Federal’s Plus Peak 6.5 Creedmoor

[clearwater]

New high pressure steel alloy cases increase velocity 250+ fps. Supposed to be reloadable.

I would be interested for hunting use in 308, 06 etc if the hunt area has shots over a quarter mile.

or maybe a fast twist 25-06 for windy places

 

[Firebird24]

It sounded like you had to buy special reloading dies to be able to re load them. I feel like this is a ploy to keep the 6.5 creed relevant with all the 6.5 prc and similar options available.
Speed doesn’t always equate to accuracy, I guess time will tell

 

[RememberBaker]

It seems like Fed is trying to get a leg up in the very competitive market for 6.5 Creed ammo. Everybody and their brother is making it.
I think the relevance of the cartridge itself is pretty well set.

 

[Fritz Hlzr]

The peak cases being built on current cases is a game changer imo, the CM being able to reach higher velocities than the PRC is all anyone should need to hear. I been kicking around a rebarrel to 25-06ai, that is on hold till I see what other calibers they use the new cases in.

I don't think I've seen such backlash and misinformation on any other product as has been on the peak alloy project and releases. I hope it turns out to be what it was designed for.

 

[3 Meter Para Bellum]

Still wonder about practical reloadability on steel cases. In the end I don't care much though because I actually want to avoid the extra velocity.

 

[TackDriver284]

It's pretty cool that they invented those steel cases to give the extra velocity, but I'll stick with what I'm using which is brass cases. I would not know what is needed to load steel cases, steel cases do not stretch like brass. I have read that there are more issues reloading steel cases. If I wanted the extra velocity, I would go a step up to a faster caliber such as a 6.5 PRC or a 6.5-300 Weatherby.

 

[RL338]

If I wanted the extra velocity, I would go a step up to a faster caliber such as a 6.5 PRC or a 6.5-300 Weatherby.

This makes more sense than 80,000psi next to my nose.

 

[Aussie Wanderer]

I think when they iron out the wrinkles it is massive. A 30/06 at 300 win mag velocities without the recoil is an incredible gain. I thought the peak creedmore was super clever by Federal particularly selling it at the same price as standard ammo. There are so many creedmores out there I reckon most will give it a go just to see. Good on Federal for innovating with existing cartridges that won’t need a new rifle, and provides one more option.

 

[3 Meter Para Bellum]

I think when they iron out the wrinkles it is massive. A 30/06 at 300 win mag velocities without the recoil is an incredible gain.

How does it end up being less recoil? I assumed if you run 30 cal. bullet of a certain weight out of steel case and a brass case at the same velocity, they are going to be generating the same energy? In which case energy out the barrel being the same means energy into your shoulder would be the same. Unless maybe the 300 win mag is wasting some of it's energy, not getting it all to the bullet, and the steel case can be more efficient?

 

[Aussie Wanderer]

Every video I have seen of the creedmore and the 7mm backcountry as said recoil is the equivalent of the “sibling” case. I honestly don’t have an answer or the experience of shooting either, just going off what the articles say. Never made sense to me but sometimes I’m not very bright either

 

[3 Meter Para Bellum]

Yeah, I was reading that on the articles, but I hesitate on whether it makes physical sense. With most new products with strong claims my reaction is the same; the claims could be true, but until somebody really tests it, (somebody is isn't being paid to market the product that is) then I tend to be highly sceptical. I have a hard time believing the recoil claims and don't know anybody who has reloaded these, but I am genuinely curious to see how the technology pans out. It does sound like it has some intriquing implications, but I really want to varify how the marketing holds up to reality.

 

[Bruce Mc]

I'm thinking there isn't enough wiggle room in a model 70 controlled feed for an 80,000 psi load. Maybe a Remington 700 could handle it.

 

[Hunter26]

The 7 Back Country didn't interest me but the 6.5 Creedmoor case with the same alloy is interesting for sure. Handloader had an article on reloading the 7 BC. Federal currently recommends that you only reload their nickel plated peak alloy cases and not the uncoated ones like in their Fusion line. Federal says to only load them three times and the only really different thing with the dies is having a case mouth belling die because it's quite hard to chamfer the steel case. It's pretty much like loading straight wall cases.

Going with the Creedmoor case is quite smart IMO. It's massively popular and being a new cartridge released less than 20 years ago, all the rifles are new modern actions that can handle the pressure. I don't think they're going to put out a 30-06 or similar anytime soon because they don't want some dude throwing an 80k psi load in grandpa's old rifle.

While I'm not going to jump into this peak alloy thing any time soon, it's definitely getting my attention and I don't even own a Creedmoor!

 

[SJB358]

I'm thinking there isn't enough wiggle room in a model 70 controlled feed for an 80,000 psi load. Maybe a Remington 700 could handle it.

I don’t think it’s affecting the action as much as we think. The case is holding the pressure as it grips chamber walls. I can’t see it being unsafe myself.


And less recoil since there is less powder being burned. Just my thoughts.

 

[Aussie Wanderer]

It does make me wonder what a peak allow case in my 300RUM would be like

 

[Slimfinn]

I wasn't too interested, but I have now looked at it a little. The best thing they did was use it in an existing cartridge like the others have said, don't need a new gun, just buy a box of ammo and see for yourself. The data on the 155gr fusion tipped looked interesting. I have a creed that I've bought as a donor and never fired, may be interesting to see what it would do. Now it is just wait several months before you can actually buy a box of ammo

 

[3 Meter Para Bellum]

I don’t think it’s affecting the action as much as we think. The case is holding the pressure as it grips chamber walls. I can’t see it being unsafe myself.


And less recoil since there is less powder being burned. Just my thoughts.

The locking lugs and chamber walls are doing most of the job of containing the pressure. The cartridge itself is holding pressure only in a small gap between the bolt face (more accurately the case head) and the chamber walls. This is why Sig didn't bother making a fully steel cartridge for their hybrid ammo, they just made the case head and enough of the bottom of the catridge walls steel. This is also why head space is so important to safety, because if you give a cartridge just a little more area that it has to support pressure, it will blow out and you end up with things like seperated case heads. Now I'm not sure how much pressure different actions will take, but there is deffinitely a reason that higher power catridges are often compensated with actions having an increased number of locking lugs, such as you see in some of the Weatherby actions. Those locking lugs are have to work hard to keep things from blowing up in your face.

I guess if they were getting more velocity with less powder, they would have to be using a faster powder, which perhaps creates a more efficient result and less recoil. If that were the case, it does make me wonder where the extra recoil is occuring with the higher powder charge. If the extra powder is pushing a bullet faster, but is producing more recoil, what is it pushing against I wonder? Just the air after the bullet leaves the barrel perhaps? I guess if you can only go so high pressure with brass, then perhaps a more powerful, but also wasteful, high pwder charge might be how the 6.5 PRC for example gets it's extra velocity without blowing out a traditional brass cartridge. Cartridge science is still a bit confusing to me overall, and I'm no expert, so I am mostly just exploring the concepts to try and understand how it actually works. I still don't quite grasp how it might be even possible to put the same weight projectile downrange at the same speed, but by using different pressures, which I think must be what is going on here. Unless it is litterally on account of the difference in case size and the space the gasses have to fill. You know the longer I type this, the more confused I get trying to piece the ideas together. I think I need to do some catridge science research, ha ha!