Cartridge Review: 6.5 Creedmoor

The 6.5 Creedmoor was developed in 2007 by Hornady Senior Ballistics Scientist Dave Emary and High Power Competitor Dennis DeMille. DeMille wanted an off-the-shelf cartridge that gave a competitive edge but with less recoil than the .308. He sought several other specs, including something that could be fed from a box magazine and could be reloaded with standard components. When it first came out, I’ll admit, I was not quick to jump on the bandwagon. After all, I was doing pretty well with a .308.

The 6.5 Creedmoor was designed around a 6.5mm (.264 caliber) bullet. Bullet designs in this caliber tend to be a little slicker than the .308, and a little easier to stabilize. I want to make it clear that 6.5 Creedmoor performance is not spectacular. That is, it does not carry any significant terminal performance over similar cartridges. It is better because the design of this cartridge makes it easy for it to be consistent.

Why is it successful?

First: It had the entire Hornady team behind it.

Second: It is designed around common components.

Third: Both auto and bolt gun shooters carried the 6.5 Creedmoor flag.

I’m sure the designers of 6.5 Creedmoor did not have “commercial success” on their minds for this cartridge. DeMille likely had the same outlook I have seen from the shooters with whom I have shot rifle matches over the years. He wanted to win competitions using whatever engineering advantage one can get from cartridge design. Having said this, Hornady now carries 6.5 Creedmoor in most of their rifle bullet lines.

The 6.5 Creedmoor has some design features that tend to make cartridges inherently accurate. It has the same overall length as the .260 Remington, a well-known, flat shooting hunting cartridge. It has a longer neck and steeper (30 degree) shoulders. This puts the powder in a shorter chamber, which often gives more reliable ignition and burning. A short powder column makes for full case loads, which increases consistency. The long neck allows for premium long-range bullets and a longer crimping surface for even pressure around the cartridge. The neck also gives plenty of alignment surface for the bolt to seat it concentric to the barrel. Combined with a minimum taper in the base, the 6.5 Creedmoor allows for maximum alignment before bullet touches rifling.

1/8” rifling seems to be the sweet spot for bullets in the .260 range, and the case design allows for bullets with a long history of accuracy. The 6.5 Creedmoor can handle a wide range of bullet weights, from about 100 to 150 grains. The AXIS II XP liked bullets around 140 grains. Even with 120 grain bullets, I could shoot consistently into changing wind conditions. The further out I got, the more the 6.5 Creedmoor outdistanced my .308.

Shooting through the Savage AXIS II XP 

I shot the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridges through a Savage AXIS II XP, side-by-side against my AXIS .308, using a similar lineup of cartridges. I was the shooter, and although I know my .308 better, I shot the 6.5 more accurately and it did not punish my shoulder.

At 6.3 pounds, the AXIS II XP is light for a 500-plus yard rifle, designed to be hauled around the backcountry. It has a 22-inch tapered barrel and Savage’s improved synthetic stock.

Most law enforcement products run 160 to 180 grains; .308 bullet weights run between 150 to 200. For example, Federal Premium Tactical Bonded Tip in .308 is 168 grains and has a muzzle velocity of about 2,700 ft./s.

6.5 Creedmoor cartridges are a little lighter, running from around 120 to 170 grains. The Federal Premium Gold Medal cartridges, loaded with Sierra MatchKing bullets I tested were 140 grains and have a muzzle velocity of about 2,700 ft./s.

My .308, using the 168 grain Federal rounds, could keep up with the 6.5 Creedmoor at 200 yards. When we got to 500 yards, the 6.5 couldn’t be touched. Although the .308 rang our steel torso louder, we could hit it more consistently with the 6.5 Creedmoor. There’s no surprise here, as my 200 yard group went less than 3/4 MOA.

This gun shoots better than I do.

Shooting at ranges past 250 yards is a completely different world than traditional distances. At 500, it may take a few moments to pick out the target down range, even if it severely contrasts with its background. Despite having a pretty good telephoto lens, any attempt of photographing the target downrange was futile, even though it was a white painted target against a green hillside.

We took the AXIS II XP out to 500 yards. Most casual shooters will be familiar with shooting ranges out to a couple of hundred yards. The challenge is always getting a bullet on target at greater than 400 yards. There, poor trigger control or inaccurate products are translated into serious problems.

The AXIS II XP comes with a mounted and boresighted Bushnell 3-9x40 scope. It was a great scope out to 300 yards or so, but 500 yards calls for 12x. I have a Bushnell Elite Tactical Hunter that is 3-12x44 that’s going on my next trip to the range.

If you’re wondering, a 6.5 Creedmoor sighted in at 200 yards can call for 50 inches of drop at 500 yards, depending on the cartridge—much better than a .308. It can shoot out to 1,200 yards, although it would take better shooting skills than I’ll ever have.

Any cartridge I shot in 6.5 Creedmoor has much less recoil than a .308. The soft kick is immediately apparent and something to keep in mind when using it for tactical intervention purposes, using a bolt rifle with a box magazine.

The winds whipped around our range, and I watched the wildflowers pitch and yaw mid-range. I had a quarter value wind that varied in soft gusts up and down the shooting lane. I timed my shots, and rang the iron maiden target consistently.

My AXIS II XP preferred the 140 grain bullets. Specifically, it seemed to buck winds best with the heavier 140 grain loads. I did not find much difference in accuracy, or even where they struck the target, between the SIG SAUER 140 grain OTM Match Grade Rifle rounds and the Federal Premium Gold Medal 140 grain rounds. I shouldn’t be surprised as both the SIG SAUER and Federal use Sierra MatchKing bullets. This is a long boat tail design, known for superior flying stability around this twist rate. MatchKings are known to improve accuracy in most loads.

6.5 Creedmoor made a believer out of me. I’m going to take this rifle up to the hills to see if I can print on a target at 1,000 yards. I know the rifle can do it, but can I?