That is called success, whereas everything close to the CM, is less of one. Like it or not, it works very well. I have built many of them.

I guess I've finally drunk the Koolaid too. My youngest, who is to start big game hunting this year, is a lefty. Rifles for small, left-handed girls are not terribly common. After considering the available options, we decided on the Browning X-bolt Micro Midas. With this year's pronghorn and deer hunts, and hopefully many opportunities for her to go along on predator hunts with me, we started looking for a .243. I picked just the wrong time I guess, as I was unable to locate one online. The local gun shop likewise drew a blank. I finally caved and had them order me a MM lefty in 6.5 Creedmoor, the first in our family. It recently arrived and should get a scope this weekend. I ordered up some HSM low recoil loads to start her with, so hopefully we'll be shooting in the next week or so.

Over the past couple decades, I've killed a fair amount of deer and pronghorn with my 6.5x55, so I'm comfortable with this choice. We're eager to put it to use!

I was just having some fun, you made a fine choice for your son, its an ideal caliber for the kids, wives and not bad for dad!! Id still rather have a 250-3000 but hey that's just a habit...

The great thing about the X-Bolt is that when she gets older, you can easily purchase an adult stock for that rifle at a very good price. Go the the Browning website and order one now before the prices go up. I’ve done it in the past, and they are fantastic.

quote:

Originally posted by DesertRam:
I finally caved and had them order me a MM lefty in 6.5 Creedmoor, the first in our family. It recently arrived and should get a scope this weekend. I ordered up some HSM low recoil loads to start her with, so hopefully we'll be shooting in the next week or so.

Reporting back. We mounted a Leupold VX11 or 2 or something 3-9x40 and headed off to the range. I shot it enough right-handed to get it on paper, then tried my luck as a lefty. Note that about the only thing my left hand is good for is holding things for my right hand to work on (and getting cut/stabbed/sliced/smashed/etc.). Despite that, I was able to turn out a couple sub-1" groups at 100 using the factory HSM low recoil loads with 140 grain Sierras.

Last Saturday, the child used the rifle to take her first big game animal, a New Mexico pronghorn. As you can guess, there was little fuss. One shot, dead antelope. She was absolutely stoked! We're both very excited to (hopefully) use the rifle on a mule deer hunt at Thanksgiving.

quote:

Originally posted by mdstewart:
The great thing about the X-Bolt is that when she gets older, you can easily purchase an adult stock for that rifle at a very good price. Go the the Browning website and order one now before the prices go up. I’ve done it in the past, and they are fantastic.

An option for sure, but I'm not sure we'll need it. The MM stock is actually too big for her now. Unless she gets much larger than her mom, the MM stock will fit her forever.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
Please, tell me anything I have said about the hype of the 6.5 Creedmore is not true. It shoots no flatter than most, and does not shoot flatter than the 270 Win.

I have shot just about everything from M2 carbines to 505 Gibbs. Owned most of them.

I seriously doubt you have shot more different type of firearms and cartridges than me.

If the 6.5 Creedmore was sold honestly as a low recoiling cartridge with the trajectory of a 30/06 making it a fine deer cartridge over 300 yards, then I would not have a problem with it.

But that would not sell rifles and cartridges. Folks would just buy a 270 or 30/06. We all know how the 6.5 Creedmore is marketed. That hype is wrong.

I do own a 6.5 Swede. Same thing.

One could make the same argument for most any cartridge created since 1925. I am not a long range target shooter, just a hunter who loves the 6.5 bore and short actions.

I also have drank the Kool aid.

Our 16 yr old son has a hard time working the Rem 788 bolt of the left hand 308, and the recoil bothers him, so.

We purchased a left hand Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor.
The plus is a detachable mag, the trigger can be adjusted or swapped out, and down the road even another stock.
Have a new Burris 4.5x14 scope sitting here, and new brass, dies are in route, just need to pick up some projectiles and he will be all set to go next year.

Its the first 6.5 caliber in our family so far, until I get the Shilen barrel in that is on order, and rebarrel one of my older rifles into 6.5 Swede for me

J Wisner

quote:

Originally posted by J Wisner:
I also have drank the Kool aid.

Our 16 yr old son has a hard time working the Rem 788 bolt of the left hand 308, and the recoil bothers him, so.

We purchased a left hand Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor.
The plus is a detachable mag, the trigger can be adjusted or swapped out, and down the road even another stock.
Have a new Burris 4.5x14 scope sitting here, and new brass, dies are in route, just need to pick up some projectiles and he will be all set to go next year.

Its the first 6.5 caliber in our family so far, until I get the Shilen barrel in that is on order, and rebarrel one of my older rifles into 6.5 Swede for me

J Wisner

That pretty much sums it up in a single family picture: son has a 6.5 Creedmoor, dad has a 6.5 Swedish.

What is surprising to me is to hear that, for someone so thoroughly involved in the firearms field, this is the first 6.5 in your family. I guess that being such a huge fan of the 6.5 for decades, I tend to forget that they haven't always been so common on the ground as they are now.

quote:

Originally posted by SkiBumplus3:
Muzzle brake on a 6.5.
That's funny.


Ski+3
Whitefish, MT

Laugh all you want. Its not for recoil reduction for the weak shouldered. Its because you can actually stay on target as the gun recoils and see the reaction on game. Most every gun I have comes off target when you jerk the trigger--enough so that you usually loose sight of the animal and have to scramble to see if the thing is running off or even the reaction of the animal to the shot... I can shoot a coyote with my Creedmoor and watch him flip...

I kind of laugh at all the curmudgeonly comments about a cartridge that has done a great job of selling rifles, ammo and bringing enthusiasm and new shooters to our sport. Gee what's wrong with that? A little buzz and new shooters...how's that bad exactly?

Is the Creedmoor better than sliced bread...naw probably not. Is it better than most long action cartridges? Maybe on targets! I'd for sure shoot a Creedmoor across the course better than a .308 just because of recoil management and shot to shot recovery in the rapid fire stages alone... But again, the 6mm family of short case offerings does that even better. Still, the Creedmoor is in the running there. And recoil matters regardless of your ego and internet bravado. People shoot lower recoiling cartridges better....its just a fact. And if bullet placement matters then recoil affects bullet placement. SO that's a win for the CM.

Its not a laser. Its not a magic bullet. And its supposed high BC and SD can be had in most any caliber these days due to the large selection of high quality bullets and ammo.

Of the 20 some odd rifles I own 5 are Creedmoors...why? Its a fun cartridge. It works. Its easy on the shoulder. There a lot of very cool very accurate guns available in the chambering. And as I said...it has brought some excitement and generated some sales in our sport. What's not to like?

I have a bunch of 270s a couple of .338s, more than a few .308s, various flavors of 300 magnums. Even a pair of .260s. Are they better than any others? Naw... They all have a place for me. Am I deluded with CM syndrome? Well if I am at least I have something fun to talk about. After all...who wants to hear the same old crap like nobody needs anything other than a 30-06? Like that's going to start a bunch of people hopping into rifles and hunting now...

Superfluous nonsense? OK...its a friggin' hobby. So sue me. I'm having fun with it...if that irritates you I'm glad. The lie that is the Creedmoor killed a handful of deer for me last year....one at about 280 yards...all three bang flops. Some of you seem to think its not possible and anyone who claims so should be berated.

My opinion...you want to see a really interesting concept these days? Look at the 6.5 and 300 PRC series of cartridges. There's a lot of merit in both concepts and I've shot a half dozen rifles in both offerings and I have to say...both were impressive especially at ranges 500 and beyond. The 300 PRC especially has a lot of great design features that kind of make a 300 Win Mag a silly choice these days...and I own a couple 300 Win Mags...won't be selling them off. But I might be buying a 300 PRC. Again...its a hobby. Not a friggin' calculus exam. Get out a little. Let your hair down. Have some fun. Its not that hard...

I must have a dozen to fifteen 6.5 caliber cartridge/rifle variations. Many overlap each other, but I like them all. I don't have a creedmoor yet, but will get one. It will not fill any nitch not already covered by one of my other 6.5's , but I just like them.

I just purchased the Christiansen Arms Mesa in 6.5 CR. After comparing it with the Browning HCS, it was a no brainer. I’ve owned several Browning A Bolts over the years, all very accurate but the glossy wood and cheap, injection-molded stocks leave much to be desired. I expect flimsy, cheap Injection-molded stocks on cheap rifles, but not on rifles costing $1000+. Same with Sako and Tikka. Besides the stock and basic aesthetics, the PC lock was also a huge turnoff. For my $$$, Christiansen Arms is head and shoulders above the Browning. I put the Browning HCS on par with the Ruger American.

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
I must have a dozen to fifteen 6.5 caliber cartridge/rifle variations. Many overlap each other, but I like them all. I don't have a creedmoor yet, but will get one. It will not fill any nitch not already covered by one of my other 6.5's , but I just like them.

My kind of collector; a 6.5 man. Well done, sir!

That is all the justification that's necessary to own any firearm.

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
I must have a dozen to fifteen 6.5 caliber cartridge/rifle variations. Many overlap each other, but I like them all. I don't have a creedmoor yet, but will get one. It will not fill any nitch not already covered by one of my other 6.5's , but I just like them.

My justification level is not real high.
I built a trim little stalking rifle on a 36 mex action in 400/375 belted ..... because someone gave me a Kynoch cartridge in it and I thought it looked neat.

You are not alone. I too tend to sometimes purchase in reverse. A few years ago I picked up a set of ivory grips for an SAA then had to go buy a revolver to put them on.

With me, it was a beautiful set of custom dies. I bought them because they were a steal and I was utterly floored by the workmanship. Then it seemed wasteful not to build a rifle to use them...

I am a sucker for a bargain.

And good quality parts I can get on a discount will usually end up costing me 10 times what a rifle would have cost, but it keeps my gunsmiths 20 dogs and 10 cats well fed.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
That is called success, whereas everything close to the CM, is less of one. Like it or not, it works very well. I have built many of them.

And I have built many 260 Remingtons too.

I cannot see any practically differences between them.

Both work great.

I am making 0.264 caliber bullets, in various weights.

Tested the 90 grains in my Tikka T3 6.5 Creedmoor.

I only tried one load, 41 grains of VARGET.

Got 0.38” for 5 shots at 100 yards.

I suppose these bullets pass the test.

They do indeed. But here's the point to the CM:

You can buy a rifle set up to take the 140 gr. bullets, and get the ammo that corresponds to the way the rifle is set up. The factory ammo is very high quality. There are far fewer options in 260 factory ammo, and if you want to seat the heavier bullets out to take advantage of the case capacity, the magazine will likely be too short as will the throat. The CM offers the shooter who does not reload and doesn't want to build a custom gun something they can buy off the shelf, with factory ammo that is likely equal (or better) than most people can reload, and take it out to precision rifle matches. You really don't get that with a 260 (here in the US anyway). If you are a knowledgable reloader and custom barrel a gun, it's a different story.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
That is called success, whereas everything close to the CM, is less of one. Like it or not, it works very well. I have built many of them.

And I have built many 260 Remingtons too.

I cannot see any practically differences between them.

Both work great.

quote:

Originally posted by JeffreyPhD:
They do indeed. But here's the point to the CM:

You can buy a rifle set up to take the 140 gr. bullets, and get the ammo that corresponds to the way the rifle is set up. The factory ammo is very high quality. There are far fewer options in 260 factory ammo, and if you want to seat the heavier bullets out to take advantage of the case capacity, the magazine will likely be too short as will the throat. The CM offers the shooter who does not reload and doesn't want to build a custom gun something they can buy off the shelf, with factory ammo that is likely equal (or better) than most people can reload, and take it out to precision rifle matches. You really don't get that with a 260 (here in the US anyway). If you are a knowledgable reloader and custom barrel a gun, it's a different story.

Much as I am not overwhelmed by the Creedmoor (think of me as somewhat of a Creed-less), I must grudgingly admit, that is perhaps the best and most coherent argument I've heard in support of this round. Very well put, sir.

Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by cdsx:


Much as I am not overwhelmed by the Creedmoor (think of me as somewhat of a Creed-less), I must grudgingly admit, that is perhaps the best and most coherent argument I've heard in support of this round. Very well put, sir.

quote:

Originally posted by JeffreyPhD:
They do indeed. But here's the point to the CM:

You can buy a rifle set up to take the 140 gr. bullets, and get the ammo that corresponds to the way the rifle is set up. The factory ammo is very high quality. There are far fewer options in 260 factory ammo, and if you want to seat the heavier bullets out to take advantage of the case capacity, the magazine will likely be too short as will the throat. The CM offers the shooter who does not reload and doesn't want to build a custom gun something they can buy off the shelf, with factory ammo that is likely equal (or better) than most people can reload, and take it out to precision rifle matches. You really don't get that with a 260 (here in the US anyway). If you are a knowledgable reloader and custom barrel a gun, it's a different story.

Exactly!

I've been a staunch .270 user since the late 60's. Deer, elk, pronghorn and a solo mt goat all attest to it's effectiveness.

I have a Browning Low Wall .260 that I load for. All loads can be tailored to the throat geometry due to not having a magazine to worry about. It's a great rifle and cartridge combo. But lacks retail support and usually isn't twisted right for longer, higher BC bullets.

I bought a Kimber Hunter, because I wanted to experience that particular action. I bought it in 6.5 CM because of all the good things I've read and heard and my experience with the .260. Five cow elk and six big Blacktail bucks later, I'm definitely hooked on the cartridge and the rifle.

If I were to start all over again, I buy the Creed and never look back. Buying for a spouse or youngster, I'd again buy Creed for all the positive reasons given by others above.

It has much less recoil than even the .270, kills just as well and really good ammo is very common. There is no down side to the 6.5 Creed, as anyone that's actually used one will tell you.

A buddy of mine just bought one + I got him a set of dies but I am unfamiliar with this cartridge. What is its parent case that it's formed from? 308? If so, it's essentially a 260, right?

The Creedmoor’s parent case is the.30 TC.

Educate me a bit more, please. Is 30 TC an acronym for 30 Thompson Contender? I can not find conversion data in my Donaldson book.

Thompson Center.

You can pretty much look at the 6.5 CM as a .250 Sav AI, necked to .264.

A simple Google search on the history of the 6.5 CM will likely answer all your questions.

That’s almost exactly what it is. The case capacity of the 250 savage AI and the 6.5 CM is nearly identical.

I posted that I "preferred" the 250 to the Creedmore and admitted the Creedmore bested the 250 with both bullet weight and velocity...Thats written in stone, I still prefer the 250 and I also stated for no particular reason..and yes Raider I have no experience with the Creedmore..but like the 250 the creedmore is not a long range elk rifle, like the 250 its a 200 yard elk rifle and 100 yards is better, and if you push either beyond that you will lose a elk now and then...I may not know any more than LHeymn about the Creedmore, but we both know elk...Some guys out there are doing long range shooting on elk with the creedemore on Television and they not showing the whole story..I use the 250 or 25-35, even a 30-30 to shoot cow elk in alfalfa patches on depretory hunts but for trophy bulls in the Selway I use the 30-06 or 338 and even a 375..

Creedmore is a grand caliber, just too much over jealous gossip being passed on..Grand deer gun and cows in the alfalfa patch..

Are many people actually touting the 6.5 CM as an elk gun? I must be out of touch with the current rants of the gun writers. I wouldn't take it elk hunting, or even red stag in NZ if I ever go again. Of course it will kill one, but why get into that debate. It's significantly less than ideal, simple as that. I'd be much more comfortable with at least a 30-06. It seems like every time The topic of the CM comes up, folks need to proclaim it's not a 400 yd. elk gun. Of course it isn't! Neither is a 243, or a 25-06, or a 257 Bee, or even a 270 (I know, there may be disagreement there, but it's not my idea of a long range elk gun). If there are gun writers trying to claim it is a good choice for that, well, that's just stupid. Guess that would be the first time gun writers wrote something stupid. Remember Roy Weatherby shooting Cape buffalo with his 257?

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I posted that I "preferred" the 250 to the Creedmore and admitted the Creedmore bested the 250 with both bullet weight and velocity...Thats written in stone, I still prefer the 250 and I also stated for no particular reason..and yes Raider I have no experience with the Creedmore..but like the 250 the creedmore is not a long range elk rifle, like the 250 its a 200 yard elk rifle and 100 yards is better, and if you push either beyond that you will lose a elk now and then...I may not know any more than LHeymn about the Creedmore, but we both know elk...Some guys out there are doing long range shooting on elk with the creedemore on Television and they not showing the whole story..I use the 250 or 25-35, even a 30-30 to shoot cow elk in alfalfa patches on depretory hunts but for trophy bulls in the Selway I use the 30-06 or 338 and even a 375..

Creedmore is a grand caliber, just too much over jealous gossip being passed on..Grand deer gun and cows in the alfalfa patch..

Well... I was in Sportsman's BIG BOX in Tucson today to pick up a rifle I ordered and browsed through the available ammo... there were the usual odd bits of ammo for obscure calibers, true big bores and GOBS of 6.5 and 6mm Creedmor ammo.

Thinking about this I could reach two possible conclusions:

1. There is a glut of Creedmor ammo because the manufacturers hope to serve that market first, or

2. The wave is past and the level of demand for Creedmor ammo is subsiding.

I am SO tired of reading and hearing the BS that is flogged daily in the gun media and deeply concerned that less knowledgeable people will actually believe the BS... that the Creedmor is the best long distance rifle cartridge (But are the marksmanship skills of the average reader adequate? Probably not), that despite the physics and ballistics realities this cartridge is an awesome long range killer, etc., etc. We have all read this rubbish and most of us take it with a tablespoon of salt.

Looking at 'consumer' firearms outlets it is hard to find a rifle model that is NOT available in the wonder cartridge. It was once true that the 30-'06 was the most popular offering (with good reason), but no longer true.

What IS true is that the 6.5 Creedmoor is (like the 6.5X55 and the 260 Remington) an accurate midrange cartridge that is easy to shoot at medium ranges. I have owned, loaded for, and shot a 6.5X55 for about 50 years and appreciate the 6.5s for what they are, but no more than that.

Thanks for the info.

Blacktail, sorry, I meant Thompson Center but had a brain fart in the typing process. So just for the sake of curiosity; I shoot a 257 Roberts AI; is there any appreciable performance in the 6.5 Creedmore? This is only a question but it sounds like comparable performance.

There's not a lot of difference.
What rifle do you have and what loads do you use?

The 6.5 CM was designed for long range target shooting. Light recoil, long slippery high BC bullets that will carry their velocity well and cheat the wind. It can be loaded with long VLD type bullets without intruding into the powder column and yet still fit into the standard short action magazine and crowd the lands.

After a few years, hunters took notice of it's success and began shooting game with them and liked what they saw. Why? Simple....

Easy (comfortable) to shoot and therefor hit with properly. Decent ballistics (relatively flat shooting, retains velocity and energy well). Good bullets for that velocity range and very well supported by the factories with good ammo.

If you have a .257, you don't need a Creed - unless you just want one (my case, in fact).

Elk. No, it's not a great elk round - but neither is a .300 mag or .338 that hurts you and you don't shoot it well. I've seen plenty of guys that would be better served by using less gun and some practical shooting practice.

The elk I've killed aren't "pasture elk"... I have to root them out and work for them. I've killed them as close as 40 yards (6.5CM and 140 Fusion bullet) and as far away as 252 yards (.260 & 129 Hornady IL). Five with the Creed and fusions, two with the .260 and 129's. none needed a second shot, because they were all hit right the first time. I don't shoot if it doesn't feel right.

I've killed several with pointed sticks, too. Properly hit elk are easy to kill. Improperly hit elk are a nightmare!

So, there's the Creed. Some folks don't like it because it's shading out their favorite cartridge that has served them well. Fine. Let em crow...

If I were starting new or buying a first rifle for my wife or a youngster, I can't think of a better place to start than the 6.5 Creedmoor.
A good .223 and a Creed will do 95% of what needs to be done in the lower 48.

There's elk hunting where a bigger cartridge is very much appropriate, but you have to be able to shoot them properly - or your gunna start chitshow and a very long day.

I have read threads like this before. most of the haters only think to compare the 6.5 CM to other hunting cartridges. It was never meant a a hunting cartridge.
It was designed as a target shooting cartridge. It took design features of several other cartridges and combined them to create what it is.
Most compare the 6.5 CM to the 260 Rem. They wanted to use a short action, they have a slight accuracy advantage. The 260 couldn't use the very long high BC bullets. When seated to a length that would work through a short action the mouth of the case was so far up the bullet it was hanging out over the ogive. This is an undesirable feature.
They looked around a bit and found the 30 TC case was just the right length sp those long bullets even seated out at max length ogive was still out side the case.
The 30 TC is a fatter case than the 260 and a sharper shoulder so the cases capacity is very close.
This allows the bullets to not crowd the powder as much as in the 260 with the long bullets.
As far as recoil goes in a 7 lb. rifle they both are about the same. But long range precision shooters use a heavier rifle so recoil feels less. On a hunting rifle were you only shoot a few times a year on game doesn't matter much. In a match you may shoot a hundreds of rounds in a day. Recoil matters then.
Those who claim that many other game cartridges are just as accurate need to look at bench rest records and see how many matches are won with their favorite cartridge.
When the public found out about this little cartridge that shot very well, recoiled small even when shooting the long heavy bullets they wanted to try it on game. It turned out to work very well as a deer size game cartridge, just as many others have.
I have a Mossberg Patriot in 6.5 CM. I put a cheap Bushnell 6x18 x 50 scope on it and it makes .5 or better group at 100 with everything I've tried so far. And that's pretty good for a cheap rifle and scope.
I did add a cheap muzzle brake. Watch the groups form through the scope as you shoot them is kinda cool.
Leo

Stock shape and shooter body type play a role in perceived recoil, too.

My Browning Low Wall .260 is heavier than my Kimber Hunter CM, yet the Kimber is much easier to shoot...

Everyone that's shot the Kimber has remarked at how nice it is to shoot...the very reason it gets so much field time.

Ray: I fixed elk for Thanksgiving. I got elk chops laid out now.


The funny thing is I agree with KY Nimrod said above about the 6.5 Creedmore, the 6.5 PRC, and the 300 PRC. I just wish the folks pushing the 6.5 Creedmore would say the same thing he has said above and would stop telling us how much flatter it shoots when it does not.

I also caution its use on elk at ranges over 250 yards or on deer at extended 600 plus ranges which seems to be all the rage in media for using a 6.5 Creedmore.

Let us use real hunting bullets, keep the ranges sensible, and rock out with our Glocks out.

I own several 6.5 CM’s. Ranging from AR10’s , factory sporters, light weights and custom’s with 3B and M40 contours. With that said I have only shot one custom 6.5 CM that would shoot as tight as a custom 6.5x47 Lapua. Which I have and really enjoy. How the heck did the majority of rifle manufacturers miss the boat when it came to the 6.5x47??? I also shoot the 6x47 and the 22x47. That case In small primer Lapua brass is about as good as it gets in the accuracy department.

I have not been following this thread, but would like to make an update on my earlier posts. I had complained about the accuracy of the T/C Compass. Well, I now take that back! I went out to the range yesterday with the above rifle and two boxes of factory ammunition. One was Nosler 6.5 Creedmoor 140 gr. RDF, and the other was Hornady Black, 140gr. BTHP. Both shot well under 1 MOA at 100 yards! I plan on loading up some Nosler Custom 140 gr. bullets and shooting at 200 yards. I also shot some handloads with my Tikka T3 in 308, and those were sub MOA as well. However, the recoil of the 6.5 was noticeably less than the 308. I don't believe in magic, but if a factory rifle shoots factory ammo (140gr. at 2650 for the 6.5) sub MOA that should be good enough to take hunting. I am a big fan of the 308 at the longer ranges, out to 850 is the furthest I have shot the 308.
Peter.