6.5 CM AR?

I bought a cheap Ruger Predator in 6.5 CM just to see what the hype was all about. After a bit over a year I'm convinced that the round does everything better than 308 at any range for any application. Factory ammo and brass is readily available and quality target loads are no more expensive than target 308 ammo. If you handload you can shoot 6.5 ever so slightly cheaper. Bullets are a dollar or 2 cheaper for 100 and it'll burn slightly less powder. You can still pick up 308 plinking loads cheaper.

As a target round the 6.5 shoots 140-147 gr bullets to about 50 fps slower than 165-168 gr 308 loads. But with about 20-25% less recoil and the much better BC's catch up and pass 308 in speed quickly. From 22-24" barrels the 6.5 is still fast enough for shooting out to a mile while the 308 starts running out of gas at about 800 yards. To about 500 yards they are pretty equal other than the reduced recoil. But while the 308 will match it, it doesn't better 6.5 at anything out to about 500. Beyond that the 6.5 pulls away.

In theory accuracy should be the same, in practice most find the 6.5 to be better.

As a hunting round it shoots the same bullet weights as 270 (6.8mm) about 100-150 fps slower at the muzzle. But within 250 yards the speeds are almost identical and the better SD's of the 6.5's mean better penetration from the same bullet weights. In a nutshell, as a hunting round it will do anything a 270 will do.

All that said, I'm heavily invested in 308 rifles that I like. I'm not going to sell them and buy new 6.5 CM rifles at this point in my life. But if advising younger shooters I'd tell them to choose 6.5 CM over 308 every time.

I've been wanting to build a 6.5CM AR for long range semi-auto fun. I already own and shoot an Accuracy International in 260 Remington (a very close ballistic cousin to the 6.5CM). The performance at distance between the .260 Rem and the .308 Win is worlds apart, and greatly favors the 6.5's.

call northland shooter supply. get a blueprint rem 700 and a remage setup and build it. a shooting buddy has a 6.5x47, 6x47, and a 6 creedmoor that has done with a criterion barrel and they absolutely hammer. very reasonable price

Bixster_inc said:

so much chatter about putting a 6.5 CM in a gas gun defeating or limiting the capabilities of the round has me dragging my feet.

Click to expand...

Ignore the chatter. Anyone telling you the gas gun “defeats the purpose” of a Creed cartridge is speaking from complete inexperience.

I had two gas guns in 6.5 Creedmoor on my squad this weekend at a national PRS match. They didn’t give up anything on the bolt gun shooters in the conditions we shot out to 1100yrds.

More than likely, you’ll be compelled to run a shorter barrel in a gas gun than you would in a stick shift, which is the only way a gas gun will “limit” the capabilities of the 6.5 creed - and even at that, the “limitation” is largely trivial. You’ll give up a couple hundred feet per second in running a 20” barrel and can’t fit 147’s in the mag. Throw a 24-26” barrel on your gas gun and you’ll give up nothing but a quarter minute of inherent precision and a bit of weight.

You won’t likely shoot fast enough, often enough to warrant a gas gun, but it DOES let you stay in position between repeats, rather than breaking position to cycle the bolt.

I don’t know if I’ll ever build another AR-10 in 308win, but I do know I’ll build another 6 creed AR-10, and probably another 6.5.

I love my 6.5CM AR's ... on a good day they can make even me look like I know what I am doing. ( and I certainly don't shoot like this every day... but.. sometimes I can take advantage of the firearms potential )

PSA rifle, with a 22" SS Criterion barrel installed, lapped the upper receiver face flat, Loctite'd 690 the barrel in place. Adj. GB , heavier buffer and recoil spring. I did all the "work".

100yds , 10rds Hornady 140gr Amer. Gunner... ( Flubbed the 10th shot myself... got to giddy ) Rapid'ish fire... no barrel cool down.. fire.. get back on target, fire.. get back on target.... etc .

You've not really said what the purpose of this rifle will be. Is it for hunting, long range/precision work? Will you be shooting in field positions or strictly prone? What distances do you expect to shoot? There's a lot of info missing that is necessary to make a recommendation.

Might I recommend taking a look at SLR Rifleworks for the adjustable gas block? Great company with great people and a great product.

You realize Calif. Requires non lead bullets for Hunting

@bfoosh006 that's some impressive shooting, and with factory ammo no less

"@bfoosh006 that's some impressive shooting, and with factory ammo no less"


Thank You ...I can't take all the credit, as the rifles allow me to achieve groups like this... and like I mentioned sometimes I get my ducks all in a row.

Ultimately... If I can do this... so can anyone else.

My first PSA in 6.5CM also shoots very well.... even straight out of the box. All shots at 100yds benched, scoped, bagged front and rear.

5rds Nosler CC140gr



5rds... Fed. AE 140gr



10rds Atlanta Arms 123gr



Hornady 120gr (?)



I guess my point is.... 6.5CM's can shoot really well considering the firearm platform... all those moving parts can work... even in a $800 PSA PA65. Find the ammo it likes... and you will be happy.

FWIW, my OEM PA65 shot 5 factory rounds sub-MOA that day... and after truing the upper reciever face and "Loctiting" in the barrel, it fired many more Factory ammo's far better.

"Some of the rounds that showed the most improvement are ... ( no specific order.. ) Again group size does not have .264 subtracted from them.

Difference in group size, FGMM 130gr Hybrid OTM..... Before 2.3660" 5rds, .... After .9580".

Difference in group size, .Hornady 140gr ELD Match.... Before 2.2045" 5rds, .... After .9290".

Difference in group size, PRIME 130gr HPBT Match.... Before 1.9165" 5rds, .... After .9620"...

Difference in group size, Federal Fusion 140gr..... Before 2.1445"... After... 1.4355"

Difference in group size, Hornady American Gunner 140gr BTHP.... Before ...1.1950" .... After.... .7520"

Difference in group size...Creedmoor Sports 140gr Nosler BTHP... Before 1.5135"... After... .8770".... "


Give your Large Frame AR some simple to do "help" and you will enjoy it even more.
An Adj. GB will even help.