6.5 Creedmoor

S

ShadeTree

Handloader
Mar 6, 2017
3,518
3,025
I don't own one and I'm sure it's a great little cartridge so I'm certainly in no way, shape, or form, denigrating it, but for a while now I've been watching the Creedmoor craze and for the life of me can't figure something out.


Why the Creedmoor mania and almost no mention of a 260 Remington? I don't own that either, and they are basically ballistic twins, but in almost any bullet weight and type you look at, the 260 Rem has slightly higher velocities listed. And as far as brass availability what is more available then 308 based cases? You can't hardly go into a gun store and close your eyes and point without pointing at a box of 243 or 7-08 ammo. Brass for those 2 are everywhere which would be simple to use for 260 Remington if needed.

Is there something I'm missing?
 
The 6.5 Creedmoor's advantage over the .260REM lies in the ability of the Hornady people to actually effectively market the things it makes.

Remington has a long history of their boffins creating excellent products, only to have the marketing people and corporate brass botch them into obscurity (see .280REM, 8mm Remington Magnum, 6mm Remington).

The 6.5 might have some minor technical advantage over the .260 when it comes to long range shooting with heavy for caliber bullets and it wasn't cursed from the beginning with a too slow twist rate...but the real difference is in timing to market and a sales force that works for a living.
 
ShadeTree, hodgeman, I agree with you both!

I must be marketing:

Put a 6.5Cr in a lineup of 6.5x55, 260 Rem and the 6.5x284;
Which one would U pick for a target rifle?

Put the 6.5Cr next to a 270 Win;
Which one would U pick for a hunting rifle?

Me, I would not pick the 6.5Cr in either situation!
 
Hodgeman, your explanation makes a series of logical and easy to understand points. Sounds correct to me.

On the surface I just couldn't see why everybody and their brother seems like, have jumped on the Creedmoor bandwagon and there sits the 260 Rem hardly ever mentioned. All the while just as good or better than the Creedmoor on paper, and with a readily available supply of brass. You cleared it up, thanks.
 
While I don't think the 6.5CM is a magic cartridge...it's pretty close. I was determined to hate it, until I bought one. Absolutely the easiest rifle I've ever owned to shoot well, with factory or hand loads and in my area- the ammo is among the easiest to source.

I liked my first one enough- I just bought my second one. It's not really "better" than either the .260, the 6.5x55, or others...but it's certainly no worse, and it's an easy bargain to boot!
 
Marketing and availability of factory rifles. The Creedmoor works better in detachable magazines with the longer bullets and came out in the Ruger precision rifle. Arguably the first and only affordable rifle designed for long range shooting. It had a lot of features often only found on much more expensive rifles. Timed with availability of cheap range finders and ever more afordable glass with repeatable adjustment.

It’s a perfect storm of advancements and marketing.

Not to mention it’s a well designed cartridge with a very useful performance set.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The shoulder is a bit further back on the CM vs the 260, so longer bullets can still be loaded without encroaching on the powder space, and still fit in the short action.
If a person is not going to load the longer, heavier 6.5 bullets and stick to a max of a 140 gr hunting bullet, than the 260 will work just fine, and with a slightly larger case capacity, get just a little more velocity.

While it is not getting the press that the CM is getting, the 260 is actually seeing an increase in popularity again. But it is not seeing the same number of rifles being chambered in it, nor the option for lefties.

I own, and have owned, rifles in 6.5x55, 260, 6.5CM and 6.5x284, and I like them all.
I am currently down to the 6.5x55 and 6.5CM, but only because both are left handed rifles.
(the 260 was right handed and sold to pay for my 9.3x62 and I just could not get excited about the left handed Savage, and would like to replace the 6.5x284 with a LH Cooper or a Nosler, someday)
Do I need both; No, but what does need have to do with it? LOL
I could live happily with just the 6.5x55, but I got the CM first.

Am currently considering a LH 6.5 PRC (would rebarrel a LH X-Bolt from 270WSM to do so) for the step up in velocity. (and the 264 Win Mag did not grab my attention as there are no lh rifles chambered in it.

As for marketing, the CM is hot now, but it was a little slow taking off at first. It has definitely not been an overnight success.
 
6.5 Creedmoor has been around for what, about ten years now?

It's not really the "ballistics" that are the advantage - so many 6.5's produce approximately the same velocity with the same bullets. It's the case design which cleared up some issues when high-volume target shooters were trying to use the 260 Rem. And of course the twist rate of factory barrels.

Good cartridge, it's taken the competition shooting world by storm, eclipsing the other 6.5's, particularly in both PRS & NRA High Power competition.

That hunters have noticed it too, is just icing on the cake for Hornady.

I went with the 6 Creedmoor, and am glad to have one of those "Creedmoor" rifles in the safe. It's a good cartridge. I've been loading and shooting the 6mm Remington for 40+ years, another good cartridge. For it's intended purpose, I believe the 6 Creedmoor is better. For a hunting rifle? Either, or the 243 Win, will do.

Worth remembering that the Creedmoor is just an evolution - it was created by and for target shooters who had already gone down the 260 Rem & 243 Win route - and found some faults with those cartridges. The Creedmoor solved some of those problems and has been a big success for Hornady as well.

Sweet little cartridges, and worthwhile. If you already have a 260, should you run out and replace it with a 6.5 Creedmoor? Probably not, particularly if you're using it for hunting. What one will do afield, so will the other.

Regards, Guy
 
On the Starline Brass website, there is a link to an excellent article about the 6.5 Creedmoor.

History of it. Why it was developed. Load data. Uses for the cartridge.

Really quite good.

Link: https://www.starlinebrass.com/

Guy
 
Guy Miner":2glnbdql said:
On the Starline Brass website, there is a link to an excellent article about the 6.5 Creedmoor.

History of it. Why it was developed. Load data. Uses for the cartridge.

Really quite good.

Link: https://www.starlinebrass.com/

Guy
Click to expand...

I’ve read that too, and I’ve had good luck with their Creedmoor brass.
 
The Creedmoor is a great cartridge. Remington handicapped the 260 from the get go. You couldn’t get the Varmint model in it and it had a 1 in 10 or 9.5 twist barrel and ammo was very hard to find. If you didn’t want a CoreLokt Bullet you were sol. The Creedmoor came out ready to go with target or match ammo and 1 in 8 twist barrels. Hornady did the homework before they ever started production. I like them. I own 4 of them. All in 6.5.
 
Here’s a ladder I shot today with 123AMAX and Re16, Starline brass, .5gr steps with MagnetoSpeed attached:

9bd5debde770281579e78edb2cfaab84.jpg


Very easy cartridge to load develop.
 
Actually I have 1 that has been very hard to find “the “ load for. It shoots everything really well. I did a 3 shot group ladder test and wound up with one 3/4 inch hole for 18 rounds. Each 3 shot group was loaded in.3 grn increments and shot at 100 yards. By the way that was my first Creedmoor and it was my first try at chambering and threading a barrel. First 5 shot group was a wallowed out hole. Easiest rifle I’ve ever loaded for.
 
I've mainly been shooting and hunting with the 6.5 mm cartridges since 2008. The 260 Remington was a great round. I had tremendous success with it. Unfortunately mine had a 1 in 10" twist. It shot great with 120 grain BT. 130 accubonds were ok in it, anything heavier than that was useless. Then I had the great old 6.5 Swede that had a 1 in 9" twist. Shot 130 accubonds in it, and 140 hornady interlocks in it. Both performed very good. Any of the longer 140 and heavier didnt do so hot. Then I've had four 6.5 CM rifles. All four were sub moa out of the gate with factory loads. Some sub 1/2" with several factory loads from 120-147 grain bullets. Many many many groups from all four creedmoor's rifles in the .1"-.3" range with handloads. It's just nice loading the long heavy bullets close to the lands while still feeding through the magazine. The 260, 6.5 Swede, and 6.5 CM are all great cartridges and not a lick of difference between them as hunting cartridges and on game performance. The high quality factory loads for the CM kinda puts in the lead I would think. But I love all three of those cartridges lol

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 
OLEJOE":186pbxxb said:
Actually I have 1 that has been very hard to find “the “ load for. It shoots everything really well. I did a 3 shot group ladder test and wound up with one 3/4 inch hole for 18 rounds. Each 3 shot group was loaded in.3 grn increments and shot at 100 yards. By the way that was my first Creedmoor and it was my first try at chambering and threading a barrel. First 5 shot group was a wallowed out hole. Easiest rifle I’ve ever loaded for.
Click to expand...

Hang on to that rifle! It's a shooter, for sure.
 
DrMike":3vn2ni2y said:
OLEJOE":3vn2ni2y said:
Actually I have 1 that has been very hard to find “the “ load for. It shoots everything really well. I did a 3 shot group ladder test and wound up with one 3/4 inch hole for 18 rounds. Each 3 shot group was loaded in.3 grn increments and shot at 100 yards. By the way that was my first Creedmoor and it was my first try at chambering and threading a barrel. First 5 shot group was a wallowed out hole. Easiest rifle I’ve ever loaded for.
Click to expand...

Hang on to that rifle! It's a shooter, for sure.
Click to expand...
I’ll probably have to. It’s a 783 Remington in a Boyd’s Pro Hunter stock. Cheapest rifle I own.
 
Guy Miner":kkyvfxqp said:
6.5 Creedmoor has been around for what, about ten years now?

It's not really the "ballistics" that are the advantage - so many 6.5's produce approximately the same velocity with the same bullets. It's the case design which cleared up some issues when high-volume target shooters were trying to use the 260 Rem. And of course the twist rate of factory barrels.

Good cartridge, it's taken the competition shooting world by storm, eclipsing the other 6.5's, particularly in both PRS & NRA High Power competition.

That hunters have noticed it too, is just icing on the cake for Hornady.

I went with the 6 Creedmoor, and am glad to have one of those "Creedmoor" rifles in the safe. It's a good cartridge. I've been loading and shooting the 6mm Remington for 40+ years, another good cartridge. For it's intended purpose, I believe the 6 Creedmoor is better. For a hunting rifle? Either, or the 243 Win, will do.

Worth remembering that the Creedmoor is just an evolution - it was created by and for target shooters who had already gone down the 260 Rem & 243 Win route - and found some faults with those cartridges. The Creedmoor solved some of those problems and has been a big success for Hornady as well.

Sweet little cartridges, and worthwhile. If you already have a 260, should you run out and replace it with a 6.5 Creedmoor? Probably not, particularly if you're using it for hunting. What one will do afield, so will the other.

Regards, Guy
Click to expand...

Guy pretty much nailed it- from what I read :) ... we all look for the little things that will make an improvement. Ive replaced perfectly good scopes, added anpther grain of powder, and given up on decent rifles only because I couldn't/ wouldn't admit to operator error :) . Im the guy who makes the marketing guys successful!! :lol: .

On the other hand...Also this:-"The 6.5 Creedmoor's advantage over the .260REM lies in the ability of the Hornady people to actually effectively market the things it makes."

"Remington has a long history of their boffins creating excellent products, only to have the marketing people and corporate brass botch them into obscurity (see .280REM, 8mm Remington Magnum, 6mm Remington)."

You aren't missing anything... you just didn't hear the "siren song". Money saved.... CL
 
Agreed. Guy nailed it. I own a 6.5 Creedmoor and love it. Accurate and very pleasant to shoot. It’s my first venture down the 6.5 trail but have always wanted a 260 Remington since it’s inception. I think the 260 is a fine cartridge and likely bore all the growing pains for the Creedmoor and is partly responsible for the Creedmoors genius design. I chose the Creedmoor over the 260 more as a “vote” in favor of smart case design rather than a need as I’m a hunter and not a formal target shooter. Seems like it’s a trend with the 6.5 PRC and 300 PRC. If only a 7mm with a well thought out design like the Creedmoor in a short or long action designed specifically to handle the 180’s. Hoping for a necked down and bumped slightly back 300 PRC in a 1:8 twist.
 
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