Thread: 6.5 Creedmoor advice

Hi - Having both hopefully some of this will help - especially with a Bergara in 6.5

my findings were in 6.5 thee longer the barrel the better 22-24 options being the most common as many re-barrelling buy an even longer barrel for speed and added precision and long range.

In my Bergara it didn't like the heavier pills the 147 Hornady's that went well in a RPR were poos in b14 HMR - But 143 were better, 143 in hornady american whitetail even better, but when i dropped to 130 game changers it became a laser.
So my case was lighter high BC bullets was better.

In 308 having a barrel back to 20" doesn't particularly suffer - then beyond that you're in lighter carry (few hundy gram's) v speed loss and ultimately reach out distance. I have a 16.5 bushpig for the tight stuff up here in the NI - the carrry weight? Well your probably better just to leave long and buy a CF stock or swap the optic to something a bit lighter.

my 2c.

Originally Posted by 25 /08 IMP

If you start reloading with an 18" Creedmoor you will still get over 2700fps with the 143 ELDX

Which powder?

I have a carbon fibre stocked 24" Tikka 6.5 CM which I use unsupressed for more open country with 120gr-140gr bullets. I can easily get 2,900 fps with 143gr ELD-X with RE26 but don't and usually run around 2,800 fps with the same bullet with RE16 or AR2209.

A 20" Sako .308 for the bush with 180gr bullets for the humongous pine forest stags in my area in the roar and with a 150gr for Japs in the thick stuff.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Which powder?

I use RL26 but @buzzman is using 2209 I think and his is cut to 18" and was getting 2700 if he is still shooting the same load.
Also Hodgdon superprofrmance will get you there.

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I am running a 6.5 creed and find that at ranges short of 200yd the ballistic tipped rounds like the eldx are not expanding on lighter game like goats, they just punch a hole in one side and out the other. Shot placement is key if you don’t want to have to follow your game. Switched to lead heads and no problem. Past 300yds the 6.5 is like a laser with the ballistic tips, good penetration and good expansion. Love the 6.5 over the 7m08. Thinking of a 6.5 grend for my goat culls as I like what I am hearing and it packs a touch more punch than my .223.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Which powder?

As @10-Ring said, Re26 can do some spectacular speeds if YOUR RIFLE likes it and shoots accurately AT A SAFE LOAD LEVEL.

There is no guarantee that your rifle will shoot it well - mine didn't. Out of my 20" barrel velocity topped out at 2760fps, but the primers were cratering badly.

I also started out with a 22" barrel with a 4" forward suppressor. Got it shortened to 20" which seriously improved the balance - lost 55-60 fps doing so. But be aware velocity loss as you shorten barrels is not linear. The lower the expansion ratio of the cartridge, the greater th loss will be on average, but also there will be a point at which velocity takes a big hit. Some reading will show that the Creedmoor will very likely take that bigger hit going from 20 to 18 inches.

Sooo in summary @H.M, buy the 308 if you must have an 18" barrel and ideally handload. If sticking to factory the Precision Hunter seems good if your rifle will shoot it. Either way, out on the tops use a range finder and more importantly before you do - practice, practice, practice! Nothing like spending time on a long distance range (Sparrowhawk) to show the complexities of hitting things properly at longer ranges ��

Yeah awesome cheers guys, iv hunted all my life with out ever taking shots over 400 so i cant see that changing for now. So 308 at 18” should be fine, or i could look at the other model of bergara’s with the longer barrels for the 6.5. Thanks a lot.

The 6.5 is fine in a shorter barrel. Brothers shoots a 147 a 2600 just fine. In terms of energy it maintains it much longer. A 18 inch 308 shooting 178s will still be losing velocity vs a . The 6.5 creedmoor is surprisingly efficient due to the shorter case especially with heavier bullets. Ie read this https://rifleshooter.com/2016/02/6-5...p-a-creedmoor/ and this https://rifleshooter.com/2014/12/308...ty-28-to-16-5/ notice the less lose per inch on 140 6.5.
Just inputting in quickload shows 2675fps should be possible for a 147 eld m at the top end on the creedmoor where as 2610 for the 178 (eld m for comparison purposes) in the 308. (I don't have the latest powders so potentially you'd gain a bit more in both but unlikely the 308 would as it seems the new rl16 and rl26 etc suit the creed more.

To compare the above bcs you are getting down to that 1800fps at 500yard with 308 which has about 1300ftlbs. Which is heaps to kill and anything before this is dead as dead really. You can push the 308 to 650 where it now has 1600fps and 1000ftlbs but you are on the envelope of the bullet not expanding.

The 6.5 drops below 1800fps at 700 Yards with just over 1000ftlbs.

Do realistically inside 300 they both kill dead everything as will almost all 6.5 and up 308 based cases. At that point energy is almost equal but the creed starts to creep away. Also the creed has more velocity to reach that energy as such it is more likely to expand and use the energy.

They will both work at any range your considering but the creed does it better beyond and with less recoil and wind drift at range. The 308 does have more diameter but I'm not a big believer in that argument as once expanded it a much a muchness. The 308 I find doesn't have the same amount of quality factory options and the high bc bullets don't fit the magazine length great when you do reload.

After all that favouring the 6.5. I'll note I used a 16.5" 308 bergara for everything (mostly tops for the last 2 years. Very nice trigger for what was a 700 gun brand new. I shot the factory hornady superformance match 168 eldm as I couldn't get close to that velocity with reloads and have accuracy 2670fps. With this I took a chamois at 600 yards and also my brother took a red hind with my rifle at 650 yards. I also used the 225 eld Ms at 2350fps which I took a chamois at 450 yards. The 308 is more than capable at realistic ranges especially as with elevation your bullets maintain velocity much better as such increasing your range significantly.

Originally Posted by Stocky

The 6.5 is fine in a shorter barrel. Brothers shoots a 147 a 2600 just fine. In terms of energy it maintains it much longer. A 18 inch 308 shooting 178s will still be losing velocity vs a . The 6.5 creedmoor is surprisingly efficient due to the shorter case especially with heavier bullets. Ie read this https://rifleshooter.com/2016/02/6-5...p-a-creedmoor/ and this https://rifleshooter.com/2014/12/308...ty-28-to-16-5/ notice the less lose per inch on 140 6.5.
Just inputting in quickload shows 2675fps should be possible for a 147 eld m at the top end on the creedmoor where as 2610 for the 178 (eld m for comparison purposes) in the 308. (I don't have the latest powders so potentially you'd gain a bit more in both but unlikely the 308 would as it seems the new rl16 and rl26 etc suit the creed more.

To compare the above bcs you are getting down to that 1800fps at 500yard with 308 which has about 1300ftlbs. Which is heaps to kill and anything before this is dead as dead really. You can push the 308 to 650 where it now has 1600fps and 1000ftlbs but you are on the envelope of the bullet not expanding.

The 6.5 drops below 1800fps at 700 Yards with just over 1000ftlbs.

Do realistically inside 300 they both kill dead everything as will almost all 6.5 and up 308 based cases. At that point energy is almost equal but the creed starts to creep away. Also the creed has more velocity to reach that energy as such it is more likely to expand and use the energy.

They will both work at any range your considering but the creed does it better beyond and with less recoil and wind drift at range. The 308 does have more diameter but I'm not a big believer in that argument as once expanded it a much a muchness. The 308 I find doesn't have the same amount of quality factory options and the high bc bullets don't fit the magazine length great when you do reload.

After all that favouring the 6.5. I'll note I used a 16.5" 308 bergara for everything (mostly tops for the last 2 years. Very nice trigger for what was a 700 gun brand new. I shot the factory hornady superformance match 168 eldm as I couldn't get close to that velocity with reloads and have accuracy 2670fps. With this I took a chamois at 600 yards and also my brother took a red hind with my rifle at 650 yards. I also used the 225 eld Ms at 2350fps which I took a chamois at 450 yards. The 308 is more than capable at realistic ranges especially as with elevation your bullets maintain velocity much better as such increasing your range significantly.

Very interesting thank you. I have read a few articles and they do all say this same thing about the 6.5 maintaining more energy. I personally think the 18” 6.5 will do everything and more of what i need it to, the rifle fits me well and with the suppressor it is perfect length and weight.
And it is also a caliber i have not used so something different will be cool. 😉

go 308 job done, if short bbl go 308 even more so. I'd stick w 20in bbl for hunting/ranges you've mentioned.

I'm building a 16" 6.5 Creedmoor after the lockdown, already have the scope, rings, carbon stock etc. Should be good up to 400m easy from guys I have spoken on here who have been reloading for that barrel length.

Originally Posted by 308mate

I'm building a 16" 6.5 Creedmoor after the lockdown, already have the scope, rings, carbon stock etc. Should be good up to 400m easy from guys I have spoken on here who have been reloading for that barrel length.

308mate building a creedmoor ironic much hahaha

End of the day to your choice all of them will do what your "design parameters" are some might be marginally better in one aspect or another but there's no clear winner.
If sticking to factory ammo it's availability may be a consideration.
He'll if they still made 303s I'd add that to the list for you to consider.
Whatever you choose it will be the right one for you and expect to be criticized for your choice.

Originally Posted by Stocky

308mate building a creedmoor ironic much hahaha

It's a brave new world....at least that's what they keep telling me.....

Originally Posted by Rossiwiz

I am running a 6.5 creed and find that at ranges short of 200yd the ballistic tipped rounds like the eldx are not expanding on lighter game like goats, they just punch a hole in one side and out the other. Shot placement is key if you don’t want to have to follow your game. Switched to lead heads and no problem. Past 300yds the 6.5 is like a laser with the ballistic tips, good penetration and good expansion. Love the 6.5 over the 7m08. Thinking of a 6.5 grend for my goat culls as I like what I am hearing and it packs a touch more punch than my .223.

What length is your barrel on your 6.5 Creedmoor? I am wondering if a short barrel 6.5 Creedmoor ~2700fps won't have the issue of not having expansion with eldx?