Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 6.5 Creedmoor?

And the 260 Rem for the last 20 years We have one of each and really like them both........

It's my favorite cartridge ☺

If I wasn't into loading my own ammunition however I would opt for the 6.5 creedmoor due to availability of factory ammo


Trystan

With 48.0 gr of IMR 4831 I'm getting a solid 2800 fps with 140 gr SSTs from my 6.5x55. The same load gives the 129 gr SSTs and 130 ELD-M a speed of 2870, all from a 21" barrel, all three bullets are right at or just under 1 MOA, plenty good for the wife's lope and deer gun. IMR 7828 gave a little more speed but accuracy was 2 MOA at best.

I've put a 6.5 CM on layaway not because I want to approach the Swede's performance but because my oldest daughter doesn't like me shooting the 260 Rem I built for her. So rather than adding another 260 to the arsenal I figured I'd go for something different.

I shoot 120 Barnes in mine. I have killed a few pigs. It knocked the fire out of the pigs. My granddaughter has killed several deer with the Creedmoor. It did a good job on them.

I bought one when Whitakers had there Howa's for less than $300. I loaded up some 120 Sierra Matchkings, and shot some of the smallest groups I've ever shot with a rifle, let alone a cheap one. I've tried some other bullets thru it, but it absolutely loves those Matchkings and W760 powder. I'm tempted to try them on a deer.

It's a modern 6.5x55. Hope that covers the OP's question.

FYI, Hornady Precision Hunter 6.5 Creedmoor 143gr ELD-X listed at 26 bucks a box at Buds Gun Shop with free FEDEX shipping on orders $199+.

That's $1.30 a round with free shipping on premium hunting ammo with a ballistic coefficient of .625 and a sectional density of .293. Pretty damn good imo.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog...unter%206.5%20Creedmoor%20143gr%20ELD-X/

...........................I'd have to agree that the 6.5 Creedmoor craze going on right now is to a large degree justified. And I don't even own one. Very good retained downrange bullet velocities and energy, good SDs and low recoil are its appeal. And no doubting too, it would make an excellent round for younger shooters as well.

But with that said and if buying a 6.5, I would first consider the 6.5/284 before the Creedmoor..............

ya I have loaded and shot the 6.5 creedmore shoots just like a 7mm-08,308 and many more small cartridges around that size and yes on paper it shoots well too. but for me at my age 64 and bad shoulders I want a lot more horse and speed so I use a custom ruger #1 In a 257 weatherby mag. out of my ohler cono. with a 100 swift a-frame bullet,27 inch bonx barrel I shoot 4,000 fps and my groups are small too with my nite force scope. but the one thing different is I knock animals down with the speed I shoot . a 6.5 caliber bullet is .264 a 25 caliber bullet is .257 so there is very little difference in size and are also the 2 calibers that are the close`s in size also. so with a small amount more in kick and over a 1,000 fps faster always give me the corvette not a chevette I have been down that road with a poor blood trail with little guns,not no more for me: I like when someone ask me which way the deer went and I say down. 6.5 creedmore is just another new craze in the gun world.

............................The 257 was reported to have been Roy's favorite. Understandable.......Not trying to burst your bubble or take anything away from your post, but are you sure about that 4000 fps with a 100 gr Swift?.......The best speeds from the Nosler site and from the Hodgdon site with 26" barrels are from the mid 3500s to mid to upper 3600s. Sierra shows 3500 w/100 grain 26"barrel. Lyman 49th edition shows 3659......

Maybe with a 75 gr you got 4000 fps?

257W vs. 6.5 Creed.... let's not even talk about wind drift, impact velocity, precision, etc.

................What? The Creed is better?? LOL....Just kiddin...

Or we can do how you schooled me and showed me the light less than a year ago.

257 with a 100 grain A Frame a 4000 fps MV (One amazing load even though Nosler's fastest load is 3600 fps) @ 1000 yards

Bullet Drop=-238" (22.7 MOA)
Wind w/10 mph full value= 56.7" (5.4 MOA)
Retained Velocity=1220 FPS (shaved off nearly as much velocity as what the little 6.5 creedmoor started out with 2780 fps lost velocity.
Retained energy=330 ft/lbs

6.5 Creedmoor with 143 eldx starting at 2850 fps @ 1000 yards (the load I used all fall that has tipped over 16 animals thus far....its going so SLOW )
Bullet drop= -293" (-28 MOA)
Wind w/10 mph full value=34.2" (3.3 MOA)
Retained Velocity= 1524 fps (lost 1325 fps or basically still going 300 fps FASTER than the 257 100 a frame did even though it started out 1150 fps faster)
Retained Energy=737 ft/lbs of energy......(yes that is right it has double the energy.

So that 257 wby shooting that 100 grainer to an amazing 4000 fps is yielding you 300 fps less velocity, less than have the energy, more than 60% more wind drift.

I will concede the 100 grainer from the 257 wby is dropping 20% less though so you'll have to twist your elevation turret a little bit more shooting the 6.5.

All while giving your bad shoulders 50% more recoil than the 6.5 creedmoor assuming both rifles weighed the same.



Of course Form as usual was much more diplomatic than I in pointing all this out.

.....................Careful.....U just turned pete53s 257 Wby Chevy Corvette into a Cheeevette @ 1000 yards.....LOL

yes I used a ohler conograph and my velocity was 4000 fps ,no its not in the reloading books. but remember I was shooting a ruger # 1 that is the strongest factory action made in the world and can handle a lot more powder. my 257 weatherby mag loads were tested by a reloading manufacture too by a ballistic expert sammi on it was 60,000 psi. and again yes it goes 4,000 fps that ammo manufacturer was impressed with my handloads too ,but I am not a beginner reloader and I have had a hunting partner for 20 years who was a ballistic expert on ammo and guns for 40 years, and friends who are machinists who build some of the best 1000yd bench rifles in the world that do win national titles too. go ahead and be negative but I know what happens when I hit animals with this weatherby 257 > I have also seen how animals run away that are shot with a little cartridges to die, my 257 has dropped whitetail bucks out to a measured 700 yards. >oh by the way when your hunting live animals that are moving you don`t have time to twist your turret up for elevation , I use reticles in my niteforce scopes not reticle sometimes its Kentucky quick windage if you want the shot. I might get a little more pain in the shoulder but my drags are much shorter and I don`t have to look for animals much when I pull the trigger on a big buck either that`s shot with my 257 weatherby mag in my #1 ruger. go back to your reloading books somehow you guys missed the part about 10 % more powder may be used in a ruger number 1 ,that`s 5-7 grains of powder more in this #1 action only and in order for me to burn that much more powder I needed a 27 inch barrel too and its with 100 gr.swift a-frame bullet, I used reloader powder its faster.

LOL!

Well you keep beating up them bad shoulders with that miracle ruger #1 man. It's obviously working for ya even if the little 6.5 is actually hitting harder than that 100 grainer out of your 27" barrel past 500 yards. I found if I would jump out of the truck to stalk some, the animals don't always run. Then I have found since I started doing that I have more time to twist turrets. Who knew right?

Pete, don't let these guys run you down.

When I was a kid, I remember getting some new tennis shoes that made me run twice as fast. Nobody believed me, but I knew what was up.

You had some of those too? I thought I had the only pair.

...............................Very interesting.....I don't doubt your post or the capability of the #1 strong action...... However, and at least in the reloading manuals that I have, there are no extra notes or references which state that Ruger #1s can be loaded an extra 10% above the published maximum loadings.

Appreciate it if you would pass along which reloading manuals state that Ruger #1s can be loaded an extra 10%.....................Thanks