Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Blast from the past--6.5 Creedmoor thread from 2011

.260 forever,
Creedmoor never.

Same to you.

I've had 5 of them, four Model 700's, and a Howa. EVERY one of them, right out of the box, loaded with any 6.5 bullet and powder combination, has shot well enough for me to me to be happy with the results. I cannot say that about any other cartridge I've used. Maybe my expectations aren't as high as somebodies else's is, but for what I do, the 6.5 Creedmoor works.

Good grief! You mean I have been in the Dark Ages without a 6.5 Creedmoor for the past 13 years? What ever will I do....

Probably a good cartridge, but I don't need another boring cartridge/gun combo in the inventory.

$560 Tikkas.....*sniff*😢

6.5 CM is like a junk drawer...There’s bound to be one in every house.

😬😎

Nice summary, John. Thanks for putting that together.

Good bud picked up an NRA Mauser-18 in 6.5 CM at a good price from an acquaintance. I tweaked the trigger with a metric Allen wrench. I had some factory ammo, used the Winchester 140 target stuff to sight it in. I noticed that ammo seemed a bit hot, some resistance with bolt opening, etc. So, I pulled those 140's, seated 130 gr. NAB's and that's what he's used to kill three deer and a coon. He's a good shot, that bullet blew up the hearts on all three deer, blasted the coon pretty badly. And, Creed like, all three loads (4 including the 130 NAB's) shot into the same POI and grouped pretty tight.

Needless to say, he loves the gun and the round. I also gave him some 140 gr. and 147 gr. ELD-M factory ammo, but he's so into the 130 gr. NAB's, hasn't shot the ELD-M's.

Now, after all that, he asked me yesterday if that gun came in a .270. I said it did. Now, why would a man who has had a very successful season with the Creed, be thinking about a .270....??



DF

........ except fit into a short action and then with lots of room to seat out bullets. Finding brass and ammo is a factor as well.

Your question is funny DF. I have a buddy that is just the opposite. He's been shooting the 270 all of his life. Says its the greatest cartridge of all time. Last year I let him shoot one of my creedmoors and he was hooked. He ended up buying a 6.5 and now he's talking about selling his 270. His 270 shoots damn well too. I told him to keep his 270, maybe its just a passing fad that he likes the 6.5 so much.

There is much irrational thought on both sides of the Creedmoor discussion.

I have yet to understand why some people get emotionally attached to specific cartridges, either pro or con, and can never look at them impartially, for what they are rather than what they want them to be.

I like the 260, but have owned a dozen or so 6.5 CMs since 2014. I wrote at one point that I'd believe that the 6.5 CM was here to stay once I saw ammo being sold by Walmart. A few short months ago my local Walmart had 6.5 CM ammo from FED/REM/WIN on their shelf, so I'm well convinced that it is here to stay even if it doesn't do anything for the average hunter that a host of other cartridges won't do equally as well. That said, it doesn't hurt that factory ammo is cheap, accurate, and widely distributed, plus all of those entry-level economy grade rifles that are cheap, accurate, and widely distributed.

It’s the modern “270 vs 30-06”.

Which still hasn’t been settled because everyone knows the (insert cartridge HERE) is much better.

Yeah, I was somewhat amused, too

Some background on this guy. He's forever hunted with a .270 Sendero and loves it. He had an old shot out Ruger 77 7RM rebarreled with a Shilen .270 Wby SS tube. That gun's a hammer. So, he's basically a .270 guy. Now, I don't see him buying a Mauser-18 .270, was just curious about him asking that question.

I'm thinking it's more of an academic inquiry than a serious ask. There isn't much he's doing that the Creed won't do or hasn't done.

BTW, that Mauser 18 is an impressive rifle, a notch or two above the T/C Compass, RAR, etc. It costs a bit more than the cheap guns, but is a bargain for what it does cost. I think he picked up this one for $500 or so from a guy who won it at an NRA event. He asked me about buying it and I said he couldn't go wrong at that price. He's now a believer.

DF

John,thanks for posting about the 6.5 Creedmoor ! it sure gets positive and a few negative replies. one of my custom benchrest rifles i had built that i spent a lot of money on, i had a choice around 10-15 years ago to chamber either a 6.5x284 or a 6.5 Creedmoor,i went the wrong way with a 6.5x284 yes the rifle shot excellent 2`s and 3`s but as i got older the recoil laying down shooting FTR class by the end of the day the recoil was painful and no longer fun to shoot this cartridge anymore. so now this great bench rifle is chambered in a 6.5 Creedmoor and to be honest the ballistics are not that much different but my shoulder feels better after a day shooting now. so ya i drank the Koolaid too ! but if i deer hunt hand me my 257 Weatherby Mag., i like the way i smack big bucks with this cartridge better.

FTR and 6.5x284 does not compute.

Pictures of the Mauser 18. I'm not too keen on that big ole NRA sticker, but it doesn't bother him. So, it's OK with me.

DF

Still can't find any H4350 to reload my 30-06 with.............Must confess that I have a 6.5CM and like it.

"Purely looking at the Creed as to it's design and performance, it has few flies...but if it had the 308 based case to source brass, and the same options ie. Lapua brass and ammo options by other mfg. as the 260 does, then it would make those concerned w/the future viability of the round's supply of ammo/brass become moot and the OP would not be asking the question IMO. 65BR"

I was right.........the design, performance have been proven and the brass / ammo options that have flourished since. So much so that sourcing stamped brass is surely far easier now than most other 6.5 rounds in the USA.

No doubt the 284 and PRC case give a nice boost to 6.5 speeds at a cost of bore life, blast, increased cost of components and ammo.

It's surprising the 6.5 - 06 was never adopted widely in the USA. One must give credit to Hornady for getting quality CM ammo out with many bullet options at a reasonable cost vs other cartridges.

I can say, I started with the Swede, 6.5-308, then 260.....then a CM and 47. All have shot well when properly loaded. Good 260 ammo starts with good brass, once you have that and stuff with proper powder, you have great performance. The CM just gets one there quickly and without any hassles.

For the Swede lovers, and I have always admired them and owned several, it's always been a great round since the 1890's - but never had the industry support in the USA for ammo options loaded to it's potential. For handloaders its a top choice and a performer. Whether you get any real incrememental benefit is debatable....and yes I know the CM is a tad slower when both loaded to their potential.

DF - the M18 is an interesting looking rifle, look forward to hearing more how they shoot. The 130 AB has always been my go to for field use in 6.5s, accurate and deadly near and far for me.

Powder is scarce, glad I got some big jugs back when I could.

Don't claim you like the CM, lest you get branded....



DF

Branded? My haircut is high and tight, no man bun here.