Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting The 6.5 Creedmoor

It's all about the bullet. The 7-08 has higher-BC bullets available, but it starts them off slower. So in the best case scenarios for both, the 6.5 Creedmoor has an initial velocity advantage, while the 7-08 has the BC advantage. Velocity is a diminishing quantity but BC, like a diamond, is forever (roughly speaking). That is why the 6.5 Creedmoor may have the initial advantage in impact velocity, drop, wind drift, but beyond a certain distance the 7-08 takes over.


That really depends on the load used in each. Using a rifle weight of 7 lbs for all three, Hodgdon data for consistency in load data between the three, and the JBM recoil calculator, .243 recoil ranges from about 7.4 ft-lbs/8.3 fps to 14.5/11.6, the recoil of the 6.5 Creedmoor ranges from about 11.1/10.1 to 17.2/12.6, and finally the 7-08's recoil ranges from about 11.3/10.2 to 19.8/13.5. So you can see that depending on the specific load used in each the 6.5 Creedmoor can be closer to the .243 or the 7-08, but assuming the most ballistically efficient load in each (heaviest, highest-BC bullet) we're looking at the top end of the recoil range for each. Then the .243 would generate 14.5 ft-lbs at 11.6 fps, the 6.5 Creedmoor would produce 17.2 ft-lbs at 12.6 fps, and the 7-08 would have 19.8 ft-lbs at 13.5 fps. So the 6.5 Creedmoor is basically smack-dab in between the .243 and the 7-08, but just slightly closer to the 7-08.



Agreed.