Why all the 6.5 Creedmoor Hate?

[F. Vaccaro]

Yea but they are comparing it to their former "big" cartridge... the 223 Remington.

The 6.5 Creedmoor seems to be here to stay.

What Gina and I love about it probably has as much to do with the equipment we have as the cartridge but it really does fit a niche for us. The rifle is stainless in a laminated stock, not a lightweight but not heavy either. It has a Swarovski Z5 3.5-18x44 scope with Ballistic Turret and W4 reticle mounted. The combo with cheap Hornady ammo will shoot 1/4" MOA! It's a Ruger Hawkeye M77 Predator. This example is a very high quality gun. Not fine walnut and blued steel but it spends a lot of time in the back seat of the one ton pickup bouncing around or resting muzzle down on the floorboard of a side by side ATV.

It has enough power to take down whitetail and mule deer and I wouldn't be afraid to shoot a black bear with it or even a mountain lion. All of which would be the largest wild animals we will encounter on our properties. Yet the ammo is cheap and plentiful so we can use it on coyotes, ground hogs, skunks, armadillos, porcupine, etc. It reliability hits exactly where you aim it and does so without any noticeable recoil.

Could we get all of the above out of another caliber? Perhaps, but in a $700 CRF rifle right out of the box that stands up to weather and abuse and stays accurate with low cost ammo without needing to reload?

I do agree Bob, mine was chosen for a pick up hunting rifle. It's a Weatherby Vanguard Camilla. Short, light, accurate, mild to very mild recoil, & with the short creedmoor case I can seat long 140gr bullets out.
My Niece has taken two Elk with hers with two shots, one each. She is a good shot and doesn't shoot till she has a very good shot..

 

[dgr416]

I take kids hunting on youth hunts alot .I first let them use my 6.5 jap carbine for a while. THEN I finally got a 260 rem in a savage model 10 and it made clover leafs with lapua bullets.The kids and women that shot that rifle loved it .They didn't like the blast a 270 had and were afraid of it .I finally bought a kimber model 84 in 6.5 cm but I wish it was in 260 so I didn't have to load another caliber .I used 308 necked down brass for the 260 and it was super cheap to shoot and super accurate .Kids were amazed how good they could shoot on instead of bigger guns .This year I got two big bucks with my 260 and it did an awesome job.

 

[skydiver386]

Rifles and ammo in this caliber are one thing I'll never own.....EVER!

I'm sick of nearly every rifle on the rack at Cabela's only available in it.

I'm sick of every rifle at every fund raiser being only in it.

I'm sick of every major retail catalog and website only stocking rifles in it.

I'm sick of walking into every gun store in the Country, and the only center-fire rifle ammo they have in stock is it.

I'm sick of every article in every shooting or hunting magazine glorifying it.

I'm sick of every hunting or shooting show, podcast or radio talk show spending hours on end blabbering about it.

I've never owned or shot one, and I'm already sick of it.

 

[mdwest]

Wake up people, they’re selling us something we already have.

this is why I handload..

once I acquired 200 pieces of 300 H&H brass (took me a few months after I bought my first 300 H&H).. I never had to worry about whether or not I could find "factory" ammo to feed my wifes 300 H&H again (and have since picked up a 300 H&H of my own and expanded the brass stash to 400 pieces)..

if at any point before I take an elongated dirt nap the rifle and ammo manufacturers decide 308 is no longer en vogue and want us to all shoot some other 30 caliber non magnum... i wont be bothered.. the 1000+ pieces of 308 brass Ive got stand ready to serve..

doesnt matter if the cartridge is something "new" like the 350 legend or 458 SOCOM I have in the safe.. or something "old" like the 300 H&H... or something "odd" like the 416 Taylor.. the very first thing I do whenever I purchase a new firearm is acquire dies, and a surplus of brass.. typically for a bolt action the minimum I keep on hand is 200 pieces (I prefer more).. for something high volume like 556, 9mm, etc.. Ive got at least a few thousand pieces for each firearm...

the next generation can argue the merits of their new super cartridge while the older generation argues the fallacy of "new" and bemoan the inability to use their "old" stuff....

and I'll just go to the range or field and shoot

 

[Doug Hamilton]

That is true, @mark-hunter . The 6.5 Creedmoor doesn't offer anything new to the table. And your own assessment about the "Grumpy old men" certainly holds a lot of weight. My father (for instance) is a die hard advocate of paper cased shotgun cartridges. He always thinks that they're far superior to plastic cased shotgun shells, no matter how much I've been trying to get him to use plastic shotgun shells over the years.

But answer this: Why is the .300 Winchester Magnum so widely accepted by the "Grumpy old men" even though it offers no ballistic advantage (to my knowledge) over the original .300 Holland & Holland Magnum ?

My thought on the acceptance of the .300 WM is that it fits into a standard length (therefore less expensive) action. The .300 H&H requires a full magnum length action. As more standard length actions are available brass is also easier to come by. As there is more demand for the Win. more loaded ammunition and cases are manufactured to meet demand and availability goes up.
The cost of a magnum Mauser action is the only reason I chose to go with the WM. It also gets about 100 fps more speed than the H&H with 200 grain bullets so I couldn't see a down side.

 

[Inline6]

@Hunter-Habib

Well said, if we never progress we would still be using stick much less typing on our computers or phones.

I have little experience with 6.5X55. The experience that I did have. That combination that I shot would not hold a candle to the accuracy capabilities of my 6.5CM. I have shot a 6.5CM and had impacts on targets less than 1/2MOA out to 1300 yards. Have taken it's little brother (6CM) past 1600 yards. Hitting very small targets.

I also shoot some relatively new cartridges 6GT and 7PRC. Both do well, I'm sure someone will have something negative to say. Progress happens, people can get on board or live in the past. Time doesn't stand still, that much I have figured out in my short time on this rock.

 

[CoElkHunter]

@CoElkHunter

I would tend to agree with the mild recoil statement you made! The recoil is a non-issue for me. My shoulders are shot and I have fun shooting the Creedmoor! @ActionBob has one and we refer to it as the “truck gun” and I killed my first mule deer with the ugly thing! (And it is ugly IMO)
I like to hunt, but I love to shoot! I especially enjoy long range shooting. I only compete with myself but I thoroughly enjoy just shooting! This gun is a lot of fun for me. I am looking forward to life settling down so my sweetie and I can go have some fun shooting!
Question for everyone though: my hair is so long I can almost sit on it. Should I be wearing it in a bun when shooting the CM?

Yes. Yes, you should be wearing it in a bun. And if need be when hunting, you could put a couple of extra rounds IN the bun in case you might need them. I would if my hair was long enough. LOL

 

[CoElkHunter]

Rifles and ammo in this caliber are one thing I'll never own.....EVER!

I'm sick of nearly every rifle on the rack at Cabela's only available in it.

I'm sick of every rifle at every fund raiser being only in it.

I'm sick of every major retail catalog and website only stocking rifles in it.

I'm sick of walking into every gun store in the Country, and the only center-fire rifle ammo they have in stock is it.

I'm sick of every article in every shooting or hunting magazine glorifying it.

I'm sick of every hunting or shooting show, podcast or radio talk show spending hours on end blabbering about it.

I've never owned or shot one, and I'm already sick of it.

+1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Puddle]

I take kids hunting on youth hunts alot .I first let them use my 6.5 jap carbine for a while. THEN I finally got a 260 rem in a savage model 10 and it made clover leafs with lapua bullets.The kids and women that shot that rifle loved it .They didn't like the blast a 270 had and were afraid of it .I finally bought a kimber model 84 in 6.5 cm but I wish it was in 260 so I didn't have to load another caliber .I used 308 necked down brass for the 260 and it was super cheap to shoot and super accurate .Kids were amazed how good they could shoot on instead of bigger guns .This year I got two big bucks with my 260 and it did an awesome job.

That's why my teenage son and his teenage buddies love that 6.5 CM cartridge.
They take their ~$400 rifle + scope combos, buy the cheapest ammo that their part-time, after-school jobs can afford and head to the range where they compete with each other for target bragging rights.
The target groups my son brings home to show off are quite impressive.

 

[CoElkHunter]

@Hunter-Habib

Well said, if we never progress we would still be using stick much less typing on our computers or phones.

I have little experience with 6.5X55. The experience that I did have. That combination that I shot would not hold a candle to the accuracy capabilities of my 6.5CM. I have shot a 6.5CM and had impacts on targets less than 1/2MOA out to 1300 yards. Have taken it's little brother (6CM) past 1600 yards. Hitting very small targets.

I also shoot some relatively new cartridges 6GT and 7PRC. Both do well, I'm sure someone will have something negative to say. Progress happens, people can get on board or live in the past. Time doesn't stand still, that much I have figured out in my short time on this rock.

I kind of like living in the past actually when it comes to cartridges for BIG GAME HUNTING (BIG GAME HUNTING, NOT TARGET SHOOTING). I'm familiar with them and they're not one of Hornady, Winchester, Nosler or Remington's proprietary cartridges that they no longer manufacture factory ammo or reloading brass for. Let's see, since the early 2000s, we've had and now GONE the WSSMs, SAUMs, Marlin Express, Ruger Compact Magnums and soon to be Noslers. Try and find brass for some of Hornady's CURRENT proprietary PRCs, and earlier RCMs (not since 2012), .375 and .416 Rugers. Hornady hasn't produced .375 Ruger reloading brass for three years! As soon as the cartridge companies and their "partnered" rifle brands sell their latest and greatest cartridges and rifles, they're on to the next latest and greatest cartridges FOR PROFIT, leaving the previous proprietary rifle cartridge owners in dust bin of time. I recently bought a .375 Ruger, but it will probably be the last rifle I own in a proprietary cartridge. To each their own, buy what trips your trigger and use what you want for BIG GAME hunting.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Dad started me on a 30-06 in 1964. I still hunt with that rifle almost exclusively. If it's not broke, I don't see any reason to try fixing it. Anyway, I'm not much into following trends. The current pirate fashion (shaved heads or man buns + goatee + tattoos + rings and things in ears, lips, nostrils, etc) doesn't turn my crank ... at all. Pointy shoes and yoga pants look fine on some people (elves) but not me. I guess for rifles, like everything else, I prefer to act/look my age. Generally I hate stereotypes but I despise being a fakey slave to fashion even more.

Check out getting a paracord bracelet with an old military style "P38" can opener attached to it. Survival gear. I would also suggest a nose ring for checking windage and elevation when shooting a rifle with open sights, but probably not. LOL

 

[CoElkHunter]

I kind of like living in the past actually when it comes to cartridges for BIG GAME HUNTING (BIG GAME HUNTING, NOT TARGET SHOOTING). I'm familiar with them and they're not one of Hornady, Winchester, Nosler or Remington's proprietary cartridges that they no longer manufacture factory ammo or reloading brass for. Let's see, since the early 2000s, we've had and now GONE the WSSMs, SAUMs, Marlin Express, Ruger Compact Magnums and soon to be Noslers. Try and find brass for some of Hornady's CURRENT proprietary PRCs, and earlier RCMs (not since 2012), .375 and .416 Rugers. Hornady hasn't produced .375 Ruger reloading brass for three years! As soon as the cartridge companies and their "partnered" rifle brands sell their latest and greatest cartridges and rifles, they're on to the next latest and greatest cartridges FOR PROFIT, leaving the previous proprietary rifle cartridge owners in dust bin of time. I recently bought a .375 Ruger, but it will probably be the last rifle I own in a proprietary cartridge. To each their own, buy what trips your trigger and use what you want for BIG GAME hunting.

Oops, I forgot the Winchester Short Magnums (WSMs). The .300 and .325 WSMs were/are actually pretty good but alas, no more factory ammo or reloading brass readily available. Sad.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Oops, I forgot the Winchester Short Magnums (WSMs). The .300 and .325 WSMs were/are actually pretty good but alas, no more factory ammo or reloading brass readily available. Sad.

I never had any interest in the WSSRS, but I did play around with the idea of a .300 or .325 WSM for a little bit. Glad I didn't bite, and went with a .300 WM.

 

[mauserhunter]

Check out getting a paracord bracelet with an old military style "P38" can opener attached to it. Survival gear. I would also suggest a nose ring for checking windage and elevation when shooting a rifle with open sights, but probably not. LOL

I think the p51 would be more fitting for a creedmoor shooter, dad always said the p51 was for the ladies.

 

[ActionBob]

Ok so this gives me mixed impressions about the 6.5 Creedmoor. On one hand, its a pretty big deal that the Barbie franchise has come out with a Creedmoor version of their Ken doll. Yet on the other hand he is on clearance and yet the shelf was still full.... And to make matters even more dismal for the outlook of the 6.5 Creedmoor.... My lovely Barbie collecting wife @Just Gina did come home with a shopping cart full of new Barbies, but alas Manbun Ken was not amongst them

 

[CoElkHunter]

I never had any interest in the WSSRS, but I did play around with the idea of a .300 or .325 WSM for a little bit. Glad I didn't bite, and went with a .300 WM.

I almost bought a used Browning SS BLR .325WSM about six or seven years ago for $500 at a gun show. I almost bought a barely used Remington 700 in .300RUM for my son in about 2006 from a local gunsmith. It had a beautiful walnut stock, engraved receiver and floor plate and came with Leupold rings, the gunsmith's proprietary removable brake, 500 once fired cases and dies for $500! Shoulda, coulda ,woulda! I kick myself often for passing on that one!

 

[mauserhunter]

I've got to watch myself my hair is almost long enough to form a manbunn but I wouldn't know how one makes a Bunn. I should probably give my self a hair cut before the next gun shop visit.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I've got to watch myself my hair is almost long enough to form a manbunn but I wouldn't know how one makes a Bunn. I should probably give my self a hair cut before the next gun shop visit.

"I wouldn't know how one makes a Bun?" I don't know either, but you could ask Townsend @Bob Nelson 35Whelen or @Just Gina who actually HAS a Creedmoor. You're welcome! LOL

 

[mauserhunter]

"I wouldn't know how one makes a Bun?" I don't know either, but you could ask Townsend @Bob Nelson 35Whelen or @Just Gina who actually HAS a Creedmoor. You're welcome! LOL

Idk Nelson 35whelens is probably upside-down him being from down under lol. Seriously I need a haircut my hunting hat don't fit anymore.

 

[Just Gina]

Ok so this gives me mixed impressions about the 6.5 Creedmoor. On one hand, its a pretty big deal that the Barbie franchise has come out with a Creedmoor version of their Ken doll. Yet on the other hand he is on clearance and yet the shelf was still full.... And to make matters even more dismal for the outlook of the 6.5 Creedmoor.... My lovely Barbie collecting wife @Just Gina did come home with a shopping cart full of new Barbies, but alas Manbun Ken was not amongst them
View attachment 592887View attachment 592888

Yes, I got my first Barbie doll when I was 3 years old. She wore a crown. I carried her around everywhere! My mother always had me dressed like I should be on top of a cake and I often wore dresses with a pinafore. Barbie was always in my pinafore pocket.
Ken…well, he was the servant. I only had one Ken doll. All of my Barbies were well educated with careers. Bob and I were chuckling pretty good at this find that I opted not to bring home.