The 6.5s are particularly user friendly on handgun platforms and the new Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor may be the best of the lot in 15 inch barrels. Here is how it stacks up against the competition:

What rings most hunter's bells is muzzle velocity, even though almost no one actually shoots anything at the muzzle. This is not an apples to apples comparison, but it is about as close as I could come. The data for the 6.5 x 55, 260 Rem and 6.8 SPC came from Hodgdon's 2006 Annual Manual. The data on the 6.5 Creedmoor is Hornady's. the 6.5 C is loaded with H4350 powder, so maximum loads for the 260 and 6.5 x 55 are quoted with H4350 powder in the 120 and 140-grain bullet weights. The 6.8 is a smaller case utilizing faster burn rate powders. It also utilizes lighter weight bullets, so the heaviest bullet weight loaded is given with the powder producing the fastest muzzle velocity at that bullet weight from Hodgdon's data.

6.5 x 55

BW 120-Gr, P H4350, 46.0 Gr. MV 2,792 fps @ 45,800 CUP, 24" B
BW 140-Gr, P H4350, 44.0 Gr. MV 2,617 fps @ 45,700 CUP, 24" B

260 REM

BW 120-Gr, P H4350, 46.5 Gr. MV 2,960 fps @ 58,200 PSI, 24" B
BW 140-Gr, P H4350, 42.0 Gr. MV 2,677 fps @ 58,800 PSI, 24" B

6.5 C

BW 120-Gr, P H4350, 43.5 Gr. MV 3,020 fps @ > 60,000 PSI, 28" B
BW 140-Gr, P H4350, 41.2 Gr. MV 2,820 fps @ > 60,000 PSI, 28" B

6.8 SPC

BW 115-Gr, P H322, 28.2 Gr. MV 2,608 fps @ 53,300 PSI, 24" B

The 6.5 C and the 6.8 SPC are AR rifle platform friendly, the 6.5x 55 and the 260 REM are not usable on the AR platform...Rusty

Rusty,
Thanks for the info!