Ive got the itch for a new gun,,Tell me your thoughts on a 6.5 Creedmore for accuracy

If I was to buy a new rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor, this would be it: http://bergarausa.com/bergara_b-14_series_hmr_hunting_and_match_rifle.php

I'm hoping they will eventually offer it in 6mm Creedmoor.

in 50 years of shooting I have played with lots of rifles. everything from national match m1as', steyr 300m target rifles to 540 rem 22s and c sharps arms bpcrs.(never could afford to keep any of them).
.....I have only had three that out shot my $411 ruger American preditor in 6mm creedmore. AND THEY REQUIRED EXTENSIVE LOAD TESTING TO DO THAT. not off the shelf hornady ammo.
...I think the beauty in the creedmore line of cartridges is the correct throat and rifling pitch right out of factory. production economy rifles set up for the bullets you will use. no need to search for that magic load. fwiw bob

Jim Watson said:

Me? If I wanted to shoot 500 yards, it would be with a 6mm something or other.

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Kinda why my next project will be chambered in 6 Dasher

I ordered a Bartlein barrel in 6.5 CM for my AI AW about 18 months ago to see what all the fuss was about. Sure, it's a tack driver with just about everything, no doubt about it, but I just can't get excited about hunting with a 6.5 CM despite all the heroic tales of downed elk at a 1/2 mile. There's no margin for error with a small caliber, low energy bullet and all the stars have to align and that's not the world I live in. Hornady makes great factory ammunition for sure, as do others, but I wonder if Hornady is right re the G1 BC of the 143gr ELD-X which is listed at 0.625. Berger can't match that with their 140gr VLD Hunting or Elite Hunter offerings with G1 BCs of 0.600 and 0.606 respectively. Berger is kind of the leader when it comes to making high BC bullets so I have to wonder about that 143gr ELD-X.

I have used plenty of the ELD Match.

I plugged in my muzzle velocity from my chronograph, and the BC as per the factory number into my ballistics app. Then made a first round hit at 1200 yards.

Their stated BC is accurate enough for me.

I use the 140gr ELD and A-MAX and have no complaints ... just curious about the BC for the 143gr ELD-X and am curious as to why Berger can't match it.

If I didn't have a .308 I'd buy a 6.5 Cm.

my thoughts are that shot placement trumps energy or projectile diameter
if one cartridge is a lot easier to practice with, i'd expect that to translate to better shot placement
if one cartridge is a lot easier to shoot, i'd expect that to translate to better shot placement

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Are larger calibers, heavier bullets, more energy on target and more felt recoil mutually exclusive with shot placement? In the real world of hunting is shot placement a given?

HamSlamma said:

Looking for something that's VERY accurate at around 500 yards that has more punch than my 22-250.

Thanks for your help............

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MCMXI said:

I ordered a Bartlein barrel in 6.5 CM for my AI AW about 18 months ago to see what all the fuss was about. Sure, it's a tack driver with just about everything, no doubt about it, but I just can't get excited about hunting with a 6.5 CM despite all the heroic tales of downed elk at a 1/2 mile. There's no margin for error with a small caliber, low energy bullet and all the stars have to align and that's not the world I live in. Hornady makes great factory ammunition for sure, as do others, but I wonder if Hornady is right re the G1 BC of the 143gr ELD-X which is listed at 0.625. Berger can't match that with their 140gr VLD Hunting or Elite Hunter offerings with G1 BCs of 0.600 and 0.606 respectively. Berger is kind of the leader when it comes to making high BC bullets so I have to wonder about that 143gr ELD-X.

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I don't think the OP is asking about shooting elk at a half mile, he just seems to be interested in a round that he can shoot accurately with a bit more power than a .22-250 at 500yds... what's the connection?

I haven't shot the 143s out past 400 yds, but I haven't heard a while lot of complaints about inflated Hornady BCs since they started advertising their ELD lines with doppler developed BCs. Hornady publishes banded BCs for their ELDms and ELDxs on their websites. The 140gr ELDm, 147gr ELDm, 142gr SMK and 150gr SMK also have higher stated BCs than any Berger offering, why is the 143gr ELDx particularly suspicious?

MCMXI said:

Are larger calibers, heavier bullets, more energy on target and more felt recoil mutually exclusive with shot placement? In the real world of hunting is shot placement a given?

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I fully believe that you shoot hundreds of rounds of .375 H&H in prep for hunting season each year, but not one of the people I know that shoots a relatively heavy recoiling, expensive to feed Magnum shoots it anywhere near that much. To be fair I know plenty of people that don't practice adequately with their standard calibers, but I see vastly more .223 - .30-06 burned up in practice at the range than anything above that. And that's not surprising at all, most people prefer less recoil to more, and less shooting cost to more. Given that most people are going to have better shot placement, especially under field conditions, with rifles that they practice with the most, I would fully expect that most people, in practice are going to shoot lighter recoiling rifles better and more consistently while hunting. There are of course exceptions, but I don't think they make the rule.

taliv said:

I'm going a step farther. shooting PRS matches next season with 6BR. 150 fps slower, but a lot more stable from what i hear, and way less funky brass

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That’s been my only hang up. Supposedly Norma has come out with a second iteration of 6 Dasher brass that was better than the first. I’m waiting to hear back from the gunsmith on this concern.

Have you looked at the 6 BRA?

If your 22-250 is not doing well at 500, it may need a new barrel/throat/chamber ... There is absolutely no reason a 22-250 will not equal anything mentioned here at 500 ...

This little deer is a believer. Quartering away, about 6" behind the shoulder. 140 amax went off in him like a little raufoss destroying his lungs and ripping his heart. I wouldn't take it elk hunting though, at least not with that bullet.

Is that the 24" barreled 6.5 CM CTR? I wish those had been around when I got my .308 CTR, how does it shoot?

20". I wanted a somewhat precision rifle that my kids could use. Everything else I have is too heavy for anything other than prone.

It seems to do good so far. I've put less than 100 rds through it and nearly half that was my son just ringing a steel plate. Shot two 1 hole 3 shot groups at 42.6 gr H4350 doing load development. I have 5 each loaded at .015 to .030 off the rifling to test seating, but haven't shot them yet. My magneto chrony is broke and needs to be sent in for repair, so I don't have any velocities. It seems really slow though just judging by come-up to 200 from 100 yd zero. But to be fair, I'm comparing it to a 25" rock creek.

MtnCreek said:

If you haven't purchased yet, might want to take a look at tikka as well. I bought a ctr 6.5cm recently and really like it so far for an all-around rifle. Ergonomics are great for carrying and suitable for informal target shooting. Barrel is heavy enough, but not too heavy. My 12y/o can shoot it well offhanded and killed a deer with it the other day. The action is about 200% smoother than another 6.5cm built on a R700 action. IMHO, you get a lot for the money.

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Thanks. Yes, my local gun shop is big on Tikka!

BrocLuno said:

If your 22-250 is not doing well at 500, it may need a new barrel/throat/chamber ... There is absolutely no reason a 22-250 will not equal anything mentioned here at 500 ...

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I have a 22-250 and a 260. When it's windy there is no comparison. I don't even hotrod the 260. The 22-250 it loaded to 3995 with a 53 vmax. 260 is a 100 amax at 2900.

I'm in agreement with the people who say 6.5. It's great on deer, low recoil, and bullets cost less if you reload.

My goodness MtCrk.

You're so ugly, yore face burned a hole in the film.

My condolences!!!!!

Besides, in my county, that deer isn't even legal.
Greetings from Troup Co.

GooseGestapo said:

My goodness MtCrk.

You're so ugly, yore face burned a hole in the film.

My condolences!!!!!

Besides, in my county, that deer isn't even legal.
Greetings from Troup Co.

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That's my 12 y/o son, but he does kinda look like me.

I knew he was going to draw blood that morning. He hunting Thanksgiving morning and Friday morning and watched several deer, but didn't shoot any. I gave him a hard time and suggested I could go kill one for him if he wanted me to. :-D

Given that most people are going to have better shot placement, especially under field conditions, with rifles that they practice with the most, I would fully expect that most people, in practice are going to shoot lighter recoiling rifles better and more consistently while hunting. There are of course exceptions, but I don't think they make the rule.

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We all have our own ideas which for some of us are constantly evolving but I prefer to start at the other end of the problem by picking the best bullet/velocity/energy for the job and working backwards to the rifle and then practice accordingly. Picking the easiest rifle to shoot and then using it regardless of its suitability for a given application seems backwards to me. I'm not claiming that cartridges such as the 6.5 Creedmoor aren't suitable for hunting but they're not the panacea that some seem to think they are with claims of kills on elk out to 1/2 mile (880 yards) or more. I made the point in another thread that at 500 yards a 260gr AccuBond from my .375 H&H has virtually the same drop as a 143gr ELD-X shot from a 6.5 Creedmoor with only 4" more drift in a 10 mph crosswind and almost 900 ft-lb more energy on target. Since I've already shot and killed a mule deer at 460 yards using my .375 H&H and have shot steel targets out to 600 yards with it I know that this goes beyond the realm of theory. Does the .375 H&H require more practice to shoot well than a 6.5 CM hunting rifle ... absolutely, but does that mean that we no longer need .270 Win, .308 Win, .30-06 Sprg, .300 Win Mag or .375 H&H Mag for hunting. Based on some of the rhetoric I've read you'd think that before long rifle manufacturers will only be offering 6.5 Creedmoors and not much else.

MCMXI said:

...does that mean that we no longer need .270 Win, .308 Win, .30-06 Sprg, .300 Win Mag or .375 H&H Mag for hunting.

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I don't think that's the case at all. What I do think is that what .243, .270, and .308 bring to the table is far less appealing for those who have discovered 6.5s in a middling caliber. Hey I balked at .17s as fast pea shooters till I took a hard look at both data and real world hunting results and knew I'd never buy another .22 mag.

In my start-over scenario I'd figure on .22 Short, .17 HMR, .223, 6.5, .300 WM and I suppose if dangerous game were on the table then .416 to cover all bases. To me adding 4-wheel drive to a station wagon and getting an SUV. More useful if you will.