting. But it is an academic endeavor for most folks - I'm hunting to actually shoot and kill tasty animals and am quite attached to elk burgers. So I usually trust actual shooting at distances with the exact load and rifle I'll be using sitting on my fat butt and resting elbows on my knees like I usually do at ranges over 300 yards in the real world - instead of just reading the interesting ballistic BS......unlike a lot of creedmor shooters.

What's not to like is the question. Industry support. Quality lower priced ammo? Performance?

One day they will figure out the Perfect cartridge is a .277-30TC. Wait, or is it .29-30TC ? JB - which is it?

Agree above - in America the 6.5x47 like the 6XC is hamstrung by ridiculous priced ammo, lack of quality more affordable brass, and few factor rifle offerings. If the industry did for those 2 rounds what they are for the CM line it would be a 🐴 🏁

Non-Looneys will just grab a 243, 270, or 308 and kill stuff with run of the mill ammo. Threaded thru vitals.

Meanwhile I will enjoy my 264x47

No flies on an accurate 6.5

It would appear that the 6.5 Creedmoor vs the .260 Remington, is analogous to the .243 vs the 6mm Remington.

That thought occurs to me every time the 6.5 Creedmoor comes up.

I'll stick with my 6.5-06AI for long range work but did buy a used ($295 out the door!) Savage FXP3 in .243 Win with the intent to re-barrel to 6.5 Creedmoor. Thought it would be a good rifle for my girls, who all want to steal my .257 Roberts. Made the mistake of shooting the donor and am now looking for another cheap Savage.

If I find a long-action Savage first, it will be a 6.5-06 instead.

No flies on a Savage in 243. It'll stabilize a 105 AMAX.

Unfortunately, they are even more obsolete than the .30-06.

Hornady has replaced them with the 103g ELD. B.C. .512. Might have to give them a try.

Except that the 243 and 244 were introduced concurrently, with the 244 morphing into the 6mm 7 years later, while the 260 and 6.5 Creedmoor were introduced a decade apart, 1997 and 2007. Both Remington, with the 6mm, and Hornady, with the 6.5 Creedmoor, benefited from being able to assess the reasons for the relative lack of success of the 244 and 260 when they improved and then introduced the newer cartridges.