Western Hunting Journal, Premiere Issue whj001_premiere | Page 41

6.5 CREEDMOOR Does the cartridge live up to the hype? By Kevin Madison, WHJ SHOOTING EDITOR T HE RELOADING COMMUNITY IS NOTO- RIOUS for constantly tinkering with existing cartridges and creating new wildcats. Rarely do any of these become mainstream and develop a strong following, much less ever see the light of day on your average sporting goods store shelves. Despite what we have come to expect with a new cartridge, the 6.5 Creedmoor is one that has bucked the trend. Over the past decade, it has developed a strong following among competitive shooters, and more recently it has become a car- tridge of choice for big game hunters. Whether it’s the relatively light recoil, the cartridge’s long- range capabilities with high ballistic coefficient bullets, the ability to be fed through a magazine, or its stopping power, there is no denying the popularity of the 6.5 Creedmoor. Introduced and perfected in 2007 by Horna- dy Manufacturing, the 6.5 Creedmoor was the brainchild of a handful of shooting experts. Most notably, high power shooting champion Den- nis Demille, senior Hornady ballistician Dave Emary, Hornady engineer Joe Thielen and Neil Davies, Hornaday’s marketing manager. Each one had a hand in the cartridge’s development, and its rise in popularity. It was a case of revisiting existing rounds to meet their needs, and in this situation, it spawned a movement in the hunting industry that would have a far-reaching ripple effect. When Steve Hornady, CEO of Hornady Manufac- turing, gave his team the blessing to develop the 6.5 Creedmoor in 2007, the pebble dropped into the pond reverberated throughout the shooting www.westernhuntingjournal.com 39