Why did you buy a 6.5 Creedmoore?

[Puddle]

6.5x55mm user from way back. Gave it to my nephew as a graduation gift for completing putting himself through college. He'd always liked that rifle.

When the CM was announced, I took a look at the SAAMI spec's and saw it was basically the Swede Improved. When the local range decided to start up a factory-class competition, I bought a first-generation Ruger RPR in 6.5 CM and started handloading 120's and 140's for the matches. Too dang much fun.

It was only much, much later I finally got around to buying the CM in a hunting rifle and loaded 143's for cow elk freezer filling.

Now my son and his buddies all own CM's and shoot the cheapest factory ammo they can find because they can take their targets home and brag about 'em.

It's just a fun little cartrige.

 

[Tgood1]

Never jumped on it, I shoot a 260 and absolutely love it

 

[BryceM]

Like @Tgood1, I have a .260 Rem Ackley and absolutely love it. Cleaned up a wounded pronghorn at over 700 yards two years ago. Can’t see a reason for a Creedmore.

I respect it for what it is, and its development has probably been a positive thing in the US deer hunting world (helping to cure magnum-itis), but there’s nothing magical about it.

 

[CraigV]

So,

I waited a while after this round came out to consider it. A good friend, gunsmith, and established shooter recommended it. He took me out to test a few new rifles, and I was impressed. So I built the 1st bolt gun. Now have 3.

Bottom line, it works.

Ammo is available in many variations, it's reasonable, and it's works in the real world, not just on paper targets.

You don't have to like it, buy one or endorse it, but the reality is there.

 

[1dirthawker]

I now own a 6.5. I recently added a .375 HH barrel. Thanks to Tra3 and BeeMa for all the peer pressure (help).

yup,

BeeMa was pushing on me too! dang it, i bought the r8 as well.

 

[CZDiesel]

So I just have to say it! The Black Rifle community has damn near driven the Brown rifle community into extinction!
I hate it for that!!!
Do I own and enjoy black rifles? Yes I do!
Do I hate that they and cartridges like the creedmore have pushed everything else aside? YES!!!
And the fact, FACT is the creedmore is nowhere near a long range cartridge! Is is a standard medium range cartridge for medium game! That’s it!
Anyone want to put a creedmore up against serious long range cartridges like the 264 WinMag, 7STW, or 26 Nosler?
No I don’t think so!
I grew up hunting Couse and desert Mule Deer outside of Tucson Arizona and at long range!
Sorry to offend but the creedmore is a joke that is for the black rifle community! They can have it!

 

[Tundra Tiger]

I bought one for a female friend.

Why? It was actually the rifle and price more than the caliber: a Mossberg Patriot in Serenity camo. She likes teal. I got it for a great price. It just happened to be in 6.5 Creedmoor.

 

[Inkgardener]

It’s baffling to me that it was ever even promoted as the 260 Remington seriously predated it, uses the same parent cartridge, and has bot more case capacity and terminal performance…

The 6.5x47 Lapua predates it as well. It’s also considered a very accurate long range cartridge.

 

[Inkgardener]

I bought one to try shooting plates at distance, and it has turned into my “predator” rifle. I wanted an inexpensive bolt gun so I got the Ruger American Predator with the Magpul stock. I wanted the 7mm-08 but it was not threaded. It’s also the only plastic stocked bolt gun I own.

I like my Swede to hunt with though.

My dad picked up a Sako Riihimaki that I want, but some joker rebarreled it to 6.5x47 Lapua. I wouldn’t even know what to do with that. I sure don’t need another .257 or .264 bore.

 

[CZDiesel]

@CraigV You can thumbs down me all you want? And this is not personal as I bet we could be great friends!
But there is nothing that a creedmore can do that a 6.5x55, 260 REM, or 7mm-08 does doesn’t do better!
And it’s laughable to think it’s a large game or serious long range round…
Again, nothing personal but facts are facts…

 

[Daggaboy375]

Just did.
Didn't need a reason.
DB

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I own a couple of 6.5 Swedes. However, with 5 grandsons I can easily envision getting them a 6.5 CM in a Tikka for a 16th birthday or a HS graduation present. The 6.5 CM is a good cartridge and very available and affordable in the US.

 

[Macduff]

I have a Tikka T3x CTR that I bought from Rock Island a few years back.

I got it for a lot of the reasons listed. I wanted a precision caliber that could be used to 1k, with ammo readily available at a reasonable price.

I actually bought 2 Tikkas at the same auction. The other was a T3 CTR in 260 Remington.

I kept the 6.5CM primarily because of ammo availability, specifically for match cartridges.

As a side note, if you're a Vet...you should be looking at ExpertVoice for their ammo deals. I get almost all my precision ammo through there, using the Federal discount. Federal provides a (IIRC) 40% discount to MSRP on many of their loadings. You can use the discount once per quarter. That price typically ends up being better than the wholesale price I get through Chattanooga Shooting Sports.

 

[112Savage]

I have loaded for 264 WM, 6.5x55, 6.5 grendel, 6.5 PRC, and 6.5 creedmoor. The creedmoor was the easiest to get good accuracy at the top of the velocity bracket. I could get great accuracy out of the others but it took more effort, bullet and powder permutations, and they were not as easy to get the combo of accuracy and velocity together. I now how two creedmoors, my brother and father both have creedmoors. I have shot bullets from 110gr to 160 grains and have found great accuracy with all weights. Components are great quality and easy to find. What is not to like?

 

[PanhandlinPat]

I have a Tikka T3x CTR that I bought from Rock Island a few years back.

I got it for a lot of the reasons listed. I wanted a precision caliber that could be used to 1k, with ammo readily available at a reasonable price.

I actually bought 2 Tikkas at the same auction. The other was a T3 CTR in 260 Remington.

I kept the 6.5CM primarily because of ammo availability, specifically for match cartridges.

As a side note, if you're a Vet...you should be looking at ExpertVoice for their ammo deals. I get almost all my precision ammo through there, using the Federal discount. Federal provides a (IIRC) 40% discount to MSRP on many of their loadings. You can use the discount once per quarter. That price typically ends up being better than the wholesale price I get through Chattanooga Shooting Sports.

Not to derail the 6.5 thread, but I’ve bought ammo for my safari rifles in the same manner. There’s been times you can get loaded ammo cheaper than bullets and powder.

 

[Tra3]

In 2017 at the SCI show in Vegas I asked multiple people what rifle to buy for a 12 year old. The vast majority said get a 6.5CM. I did.
In hindsight, I bet at least one of those people who gave me the advice was a member here on AH!!

A few years later, after watching the caliber work great for a younger shooter, I bought a 6.5CM barrel for the kids to use on an R8.

I’ll keep the caliber for the R8’s because it is easy and inexpensive to shoot. It is a great caliber to practice with. It is definitely the deer caliber I first give to new hunters.

 

[TOBY458]

I own a Tikka T3X CTR in 6.5 CM that is extremely accurate. I use it as a target rifle as of now. Very light recoil and very quiet through a suppressor. As of now I have a Zeiss 4-16 scope on it that makes long range shooting a lot of fun. However if I were to use the rifle for hunting, I’d put a more lightweight scope on. I’ve used a 260 Rem in the past for hunting deer, so I know the 6.5 will work exactly the same. Which is excellent.