6.5 creedmore vs. 260

salmonchaser

Ammo Smith
Dec 13, 2013
5,067
5,274
I'm going to buy one or the other, deer hunting, song dogs etc. and as a high volume shooter for training out to 500 yards.
Why one or the other in a rifle set up for hunting?


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I have owned both, and really liked both. The creedmoor is very easy to touch the lands and still fit in the magazine, the 260 wasn't. To fit in my magazine the 260 had a considerable jump. If reloading I figure they are about as similar as two cartridges can be. If buying factory match ammo the creedmoor wins hands down. Both rifles I had were very accurate, but my creedmoor has consistently been tighter. I have only taken 3 deer with the creedmoor, but took 20 with the 260. I could not tell any difference on game. I guess I'm on the creedmoor bandwagon right now, but I'd buy another 260 in a heartbeat if I found one.


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I have both a .260 and a 6.5 Creedmoor. They are ballistic twins. Either will serve you well. I tend to give the nod to the Creedmoor on the basis of "cool" factor, at this moment.
 
I seem to recall an issue with twist rate with early 260 Remington.
Any thoughts on the subject for either cartridge.?


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A lot of the 260's did come with a 1:9 twist instead of the preferred 1:8. I honestly think my Abolt 260 might of had a 1:10 twist, but not 100% sure. It would shoot 120 and 130 grain bullets great. Some 140's it would but some of them would not. To my knowledge all the factory 6.5 creedmoors come with 1:8 twist.


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I think more depends on the rifle than the cartridge. Seems like the CM fits better with the SA Rem but if you are using just about any other action they end up being pretty equal. Those little 6.5's do shoot pretty danged well. I've got a 6.5 Swede on a M70 Featherweight and it's very impressive with 140 Accubonds. All three of them are really sweet cartridges.
 
I have owned the 6.5 x 55, and the 6.5 x 284, and own the 260 and 6.5 Creedmoor. I have taken game with the 6.5 x 55 and the 6.5 Creedmoor (mulies, whitetails, stone sheep, moose and elk) with 140 gr PT's and the 143 gr ELD-X.

My favourite cartridge so far is the 6.5 Swede, but I have more experience shooting this cartridge than any other, save for the 22LR. The rifle, was a Model 700 Classic, which I would still own if it had been left handed. I have a Sako 85 LH Hunter ordered to fill this gap!

The 6.5 x 284 shot well, and would have accounted for a nice Mulie buck, if I had done my job well enough at 360 yards. But that was my fault, and not the rifle (Savage) or the ammo's (Nosler Custom 140 gr AB). As I tell my wife, life is too short to own an ugly gun, so this one has been let go and will be replaced with either. Nobler or Cooper rifle at some point.

The 260 is in the Sako Model 85 VLS, and was bought for bench work and hopefully silhouette some day. Shoots the Federal Premium 140 gr SGK at 1/2 MOA.

My new 6.5 Creedmoor is the Browning X-Bolt LH All Weather that has been rebarrelled and shoots .7" groups with the 143 gr ELD-X ammunition. It will group all of Hornady's hunting loads into a 3" group at 400 yards, and is a nice rifle to hunt with. I am really liking this rifle!

In the end, you may find that it may not be the cartridge that you ultimately decide on, but the rifle that you choose, that is available in one of these cartridges. I do not think that you can go wrong with either!
 
SJB358":iu43upiv said:
I think more depends on the rifle than the cartridge. Seems like the CM fits better with the SA Rem but if you are using just about any other action they end up being pretty equal. Those little 6.5's do shoot pretty danged well. I've got a 6.5 Swede on a M70 Featherweight and it's very impressive with 140 Accubonds. All three of them are really sweet cartridges.


Ditto on Scotty's comments. If your mag box is limited to 2.8" I'd go with the Creed. If it's 3" the 260 will give you a little more. A 1 in 8 twist let's me shoot any bullet out of my Creed.

Scott
 
Thanks for the insight. I had Yvette read up on the Creedmoor, Nosler reloading guide 8, she wonders why she would use anything else.


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Well, as Ron White said, "I have the right to remain silent but not the ability" :lol:

If you don't mind just a little work and some new dies, consider the 260 AI. You can run 140s in the 2920-2960 range, right where a nice node lives. That extra 100-150 fps may come in handy figuring drops if you're going to reach out with it.
Gives you all the precision of the Creed and 260 with just a little more juice.
Just a thought and easy to load for.
H4831 or the SC version, somewhere 48 to 48.6 gr and you're good to go.
 
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