Thread: 6.5CM craze

They are all good, but the idea that the military always gets the best stuff is not quite correct. Often cost, nationality of the manufacturer, legal considerations and marketing play a bigger part than how good the kit is. Perhaps 6.5 Creedmoor was selected because it’s made by an American company which is also the biggest ammunition supplier so can guarantee supply in the quantities required. Hornady also has a great marketing department.

Even if 6.5x47 was better, it was never going be selected over Creedmoor. I don’t have a dog in the fight, but don’t believe that because the US Army selects something that it must automatically be the best.

Originally Posted by Spitfire

They are all good, but the idea that the military always gets the best stuff is not quite correct. Often cost, nationality of the manufacturer, legal considerations and marketing play a bigger part than how good the kit is. Perhaps 6.5 Creedmoor was selected because it’s made by an American company which is also the biggest ammunition supplier so can guarantee supply in the quantities required. Hornady also has a great marketing department.

Even if 6.5x47 was better, it was never going be selected over Creedmoor. I don’t have a dog in the fight, but don’t believe that because the US Army selects something that it must automatically be the best.

Seller and Bellot is not based out of the USA, so that was not a consideration. They have the green light for the MK48 link ammo, and by extension the standard service rifle ammunition.
Military does not get the best stuff unless SPECOPS, typically it is the most dependable though.

The Military in general selects the best compromise. And backwards compatibility. Add in ammunition weight, cost etc, and the contest was between the 260 and the 65 Creedmoor.

Gut feelings tell me that the ease of conversion to 65 Creedmoor is what really sealed the deal.

Originally Posted by Spitfire

They are all good, but the idea that the military always gets the best stuff is not quite correct. Often cost, nationality of the manufacturer, legal considerations and marketing play a bigger part than how good the kit is. Perhaps 6.5 Creedmoor was selected because it’s made by an American company which is also the biggest ammunition supplier so can guarantee supply in the quantities required. Hornady also has a great marketing department.

Even if 6.5x47 was better, it was never going be selected over Creedmoor. I don’t have a dog in the fight, but don’t believe that because the US Army selects something that it must automatically be the best.

Agree with that completely. If you look at the American military in the 1800's they were still using percussion caps and black powder when many lever action rifles were in use in "the wild west". Surely these would have been a better option at the time

Originally Posted by Cordite

Here is/was one - a 6.5mm Japanese Type 99 LMG.

Attachment 112669

Beautifully worked guns, from the spiral barrel air cooling fin to the wooden carrying handle. A controllable 5-600 rpm with 9kg gun weight, 30rd banana magazines.

Notice the very practical tall bipod legs, allowing for shooting over cover as well as in tall undergrowth.

A Nambu, the Czech slash BRNO origins are obvious. My dad got given one in Suva, a deactivated bring-back, by some US Marines in the mid 40’s. I SO wished he’d managed to bring it here when I was a youngster.

Originally Posted by ishoot10s

A Nambu, the Czech slash BRNO origins are obvious. My dad got given one in Suva, a deactivated bring-back, by some US Marines in the mid 40’s. I SO wished he’d managed to bring it here when I was a youngster.

I hear your need and I feel your pain...

That Col. Nambu was a genius. Redesigned the Arisaka rifle in the firsf decade of the 1900s, made the bolt entirely strippable with no tools but your hands, having also reduced it to only 5 components. Strenghtened the locking lugs without increasing weight by going for width rather than height and ended up making the strongest infantry bolt action of ww1+2. Beautiful and practical palm safety for when the brown stuff hits the fan and soldiers' fine motor control gets iffy.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kijir%C5%8D_Nambu


The late Robbie Tiffen showed me his Nambu MG like the one pictured at a visit to Gunworks. A real treasure, and we had a yarn about Japanese craftsmanship. If you had to die for the Emperor you had to be behind a handsome firearm.

I recently talked an older hunter (73), into buying a 6.5 creedmore (howa). He had the rings lapped,and a $350 scope fitted. He's getting one ragged-hole, 5-shot groups @ 100m with 140gr ammo ( Belmont I think). Pretty impressive for $1200, and bought ammo