If you were going to build a new to you Rifle. Your primary use would be for long range, 600 to 1000 yard shooting, Hunting is something you dream about but it's Likely not going to happen. Your not going to build an all out Bench Rest Gun. 26" Barrel, with a Muzzle dia. of .750 to .800. Threaded for a Break and includes a Cap. You plan on starting out with Berger 130gr. or 140gr Bullets, 1/8/or 1/9 twist. Would you chamber it in 6.5 Creedmore or .260 Remington? And Reloading is no problem.

I built a 6.5 Creedmoor because it will outlive the .260 Rem but there are better cases for the .260 Rem. Also, in a pinch you can find match ammo from Hornady, Winchester, and Federal. I say that because my gun made it to a match once but my handloads didn't.

May want to look at the 6mm Creedmoor. Or maybe for some extra zoom, the 6 XC- a 115 grn 6mm bullet is more slippery than an equivalent length 264 and can be delivered at higher velocity.

On the other hand, the 6.5 family of match cartridges are no slouches either- the 6.5 LR brings tears to my eyes....

The 6mm is great but as an RO for the PRS matches hits past 700yds can be hard to spot. 6.5 and 7.62 rifles hit steel with more authority and will more easily expose a flasher.

I can't remember if it is Norma or Lapua, but one of them is supposed to have 6.5 Creedmoor brass soon if they don't already.

I buy case lots of Hornady ammo to feed mine, at around $20 a box, it is challenging to reload for how much I shoot it.

I used to do a 6.5x57 Lapua, I think all of them are great rounds, but if the 260 is a rare bird in match ammo, the 6.5 Lapua is special order only.

I have never seen 6.5x57 brass for sale anywhere in a storefront.

They are both pretty close with the 260 holding a few grains more powder. Lapua sells brass for the 260 and not the Creedmoor at present.

The 260 really needs a long action to fully develop it's potential and the Creedmoor is at home in a short action.

You want to shoot long range but not benchrest. I assume that you want to shoot PRS. Both cartridges are good and the 6mm's as well for that.

Joe

Norma makes 6.5 Creedmoor.

I'd go 6.5 Creedmoor.

With Norma brass, any advantage of the 260 in the speed department is eaten up by the availability like 7mm Freak says when you really need it.

Worse case scenario you could shoot 6.5 CM hunting loads if nothing else.

The 6.5x57 was designed to be a match winner by Groenig, and it does that, but I can't tell you how much of a hard time I had finding 6.5x47 supplies when the chips were down.

You can't win a match with brass you can't get.

Creedmoor is the way to go.

Not that I shoot matches, but I'd choose the .260, cases are easily made from .308 or .243 and it gives up nothing ballistically to the other two. There won't be any shortages of .308 brass in the forseeable future.

Interesting article which compares the 3.....

http://demigodllc.com/articles...7-6.5-creedmoor/?p=1

If I wanted to make cases I'd be making 6mm SLR or Competition Match.

If you reload go with a 260 Remington... with a 26 inch barrel and the right load you will the little extra you need for long range shooting.
Lapua brass are available...
sincerely
Ty

Lapua is about to start 6.5 Creed also and my 26" barrel pushes a 140gn bullet 2765fps. Smashed up a match pretty good the other day. The guy that won was shooting a 6mm not a .260 Rem which I personally think is on the decline.

the question is more of an academic exercise, given that John Whidden won the Nationals with a standard dimension 243 Winchester.

If you want a good hunting round, the 6.5-284 will beat either into the ground. Hunting rifles have to be carried perhaps 8-10 hours a day in varying terrain, not manicured rifle ranges with concrete benches. It is also about the same OAL as either of these wunderkindern with hunting bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
the question is more of an academic exercise, given that John Whidden won the Nationals with a standard dimension 243 Winchester.

If you want a good hunting round, the 6.5-284 will beat either into the ground. Hunting rifles have to be carried perhaps 8-10 hours a day in varying terrain, not manicured rifle ranges with concrete benches. It is also about the same OAL as either of these wunderkindern with hunting bullets.

Dudes have won with all kinds of stuff before new stuff came out. The .222 Rem used to be the BR champ prior to the PPC, George Gardner was mashing up in PRS with a .243 Win before the 6mm Creed and 6.5 RSAUM S4, etc. You can skin that cat a million ways.

In prone long range a few of us here in my circle were shooting the 6.5-284 but barrel life sucked. I went to 6.5 Creed for PRS and other guys went to .284 Shehane for prone. Both have better life than a 6.5-284, the 6.5 Creed is not far behind ballistically, and the .284 Shehane is a monster for LR work. I basically shoot the equivalent for LR hunting. If the OP wants a gun to target shoot with, as stated, a milder 6.5 than the 6.5-284 is in order IMO. I guess it depends though on how often you shoot, what sort of strings you shoot, and how often you want to replace barrels. I put a few thousand rounds down range this year in my personal guns so my 6.5 Creed is probably 1/3 done. If it were a 6.5-284 I would say it was 1/2 done.

Again, for me the choice is ready availability. There is no really good .243 Win brass readily available. There is for .308 Win, 6.5 Creed, .260 Rem, 6.5x47L, 6.5-284, etc. Pick your poison, buy lots of brass, and get busy killing a barrel. Those rounds down range are farm more important than what chamber you decide on so long as what you choose is adequate.

I hear whiners all the time decrying the barrel round count of various small bore cartridges.

It's immaterial, short range BR competitors go thru a couple barrels a year; and you don't hear them whine about the cost.

Like I said, stay home from one match a year, and you can put Bartlein on Speed-dial. If one barrel a year, fit, chambered, and headspaced, for a cost of $650-800 is going to take you over budget; you need to consider archery. Two dozen carbon fiber or aluminum arrows will last a year, shooting about 120-150 arrows a week.