The 6.5 Creedmoor: From the Square Range to the Deer Woods

Estimated reading time: 18 minutes

In the world of successful centerfire rifle cartridges, it seems as if a round needs to have a decades-long resume in service to hunters and sportsmen or a nod from military circles in order to keep any staying power. Many of the hunting rounds we have are decades old, and it can be difficult for new rounds to make inroads despite the advances in our understanding of how to get the most out of our rifles. The big innovations happen in the field of target shooting, but a jump into hunting or martial service is needed to achieve wider acceptance. The mild-kicking and flat-shooting 6.5 Creedmoor is one of those newer rounds that beat the odds to become a prolific contender for hunters, target shooters, and even in specialized military applications, and, in some cases, displacing those older rounds.

Once the round for specialized target rifles, manufacturers have come to the rescue to produce hunting and tactical rifles whose features vary according to needs and budget. The same is true for the ammunition. The Creedmoor was developed by Hornady, but most major manufacturers now offer loadings for it along with all the needed components for reloaders. If you are curious about the 6.5 Creedmoor, there has never been a better time to learn more and take the plunge. Follow along as we dive into the history, ballistics, and applications of the 6.5 Creedmoor.

The Creedmoor 6.5 In Context

The 6.5 CM is part of a rich history of ballistic one-upmanship. Once the French developed the 8×50 Lebel round in 1886, the rest of the world faced a round that was double the effective range of existing black powder rounds and gave off no smoke. It began a deadly game of keeping up with the Jones’ as the Europeans sought small-bore smokeless powder rounds of their own. The Germans, Austrians, and Brits favored .30 caliber or 8mm cartridges. But it was realized that even smaller caliber rounds could be made that had a flatter trajectory and less thump on the shoulder. The Americans tried a 6.5mm or .26 caliber cartridge in their Lee straight-pull rifles, but the Italians, Romanians, Greeks, and Swedes went all in on 6.5mm.

On the whole, .30 caliber rounds predominated, and even former adherents to the 6.5 went with .30 caliber cartridges during or after the Second World War because they were perceived to have more power. The standardization of ammunition with the rise of NATO and the Warsaw Pact did the rest. The sole bright spot was the 6.5×55 Swede adopted with the M1896 Mauser. It enjoyed particular staying power in the hunting world and target shooting up to the Olympic level.

The 6.5 Creedmoor is the natural successor of the 6.5 Swede. It was developed in 2007 by a team headed by Hornady’s Chief Ballistician, Dave Emary, for Creedmoor Sports, a precision shooting outfit in Aniston, Alabama. The 6.5 Creedmoor is often said to be a flatter-shooting answer to the popular .308 Winchester cartridge in long-range shooting. In fact, it emerged as an answer to the problems of existing 6mm target cartridges like the 6 XC, which had to be loaded hot to achieve good performance. This led to excessive wear on the cases and the rifles, including shortened barrel life.

Existing 6.5mm projectiles are long for their caliber, as in, they have a high ballistic coefficient that promotes low drag and low-velocity loss, which translates to less holdover. Emary seized on the new .30 Thompson Center cartridge case as the case volume was wide enough to efficiently hold the slow-burning 4350 series of powders like IMR 4350 and H4350, which are normally used in magnum rifle rounds. The .30 TC case, when necked down to 6.5mm, also had a generous throat for those longer bullets, while the entire case was short enough to cycle in short action rifles, unlike those older generation 6.5 rounds. ¹

Cartridge Characteristics

By raw numbers alone, the 6.5 Creedmoor is a sedate round compared to the 6mm XC and larger rounds like the .300 Winchester Magnum. Standard factory loadings for the 6.5 CM range from 120 to 147-grain projectiles running at about 2,800 feet per second. The 30-degree bottleneck of the .30 TC gives the CM round a unique trueness to the bore, whose chamber has a mere .100″ of free bore between bullet and rifling that minimizes bullet deformation and barrel wear. The generous throat accommodates a wide variety of bullet weights without the projectile going too far to cycle in a short-action rifle. It also stops bullet setback that might compress the powder charge. Like with other 6.5 rounds, the 6.5 Creedmoor uses its bullet to do its damage, where large powder charges are simply unnecessary or counterintuitive.

The 6.5 Creedmoor’s efficient design translated well in match work at distances beyond 1,000 yards. In Emary’s own words, the 6.5 remains supersonic out to 1,400 yards where other rounds like the .308 Winchester had already fallen from the wagon. But the Creedmoor’s leap from that niche to mass popularity came when the round began to be offered in conventional hunting rifles. It is not unusual for an inexpensive long gun in 6.5 Creedmoor to print sub-MOA without the need to head for the reloading bench. ² With minimal gear and factory ammunition, the 6.5 takes the guesswork out of many practical hunting applications. Its lower recoil also put it in a league on its own compared to other rounds generally lumped into that category of rounds often associated with new or shorter-statured shooters like the .243 Winchester or .30-30 Winchester. The 6.5 Creed has better terminal ballistics and longer legs with the usual bite to the shoulder that would ordinarily be the tradeoff.

Quick Specs:

• Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
• Parent Case: .30 Thompson Center
• Case Length: 1.920 inches³
• Overall Length: 2.825 inches maximum
• Shoulder: 30 degrees, .400 inch
• Throat: .2950 inch
• Case Capacity: 52.5 grains H2O ⁴
• Maximum Average Pressure: 62,000 PSI (3); 63,914 PSI (CIP) ⁵

6.5 Creedmoor Against the World

In the centerfire rifle cartridge world, the 6.5 Creedmoor is not unprecedented. The .260 Remington, originally based on the .308 Winchester but necked down to 6.5mm, debuted in 1997 but garnered little attention. The .260 has many of the same attributes as the later 6.5 Creed, but its abbreviated shoulder and throat limit the shooter to lighter projectiles by comparison. The 6.5 Swede still enjoys a solid following and has a greater case capacity than the Creed but without the generous throat. But there is no shortage of other good hunting and long-distance capable rounds to share the space with the 6.5. How do they compare?

6.5 vs. .243 Winchester

The .243 was Winchester’s attempt to improve upon the ballistics of the .308 for varmints and game up to deer size. It uses a .308 case necked down to 6mm or .243 inches. The .243 is a versatile cartridge loaded with bullets ranging from fast 58-grain loads for small varmints to 100-115-grain rounds intended for whitetail. The .243 is a flatter point-blank range and less recoil than the .308, and standard 100-grain loads can run out at over 3,000 feet per second. The 6.5 Creedmoor boasts similar recoil and is chambered in similar short-action rifles but is built around rifles with a 1:8 twist rate. ⁶ Some .243 rifles have a 1:8 twist, while others have a 1:10 twist rate intended for lighter bullets, so some heavier 100-grain loads will not shoot as accurately in some rifles. Although the 6.5 Creed is a slower round, it is more powerful downrange with heavier projectiles to balance the equation.

6.5 Creedmoor vs. 6mm Creedmoor

The 6mm Creedmoor uses a 6.5 Creedmoor case, but it is necked down for a .243 caliber bullet. Like its bigger brother, the 6 uses long, aerodynamically designed 105-120 grain projectiles used by other 6mm rounds in competition. It was intended to be an improved heavy .243 Winchester round that could readily feed from AR-10 magazines. The 6mm boasts less recoil than the 6.5, which makes it great for faster follow up shots in timed target matches. It is also a competitive option for the new or experienced hunter looking for something different than a .243 or a .240 Weatherby Magnum. But the 6 is throwing a lighter projectile and hits with less energy than the 6.5 Creed. ^{7 8}This newer round is also available in fewer rifles until demand catches up.

6.5 Creedmoor vs. 22 Creedmoor

The .22 Creedmoor is a further development of the 6mm Creedmoor. Think of it as a 6.5 Creedmoor case, this time necked down for the heavier variety 80-90 grain .224 caliber bullets that pushes existing magazine, case, and rifling limits from existing .22 centerfire rounds limits of rounds like the .220 Swift, .22-250, and .223 Remington. Factory loaded .22 Creedmoor ammunition has only been available since 2021 and the round is heavily associated with Horizon Firearms rifles, who developed the round and partnered with Hornady to bring it to market.

.22 centerfire rounds are ideal for thin skinned varmints and even smaller whitetail deer at reasonable ranges, where a flat trajectory and low recoil is prized. But lighter .22 caliber bullets lose their energy quickly. The .22 Creedmoor steps that up with high BC bullets. It runs bullets at about 3,300 feet per second, which is not barn burning by any stretch. But those rounds hold onto their energy at longer distances. The .22 Creedmoor is currently a niche round, but it can excel in areas where the 6.5 Creedmoor might be too much gun. ⁹

6.5 vs. .260 Remington

As mentioned before, the .260 Remington was the soft landing of a 6.5mm cartridge in the United States before the Creedmoor. It features a .308 case necked down to 6.5mm. Unlike the Creedmoor, the .260 was intended as a medium game cartridge, but it has been revived as a target cartridge. It features a longer case and slightly more case capacity than the 6.5 Creed. But the stouter 20 degree shoulder and shorter throat prevents the .260 from being loaded as hotly or with longer bullet types. Most .260 loads use a 120-130 grain bullet, where 140-147 grainers are typical with the Creedmoor. Fitzpatrick, writing for Rifle Shooter Magazine, stated that out to 400+ yards, both rounds are virtually identical with the lighter bullet weights handicapping the .260 at longer ranges.

For the average hunter, the 6.5 might not be worth the upgrade. But rifle and ammo availability currently favor the Creedmoor, with only a few makers like Savage and Tikka producing rifles for the old .260 and ammunition not quite as various.

6.5 CM vs. 6.5 PRC

The 6.5 PRC came out in 2018 as a means to push the 6.5mm envelope even further than the Creedmoor. It derived from the .300 Ruger Compact Magnum, which itself derived from the .375 H&H round. That wide case is shortened and necked down to take a 6.5mm projectile. It was intended to feed from AR magazines but is mostly seen in short action bolt guns from makers from CVA to Springfield to Bergara. While somewhat obscure compared to the 6.5 Creedmoor, similar projectiles are used, and the wider magnum cases hold more powder. The ammunition capacity is also limited by case width. The payoff is that the 6.5 PRC has a 250 feet per second advantage over the Creedmoor, leading to a moderately flatter trajectory. ¹⁰

6.5 vs. .308 Winchester

The .308 Winchester mimicked the ballistics of 150-grain M2 ball 30-06 ammunition in a shorter case that could be better utilized in an autoloading platform. This became the 7.62 NATO round. No matter how you call it, both are versatile rounds capable of 1,000+ yard shooting. Bullet weights vary from 110-180 grains, with 150-grain projectiles being the most popular. The .308 is one of the most popular sporting cartridges on the market and, in its military configuration, a standard round for longer-range applications. There is no shortage of rifles in the round, and it enjoys a large number of loadings that the 6.5 does not quite enjoy. But there was always room for improvement. Demand for an even-flatter shooting round with less recoil led us to a slew of rounds based on the .308, including the .243 and the 7mm-08. And, of course, there is the 6.5 CM.

The 6.5 Creedmoor is easier on the shoulder than the .308, but the ballistic difference between the two is surprisingly similar for a while. With rounds of comparable 140-147 grain bullet weights, both have muzzle velocities of about 2,700 feet per second and trajectories that mirror out to 500 yards. Beyond this, the longer bullets of the smaller-caliber 6.5 holds onto their velocity and drifts less in the wind. ¹¹

6.5 vs. .300 Winchester Magnum

For a time, the solution to get a flatter trajectory and hits out to 1,000 yards was to throw more powder at the problem until it relents. The .300 Winchester Magnum cartridge was developed in 1963 and shares some of the same bullet types as the .308. After all, it fires .308 inch diameter bullets. But the .300 is a long action cartridge with a generous 94 grains of case capacity to match. Like the 30-06 and .308, the .300 can use a wide variety of bullet weights from 110-220 grains, depending on the rifling twist. Long-range marksmen have made good use of 180-200 grain bullets to take shots that seemed out of reach for the .308.

The .300 Winchester Magnum can launch these heavier, longer pills at over 3,000 feet per second. That higher velocity combined with a heavier round equates to much more power and low drop and wind drift than either the .308 or the 6.5 Creedmoor.

The heaviest available 6.5mm bullets are more aerodynamic and have a higher ballistic coefficient than the heavier 200-grain rounds available for the .300. The Hornady 143-grain ELD-X round has a BC of .625, while 200-grain ELD-X rounds for the .300 had a BC of .597. The higher the number, in theory, the greater the bullet’s resistance to the environment. But the extra velocity of the .300 gives it a marked advantage. However, at 500 yards, the gap between the two rounds narrow. John McAdams’ tests of these Hornady loads reveal that after a 200-yard zero, the 6.5 dropped a total of 44.6 inches at 500 yards with an energy of 1,295 foot pounds of energy. The .300 drops 40.1 inches, and energy decays to 1,989 foot pounds. It started out with 3,608 at the muzzle, compared to the 6.5’s 2,315. ¹²

The .300 Winchester Magnum is also a bruiser of a round by comparison, as that extra velocity has to be imparted on the shooter as well as the target. The Magnum is also associated with heavier, long-action rifles, whereas the 6.5 is not. Unlike the .243 and the .308, costs become a factor as the .300 Winchester Magnum cartridge and rifles that shoot it are more expensive than the 6.5 and other competitive non-Magnum cartridges.

The Wonderful World of 6.5 CM Rifles and Ammo

The 6.5 Creedmoor is a ballistic delight, but you don’t have to press your own ammunition to get good mileage from the round, as MOA groups are possible with factory ammunition and a good trigger press. For light-skinned varmints like coyotes and prairie dogs, consider the Hornady Varmint Express 95-grain V-Max. It is on the lighter end of the bullet spectrum for the 6.5 and has a blistering advertised muzzle velocity of 3,300 feet per second. As a cost-effective medium game and practice round, the S&B 131 grain soft point and Winchester White Box 125 grain JHP strike a good balance between weight and cents per round. For stretching the legs of the 6.5, consider Federal’s Gold Medal Match series and the excellent Hornady Precision Hunter and Match line of 143-147 grain rounds.

Savage Stevens 334

In addition to ammunition, there is a growing number of rifles in 6.5 Creedmoor available to suit any budget, need, and taste. My first introduction to the 6.5 Creedmoor was through the new Savage Stevens 334, which turned out to be an MOA rifle at under $500. Similar rifles in this price range include the Savage Axis, the Ruger American, and the Mossberg Patriot. Remington offers the 6.5 Creedmoor in several models of their famous 700 series of rifles.

Springfield Armory 2020 Waypoint

For a bit more cash, the Springfield Armory 2020 Waypoint rifle is worth a look, as is the carbon fiber-shrouded 2020 Boundry series. Christiansen Arms’s offerings in 6.5 run the gamut between light hunting rifles like the Evoke to long-range setups in the Modern Precision Rifle.

While associated with bolt guns, the 6.5 Creedmoor, thanks to its short action length, can be found in autoloading platforms similar to those of the .308. These include AR-10-style rifles like the Christiansen CA-10 DMR and the Tactical Hunter from Wilson Combat. The traditionalist can also find the 6.5 in Springfield’s Loaded M1A. Whether you want to spend a few hundred or a few thousand dollars, there is a 6.5 out there for you.

6.5mm Creedmoor FAQs

What caliber is 6.5 Creedmoor?

The 6.5 Creedmoor’s bullet is 6.5mm in diameter or .264 of an inch. That makes it a bigger caliber than a .223 or .243 rifle but smaller than the .277 bullet of a .270 Winchester or a .308 inch bullet used in the .30-06, .308 Winchester, and .300 Winchester Magnum.

What size suppressor should you use for a 6.5 Creedmoor?

.30 caliber suppressors intended for full-power rifle cartridges like the .308 or .300 Win. Mag. will suffice to suppress the recoil, blast, and sound of the 6.5 Creedmoor. The SilencerCo Omega 300, for example, fits the bill. But these types of suppressors can be heavier than needed. The titanium-constructed Sythe-Ti reduces bulk but is still made for .30 caliber rounds. As 6.5 is becoming more popular, some companies have begun offering dedicated 6.5mm suppressors that do an even better job of suppressing sound. The Thunder Beast Ultra 9 is ideal for braked rifles in 6.5 caliber, while the Energetic Armament Lux 6.5 makes for an excellent lightweight option for direct threaded rifles.

How much recoil does the 6.5 Creedmoor have?

Recoil can be very subjective, as it varies by person, by rifle, and even by the clothes you wear or don’t wear. However, using load cell data, the 6.5 Creedmoor in a conventional rifle yields about 11-16 pounds of free recoil energy the shoulder will have to absorb. The .300 Win. Mag generates close to 26 pounds of energy. (6) With conventional 150-180 grain loads, the .308 Winchester generates about 18 pounds of energy. The .243 Winchester round, often considered a starter for entry-level hunters and shooters, generates between 7-11 pounds, depending on the load and the weight of the rifle. ¹³

What is the best propellant for 6.5 Creedmoor handloaders?

The 6.5 was developed with the 4350 series of powders in mind, but there are dozens of other powders by Accurate, IMR, Hodgdon, and Winchester that are found in load data for the round. Follow that load data, play it safe, and work up an accurate load.

Does the military use the 6.5 Creedmoor?

Yes, sort of. In 2017, the US Army’s Special Operations Command began mulling over a 6.5mm intermediate cartridge to replace existing 7.62 NATO rifles as the big Army began to look at a 6.8mm general issue rifle to replace the 5.56 NATO M4 platform. In October 2019, the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division modified a contract for .308 Knight M110 rifles to instead be delivered chambered in the 6.5 Creedmoor round. More recently, the SOC pushed efforts to develop 6.5mm match ammunition with Black Hills. In 2023, Capstone was given a contract to produce 3 million rounds of a new M1200 Special Long Range Ball ammunition in 6.5 Creedmoor. ¹⁴

What can you hunt with a 6.5 Creedmoor?

Although it was developed to punch paper at long range, the 6.5 Creedmoor has taken off as a deer and pronghorn cartridge at intermediate ranges. Brad Fitzpatrick of American Hunter Magazine touts the versatility of the 6.5 rifle as a round a youth can grow up hunting in timber and go forth to the Western expenses with equal success. But the 6.5 is likely more gun than necessary for varmints like the coyote. He also cautions the use of the Creedmoor on elk, where long shots on sturdy bull elk could be dicey without picture-perfect bullet placement. With a shot taken within a few hundred yards, the 6.5 is efficient but does not have the raw energy of larger .30 caliber cartridges that only begin to wane at extreme distances.

Why do people hate the 6.5 Creedmoor?

The 6.5 Creedmoor is one of the most popular rounds on the market. It is also relatively new, and it is easy to extrapolate that some users of the 6.5 only go for it to be trendy. Embracing the 6.5 also somehow implies a rejection of other, more established rounds that have been more than good enough or even better than the 6.5 in their particular niche. On the other hand, some view the 6.5’s versatility to mean that it is the be-all and end-all.

The truth is more nuanced. Hornady designed the 6.5 Creedmoor to be an efficient match round that has moderate recoil and is relatively forgiving of user mistakes. It is also a solid hunting cartridge that has somewhat overshadowed the .243 Winchester. But the 6.5 CM is not the most powerful round out there. It is not even the most powerful round in the 6.5mm family, and some game will be too small or too large to take.

Where the 6.5 Creedmoor excels is that it does well at long-range competition and tasks most hunters are looking to accomplish. Few of us need the power of a magnum cartridge or hunt in the next zip code, and for those tasks, the 6.5 Creed can do a lot with fewer bullets, less recoil, and with fewer bad habits to pick up. The older rounds out there are still valid, and the 6.5 Creed, in spite of its newness, is valid beyond the hype.

References:

1. The 6.5 Creedmoor — An interview with Hornady’s senior ballistician, Dave Emary | by Hornady Manufacturing | The Hole Story ↩︎
2. Why People Love to Hate the 6.5 Creedmoor: It’s Just Too Easy (freerangeamerican.us) ↩︎
3. SAAMI Z299.4 Rev 2015 ↩︎
4. QuickDESIGN (cip-bobp.org) ↩︎
5. Case Capacity Matters: Comparing the 6.5mm Creedmoor, .260 Remington and 6.5×55 SE (chuckhawks.com) ↩︎
6. Rifle Recoil Table: Recoil Energy, Velocity and Level | Sportsman’s Warehouse (sportsmans.com) ↩︎
7. Let’s Get Real About the 6.5 Creedmoor | An Official Journal Of The NRA (americanhunter.org) ↩︎
8. 11) 6mm Creedmoor: Competition Born and Bred – The Armory Life ↩︎
9. Hornady’s 22 Creedmoor Ultimate Predator Cartridge – Shooting Times ↩︎
10. 6.5 PRC Rifle Cartridge: Everything You Need to Know – RifleShooter (rifleshootermag.com) ↩︎
11. Rifle Ammunition – Hornady Manufacturing, Inc ↩︎
12. 6.5 Creedmoor vs 300 Win Mag Review & Comparison (thebiggamehuntingblog.com) ↩︎
13. Rifle Recoil Table: Recoil Energy, Velocity and Level | Sportsman’s Warehouse (sportsmans.com ↩︎
14. 6.5 Creedmoor Round Expands in SOF Applications (nationaldefensemagazine.org) ↩︎

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