Opinions on the 6.5 Creedmoor..

I Have a savage model 10 FCP -SR it is threaded at the muzzle for a suppressor. I Love it love the round I find it to be the most accurate round I’ve ever shot! I wholeheartedly recommend you get a 6.5 Creedmoor I put 5 shots in one hole with mine at 200
Yards plus it has a big enough following now everybody is making Ammo for it from hunting loads to Match Ammo love mine!
P.S. It has recoil like a 243 but out shoots a 308 at distance!

I Like the CM, I had it in howa 1500 which i recently sold. Not because I didnt like the CM or the rifle, but ive got 3 other cartridges that fill a very similar niche, which are just more interesting.

Im primarily a hunter, so even my fun range guns are generally hunting type rifles, hell even my AR is a "hunting" build.
So were I (when I) to buy another CM, Id probably get the Ruger American Predator. While i like savage rifles, I like the RARs better for the price.

Something else to think about, is if you run across a .260 in a rifle you really like, dont over look it.
The CM is basically just a semi improved 250 savage case, not alot special about it, and nothing magical.
Where it has an advantage is in guns that wont take over a 2.8COAL, which most bolt actions will. It also has a faster twist barrel than the older .260s which carried a slow twist barrel, which gives the CM a major advantage over them in terms of bullets it will handle....I think only remington used the 1-10, but there might be some 1-9s from other manufacturers, cant remember off hand.
Also, from what ive seen out here the CM has a better selection of loaded ammo, tho again what we get is limited to whats hot RIGHT NOW.

I got a 6.5 Creedmoor in September to hunt with. Already had it out in the woods, just no luck on a buck yet. Mine is the Ruger M77 Hawkeye GSR Scout Rifle. The trigger is great, breaks like glass. It comes from Ruger with a green digital camo synthetic stock and has a barrel that is about 2” longer than the .308 GSR Scout Rifle. Recoil is very light and highly manageable. Unlike the .308, it is easy to shoot an extended range session.

I set mine up to shoot Federal 140 grain Fusion ammo. Very plentiful around here. Plus stout enough for hawgs and black bear. I fitted the rifle with a Leatherwood Hi-Lux 2-7x 32mm variable EER Scope mounted forward, and sight picture is fast to acquire. The rifle is capable of three shot clover leafs...shoots better than I can now hold. Very pleased with it. Uses same magazines as the .308. This is a great stalking rifle.

The 6.5 Creedmoor is the bottom rifle, the top is my original .308 GSR.

Its a great round, with excellent ballistics. There are many great rounds out there. I'm going to stick with 308- I have delivered that round at ranges up to a mile (yes, a mile). I have 4 very nice 308's and a plentiful supply of high quality ammo. If that wasn't the case, and I wanted a good rifle in that class to hunt with (low round count) I would probably get a Ruger American in 6.5 CM.

I bought a Ruger Predator in 6.5 and am really liking it. The round perfectly fills the gap between my 223 and 308. I have since sold my 300 magnum and haven't used my 30-06 in years.

As a hunting cartridge it shoots bullet weights similar to 270 (which is 6.8mm) slightly slower. At under 200 yards the 270 has a slight edge on paper, but the more aerodynamic 6.5 bullets take over hitting harder at longer ranges. And with 2/3 the recoil of 270. Only slightly more recoil than 243. There is nothing I'd hunt with a 270 or 308 that I'd not hunt with a 6.5 Creedmoor.

Compared to 308 as a target round you get significantly less recoil. And to be honest for 99% of us that is the only real advantage over 308. You have to shoot a LOOOG way for 6.5 to show an advantage. But the recoil reduction is justification enough for me to have both 308 and 6.5.

With off the shelf factory loads and 22" hunting barrels the best 6.5 loads will retain 1000 fps to over 2000 yards. The best 308 factory loads start running out of gas and drop below 1000 fps at around 1300-1400 yards. You can take a 308 to a mile. But with off the book loads and longer barrels. It still won't make 2000 though.

If someone has a 260 and likes it there isn't much reason to go 6.5 Creedmoor. It was the long range shooters who were using modified 260's that inspired the 6.5 Creedmoor. The 260 is a great round, but in order to get the best performance both the rifles and loads needed minor tweaking in order to shoot the better heavy bullets. With 130 gr or lighter bullets the 260 actually has a slight edge in speed. The Creedmoor gives us off the shelf rifles and ammo at reasonable prices that does exactly what the 260 guys were doing with custom rifles and loads.

If buying new I just can't see 260. The differences are minor, but if nothing else 6.5 ammo is everywhere and cheap now. Saw some in Walmart yesterday. 260 ammo is not at all common.

The creedmoor is a great round... I had a savage 12 lrp that I still kick myself for selling... now have a custom ar10 in the same round...

I got a Savage Long Range Precision. Boy oh boy, it makes me look like I am a marksman. And I ain't a marksman (wrong use of English by design). With very little load development, using the only powder I had on hand that had loading data for the 6.5 (AA2700) I was able to shoot very small groups at long distances. Last time out I got 147 out of 150 at 300 yards using a F-Class approved target. I didn't weigh the bullets, I didn't uniform the primer pockets, I didn't weight out the brass or use precision loading dies. I used the OAL in the manual and didn't attempt to measure out to the lands. Wonder how things would be if I did everything I knew to do. Like I said the rifle makes me look good.

My "6.5" is a .260 Remington because I wanted to stick with a cartridge based on the .308 case. I'd be just as happy with a 6.5 CM. And were I to buy a new rifle in that cartridge, it would probably be this one:

http://bergarausa.com/bergara_b-14_series_hmr_hunting_and_match_rifle.php

I had three last year. A Weatherby Vanguard, a Bergara B-14, and a Ruger American Predator. I kept the Bergara, but to be truthful, the Ruger out shot the other two. I had 4 different loads that shot sub-MOA and on one of my good days it would do 1/2" for 5 shots. The Bergara was pretty picky about ammo, but I finally got it semi-lined out. I was pretty impressed with the quality of the Bergara. I may sell this one and get one of their Woodsman.

I've got a 6.5 RPR for target/steel shooting, and a 6.5 Kimber Montana for hunting. I really like the cartridge, it gives you enough velocity with high BC bullets for excellent longer range performance. Similarly, it delivers high BC/SD bullets with good midrange velocity for reliable on game performance with minimal recoil, even in light rifles (my Montana is ~6lbs ready to shoot, and I can shoot 40-50 RDS per range visit, no problem). It's just a very well balanced cartridge that is set up to fit and feed well from regular short actions to boot.

Were I getting another hunting type 6.5 right now (and I might soon), I'd look look really closely at the Kimber Hunter and the Tikka Superlites (at Whittaker guns). I think kygunco has the Hunters on sale for ~$630, a killer deal for a lightweight CRF rifle with a decent polymer stock and good magazine setup. I've shot my Montana action in a Hunter stock and it shot quite well set up as such.

If you're looking more towards a target oriented rifle, the RPRs, Savage Stealths, and Tikka CTRs (I'd probably go with the 24" version for this type of rifle) are all excellent, accurate options. A fellow at the range let me shoot his 6.5 Bergara HMR the other day, it was very smooth and solid. He had to return his for ejection problems twice, but they finally got it right and he was pretty happy with it. I'm sure that's an anomaly though, and most HMRs are fine right out of the gate.

On the hunting side, I know a couple guys who have used their 6.5's (a Ruger Predator and Howa Alpine) to kill two antelopes and a muley this year thus far. All animals dropped on the spot, the muley was shot facing the hunter at 220 yds with a 140gr Gameking, the penetration was described as "unreal".

A fine and usable cartridge, almost as good as the .260 Rem.

^^

I bought my gf a Kimber Montana in .308 Win last year and she shot a deer with it but I kind of wish I'd got her the 6.5 CM version when I watch her shoot. I can tell that the recoil bothers her a bit. Personally I favor the .308 Win over the 6.5 CM for hunting but for smaller shooters or those that are recoil sensitive the 6.5 CM is a great choice. I recently tested some Buffalo Cartridge Company 6.5 CM 140gr SGK factory hunting loads and the accuracy/precision was very impressive.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...t-load-from-buffalo-cartridge-company.827352/

I've had an AO built 6.5 creed for a few years and love it. 25" sendero + suppressor in an xlr. Great rifle, but big / heavy. Just bought a 20" tikka ctr in 6.5 creed to have an easier handling rifle in the same cartridge. I'm expecting I'll like the tikka, but love the cartridge either way. FWIW, I shoot 308 more though because it has such a long barrel life.

I have a Savage 10 FCP -SR in 6.5 Creed. I went to the store looking for a precision type rifle for long distance shooting (I don't really hunt and have very little interest in hunting). I was looking for something like a .243, 260, 6.5 Creed: any one of them would have been fine with me: 6mm or 6.5 mm.
I was there to look at chassis rifles but I saw the Savage Model 10 FCP-SR on sale for $499 and I thought I would give it a shot (pun intended) since that was about half of what I thought I might spend. I knew Savage made very accurate out of the box rifles and I knew that if I wanted to, I could put this barreled action in a chassis later on. I also knew that if I liked the rifle, there was plenty of after-market support from chassis/stocks, to triggers, to pre-fit barrels, to triggers to bolt heads to bolt knobs.........and I knew that with the Savage, barrel changes were very easy and I could do them at home.

So, I really like the rifle and I like the cartridge. There are plenty of other similar cartridges out there that a close to the same thing. I guess the one thing about the Creedmoor is that it is a hot item right now and there is a lot of discussion of it, lots of loading data, lots of very good bullets for long range/precision shooting, all the best dies are made in 6.5 Creedmoor, there is top of the line brass is readily available for this cartridge (like Lapua that you can get right at Cabelas in 6.5 Creed)...................

So, in summary, I would buy the rifle or the cartridge again. I am completely happy with it.

On the subject of barrels and barrel changes. People seem to get really wrapped up in the fact that barrels wear out. SURPRISE !!!! Barrels wear out. Some faster than others. The 6.5 Creed fits sort of in the middle. It isn't a "barrel burner" but it will shoot out a barrel faster than something like a .308. I personally don't really think this is a big issue for two main reasons. #1 is that most people don't shoot anywhere near as much as they think they do. I bought this rifle in the spring of this year and I shot it a moderate amount and have about 750 rounds through the rifle. So, at this rate, I might need a barrel in four or five years. This isn't the type of rifle typically used to do mag dumps at an old computer monitor from 20 feet away. You are likely to be shooting for accuracy and fire maybe 50 rounds every time you take it out. For me, I typically take it to one of two ranges that go out to 1000 yards or 1200 yards and I am very aware of barrel heat and extreme accuracy is the primary goal so I spend a couple hours to fire 50 rounds. Both ranges are a couple hours away, so I am not doing this three times a week or anything: not to mention the fact that every time I go to one of those ranges I figure it costs me at least $50. So if you spend the money for enough ammo to shoot out the barrel, you probably can afford a new barrel. And if you are buying this rifle to hunt with, the chances are, you will never wear out a barrel. #2 when I do need a barrel, this is probably going to be an upgrade: going from the Savage factory barrel to a top quality after-market barrel. The factory Savage barrel shoots pretty good: I HAVE shot a couple of five shot groups of 3/4" at 200 yards (not consistently but I have done it). However, this barrel copper fouls badly and takes awhile to clean. But, with a new after-market barrel, hopefully I will get a super good shooting barrel that is also very easy to clean. Win/Win

At my range, all the 6.5 Creeds are in the hands of young guys with hipster haircuts.

To act my age, I have to shoot a cartridge from when I was young, the 7mmRemMag.

I got my first Creedmoor around 2012 and have added several since. All have been shooters and I've killed enough deer with one to fill my freezer several times over. The recoil is mild and as I get older I really appreciate that. I can shoot it at the range and never end up with a sore shoulder. I recommend the cartridge highly.

I also have a 260 and they're essentially equal.

Nothing wrong with it - great round. BUT, why? I know, longer neck, yada yada... But people were making extreme hits with AICS and other precision rifles in .260 Rem long before the Creedmores came along, so it's hard to convince me it's an improvement. Same for 6CM vs. .243 Win.

And don't forget about the 6.5x47 Lapua which seems to be the most popular 6.5 choice in the PRS. I load rounds for my gf's 6.5 Lapua as well as my 6.5 CM and I like that the Lapua shoots amazing with readily available Varget and has very low ES numbers.

im starting to build a AR10. I toyed with the idea of going 6.5 as opposed to 308 but the more I read about the creedmoor the less I liked that idea

i already reload 30-06 for a garand so I can used the same bullets-allowing me to buy in bulk.
creedmoor is a barrel burner. I currently plan on buying a 600$ jp barrel.id like to get a more life out of it.
creedmoor isnt worth it untill 800 yards. after 800 yards its unquestionably better. - not likely ill shoot that far.

"Creedmoor is a barrel burner". This is based on ? Agreeably barrels don't last 5000 rounds, but a barrel burner? I think not. Creedmoor are good for 2500 + rounds.

everybody compares it to the 308 and that's great, but what about the 7mm-08? wouldn't that be a better comparison? I've been looking at a "hunting" rifle because my 257AI is stupid heavy. 308 and 6.5 are hot right now, and thus hard to find (I"m looking for a lefty tikka or ruger american) so I have started wondering about alternative cartridges. I like the availability of the 308, the reduced recoil of the 6.5.

F

greyling22 said:

everybody compares it to the 308 and that's great, but what about the 7mm-08? wouldn't that be a better comparison? I've been looking at a "hunting" rifle because my 257AI is stupid heavy. 308 and 6.5 are hot right now, and thus hard to find (I"m looking for a lefty tikka or ruger american) so I have started wondering about alternative cartridges. I like the availability of the 308, the reduced recoil of the 6.5.

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I jumped on the Creedmoor wagon years ago and tested 3 rifles. Took a truck load of whitetails with it. It is a good round but it doesn't do anything extra for the average hunter. I can think of a dozen different rounds that have similar ballistics. The only benefit that I can see is in the long range department, but for me, a shot under 400 yards can be dealt with by just about any modern cartridge in the book from 24-30 caliber. Take your pick.

Friday I shot a mule buck at 625 yards with a 7mmRemMag.
Thursday I shot a whitetail doe at 30 yards with the same rifle.

I build a few 10 pound rifles for myself every year. Most cartridges are good to 400 yards.
The 6.5-06 120gr or 129 gr and 7mmRemMag 140 gr are always good to at least 500 yards.

I think a shooter, with higher skills than me, could get more range with a 10 pound 300 Win Mag and 180 gr.

Here is a mule doe I shot a week ago Sunday at 400 yards with the same rifle. Can you see my homemade bolt knob? African Blackwood.