6.5 creedmoore

[minky]

Any ideas or thoughts about this round for deer hunting?

[PurpleFloyd]

Not sure. It certainly has a lot of buzz around it at the moment but it's hard to say if it will be viable over the long term. Personally I am still feeling the sting of buying a .243 wssm and a .17 fireball so on my last purchase I went with a 30-06. I feel it's much less likely they will stop making ammo for that cartridge.

 

As a single shot there is probably no issue but what plagued the WSSM was that the short,fat brass design and especially with longer bullets were not easy to feed from the clip without binding. 

[minky]

I sure would like to try a 6.5 in the ruger american predator series. Like a lot of people, I read the story about the ruger 6.5 being a 1000 yard combo. The story was cool to read but I am sure many rifles with the right scope and load could be 1000 yard capable. Most of my shots at game are a 100 yards or less. I think the 6.5 would make a good deer or wolf round if we ever get a season again.

[PurpleFloyd]

From what I understand regarding this cartridge is that it is a better target round than a hunting round. Not that it can't be used that way but rather the things that make it do so well punching tight groups in paper may not work as well if you need to deliver a thump to a living creature. I do think the predator hunters are using it. 

[swamptiger]

The 6.5 bullet will be around for a long time or probably forever, because of its popularity in Europe.  I have a custom 6.5 Mauser sporter in 6.5 Swede, and it's a great round for deer or larger game because of the sectional density of the bullet - and also a very accurate long range caliber.

 

So I'm sure the 6.5 Creedmoore would be at least as good a round as the Swede.  What I would do is stock up on ammo and save the brass.  If the ammo ever gets scarce in the future, you could reload the brass.  That's what I did with my .308 Marlin Express, although the ammo is still available from at least a couple of makers after 10 years.

 

 

 

 

 

[Ufatz]

I concur with ST's comments regarding the 6.5mm. Since the early 60's I have carried one around AK, in a Shultz & Larsen w/mannlicher stock; in a custom rebuild from a Swede carbine and another S&L.  I cannot recall how many critters I have taken with a 6.5 but none of them, as I recall, went far or traveled at all after the shot. The S&L rifles of the 60's and 70's were gorgeous and amazingly accurate. I had a 7X6l that a pal,  a better shot, put three holes in a target  you could honestly cover with a dime! Also had a .378 Norma mag I called the Tank Buster because that baby would lay low anything that walks on earth!!

While I am not that familiar with this "new" cartridge I have little doubt it will do what they say. Am out of the big game and rifle world now but fondly recall carrying a 6.5 across the tundra and the forests of AK and only recently sold the little custom and it broke my heart.  But I think it hurt my brother worse! Ha!

 

 

 

[PurpleFloyd]

5 hours ago, swamptiger said:

The 6.5 bullet will be around for a long time or probably forever, because of its popularity in Europe.  I have a custom 6.5 Mauser sporter in 6.5 Swede, and it's a great round for deer or larger game because of the sectional density of the bullet - and also a very accurate long range caliber.

 

So I'm sure the 6.5 Creedmoore would be at least as good a round as the Swede.  What I would do is stock up on ammo and save the brass.  If the ammo ever gets scarce in the future, you could reload the brass.  That's what I did with my .308 Marlin Express, although the ammo is still available from at least a couple of makers after 10 years.

 

 

 

 

 

But that is the rub. I could reload brass for the 243 wssm or 17 FB for as long as my supply of brass runs out but then you need to resort to fire forming from other brass and in that case unless you have nothing but time i's better to just have a caliber where factory loads are easy to find. In terms of practical hunting purposes there is nothing this caliber will do that isn't being done by an existing round just as was the case with the wssm's. The test will be whether it can continue to sell in enough numbers after it's no longer the new kid in town.

Edited July 16, 2017 by PurpleFloyd

[swamptiger]

1 hour ago, PurpleFloyd said:

But that is the rub. I could reload brass for the 243 wssm or 17 FB for as long as my supply of brass runs out but then you need to resort to fire forming from other brass and in that case unless you have nothing but time i's better to just have a caliber where factory loads are easy to find. In terms of practical hunting purposes there is nothing this caliber will do that isn't being done by an existing round just as was the case with the wssm's. The test will be whether it can continue to sell in enough numbers after it's no longer the new kid in town.

 

Norma, Hornady, and Lapua are all making brass for the Creedmoore right now, so if it's a concern, I would just stock up on some extra ammo or brass.  The cartridge is basically a necked-down .30 TC, which was originally formed from .300 Savage brass.

 

 

 

 

 

[PurpleFloyd]

2 hours ago, swamptiger said:

 

Norma, Hornady, and Lapua are all making brass for the Creedmoore right now, so if it's a concern, I would just stock up on some extra ammo or brass.  The cartridge is basically a necked-down .30 TC, which was originally formed from .300 Savage brass.

 

 

 

 

 

Sure. You can stock up on anything and if,as the op eluded to you are only deer hunting with it then obviously a lifetime supply wouldn't be a big deal. Then again in 10 years or so if you are at deer camp and need a box of shells from the local outfitter what are your odds on them having a box sitting on the shelf surrounded by 223,243,270,308,30-06 and maybe some 7mm variants?

 

On the topic- what do you feel would make this a better deer hunting cartridge than ones that are almost guaranteed to be on the shelf?

 

Does it have any measurable advantage over a .270, a 7mm, a 30-06 that would make it worth the risk?

 

My opinion would be for deer hunting it wouldn't.

However, if you want to get into long range paper punching then heck yeah, it looks like a decent gun for that. 

 

I would still like to hear how well they cycle in a short action gun. Hopefully they work well. 

[swamptiger]

If you're shooting up that many shells in deer camp, you probably need to do a little more target practice before you get there..  If it's just because you have a poor memory, and can't remember to bring shells along, there's always a demand for a camp cook...

 

I have a .30-30, a .243, a .300 Savage, a .308, a 6.5 Swede, and a .30-06.  They will all put a deer down.  But for a clean consistent kill, none of the others will do a better job than the Swede,  It's a nice caliber to shoot with little recoil, and very good accuracy.  No speed demon, but excellent penetration due to the sectional density of the bullet, so it can be used for larger game as well.  It would make a great rifle if you ever plan to hunt mulies or antelope out west. (bring ammo along - you probably won't find it at the local convenience store)

 

No idea how the Creedmoore cycles, but if it didn't, I would send it back to Ruger.  

 

As an aside, Tikka chambers some rifles in the 6.5 Swede, and this would be a good choice as well.

 

 

 

 

[PurpleFloyd]

Swede? That's socialist ammo. Egad

[swamptiger]

Competition shooters have recognized that the Swedes had the bullet right over 100 years ago.  The potential of the Swede cartridge was limited by the strength of the action in the Swede rifle.  In a modern rifle, however, the cartridge can be loaded to higher pressures, so it has a lot of potential.

 

 

 

 

[delcecchi]

Just happened to recall something about this so looked it up....

 

http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/socom-is-looking-at-a-new-65mm-round-for-its-sniper-rifle

 

Special Operations Command is exploring a new caliber for its semi-automatic sniper rifle needs and upgrading one of its bolt-action sniper rifle systems.

Maj. Aron Hauquitz told Military Times Tuesday that SOCOM is in the preliminary stages of exploring a sniper rifle chambered in the 6.5 mm caliber. The two commercially available rounds being evaluated are the .260 Remington and the 6.5 mm Creedmoor.

Research shows that both rounds will "stay supersonic longer, have less wind drift and better terminal performance than 7.62 mm ammunition," SOCOM officials said.

Hauquitz said that the research is focused on the popularity and availability of the cartridge, and finding out the benefits and drawbacks of the different rounds. 

[swamptiger]

The .260 Remington is a good round, but it never seemed to get any traction.  Savage was going to chamber some rifles in .260 Remington a few years ago - not sure if it ever happened or not.

 

 

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

I picked up a 6.5 creedmoor in a Kimber Montana last fall for a super lightweight 0-400 yard deer/antelope gun.  It is definitely the hot "new" cartridge in shooting circles due to the really good ballistics and low recoil.  And extreme accuracy.  I doubt the cartridge is going anywhere any time soon.  Virtually all the big manufacturers are building one now.  

[PurpleFloyd]

2 hours ago, swamptiger said:

The .260 Remington is a good round, but it never seemed to get any traction.  Savage was going to chamber some rifles in .260 Remington a few years ago - not sure if it ever happened or not.

 

 

Yes it is a very good round.

[PurpleFloyd]

Well, I'm about to find out how good this is. I picked up a Mossberg Patriot at Mills with a scope chambered I'm 6.5 for $319 tonight.

 

The gun is obviously not high end but feels solid, the trigger is crisp and the bolt is smooth. For this price I just had to but if you see a mushroom cloud in the sky that means my wife found out. 

[leech~~]

1 hour ago, PurpleFloyd said:

Well, I'm about to find out how good this is. I picked up a Mossberg Patriot at Mills with a scope chambered I'm 6.5 for $319 tonight.

 

The gun is obviously not high end but feels solid, the trigger is crisp and the bolt is smooth. For this price I just had to but if you see a mushroom cloud in the sky that means my wife found out.

So are you going to have time to put a few shots through it before opening morning? 

Edited November 3, 2017 by leech~~

[Wanderer]

I had the pleasure of shooting a custom built 6.5 Creedmore a few weeks ago with custom hand loads.  Very impressive is all I can say.  I may look into getting one myself.

It was amazing to be able to hit a 12x12 inch steel target consistently at 800 yards.  The best shot (not by me) was hitting the 4x5 inch target at 800 yards.  It took about 4 seconds from the report of the rifle to hear the clang of a hit.  And the spotter on the scope could see the vapor trail of the bullet and tell the shooter where a miss went.

It was crazy to consider my former longest shot of 500 yards a chip shot, but that’s how well it performed. How the bullet does on deer I can’t personally say but it looked like a killer to me.

PF, enjoy the new toy!  When your wife asks “Who’s gun is this?”, tell her technically it’s half hers. 

[PurpleFloyd]

22 hours ago, leech~~ said:

So are you going to have time to put a few shots through it before opening morning? 

We are in slug country.

The only 6.5 they had was in the display case so I took that one. When I got home, they forgot to take the store trigger lock off.

So this morning was a trip back to the store for them to remove it. Ended up finding a vortex 4*12 scope on sale so that went in the cart. Put it on when I got home and ran the slug gun and new rifle out to the 80 to pop off a few rounds. 

Mills had Winchester sabots on sale so I had picked some up and I wanted to check the accuracy. One trial shot with a standard slug and then followed with the sabot that was also dead on at 50 and nearly touching the regular slug. 

Switched to the rifle and 3 shots got me to the bullseye at 75 then 2 quick shots as the light was disappearing aimed at the sabot hole and both hit the edge of the hole.

 

Close enough for right now.

 

I like the gun. For $319 including a basic scope I think this gun is a good value. 

[swamptiger]

On 11/3/2017 at 7:29 PM, PurpleFloyd said:

I like the gun. For $319 including a basic scope I think this gun is a good value. 

With today's metalworking technology, some of the lower end rifles are very accurate.  I have a .243 in the Ruger American, and it is a very good shooter.  I think you will like the Vortex scope, too.  

 

 

[PurpleFloyd]

Lol. It's turns out that my son decided it was so cool that he now claims it as his. I'm sure he will like the scope too.

[PurpleFloyd]

Slight change on the scope.

If anyone is interested, I found through a group I post in that one retailer has the Bushnell 4.5-18*40 6.5 creedmoor scope on sale until Nov 18 for $99 so I am ordering that and throwing the scope above on my new BAR 30-06. 

The Bushnell has a reticle designed to match the ballistics of the CM. I am sure it's not as great as some of the high dollar scopes but for finding fur around here it should be all we need.

 We have a deer hunting trip scheduled during Thanksgiving to some property we have east of Iron River Wi. Hopefully we find something.