The 6.5 Creedmoor is a relatively new rifle cartridge which has gained a lot of popularity in the precision long distance shooting world. Popular rifles from most of the big manufacturers are offered in this long distance round, and with good reason.
This rifle cartridge, which was first developed in 2007 and based off of a necked down .308, has a flat-shooting, long distance bullet that usually tips the scale at somewhere between 120-140 grains. At its highest, depending on the setup of your rifle and the ammo you're using, the projectile velocity could be somewhere north of 3,000 FPS.
The Creedmoor cartridge isn't without its own issues, however. For example, it is expensive and still not on the shelves of many stores. In my area, I need to special order it or make the 45 minute drive to Cabela's whenever I get a rifle chambered in this reach out and touch someone rifle round.
Affordability and availability is getting better, though, as time ticks on. As more support for it develops, and more people want to shoot it—more gun and ammo makers will help drive the price down with new offerings. A couple of years ago I did a review for a different audience about a bolt-action rifle chambered in it, and I was not happy about how much I was forced to spend on ammo.
After all, I can't do a good firearms review after only shooting a box or two of ammo. I need to send a lot of lead downrange so I can best talk about it with you.
Now however, the price has gone down several dollars per box, though it still isn't the easiest to find and is still at least one dollar, or more, per round.
People are willing to pay the price because it does what it says. Furthermore, this cartridge is ideal for those of us who reload our own ammo, because while the stock stuff is good, hand loads can be driven to accuracy unattainable by any factory loads.
One of the main advantages to shooting the 6.5 CM, however, is that the felt recoil is less than some of the other rifles with larger calibers on the market—like the .308. While not bothersome to everyone, recoil can be an irritant to some shooters. When you take two cartridges with similar ballistics, but one of them recoils less, most shooters will go with it, instead of the harder hitting of the two.
The 6.5 Creedmoor is a modern, long distance rifle cartridge that is capable of shooting superbly in many conditions. It bucks the wind, travels fast, and doesn't drop as much as similar rifle cartridges do. It is one of the all around best rounds for long distance shooting available on the market today.
Sound Off Gun Carriers! What do you think about the 6.5 CM? Do you own a rifle chambered in it? If so, what do you have? Let us know in the comments below.
Cover photo source.
Is it correct to say that the 6.5 CM is a necked down 308? My understanding is that the 6.5 260 is a necked down 308 and that the CM is a whole new design with a new design and an almost ackley neck. If my understanding isn’t correct, can you please assist with the difference between the two? I am looking at buying a 6.5 for mostly long range hunting. Which will be the better option?
I will be testing my new setup. I just bought a Browning AB3 in 6.5 Creedmoor and ordered a 100 rounds of the American Whitetail to test. I will be putting a Leupold VX-2 CDS on it. I think this setup will take over as my number 1 outfit for Whitetail hunting.