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

As JOC once said quoting an Indian guide “any gun good shootem good”

This one is around MOA with factory ammo, would probably go sub MOA with good hand loads. I haven't reloaded for it, other than swapping 140 gr. Winchester target bullets for 130 gr. NAB's, which curiously shot to the same POI as the 140 gr. and 147 gr. ELD-M's, 140 gr. Win target and those Win cases, same powder, with 130 gr. NAB's. The barrel looks great thru the Hawkeye, looks like a custom grade barrel.

The trigger is easy to adjust with a metric Allen wrench. This rifle is well designed and well built.

I'm impressed and I don't impress easily.

DF

That ole injun might have been onto something....

DF

WOW, a great deal.

I'm not gonna tell my good bud that I can get one cheaper at Europtic than he paid for his.

He looked at retail, as did I. At least he didn't have to fill out a yellow sheet.

DF

Evidently quite a few folks missed this bit of news, summarized in Wikiperidia:

"In October 2017, U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) tested the performance of 7.62×51mm NATO (M118LR long-range 7.62×51mm NATO load), .260 Remington, and 6.5mm Creedmoor cartridges out of SR-25, M110A1, and Mk 20 Sniper Support Rifle (SSR) rifles. SOCOM determined 6.5 Creedmoor performed the best, doubling hit-probability at 1,000 m (1,094 yd), increasing effective range by nearly-half, reducing wind drift by a third, with less recoil than 7.62×51mm NATO rounds. Tests showed the .260 Remington and 6.5mm Creedmoor cartridges were similarly accurate and reliable, and the external ballistic behavior was also very-similar. The prevailing attitude is there was more room with the 6.5mm Creedmoor to develop projectiles and loads.[32][33] Because the two cartridges (7.62×51mm NATO and 6.5 mm Creedmoor) have similar dimensions, the same magazines can be used, and a rifle can be converted with just a barrel change. This led to its adoption and fielding by special operations snipers to replace the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge in their semi-automatic sniper rifles, planned in early 2019. In response to SOCOM's adoption, Department of Homeland Security also decided to adopt the round."

13 years and still irrelevant.

What is the magazine length in the SA M18?

EDIT: Looks like the 6.5 Creedmoor comes in their “medium” action, which is compatible with Rem 700 LA scope bases, so I’m assuming there is plenty of mag length. Is that correct?

Off the top of my head, I have personally seen "critters up to and including elk" size in various parts of the world taken neatly with the .257 Roberts, .25-06, .257 Weatherby Magnum, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x55, 264 Winchester Magnum, .270 Winchester, .270 WSM, .270 Weatherby Magnum, 7mm-08 Remington, 7x57 Mauser, .280 Remington, 7mm Remington Magnum, 7mm Weatherby Magnum, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .300 WSM, .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 Weatherby Magnum, ..338 Federal, .338 Winchester Magnum, .358 Winchester, 9.3x62 Mauser, .375 H&H and .375 Ruger. Have also known hunters who've killed a number of elk with the .22-250, .220 Swift and .243 Winchester--and by choice, not just because it happened to be what they had in their hands. As a result I would suspect anything that might fit in the cracks of that array just might work as well.

I have a Tikka T3 lite in 6.5X55 It shoots 1/2" groups all day with H4831SC and 143ELDx bullets and Norma brass. It chronos at 2855FPS.I ordered a Tikka T3x Lite in 6.5 CM when Whittakers had a special run with 24" barrels.It also shoots groups around 1/2" to 3/4" at 100 yards using H4350,143 ELDx`s Hornady brass and chrono`d 2700 FPS.Since both rifles are Tikkas ,they both have long actions ,so the CM has no advantage there.I still like it as being an old fart it does not beat the snot out of me.Since then I have had a 6MM CM built and I like it better then the 6.5CM and 6.5X55.It is a Rem Sa blueprinted with a 26" Brux barrel,1/4" lug and pillar bedded into a McMillan Gamehunter stock.With 105 grain Bergers ,H4350,Starline brass it easily shoots in the 2s.I did not get a chance to chrono it yet,but am super impressed.I also bought one of the Howa 6MM CM barreled actions from Brownells and put it in a Weatherby Vanguard synthetic stock and it also shows great promise.So in conclusion I wonder if the 6MM CM will not surpass its parent cartridge?

Yep, plenty of mag room.

DF

Huntz, if you look at PRS caliber usage, it appears to me that the 6mms have already overtaken the 6.5s. So for competition, I think so. For hunting and the casual competitor, the 6.5s still make sense. The 7mm08 used to be the hot chambering in the high power silhouette game until David Tubb started using a 6mm. How he took down rams at 500 meters, I don't know. They must not have been set as heavy as the ones I shot at.

yes the 6.5x284 does in the FTR open class in Minnesota, and most FTR shooters in Minnesota shoot that Open FTR class,that Minnesota Open FTR class allows all cartridges as long as that rifle has no muzzle brake,so yes the 6.5x284 was allowed, I qualified Master with the 6.5x284 at the NRA Minnesota state FTR shoot in the State FTR Open Division,in Elk River,Mn..

F Open? Or some kind of FTR Open?

Yeah.....I think he's a little confused.

Haven't tried a Mauser M-18 in 6.5 Creedmoor, but have had one in 7mm Remington Magnum for a couple years. Aside from the easily adjustable (and very good trigger) it shoots very well with a wide variety of bullets and powders--and started doing so right out of the box.

I could see a club rules FTR weight, bipod etc but more cartridges allowed match.

Huntz you popped any WT Deer yet with your 6CM? Sounds like you have a winner. 8 twist?

I agree above, as good as the 6's are....for hunting big game, I think the 6.5 will always be more popular, but time will tell for deer and hogs, both being very capable. I have always preferred the larger 6.5 over 6 if only for bore life, but do like the slightly flatter trajectory you can get with lighter 6 bullets with good BC. To me it's perhaps a great balance of performance and bore life in a 6mm that will feed easily without magazine mods.

Re: JB's stats on various rounds on Elk, no doubt, many tools will work when used properly. As always, good bullets thru vitals = success.

Yes, a say Tikka could run a similar long actioned round at a trade off of higher recoil like the 270, 7RM, etc. The extra range time with the lower recoiling 6.5 should help folks gain confidence and marksmanship skills. If I wanted to take Elk routinely at long ranges, I might opt for a say 7RM, but most of my shots are well within CM range.

I’ve been a 6.5 fan for years, owning several 260s and Swedes. I really never gave much thought about buying a 6.5 CM until about a month ago when I wandered into the local Sportsman’s Whorehouse with a pocket full of dough and looking for reloading components.

I walked out with a Christensen Arms Mesa in 6.5 CM and brass; interestingly I found RCBS dies for it at, of all places, Walmart. Using cheap Federal factory ammo and reloads, the first 15 break in rounds produced groups ranging from .4 to .9 MOA with 120 grainers. The 6.5 CM is now a permanent member of my 6.5mm family.

As an aside and testament to my affinity for the 6.5, this past weekend I picked up a NIB Winchester Classic Featherweight in 6.5x55.

There's an ex-poster on here who has contempt for it similar to yours. Coincidentally, he's a Custer aficionado too...