SHOOTING
Through a series of tests WHJ Shooting Editor Kevin Madison is convinced the hype surrounding the 6.5 Creedmoor is warranted . pat hoglund photo and hunting industry . Today , it continues to make a splash .
A previous joint venture between Hornady and Thompson / Center had developed the . 30 T / C , a short action round intended to have the performance of the long action . 30-06 . This round would ultimately serve as the parent case for the developing 6.5 Creedmoor . Unlike the . 260 Remington , which had been in existence for quite some time and is based off the . 308 Winchester , this new round has a shorter , fatter profile known for burning powder efficiently . It also has a 30-degree shoulder , less body taper , and a longer neck , which means those long , sleek bullets the round was designed for don ’ t have to be seated deep in the case allowing for more powder capacity . At the same time , centering up the cartridge in the chamber gave it enhanced accuracy .
The only problem was that at the time of its introduction in 2007 there simply weren ’ t a lot of long range shooters , either competitively or recreationally . Those who did shoot long range quickly gained an appreciation for the new round but it was definitely a niche market to start . That eventually changed , however , as we rolled into a new decade and the number of long range shooters continued to grow . And as precision rifle competitions gained in popularity , manufacturers recognized the trend and started to produce quality , affordable rifles . By the mid-2010s , both Savage and Ruger had introduced accurate , yet affordable rifles to their lines with the Savage Model 12 LRP and Ruger ‘ RPR ’ or Ruger Precision Rifle to meet the needs of the growing long range community .
It should come as no surprise that rifles designed specifically for the hunting community soon followed , such as the very popular Tikka T3 as one example . The cartridge ’ s popularity was directly related to Hornady ’ s commitment to making ammunition more available . Not surprisingly , more and more ammunition manufacturers followed suit offering a broader selection of 6.5 Creedmoor ammo that can fill just about any need of today ’ s hunters .
As is the case with many wildcats — custom cartridges for which mass-produced ammunition is not readily available — the 6.5 Creedmoor isn ’ t completely new . Truth be told , similar 6.5 calibers have been around for over a century , with cartridges like the 6.5X55 Swedish dating back to pre-1900 . Interestingly , some of the early 6.5s found strong followings both for service and sporting use in Europe , but they had a hard time finding much of a following in the U . S .
To get perspective on how the 6.5 Creedmoor came to be , it ’ s important to look at the influential cartridges that helped shape it . In the late 1950s and early 1960s the . 264 Winchester Magnum was introduced and while it had merit , it was quickly forgotten when the 7mm Remington Magnum was developed . In the late 1990s the . 260 Remington played a role in legitimatizing the 6.5-08 wildcat which had already been in the shooting community for some time . Not only did this take away some of the . 260 ’ s initial excitement , but it followed the trend of other North American 6.5s with very few factory options being available . In today ’ s market though , between the attractive characteristics of the 6.5 bullet itself and the many different high-quality hunting bullet options currently available , it is a round worthy of closer inspection for today ’ s hunter .
When compared with its counterparts in 6mm , 6.8mm , 7mm , and even perhaps . 30 caliber , 6.5 bullets are a great consideration for western big game hunters due to their high sectional density and strong ballistic characteristics . Sectional density is the result of a calculation comparing a bullet ’ s weight to its diameter , with the higher the sectional density the better . And this is an important consideration as sectional density ( SD ) can have a substantial effect on bullet penetration which is always an important factor when hunting big
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WESTERN HUNTING JOURNAL