6.5 Creedmoor

The 6.5mm Creedmoor is a centerfire rifle cartridge introduced by Hornady in 2007 as a modification of the .30 TC, which was based on the 300 Savage. It was designed specifically for rifle target shooting , although it is also achieving success in hunting. Bullet for bullet it achieves a slower muzzle velocity than longer cartridges such as the 6.5-284 Norma or magnums such as the 6.5mm Remington Magnum. However, due to its 2.825 inch overall length, the 6.5mm Creedmoor is capable of being chambered in short-action bolt rifles and AR-10 rifles

Suggested Use

• Predators
• Small Game
• Varmint
• Deer

Performance

This is a medium power cartridge is often comparable to the .260 Remington and 6.5x47mm Lapua but is not as accurate as the Lapua case. Three hundred yard energy using 129 grain Hornady SST bullets is listed by an independent reviewer as 1641 ft. lbs. For the 140 grain bullet at 2700 feet per second initial velocity another reviewer reports an MPBR for a six inch high target of 265 yards and reports a manufacturer claim of almost 1600 ft. lbs. of retained energy at 300 yards using a 24 inch barrel. SAAMI test data confirms 6.5 mm Creedmoor (fifteen foot from muzzle) velocity of 2,940 fps for the 129 grain bullet and 2,690 for the 140 grain bullet (which compares to .300 Winchester magnum data of 2,930 fps for a 200 grain bullet and 2,665 fps for a 210 grain bullet).