Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 6.5 Creedmor or 308 Win.?

Is the 6.5 Creedmoor a tad more accurate than the venerable 308 Win?

It sure seems like most 6.5 Creedmoors are extremely easy to shoot accurate groups.

Am I wrong? The 6.5 Creedmoor just seems like so eager to please in regards to accuracy.

Is this a vote? I pick creedmoor.

Q#1, no. Q#2, yes.

With the questions answered as asked. The cartridge doesn't determine the accuracy. With that said, the 6.5C was designed to be as potentially accurate as cartridge design goes.

I have both, I would pick the 6.5 CM over the 308, 6.5 shoots better and a lot less recoil.

It depends on the gun, the barrel, the load, etc. Less recoil makes a rifle easier to fire. Following the specs Hornady created for the chamber, it is a very forgiving round with a good match between ammunition and rifles, but there are no guarantees.

308

308

So this is a subforum about HUNTING rifles, not necessarily target rifles. I don't think there's a practical difference nor consistent accuracy advantage of one cartridge over the other unless perhaps you are sticking with only factory ammo. In that case, there is probably more consistency between 6.5 Creedmoor chambers, rifle to rifle, meaning it is easier to make factory ammo with lower tolerances that fits more of the rifles. Once you're into handloads, though, and can tailor ammo to a specific rifle, any advantage one way or another vanishes.

For hunting, I think the choice is simple. I have a "bit" of experience with both. If you stop at deer sized game, Creedmoor. If you also hunt elk, .308. My primary load for my .308 uses the 165 grain accubond but it also shoots 180 grain partitions very very well. That is not to say I wouldn't use either of them for either job, or a .243 for that matter, but in the evaluation of shades of gray regarding your question, those are my preferences.

The Creedmoor was designed as a target cartridge. The 308 was a shortened design of the 30-06 that was done to use less powder and allow the carrying of more rounds in combat. In general the cartridge/chamber tolerances are tighter on the Creedmoor so it has the potential to be more accurate out of the box. That can all be mitigated with precision chambering/load assembly.

I have used both quite a bit and both are very easy to get to group well, easier than most cartridges. That being said, I prefer the 6.5 Creedmoor because with it I can push a high BC bullet at reasonable velocities. If I load similar weight bullets out of a .308, they have a much lower BC. If I want to push a .308 bullet that has the same BC as a given .6.5 bullet at the same velocity that I can launch them from the 6.5 Creedmoor, it takes much larger than a .308 case to do it. Recoil is noticeably less with the 6.5 Creedmoor so it is easier to shoot well. I have not seen that one kills better than the other, but the 6.5 Creedmoor is easier to shoot well.

John

Accuracy aside, what is the purpose of said choice? Both are capable of excellent accuracy, certainly minute of deer out to a long way. I have both and continue to take the 308 for my deer hunting needs. I have a long and successful history with that rifle and it gets the nod - but that really has nothing to do with the accuracy. In fact, my 6.5 Creed is a bit more accurate.

In the last 10-15 years I have seen a few truck loads of critters killed with the 6.5 CM and the .308 both are accurate, and with a good bullet well placed shot kill well, with comparable rifles I think the 6.5 CM has the edge for all around use.YMMV ----Rio7

Hondo says it very well. If sectional density correlates to penetration, then the Creedmoor shoots bullets with great sectional density at velocities that shoot flatter. These higher velocity bullets have a higher BC...so maintain velocity further (bullet expands more reliably at distance) and drift less in the wind. At close ranges it's more about bullet construction than caliber but a high sectional density can help with penetration.

I keep wanting to add another rifle to pair with my 260 AI (mostly for deer). No reason, just like rifles. I've been looking at a 308 (I'm done with high recoil rifles). Then I start looking at 308 velocities with 165g bullets, the extra recoil, the less than stellar BC, etc. and realize the 308 case is fairly optimized at 26 caliber so what does the 308 do my 260 can't? Honestly, nothing <smile>. I'm still considering getting a 20" barreled 308 with a decently heavy barrel so not too light. In fact I was looking at a Bergara B14 this past week that felt great when pointing it. Hmmm...

What aren’t you doing loading the 308 verses what you don’t have to with this new cartridge?

Exactly. These guys that don't get it, never will. I've had far more good shooting 6.5's than I have 308's. It's in their design to shoot exceedingly well, and yes, you will even see the difference in a common hunting rifle.

The .308 has been proven over and over a stellar cartridge along with the .30-06 and yes neither were designed as a target cartridge, but.... they became one. "The 'potential' to be more accurate out of the box", it is or it isn't. If it is so good why would the word potential be in the equation? I shot one out of a supposed set up rifle..... wasn't impressed. Hornady tries hard to stay in the game. Sometimes they win some times they loose. "In general" about tighter tolerances, either it does or it doesn't, no in between. What's so painful about loading the .308 ? LOL With improved bullets, powder and dies, it really isn't that hard to meet or exceed the 6.5 Creedmore design. A bedded rifle in the hands of a good rifleman, loaded with consistent neck tension/OAL, right bullet/powder charge combination, doesn't sound that painful at all. I just don't buy into all the hype about this cartridge.

A bullet diameter can't make this cartridge alone. Where does that leave the 6.5 Swede ? Right there with the Creedmore. The Swede has considerable more case capacity and less pressure. How about that !

I'd put $ on the 6.5 over 308 for accuracy plus it has less recoil. I am not ashamed to say my accuracy, and fun, goes up as the recoil goes down.

New tooling helps the 6.5 CM, but more importantly, the 308 Win is hobbled with the SAAMI chamber with its HUGE lead. The 308 Win SAAMI chamber was standardized with a 180 RN bullet (1950's thinking), giving a ridiculous jump to the land for spitzer bullets. With equally cut chambers, barrels, and componants, I'd give the edge to the 308 Win. 30's are just easy componant-wise. The bigger the bore, the more forgiving.

It's not just the jump. The SAAMI minimum dimension for the diameter of the freebore section is well over bullet diameter, unlike the half thousandth specified for the Creedmoor.