Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 6.5 Creedmor vs. Sweedish Mauser

Seems to still be lots of buzz about the Creedmor in 6.5!

When the major ammo producers(Hornady,Federal etc.) team up with gun writers and gun manufactures to introduce a "revolutionary cartridge", we see lots of hype to simply generate revenue!

The 6.5 x 55 Sweed broke the ground and then faded over the years only because the media needed to start a new revenue stream!

When you split the hairs, you see that there is really nothing new under the sun!

Unless there is something I have overlooked, the phenom was in front of us all the time!


Thoughts!

Yep. Creedmoor is a old new thing. Made for target shooting, but kills bigger than it is.

The only thing that makes the Creedmoor better is that for the first time manufacturers have taken into consideration mag length and barrel twist and properly matched both to the cartridge. You might say it slightly different as they developed a cartridge that would allow modern high BC bullets to be used within mag confines and actually twisted the barrels to support those bullets. It's not that the cartridge itself is that much superior.

This, plus the fact that they produce excellent factory ammo to go hand in hand with everything you said. To me, that's the biggest appeal. The general non-handloading public has access to ammo that appeals to their wants.

There is no magic to the Creedmoor. It just has tons of support and a bunch of momentum on its side.

And I have a couple....

Given the lesser case capacity I have found it very surprising on how much of what works well in terms of bullets under 130 Grains in the 6.5 creedmoor also performs superbly well in the 6.5 Grendel AR & Bolt action options. Mini Grendel actions are newer offering in recent times that deserve a serious look IMHO.

Am I mistaken that factory ammo is more expensive now than it was a year ago? Maybe I just happened to look every time a sale was going on but a year ago it seemed there was lots of good factory ammo under $20,like $17 and $18 every time I looked. Now it's $25 to $35 every time I look.

lots of factory ammo, priced under $20.
lots of different new rifles chambered, several around or under $400 (on up to $1500)
consistent chamber dimensions
accurate factory ammo loaded.

people are going to like it.

The readily available variety of great Factory ammo was a big selling point for me. I'm getting too lazy to reload in my old age. Add with that a very mild shooting cartridge with a flat trajectory, very high BC bullets, that will kill game ranging from deer to Elk with no trouble.
And, a cartridge that seems to be very accurate in all the various rifle platforms that are available.

And, every one I know personally, that bought one, whether it be in a Tikka, Remington, Savage, Kimber or my el cheapo Ruger American Predator or a high end custom, has had great out of the box accuracy with Factory Ammo. I'll admit that it took me quite a while to jump on the 6.5 CM "bandwagon", but I'm definitely a believer now. And I'll be adding a couple of more rifles in 6.5 CM to my hunting battery in the very near future.

Agreed. Plentiful supply of relatively low-cost, high-quality brass and ammunition. Rifles from every major and many (most?) of the minors. Plus (and I don't claim this is real, but still...), the Creedmoor uses a 0.264" groove diameter, whereas the Swede uses a 0.265" groove, and thus is at least theoretically (assuming they're made to spec rather than to what's convenient to their tooling or suppliers) susceptible to reduced speed and precision compared to the Creedmoor, because the .264" bullets don't fit the Swede's barrel properly. ;-)

6.5 CM is practical.

6.5 Swede is cool.

And you'll get more sex with a cooler round.

Maybe from Rosie Palm.

LA vs SA thing. If you hand load the 6.5x55 SE on the LA will give you another 100 FPS and greater with lighter bullets than 140 grain. You will see no real difference in killing power in the field between Swede, Creedmoor or 260 Rem. The Swede has been known to achieve great accuracy with the right loads and twist rate. The Swede is definitely a handloaders cartridge all factory ammo is anemic due to old Mauser military action use.

When I shot competitively, it seemed that whatever the winner was shooting or using was the thing to buy. It didn’t matter if it was the cartridge or even the spotting scope.

Since then (30+yr’s) I’ve been attracted to old cartridges, old rifles, old shotguns, and old revolvers. The only center fire semi-auto pistol for me is the original 1911.

My favorite shotgun was made around 1940. My favorite rifles are early Remington 700’s, tho I have a great fondness for 1903 Springfield’s and Mauser.

My favorite cartridges for rifles 30-06, 7mm x 57mm, 280, 375 H&H, 270, and I find the 44 Special to be one great revolver cartridge.

There’s all kinds of reasons to buy the newest stuff. But to the most part,I’m not so very much interested.. (Well except I did buy a 17 Hornet CZ.)

Now if they would have named the cartridge a 26-300 Savage.

Unless you be rebarreling

U can't get no husky creed!

Sometimes you have to show those women who’s the boss.

My son has a RAR Predator 6.5 CM and shoot Hornady Precision Hunter 143 eld-x's. I have a Sako A7 6.5 CM and shoot 142 ablr's over R17. Both are 3/4 moa or less shooters and both accounted for bucks this year. His at 385 yds and mine at about 90. Love 6.5 and will get another soon but waiting to see about PRC from 2018 SHOT.
Mac

I'm a Tikka nut and when I picked up a 6.5X55 Swede I did so for a number of reasons.

1. Lapua Brass for the Swede is $80 ish bucks for 100 and at the time I don't believe you could even get lapua brass for the creedmoor. Now lapua brass is available for the creedmoor for around $120 for 100 pieces. I saved about $80 for the 200 pieces I bought vs the creedmoor.

2. The Tikka is a long action so why not utilize a little extra.

3. I can rebarrel to 6.5/06 when I wear out my barrel because the rifle is a long action with a 3.40 length mag

4.The 6.5X55 Swede has a longer neck at .313 vs .285 for the creedmoor that theoretically should enhance barrel life and give a slight advantage with seating long bullets and not losing case capacity.

5. I handload so the Swede goes from a handicap to an advantage

6. The Swede has a 100 year track record while the Creedmoor is just learning to crawl




Trystan

I had a 6.5X55 Swedish Mauser that was restocked, and sporterized........killed a few deer with it, but on it's best day it was a 1 1/2 inch shooter at a 100 yards, which in reality, is plenty good for deer. I had 2 Howa's in 6.5X55, one was so crappy a shooter that Howa replaced it with another one. The last one shot about like the Mauser did, good enough to kill deer with, but no tack driver.

I have a Howa in 6.5 Creedmoor, one of the most accurate rifles I've ever owned. It will never be used for anything but deer hunting, and the occasional 400 yard steel. Come to think of it, for my purposes, the Swede would probably have been just as good.