6.5 Creedmoor

[Shootist43]

npm352, I'm sure that you are now painfully aware that from now on that 6.5 Creedmoor is HERS!!

Congrats, all the way around.

 

[Newboomer]

@CoElkHunter
160gn bullet case full of ultrafast pistol or shotgun powder.
Place cartridge in chamber, put rifle in a cradle and tie about 50 foot of string to the trigger.
When in a safe position pull string and watch the manbun self destruct.
Bob

Now, Bob. Who in hell would try a damn fool load like that? I dare you to try it in your beloved 35 Whelen and tell us the result.

 

[MrCreedmoor]

I recommend 6.5 Creedmoor 143 gr ELD-X® Precision Hunter. Its a great round on whitetail deer, so much so I bought 10 boxes before the amo shortage, good luck buying now…amo is just starting to return on the shelves…

 

[ducmarc]

Do u really want opinions on the 6.5 Creed more on this site?

I was not dis any choice of caliber on this site Lord knows I have my share of ones the are disapproved of but given the amount of grief that the CM gets on this site I figure a little warning maybe in order.sorry if I pissed anyone off with my alcohol fuel quip.

 

[Art Lambart II]

The real question is not can you use the 6.5CM in Africa, but should you? I can't think of a hunting situation in Africa where a 6.5CM would be better than a 30-06 with a 180 grain Swift A-Frame. My father @Shootist43 has a 20+ year love affair with the 6.5x55 SE, he loves it so much he had a custom 6.5x55 made for our first safari. The second rifle he took on that safari was a caliber that was new to his collection a 35 Whelen. He quickly realized that the Whelen was the better choice for Africa. On that trip he put 7 animals in the salt but only 1 with the 6.5x55. On our second safari he took that same 35 Whelen and a 404 Jeffery and left his beloved Swede at home. It wasn’t a lack of confidence in the 6.5x55 that left it in the gun safe, it’s the fact that he had better options available. If the 6.5CM is the largest round you can shoot accurately then by all means use it, if you can step up to a 7x57 with a 170 grain bullet or something larger make the better choice and leave the CM at home.

 

[npm352]

npm352, I'm sure that you are now painfully aware that from now on that 6.5 Creedmoor is HERS!!

Congrats, all the way around.

Haha true. Thanks. It is a Bergara HMR and has some plates that can be taken out to shorten the stock. I had a suppressor on it too which helps with recoil for her. Problem is that it is too heavy for her to carry and I had to pack around a tripod for her. It all worked in the end. Her and her 7-year-old sister and I had a sweet experience after five days if looking for a bull.

Now I just have to keep her expectations in line as she got extremely lucky to draw that tag her first year being eligible to apply.

 

[npm352]

I do, however, agree with those who think there are more appropriate calibers for larger African plains game...despite it's potential lethality on elk-sized game. It just doesn't pack much of a punch.

 

[Tra3]

The real question is not can you use the 6.5CM in Africa, but should you? I can't think of a hunting situation in Africa where a 6.5CM would be better than a 30-06 with a 180 grain Swift A-Frame. My father @Shootist43 has a 20+ year love affair with the 6.5x55 SE, he loves it so much he had a custom 6.5x55 made for our first safari. The second rifle he took on that safari was a caliber that was new to his collection a 35 Whelen. He quickly realized that the Whelen was the better choice for Africa. On that trip he put 7 animals in the salt but only 1 with the 6.5x55. On our second safari he took that same 35 Whelen and a 404 Jeffery and left his beloved Swede at home. It wasn’t a lack of confidence in the 6.5x55 that left it in the gun safe, it’s the fact that he had better options available. If the 6.5CM is the largest round you can shoot accurately then by all means use it, if you can step up to a 7x57 with a 170 grain bullet or something larger make the better choice and leave the CM at home.

I agree completely with @Art Lambart II and @npm352 !!
The 6.5 is a great starter gun for a kid. Just enough power for a well placed shot to work. It is great for deer sized game. Bigger game requires getting set up for an ideal shot. I used my son’s rifle because I wanted to know for myself. For a rapid shot in less than ideal conditions, a bigger gun is a much better plan. Any full size adult who plans to hunt africa should train with a bigger rifle to insure a better chance of DRT success. At home, I prefer to minimize meat damage, so a smaller rifle makes sense for deer. In africa we should worry less about meat damage and more about immediate recovery.

 

[Manny R]

I am waiting for Choice Ammo to get back in stock their Nosier 140 gr Accubond.
Patience we all must have.

 

[nztimb]

Now, Bob. Who in hell would try a damn fool load like that? I dare you to try it in your beloved 35 Whelen and tell us the result.

A 160 6.5 bullet in an obviously necked down 35 Wheelan even with that powder load is probabaly not going to harm the action or barrel of the wheelan other than a lightly scoured throat.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Factory ammo suggestions anyone?

 

[Tra3]

View attachment 427778
Factory ammo suggestions anyone?

I have had good success with 142 gr nosler ABLR. It is essentially an accubond with a better BC. They hold up well through game, I recovered only one and it was a perfect mushroom. My family and I have shot 6 head of PG, deer and 1 bull elk with that ammo.

I haven’t used any of the lighter bullets on game.

 

[Ryan]

I'd go bonded, and a Scirocco II bullets are tough to beat there.

Remington Premier Scirocco. 130 grain Scirocco II bullet, 2750 FPS

Midway USA claims they are Overdue but Coming Soon, so there is hope there for ordering.

 

[Jeff 907]

I bought a Savage 110 ultralight for the spouse. It groups Nosler 140 AB 1.2” at 200. My Ruger does just about the same with 143 ELD-X. Both factory ammo. Coworker uses a 6.5CM with 140 AB for moose in interior Alaska.

 

[Newboomer]

A 160 6.5 bullet in an obviously necked down 35 Wheelan even with that powder load is probabaly not going to harm the action or barrel of the wheelan other than a lightly scoured throat.

I was thinking of an equivalent load in the 35 Whelen. Obviously, it would be way over max.

 

[ActionBob]

View attachment 427778
Factory ammo suggestions anyone?

You are correct.

@Manny R
I used my Creedmoor Man Bum on critters up to red hartebeest. But I'm confident it would work fine on black wildebeest and with good bullets zebra. My PH said he would have no problem using it on Kudu.

This was in April 2014. However the ammo supply was secured long before for sighting in and practice. Not much factory ammo out there at that time.

I used Hornady Superformance 129 grain Interbond. Much better than SST and for sure better than Interlock or A Max which are target or coyote bullets. I'm a fan of TSX but not GMX, GMX are brittle and break apart at close ranges.

That 129 grain Interbond blew through both shoulders of a big hartebeest and made a beautiful blood spray out the far side, all visible through the scope with that next to nothing recoil

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I trust my secret is safe here on an open forum and nobody will tell my mom or @tarbe that I have a 6.5 needsmore and a couple’06’s in the safe! Mom still thinks I’m a Piano player in a Nevada Whorehouse instead of a contractor, so let’s not make her high opinion of her son fade.
With that out of the and me out of the closet, I would definitely feel better with a 140 A-Frame or even a partition if shooting kudu. I would place the 6.5CM on the light side for such size game. I have shot elk with 7x57, 308 and even a Trudy-Turdy once, they all worked and put meat in the freezer. I have even witnessed the much despised.243 take many elk, is there much better choices? Absolutely there is but if you are going to hunt with a mouse gun, chose a bullet that will perform. Good Luck @Manny R and I expect most of the comments are just good nature ribbing! I love this place because of it.
Cheers,
Cody

@Bullthrower338
Cody I hate to tell you this but mum has known for years she has just been waiting for you to come out mate.
Hope you feel free now you have finally come out.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Whats wrong with a 243? I have several and one in particular that I have conservatively guesstimating killed around 300 deer and feral pigs with myself. Clients have shot probably twice that many animals ranging from feral pigs up to Red Deer. I actually killed my largest whitetail I have ever taken with that rifle. I also have a youth model that both my kids started on and I have used it for several youth shooters at the ranch. I know they arent everyone's cup of tea but I absolutely love the little caliber that could!

@gizmo
Someone has to love it, I'm glad you have had success with it.
It just ain't my cup of tea.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

My disdain for the 243 is from the deer culling days when the govt shooters went from the 303 as imports became more available and the 222 and the 243 became the rifles to use and they were successfull EXCEPT on the big west coast reds and wapiti in the winter where the wet hides (and they were very often wet in this high rainfall area) and when the animals were wallowing, were causesing penetration problems so there were wounding and loss stories. It seemed that if the shot was quartering away the bullet might travel in with the lay of the hair but for a quartering on and even sometimes a square on shot the bullet would sometimes blow up on the wet hide leaving a wound but no penetration sufficient to kill.
Many of the shooters went to the BSA in 7x57 or winchesters in 270 and 30-06 and the problems stopped happening.
I readily acknowledge that it may have been bullet problem (weight and or construction) but once those cartridge predudices are internalised through that type of evidence they are not easily let go of and I for one have not done so and for me deer cartridges start at the 6.5 x55/57 through the 7x57 and on up to the various 30 cals.
So while in dry conditions and with suitable bullets the 243 may well be a usefull cartridge in many areas, for me it will always be too small for deer and too big for rabbits making it useless to all intents and purposes although it may be ok to train youngsters at the range so they can graduate to a propper rifle for hunting

@Von Gruff
That is exactly the reason for my dislike of the 243, to much wounded game. Both to big and to small at the same time. The 25 may only be a small step up but you sure see a BIG difference in killing power.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Since there seems to be a few 6.5 Creedmoor aficionados responding to this thread, I'd like to ask a serious question. That is, "what will your Creedmoor do, that my properly loaded 6.5 x 55 Swede won't?" For a fact there is a lot better factory ammo selection for the Creedmoor, but other than
that ? ? ? ? By properly loaded I mean a 140 gr. NP at 2775 FPS. Or for slightly larger game a NORMA Factory 156 Gr. Oryx.

@Shootist43
Art that is why I dislike the 6.5 credemore. A lot of users believe the hype and a lot of users that I have come across just won't listen to reason. To them it is the be all and end all and yes it won't do anything the Swede won't do and has been doing for years. The 260 rem was another good cartridge that is every bit as good as the Creedmoor but for some reason lost out.
It wears a bit thin when people want to continually harp on about the long range virtues of it and how well it kills at those long ranges.
Out to 400 yards there are a lot of cartridges that shoot flatter and hit harder than the Creedmoor. The 25 ought six is better than the Creedmoor and all the way up to the 338 and the Whelen shoot just as flat and carry a lot more punch. Yes this comes at a cost of increased recoil but considering how many round we fire at game it shouldn't matter.
Yes I carry on about the Whelen but that's because it has been downtrodden for so long but I also accept there are far better cartridges for the job available.

I just can't stand all the hoopla and carry on about a new cartridges when we have older ones that have been doing the same for years without all the carry on. But hey advertising and bullshit sells.
Bob