Morning Ron: I have a 6.5 Creedmoor and love it for mule and white tail deer along with Pronghorn and those Wile E. Coyotes. I don't send much time puffing up my chest and bragging about much because about the time I do, I screw up and prove to everyone I'm human. The 6.5 Creedmoor does the job and it does it with less recoil, noise, and burned out barrels. It works and that's all I need. Thanks again
The straight up honesty and sincerity talking about poor results using match grade ammo is what keeps me coming back. Could tell it was an experience that stuck with you and proved a lesson the rest of us can learn from.
Who in our field of interest uses MATCH GRADE ammo for hunting? This is crazy talk, it's just stupid, we don't do that amy more than competitive 308 shooters using match grade on mulies, it's idiotic.
Match ammo is NOT designed for hunting. Match ammo is jacketed (core encased in jacket) meaning it fragments on impact. Hunting ammo is typically bonded (one piece, chemically bonded core and jacket) Bonded bullets are designed for mass-retention and when used for hunting, mass-retention means stopping power since the bullet expands on impact instead of fragmenting. Anyone who says any caliber is bad for hunting while using match ammo is an absolute idiot.
@@homeostasis4me485 The use of match grade ammunition is common practice in New Zealand amongst highly experienced deer hunters. There are two primary ecosystems in which deer are found in NZ: (a) Steep hill and mountain country with varying degrees of cover, with most shots >200m, and frequently 4-500m or more (on my farm, the average range for 267 red deer shot in June-August 2021 with a Howa 6.5 Creedmoor / 147gr ELD-M was 291m.) (b) Forested woodland where most encounters are very close range and shots are typically 50m of less. In the case of the steep, open country shooting, soft partially fragmenting “match” projectiles are standard procedure. Hornady ELD-M and ELD-X, Sierra TMK, various Bergers, those would be the majority. I use both of the ELDs in 6.5 and 7mm, Speer BTSP in .308, Sierra ProHunter and Hornady ELD-M in 6mm... The one that will probably cause you to foam at the mouth is my favourite .224 cal deer bullet, the Speer 70gr Varmint semi-point in the .223 Rem - I shoot a good number of deer with that little projectile, if they make more than 10 yards it’s an exception to the norm. There is a significant body of video evidence of these bullets’ effectiveness on TH-cam from NZ, I suggest you take a look. For example, this is my video, a red hind shot at ~350m with a 6mm 108gr ELD-M: th-cam.com/video/5EUBWwky2j0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=9MXqvcyUvkPAUT77. This is just a normal shot on a normal day on the farm (except the weather was nicer than it normally is.) In woodland, where impact velocity tends to be >2600 ft./sec, I usually use Norma Oryx in .308 Win; have also tried Barnes TSX, various older bonded designs like Hornady Interbond and Nosler Accubond. The Oryx is the only controlled expansion projectile I use in any of my rifles. I shoot several hundred red deer every year, plus hundreds more goats and pigs. Like many experienced shooters I pride myself in being able to drop the vast majority of animals on the spot, DRT. The reason this is important is primarily for recovery purposes, if they run even a short distance it’s very hard to find them in that kind of terrain without a dedicated deer tracking dog. Our rural environment is completely different to North America in that all of these large ungulates are pest species that are out of control, in the same way that your hogs are. There is no tag system and we have to shoot as many as we possibly can in order to stay on top of our land management. A great deal of the recovered game meat is consumed by our families and those that we provide for in the community, however an increasing proportion is also shot to waste. So to say that using match grade ammunition is stupid and idiotic needs a bit of research & validation on your behalf. I’ve spent a lot of time in North America hunting with relatives and ex-colleagues (I used to work for Newmont Mining Corporation in Nevada and Colorado), and I’ve always been struck by how blinkered a lot of American hunters are to how different projectiles work on different categories of game at different ranges & impact velocities. I’m glad to be of assistance to your learning. Good luck and happy hunting.
3 months ago, took down a kudu bull 300m away with a shot to the aorta. Dropped where he stood. Remington core lokt 140gr in 6.5 creedmoor. Shot placement is everything. Recovered the bullet his skin on the other side.
The creed is great at what it’s designed to do. For hunting purposes, it’s just another short action, 100-150 grain bullet between 2600-2800ish fps. Not much difference between the creed vs a 7-08, 308, 243, etc. put a good bullet where it needs to go at a reasonable range and you’ll be just fine.
@@chrisblake1918 it’s not really a wanna be overall. It does what it was designed to do very very well, shoot heavy for caliber high BC bullets effectively and accurately out to very extended ranges with low recoil for target shooting. It’s not the cartridges fault people buy a box of precision hunter and think they’re 1,000 yard guys. I’m also never going to sit and say it’s the best elk cartridge you’ll ever shoot because it is far far from that lol.
@@BadoreksDailys but but but-you mean I can’t blast the socks off of Timothy Rex at 1900 yards? But Timmy been talking bad about my wife and I prefer to slap asenine, addle pated, feeble headed, squirrel brained Jack asses of his size from a distance!
@@BadoreksDailys lol you shouldn't be shooting any animal out side of coyotes and rabbits at a 1000 with a 6.5 creed. Not enough energy at all. That's where even the 7mm-08 takes over identical drop to the 6.5 but carries much more energy past 500 yards.
@@EatingWild That’s my point, it gets a bad rep from people buying into the long range thinking that means hunting. It doesn’t, it is a fantastic long range TARGET cartridge with low recoil, high BC bullets. For HUNTING it’s not really any different than your 7-08, .308, etc in the hands of MOST hunters. No mule deer is going to know the difference between a 165 partition out of a .308 and a 140 accubond out of a creed at 250 yards. No whitetail at 50 yards is going to know the difference. Point being there’s no shot I would take with a 7-08 or .308 that I wouldn’t take with a 6.5 creed and vice versa.
I was deer hunting with my Kimber Montana in 6.5 CM. Came upon a black bear and had a fall bear tag in my pocket. I felt a tad under-gunned, but the little Creedmoor dropped the bear in his tracks. I felt comfortable giving that rifle to my son for his first deer rifle, and he's proud to have one of his dad's rifles with a good hunting story behind it.
Thanks for the great information, Mr. Spomer. One day the Creedmoor hype will die down and people will accept it as a normal round that has many uses. It's a pretty good round, I think!
" The secret's in the sauce " The sauce being the bullet. A .264 Barne's TTSX or a Nosler Partitioned or Bonded and an ethical distance gets most anything done bigger and badder will do. Placement always rules, no matter the artillery.
Exactly right! My old-school choice is a .270 with a 130 grain TTSX or Nosler partition. None that I've shot with it have survived. I'm sure the 6.5 Creedmore with the right ammo and good bullet placement will do the job.
@@jimkelly1578 In the mid 70's, I came by my first Rem. 700 BDL in .270, having found love at first handling. Setting aside, the Rem. 742 in 30-06, primarily a Florida gun and Core-Lock'ed ammo, I never had any issues. Using the same ammo in .270 but in Bama, on much larger bodied deer, I was experiencing separation, no anchoring, and poor blood trails if any. I tried a box of Federal Premium, in 150 gr. Nosler Partition, and have never looked back since that day. It is surprising, that hunters can hunt for decades and be so particular about caliber, yet pay the least attention to the projectile. With the right bullet, and good placement, just about any center fire rifle will do the job. I'm an eastern U.S. hunter, so as you know, most of our shots taken don't enter the ethical distance realms, but there have been many over the decades that I won't hunt with, due to placement issues. I'll wager you know a few also.
It's almost comical that this is still being debated by people... I'd say inside 300 yards it will put down most of the game in North America with proper bullet choice and shot placement. You can really stretch it out farther for animals like mule deer on down and I would be comfortable taking a 400 yard shot on a white tail but that's as far as I would chance it. It wouldn't be my 1st choice for moose, bear, or really even elk but I know people who's used it successfully on all of them. I own a 6.5 Creedmoor gas gun, and 2 bolt guns one is Springfield's new 2020 Waypoint and a Thompson Center Venture. I hunt with several other cartridges also so it not like I think the 6.5 Creedmoor is the best of the best but it's a very capable cartridge... Great video as always keepem coming brother!!!
It's a great cartridge for moose I have shot 3 with it and dropped them all rate away it gets great penetration but it's opinion for what you like to hunt with
I wouldn't have a problem for it with elk depending on where a person is hunting, if your hunting private land and know you won't be shooting more then a few hundred yards then it would be a great choice. But I'd agree it certainly not a wide open spaces kind of rifle for elk. One thing for elk specifically, Colorado law dictates it must retain 1000 foot pounds of energy at 100 yards, not sure where they got that number from just found it interesting when I found it researching for my first Colorado hunt next fall. I'll be taking a 7mm rem mag, but I'll be hunting public land so I want to be prepared for any range.
@@jaydunbar7538 ya 7mm it a good choice for elk I don't have them where I live but I like my 6.5 and would probably use it again for moose and your right shit placement is everything no matter what gun
@@ontariohunter443 I don't doubt you at all buddy I know people who's done the same. When I'm moose hunting I'm traveling a long ways from SW Louisiana and paying a good chunk of money also. I've got 2 guns that gives me some added horsepower, a little bit of an insurance policy, and makes more sense for me considering what I have to do in order to go hunt them which are a 7mm Rem Mag and 28 Nosler. I also have a 280AI that would get the job done as well. That said even if I didn't have to travel to hunt them I'd still rather have that added horsepower but that also comes at a cost you're going to have a heavier harder recoiling rifle then something like a 6.5 Creedmoor or even a 6.5 PRC... Take care brother!!
@@jaydunbar7538 I'll be shooting a 280AI on my next elk hunt but just like for moose I've got to travel a pretty good ways and pay a good chunk of money to hunt them from SW Louisiana. I normally shoot a 7mm Rem Mag but the 1st elk I ever killed was with a 270WSM right at 200 yards so if that could do it a 6.5 Creedmoor or PRC with a heavily constructed bullet should have no problems at reasonable distances. It really all comes down to the time and money it takes for me to hunt elk same goes for moose. There's no sure thing in hunting but if I can stack the deck in my favor in any way that's what I have to do in order for it to make any sense for what goes into a hunt for me... Take care man!!!
Being a Swedish hunter using, among other cartridges, 6.5x55 with 155/156 grain for large/tough body animals I’m missing heavier bullets in 6.5 creedmoor. High BC ~140 grain bullets are fine for target shooting and “smaller” games but I want penetration and reliable expansion when hunting up to 300 yards. I know that with monolithic bullets you can receive similar or better penetration but I still prefer bonded. Nothing against the cartridge but I don’t see it bring more meat to the table than 260rem, 6.5x55 or any of the “old” 6.5 cartridges do. Hunting, to me, is more understanding your game, its habitat, your capability with your rifle and lastly your cartridge as long it is legal to use on the specific game.
Well, the swedish laws regulating hunting ammunition is the sole reason we got 156-160 bullets on the 6.5. Sure, the old "1890s" bullets was 150+ grains and round nose, but after the "invention" of spitzer bullets the 140 was the standard. The 160 does nothing a 140 does, but when the rules was made up they wanted to prevent people using military ammo for hunting, and most loads in the 60's was not loaded to the velocity (and energy) needed in swedish laws (e@100m 2000J with 156+ and e@100m 2700J with 140gr). But with modern rifles, that is anything after ww2 basicly, can do 140's in the velocity needed. But there is still small ring mausers and krags that dont like those pressures so the ammo makers go the safe route with 156-160 like the oryx, interlock, mega etc. But 140gr @ 850m/s and on targets really close, 50 meters or so, like we usualy hunt moose they tend to be to explosive.
For me, the 6.5 cm’s biggest advantage is that it is my high volume target round/rifle. So, despite being a less capable hunting round than my 30-06 and .270, I am a much better shoot with my CM. I think that is the same for a lot of people. So it starts to come down to which rifle do I trust my shots at 300 yards on Elk with more? The .270 that maybe gets shot 20 times a year, or the CM that gets shot 500-1000 times/year?
My first and still my favorite 6.5 rifle is a Ruger M77 MKII in .260 Remington with a 1 in 8 twist. A perfect yet affordable old school rifle. Gloss blue finish, walnut stock and a controlled feed action.
How dare you think a rifle chambered in another round based on the .308 case with an identical bore size and almost identical velocity could ever hope to match the 6.5 CM!!!!! :)
I used the 6.5 x 55 about 40 years ago when the M94 carbines were coming in and really cheap. My teenage boys shot it with great success. I used it on several South Texas deer hunts and dropped deer like a lightning bolt. When the 6.5 CM came out, I got one and it likewise kills Texas deer like lightning bolts. The farthest any has run after a chest/lung/heart shot has been 30 yards. My oldest (62) son is still mad at me for trading off the M94.
Thanks Ron, after I watched this video I went out to buy me a Remington 700 chambered in 6.5 creedmoor. I mounted a Good Burris scope zeroed in for 100 yards . It is an excellent round , I’m going to use this year for white tail deer hunting. I’m a 308 fan but I’m going to give 6.5 a chance.
Hey Ron, I enjoy your videos. For me, the bottom line is a good quality hunting bullet coupled to good shot placement and reasonable shooting distance is the key.
I bought my 6.5 to hunt whitetail following a shoulder replacement. I really appreciate the reduced recoil and I didn’t have to sacrifice much over my .308 in terms of ballistics.
Fred, the 6.5 CM loaded right has superior downrange trajectory than the 308 Win. That's the main reason it took over in long range shooting competitions.
Lets be honest, 95% of big game killed in North America every year is deer sized and smaller, 400 yards and in. The 6.5 Creedmoor is an ideal cartridge for that task. Anyone can handle the recoil and get back on target to see the results, the high BC bullets make wind less of a concern for novice shooters guessing in the field, and the bullet weight/velocity has plenty of juice to drop deer further than most people have the skill to attempt. The best thing the Creedmoor has done is gotten the average hunter interested in accuracy and made it attainable at a decent price. No, its not the cartridge for the "1 gun man", but I've never met that elusive character who refuses to buy more than one hunting rifle.
Now I like the 6.5 creedmor but i my opinion 30-06 and 300 win mag and along with the 270 are the best for hunting mule and whitetail deer from my experience and my families experience
Seen lots of deer put down with a creedmoor. My son shot his first deer last season with his creedmoor. And I used it to take my deer this past season as well. Shot mine at around 350 yards. Worked great.
Exactly. My 16 year old took his first buck with the Creedmoor. 160 yards and deer dropped. He has hit hogs at 240 yards and dropped them. He loves it.
My wife does really well with her 6.5 creedmoor for hunting. 120 Barnes vor-tx ttsx factory load is an amazing performer on animals. She’s harvested mule deer, antelope, javalina, and elk all within 300 yards one shot kills all pass throughs. I harvest a cow elk with it this year as well after my 300 Weatherby was having some issues 1 shot harvest as well. Minimal meat damage is the #1 selling point with that Barnes bullet.
@@aarons307 I've found the Berger 156 to be awesomely accurate. I've used it in my 6.5x55 and the Creedmoor. I'm very happy (actually thrilled) with the results. The bullet does hold together. I've used it in South Africa and out west. Accurate enough to be used as a varmint cartridge
Incredible insight again. I was leery of the Creedmoor but finally got a savage Ultralite in 6.5 and wouldn’t trade that rifle for the world. That round is a pleasure to shoot and goes exactly where you want it to. My go to rifle for deer and smaller.
That's all I grab anymore and used a 7mm mag for bigger now I just use the 6.5 have personally watched it kill several elk and moose at 3-400 yards and one at 60 yards. 6.5 is hard to beat I'd shoot anything in north America w it
Agree, it works great I bought my X-Bolt 7mm-08 about 10 years ago, before the 6.5 Creedmoor really took off. So similar I can't see a reason to switch for what I do. But, if I were buying today, I'd look pretty hard at the 6.5 Creedmoor- so many rifles and so much ammo to choose from in normal times.
Hello from Finland Ron. I would like to add 6,5x47 Lapua caliber to the discussion. Yes I know it is reloaders caliber. It is made for long range precision shooting and damn it can be so accurated. Here in finland it is allowed caliber for a roe deer, white-tailed deer, moose and even brown bear. Yes I know its marginal for those big ones but whit proper bullet(120gr barnes ttsx) it can be done. And thanks for the good channel!
It's a fantastic cartridge! I think here in the states there is an old misconception that a cartridge has to push a bullet over 3000fps to be truly effective on game. The 30-06 and the .270 Winchester and the great gun writers of old like Jack O'Connor set the standard here. Anything less was considered a "ladies rifle" and the magnums like the .264 and .300 Winchesters, only marginally better, were considered a true man's rifle. Most folks don't know (or didn't at the time) much about twist rates and heavy for caliber bullets and the resulting ballistic advantages. If I didn't sound like a howitzer and kick like a mule it wasn't a good hunting rifle. The Creedmore and the 6.5 Lapua do more with less and as any marksman will tell you, "it's the Indian, not the arrow". I personally guided a gentleman on a deer hunt that missed three shots at a trophy deer under 150 yards because he was terrified of the 300 Weatherby magnum he was shooting. I told him his scope must have gotten knocked out of zero even though I saw him flinch. Took him to the range and handed him my model 70 featherweight on .257 Roberts. Had him shoot a few groups and he was delighted with that rifle. The next morning he had a shot at a beautiful buck at just under 300 yards. He dropped it in it's tracks with the Roberts. He later admitted the Weatherby had punished him at the range, and the muzzle blast had left his ears ringing for days. But he said the Roberts was such a joy to shoot he didn't even think about it when he took the shot that got him the biggest buck of his life.
Yes, I think it's all round the world that kind of masculine thinking about weapons and caliber. Bigger is better even if you had to shoot your eyes closed. Here in Finland, most deer and moose are shot with a .308 win caliber gun and copper bonded lead bullets like Norma oryx or Nosler Accubond. I myself have moved to lead free bullets several years ago. I dropped 20-30grains of bullet weight vs. copper / lead bullets to get more velocity to ensure the bullets targetperformance.
I've got an old Sako that used to be in 25-06, since been rebarrelled in 6.5-06 AI. It shoots like a laser beam, but it can be easily be loaded down to Creedmore velocities. Makes it very soft shooting and much better barrel life.
I wasn’t interested at all in a 6.5cm. Then, I received a very nice rifle chambered in such with nice glass to go with it. It just sat in the safe for months, then I thought, I may as well sight this thing in. After all, someone bought me this very nice set up, and it’s just sitting there. I took it out, and was surprised at the first shot. Just 2 inches to the left, and no recoil whatsoever. I fired two more. The bullets were touching. I made the scope adjustments and had the same results in the black. Now, it’s my favorite deer rifle, and probably always will be.
I think the .280 Remington is the greatest all-around hunting cartridge, that gets ignored by the masses. And it’s probably due to mass formation psychosis. ;)
That dang mass formation psychosis is everywhere! No matter what the numbers say people have such strong personal opinions about cartridges and loadings. People get all wonky about this stuff, people go to fisticuffs over .22 long rifle cartridges and set-ups. I just shut my mouth, but I do listen to Mr. Spomer, he's not an emotional type of fella. He's right down the middle.
The 6.5 Creedmoor is one of three I'd recommend for any beginner. I always say.. pick one of them and you won't be disappointed. What are the other two? My personal favorite the 7mm-08 Remington and my grandfather's favorite the 270 Winchester. Now now.. I'm not getting into a cartridges war.. but in all seriousness the Creedmoor seems to offer more rifles to choose from and more ammo too! I said beginner.. not reloader :)
Both are great cartridges, so it just depends upon the type of terrain your hunting and how far you are willing to shoot! Your Grandfather (just like my Grandfather also is very wise - he preferred the 270 Winchester also) and I finally came around to his way of thinking! The old man was smarter than I gave him credit for, but know I know better! Thanks Grandpa! Had I took his advice, I would have been much more successful (richer) and had a "few more" trophies on my wall! I am done with the "Magnums" he called them "Manglums" (Ha Ha)!😯
🤠 Really? My Dad started me out with my Grandfather's 30-06 when I was 12!But, I guess people were just tougher back then and my comments were not targeting "beginners" anyway - which most the people on this channel aren't! I would agree that the "6.5 Creedmore" is a good beginner's cartridge - "for deer"! 😁
@@sparky_-mf2cs not all beginners are children. I would recommend a rifle that any beginner could grow into. Not waste hundreds of dollars on a firearm that they'll outgrown either. With the 6.5 , the 270, and the 7mm.. you get an excellent cartridge that's excellent for medium sized game. I don't believe the 243 Winchester is a great choice for a youngster either. Better for a seasoned hunter that knows it's limitations. My opinions anyway
@@ronlowney4700 my father did the same.. he only ever hunted with one rifle. His Winchester model 70 chambered in the 30 aught 6. But having three brothers we'd use a 303 British or a shot gun until we purchased our first firearm. My first rifle was a Savage 110 in 30 aught 6
You are smart, very smart. The 6.5/284 is like shooting a laser. In 2003 600 yard match 531 of National Long Range Championships I shot a 200 clean with 14 X’s. Unbelievable wind resistance. Only barrel heat took me out of X ring on first 6 shots for record.
I was surprised when I switched from hunting with a 300 Weatherby to a 6.5 Creedmoor, I was surprised that the 3 deer I've harvested didn't run much further versus when hit with the big 300. maybe 15 feet of difference... maybe 1 second of difference.... for reference my load for 300 Weatherby was factory ammunition, with a 200gr Accubond for 6.5 creedmoor is a 130gr Accubond using RL-17. a big difference in recoil as well, the 6.5CM is a full 2lbs lighter and recoils about 1/10th what the Weatherby does... or feels like it atleast. I save the 300 for Elk
my bro-in-law told me his mate here in NZ took a female red deer just under 1000yards with the 6.5 creed head/neck shot, not to sure what bullet he was using and the guy is a pro shooter, yeah you could say im talking garbage but alot of guys here in NZ take deer from 400-700 yards due to real thick bush and just easier to spot them on a glassing knob, but there all using .30 cal rounds like the 300WSM and WinMags even 7mmWinMag. Cheers Ron for the great videos and info have learned alot from this channel.
Been saying this for a number of years now, the 6.5x55 has been doing this since smokeless powder was invented! The Swede's had a fast twist rate as well. The 6.5x57 is even a bit better, but it's not really a thing over here in the US. Should be, and an AI version would be awesome, and still easy on the barrel!
The 6.5x55 was designed to shoot a 156gr round nose bullet less than 2400 fps and has an O.A.C.L. of over 3.00". Not exactly going to set the ballistic or hunting world on fire. It was later updated to a 140 grain bullet going 2625 again nothing that is going to garner any attention. , it's fast twist is 1:8.66" not quite fast enough to stabilize a long for caliber high bc bullet, but good enough to do everything a 260 rem was designed to do. With its legacy of over 100 years of old production surplus rifles you cant really make +P ammo that could keep up with modern medium actions like the 6.5 PRC and its not able to compete against long action 6.5 cartridges so it is really a dead end. If you make it longer and an A.I. you just as well use the 6.5 PRC 6.5-284 6.5 rem mag 6-06 A.I. etc. If you A.I. the 6.5x55 then push the shoulders back to fit a standard short action respec the twist to 1:8-1:7.5 Throat for a 156 -160 VLD bullet and up the pressure spec to 65k everyone would just say why did you do that when the 6.5 Creedmoor already does everything it can do its a proven round and is readily available in commercial rounds and by all major gun companies.
Well, I've been shooting games with a 6.5 x 55 since the late 1980's I see no reason why I should buy a 6.5 Creedmoor. Right now I got plenty of 120 gr Remington Corloks that I bought in bulk back in '90. They work well in the 6.5 x55. I got a couple of thousand cases too. The problem right now is that both primers and powder have been hard to come by. I for 400 rounds loaded so I will be able to collect my venison without much issue for some time.
@Brett Hammons Except better BC, SD and works in a short action. It doesn't make 6.5x55 worthless, but when buying a new gun it'd be silly to go with the objectively worse option. All these new cartridges coming out are partly to update old designs and partly new invention, they can't be compatible with prior designs as it just doesn't work, someone could chamber one in an old rifle so instead of loading outside saami specs, they create a new cartridge. Is there ever a bad excuse to need a new rifle anyways?
Absolutely love my 6.5 creedmoor Bergara Approach 2019 model. Favorite hunting rifle as far as my short actions go. Don't claim it to be any better than my 300 win mag but it sure is a sweet shooter
I have taken several deer with Nosler Ballistic Tip 6.5 CM, and the bullets performed beautifully. They made a small hole going in, wreaked havoc on the boiler room, and made a big hole exiting. That said, I have had similar experiences with Nosler BT 7mm-08 rounds.
There’s a couple things that the Creedmoor has going for it, the shoulder angle, and the faster twist rate. The 308 started out as military round then became a hunting round, then a competition round. Where’s the Creedmoor started out as a competition round, now it’s used as a hunting round.
I rebarreled a Remington 700 with a barrel chambered in 6.5 CM over 6 years ago. Last year I rebarreled a Weatherby Vanguard and converted it to a 6.5 PRC. Both rifles are very accurate and have been used in the field with great success on a variety of game. When I'm reloading for these guns, I can't help but be amazed at how efficient the little Creedmoor is. Yes the PRC will give you about 150-200 fps more velocity for the same bullet, but the CM is close enough for my purposes with a lot less powder. And my borescope is showing much faster throat erosion with the PRC. Bottom line: my custom .300 Win Mag is getting lonely in my safe.
I went with the 260 Remington it felt better than joining the Creedmoor cult. My 260 Remington barrel is 1-8 twist and I have it in a Remington R25 G2.
I did some serious search on the Creedmore and ended up going with it for my son's first hunting rifle. He's had it a couple of years now and has always had 1-shot kills at up to 300 yards. All whitetail, so nothing "big game", but still an exceptional round and very effective for him. I've never had one myself, but have shot some longer distances with his and I've been very impressed with the drift/drop beyond 300 yards.
Ron, great video on the 6.5. Agree with all you stated. As I've said before, been shooting a M96 Carl Gustaf 6.5x55 Swede with a 1912 receiver date since 2000. Either fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how one looks at it, the 6.5x55 is a wonderful round. Commercially it is loaded light (liability issues with older receivers like mine) at 2650fps, but that is more than ok with me as the recoil is very very manageable. Can be handloaded to 6.5CM specs with newer rifles. Super accurate. Quarter covers 3 shots. Not bad for a 110 year old rifle. I owned a 6.5CM in TC Compass. Very accurate. Killed a deer with it the first year I had it. Sold it though. Didn't need two 6.5's and I am not a threaded muzzle kinda guy. Good gun though.
I have listened to you for years and always found you to be spot on. I’m an old guy that just bought my first 6.5 and got it for the most to shoot targets. I am intending to use it for speed goats this fall and maybe deer. At 73 I’m not as mobile as I used to be and should I be lucky enough to have a chance at an elk, I will have my trusty.270. Thanks for what you provide to us.
Based on my experience hunting with a 6.5 Creedmoor over the last few years, I agree totally with your conclusion. A fun cartridge (short action, low recoil, accurate) to hunt with as well as punch paper - a rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor can serve two purposes (provided proper bullet design is used for hunting or paper punching). Would I recommend to a friend to “run out” and buy a rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor just for hunting? Easy answer - No. There are so many other cartridges both old and new that are better for hunting. Why did I buy one? I bought into the excellent Marketing Hype.
Thank you Ron for the review on this caliber/gun. I just bought mine not long ago, will have it out soon to test it. I have a .270 but I hunt with my Winchester 30-30 that never fails to bring meat to my freezer. I was debating to myself on whether to buy a .308 or a 6.5 creedmore. We'll see how this one shoots. I hunt in my backyard so not really worried about buying a gun for real long distance, but when you see room in your gun safe, you just don't sleep good until you fill that gap, and that's a fact.
I took a deer at 100 yards my elk at 600 with a hornady 6.5 creedmore 143g eld-x this last season. No bullet recovery but dropped both one shot. Had a friend take an elk with two shots same ammunition. It’s definitely all about shot placement. Great video buddy.
Hey, whatever works for you. There’s another poster on here that has the same rifle in a 6.5. I have it in 7 rem mag and it’s a lot but a wonderful rifle. I’ve yet to lighten the trigger but plan on it now that hunting season is over.
THANKS Ron for throwing in a few words of comparison to the .270 Winchester. I have enjoyed a 50 year history with this cartridge and caliber so it's so very hard for me to compare anything else > 🙂
I think the thing with any rifle round is that they are a compromise of many different factors. For example you could also make a 6.2 which is lighter and faster, or you could make a 6.8 which is heavier and more powerful. For self defence you may prefer military calibres such as 7.62 or 5.56. Personally cost is a big factor to me so I will always stick to the popular stuff like .308 or even milsurp like 7.62x54r. The 6.5 CM is an excellent round it just depends if its the right round for YOU .
Yes sir, that is exactly why I do not like the "Bragmoor", the people that will not stop telling me they have one! Marketing again, nothing new under the sun, just a new spin on it! Love what you do, honest and you have fun with it and I enjoy it! Thank you again.
A 6.5CM running 130gr Accubonds at 2850fps for my 9year old son and my 30-06 running 165gr Accubonds at 2850fps for me when we are hunting. He will shoot his first Gemsbuck in June with the 6.5 CM and I will back him up with the 30-06. I don't believe the 6.5 CM is a magic cartridge but it does fill a gap between my 243 and 30-06 for my son to hunt with. It's a lot of fun to shoot paper and steel with the CM and we will see what it does in the field.
I have a custom No. 1 Ruger in 6.5x55 so don't really need a Creedmoor. I can exceed 2800 fps pretty easily with a 140 but the Creedmoor is close enough to for the difference to be inconsequential. They will both take game with good shot placement.
I started hunting deer only 2 years ago. I began stalking deer without pulling the trigger, studying the behaviour and what spook them, until I felt confident to pull the trigger of my 6.5CM Tikka stainless. so far I took 4 bucks, all of them between 70 to 120 yards. the CM was great, the deer walked max10-20 metres, some of them collapsed on the spot. the meat loss due to damage was minimal with an exit would not much larger than 2 inches and little bruising. Bleeding the dying buck is essential and a good heart /lung shot helps keeping the meat bloodless. Do I love the calibre? YES ! I tried a .308 and I was uncomfortable with the recoil. the 6.5CM with a limbsaver recoil less than a .223 and stuns/ shocks at impact. thanks for the video, I am a big fan of your work and expertise.
A guy I know won a cheapo depot Ruger American in a raffle, he needed the money and I damn sure didn't need another rifle,,, So I ended up with a 6.5 CM , I slapped a 3-12 Athlon scope for 140 bucks on it and loaded up some 99 grain Hammer Hunters on top of Varget... I will not provide range report as is a little unbelievable , I'll say it shoots so good my wife took it away from me, she has killed several deer, pigs, She loves it ..
I shot a mule deer with a 6.5cr and 143 eld-x bullet at 350 yards in 15-20 mph winds with hardly and hold off. The buck went 10 yards and tipped over. Any skepticism I had before is now gone.
Grandpa preferred a 243. Uncle 308. I started with 6.5 CM. My co worker has 30-06. Deer don’t seem to mind which cartridge. A quality rifle and cartridge will out shoot most shooters
Here in Michigan Ron I do love my 260 rem for deer hunting. I’m always the odd man with the odd caliber at deer camp and usually very successful 😉Keep up the great work.
Mark, I've been a .260 shooter since 1998. Went to my Ruger dealer at gun show looking for 25-06, took Jim's recommendation and bought the then new .260 . Best center fire rifle decision ever made.
@@brianklamer3328 Brian I think it was around the same time l bought my Remington model 700 chambered in 260 and yeah after I shot it I fell in love with it. It’s a keeper!
@@marktomasunas4926 Mark, do you know if the twist on your 700 is 1 in 9" or 1 in 8"? I wouldn't be afraid of using it on mule deer or elk if shooting a heavy bonded bullet and keeping the range realistic, like under 300 yards.
@@brianklamer3328 I’m not sure Brian what the twist is. I would have to have a gunsmith check that out. The opportunities I’ve had to hunt out west I’ve depended on my second most favorite caliber the Remington 7mm mag this I have in a Winchester model 70 these two rifles handle everything this old man can still hunt. Just remember to. Always keep the odds in your favor 😉
6.5 works very well in its relm, so does the 7mmo8 and there very close. People that try to push it are the ones that see failure as you can with alot of cartridges. I have one, not my go to but it works when I take it
I think the invention of this cartridge came around the time when long range shooting became an interest for people that don’t necessarily hunt. If you are not a hunter then you don’t take into account terminal performance and it’s easy to overhype its capabilities. I think this is one of these cartridges where everything was brought to bare at the same time along with sensible twist rates and this cartridge gives quite a bit without asking for much. This cartridge creation has taken things in a new direction and has even improved other older cartridge factory offerings because now everybody has to try harder
The 6.5 CM is good at many things, it is the perfect compromise between range and trajectory, stopping power, bullet weight, penetration, recoil, blast, etc that's why it is so popular and gaining. It fits in short action lightweight rifles. It's cousin the 6.5 Swede has been taking all kinds of big game worldwide for over 120 years which built a reputation as a great hunting cartridge.
@@Simon-talks there a lot of magnum snobs who like to criticize it but it does the job just like the 30-30, which the gun media largely ignores. The proof is in the dozens of new magnum rounds the industry created and which failed to catch on because they were not needed and had drawbacks.
Great video as always, Mr. Ron. I only have a few Bucket List rifles left and one is a Ruger No. 1 Manlicher in 6.5*55. Keep it up! God bless, Stay safe, Shoot straight. - Hedge
As a fun project, I built an AR-10 skeletonized in 6.5 Creed. Topped it with a Quigly-Ford scope that is matched to the rifle. It is seriously so dang fun to shoot. I know its limits and it will never see a day where it goes Elk hunting but will use it on Antelope and Deer!! So now I am running out of reloading supplies for it and that sucks!!
Too right about the bragging about the creedmoor. The first words out of my mouth afterwards is "how many rounds you have left?" It's almost impossible to find ammunition (6.5 creedmoor)on the shelves for it around here in NM.
I hear that a lot 6.5creed is hard to find not in Pennsylvania the 6.5creed is just as easy to get as 30-06,308,30-30 and most standard rounds, not counting the ammo shortage that's why u cant find them just like all the other rounds
Thanks for video, well said. Most of the complaining I’ve seen is from people not understanding why the creed exists when there were so many cartridges that did the same thing. What’s wrong with having a new cartridge? Nothing. Picking a creed over a swede is like picking a 7mm-08 over a 7mm mauser. I have a mauser because I love the history. I have a creed because my local gun store almost always has ammo for it
How dare you bring common sense into this comment section. Logic has no place here. How can a modern cartridge have any other use except to poo all over the existing ones that have been taking game for decades. Why would anyone want a new cartridge saami speced for modern factory rifles that can mag feed in a short action for match shooting aswell as run in semi autos? No way pal, not in here, no you don't. Also a guy above ran the numbers and the 25 06 apparently has it beat so I rest my case.
I love your videos Ron.always looked forward to your articles in the hunting mags. Long before the internet. I think the 6.5’s kill so well because of the sectional density. I’ve Been using 6.5 Swede for 30 years it kills stuff dead. I got a creedmoor a few years ago because it’s a lot cheaper and easier to find ammo for and works in short actions. I find short actions easier to mount scopes on and a little lighter to carry. I think the prc would be great but My 270 would get to jealous.I hope you had a awesome hunting season Ron.. be safe
If I were looking at buying a 6.5 rifle to chamber a readily available cartridge to "duplicate" the 6.5x55 Swedish it would be the 6.5Creedmore. Yes it is a bit hyped. As far as deer and antelope I had a 25-06 that worked just fine.
Well, the ammo makers certainly make a wide variety of hunting ammo for the round. We checked into this when my son got a 6.5 CM (that same Mossberg model) for deer hunting a couple of years ago. I agree that success will depend on bullet technology but they’re pretty good at that aspect now.
.264 diameter bullets to Me make it a Antelope Deer and Caribou gun in any flavor case. More powder just makes for a longer point blank range. IMHO and this is from a long time .264 Win Mag Fan.
The 6.5 Creedmore is legal for all game in germany, though i know no one that uses it. Though many hunting ground owners require a minumum caliber of 7mm. The 6.5x55 is more common than the creedmore. I'd love to shoot one, but i doubt I'll buy one.
Ron, I have a hunting cartridge comparison that will diffidently be a challenge and maybe the first on TH-cam. It is the 300 Ham'r vs 300 Blackout vs 30-30 Winchester.
I love my 6.5 Creedmoor, unbelievably accurate. My 308 and 30-06 don’t compare, but use my 30-06 for deer hunting. Unfortunately my 308 has eccentricity been retired. It has been replaced by my 6mm and 6.5 Creedmoors for target shooting.
@@lrac7751 The 6mm Creedmoor is remarkable as is the 6.5 Creedmoor. I shoot 1000 and 1200 yards at a range almost every week. My 243 could not achieve that distance with any accuracy. I got a 5” group at 1000 yards a couple weeks back with my 6.5 Creedmoor. Both my 243 and 308 are pretty much retired.
The Swede was actually the go to target round for many decades. A lot of European competition records were held by the swede. The Sedish Mauser actually has a relatively fast twist as 8.7-1, I sporterized one back in 1996 and it is the second most accurate rifle I ever owned behind my Rem Sendero in 300RUM
I have a .260 that's worked very well on whitetails... I couldn't imagine the 6.5CM being any different. I've thought a bunch about getting a Grendel but with ammo the way it is right now.... It seems that a Grendel with 123gr would be pretty sweet.
A 260 Remington with a 140 Gr Remington core lokt bullet just cannot be beat for whitetails but I gave mine away to a young friend of mine that did not have a hunting rifle so I'm probably going to buy a 6.5 creedmoor
I find the 6.5x284 Norma to be a better option than the Creedmo'. I also recently added the 6.5 Wby RPM to my rifles in that weight class. Which means the Creedmo' is just standing around the safe with its thumb(safety) up its azs!
I love the 6.5 creedmoor. I've always been surprised that the .260 remington was a flop since it seems like a great deer round. But the creedmoor is even better and lots of guns available.
Absolutely nothing wrong with the 6.5 CM for hunting. I have a .260 Rem and several 6.5x55s. Along with the 6.5x47 Lapua, these are all pretty much equal to each other. I have taken several white tail over 400 meters away with my .260 and I helped my uncle take his first quarter mile deer with his. With the proper loads, these are all perfectly capable at any range.
I am glad the he pointed out that one of the big differences between many of the recent cartridges like the 6.5 CM and most of the older, largely American cartridges like the .260 Rem* is the bullet length. For some reason most of the cartridges developed in the US have had relatively stubby, lower BC bullets. There have always been people who have ignored the SAAMI specs and used longer actions and used longer bullets in faster-twist barrels, but factory ammo was always limited to the original specifications. *270 Win, .223, .308, 7mm Rem Mag, 300 Win Mag, 300 WSM, etc...
Ron, educational video as always. Big fan of the 6.5 CM. Harvested a very nice buck this year with it. Impressive results with Hornady precision hunter eld-x, 143 gr factory. Another fantastic cartridge to add to my collection. Keep up the good work!
I got the 6.5 to try out long range shooting. But decided to try it for whitetails this past hunting season. I shot a buck at 80 yards this past November with my 6.5 Ruger, 140 grain. It was walking, I stopped it, shot it, it paused, then ran 30 yards. Previous years with my 30.06, same exact spot with two other deer - one ran 10 yards, one fell on the spot. Both are acceptable results - meat in my freezer. PA hunter, most shots are closer than 200 yards.
I can second that as a 60 yrs old gunmaker, while having built literally hundreds of 6.5 Swedes in both Europe & NZ, plus a couple of dozens over these past 16 yrs here in 🇨🇦, while having used the Swede myself as my main hunting rifle caliber for over 45 yrs; I can truly state that the Swede is and has always been way underloaded in case of using it in the old M96/38 actions inside North America! However; when handloaded in modern actions such as the T3 or even in the old Msr 98’s, it an be loaded to much higher pressures like most Euro mfg’ers do and will leave all you 6.5CM’s .260Rem. & 6.5x47Lap. in the dust and is right on the heels of the 6.5-.284/6.5-06, while its A.I.- version is equally in performance to both these beforementioned! Meanwhile it has the benefit of handling the heaviest bullets much better, then any of its SA cousins rounds, which weights are usually the ‘best’ for the larger game (and yes, including polar bear according to my Norwegian collegues), because of their superior deep penetration and in case of Moose, Elk & deer, its minimal meat loss with some of my old favourite bullets like the 155gr Lapua Mega, the 140 Nosler Partition, aswell as the later introduced Naturalis or even the 160 Hornady SP have never failed a beat on anything walking! This blows the myth to bits of this one guy stating that only 120-129grs work best: yeah, especially if you don’t care about meat & organ loss.
Short answer yes it will work great for hunting with the proper hunting bullet and shot placement. I have been shooting a Swede for 22 years because it’s my go to rifle. When you handload you get a slight advantage over the creedmor due to case capacity. 140gr bullet traveling mid 2900 fps does the trick every time.
The 6.5 Creedmoor is the Linux of the gun world. It does a decent job, has its quirks, but its main annoyances are its users.
🤣🤣🤣
I'd say that was true at one point, but its so commonplace now that the Fudds who keep complaining about it are the main annoyance
@@1newme425 AK vs AR guys
@@sauerkrautjr I agree 100%. At some point every cartridge was new. There was some grouch complaining back in 1906 when the 3006 came out.
I'll have to take your Microsoft Word for it. No clue over here. Just make my phone work.....
Love my Creed. Low recoil and that 140 Gold Dot does the job every time.
Morning Ron:
I have a 6.5 Creedmoor and love it for mule and white tail deer along with Pronghorn and those Wile E. Coyotes. I don't send much time puffing up my chest and bragging about much because about the time I do, I screw up and prove to everyone I'm human.
The 6.5 Creedmoor does the job and it does it with less recoil, noise, and burned out barrels.
It works and that's all I need.
Thanks again
And it will kill elk may take two shot or so but it will do it accurately
I have shoot 7 moose with my 6.5 creedmoor. I have shoot around 20 moose with my 6,5x55. They work everytime.
I would say you are a good hunter and a good marksman.
Wow 27 Moose🫡🙌🏻
@@jacobhanks6605 i have been hunting moose for 20 years. 4 moose a year. Most i have shoot with 375 h&h but now iam only using 6,5.
Awesome😎
@@palpedersen7515where is this?
6.5 CM is an awesome whitetail deer round, has never failed me
I can't even explain how much I love this channel. I'll be watching every video! subscribed!
The straight up honesty and sincerity talking about poor results using match grade ammo is what keeps me coming back. Could tell it was an experience that stuck with you and proved a lesson the rest of us can learn from.
Who in our field of interest uses MATCH GRADE ammo for hunting? This is crazy talk, it's just stupid, we don't do that amy more than competitive 308 shooters using match grade on mulies, it's idiotic.
If impact velocity is around 1600fps, I'd prefer a berger or eldm to my hammers or barnes
Match ammo is NOT designed for hunting. Match ammo is jacketed (core encased in jacket) meaning it fragments on impact. Hunting ammo is typically bonded (one piece, chemically bonded core and jacket)
Bonded bullets are designed for mass-retention and when used for hunting, mass-retention means stopping power since the bullet expands on impact instead of fragmenting.
Anyone who says any caliber is bad for hunting while using match ammo is an absolute idiot.
@@homeostasis4me485 The use of match grade ammunition is common practice in New Zealand amongst highly experienced deer hunters. There are two primary ecosystems in which deer are found in NZ:
(a) Steep hill and mountain country with varying degrees of cover, with most shots >200m, and frequently 4-500m or more (on my farm, the average range for 267 red deer shot in June-August 2021 with a Howa 6.5 Creedmoor / 147gr ELD-M was 291m.)
(b) Forested woodland where most encounters are very close range and shots are typically 50m of less.
In the case of the steep, open country shooting, soft partially fragmenting “match” projectiles are standard procedure. Hornady ELD-M and ELD-X, Sierra TMK, various Bergers, those would be the majority. I use both of the ELDs in 6.5 and 7mm, Speer BTSP in .308, Sierra ProHunter and Hornady ELD-M in 6mm... The one that will probably cause you to foam at the mouth is my favourite .224 cal deer bullet, the Speer 70gr Varmint semi-point in the .223 Rem - I shoot a good number of deer with that little projectile, if they make more than 10 yards it’s an exception to the norm.
There is a significant body of video evidence of these bullets’ effectiveness on TH-cam from NZ, I suggest you take a look. For example, this is my video, a red hind shot at ~350m with a 6mm 108gr ELD-M: th-cam.com/video/5EUBWwky2j0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=9MXqvcyUvkPAUT77. This is just a normal shot on a normal day on the farm (except the weather was nicer than it normally is.)
In woodland, where impact velocity tends to be >2600 ft./sec, I usually use Norma Oryx in .308 Win; have also tried Barnes TSX, various older bonded designs like Hornady Interbond and Nosler Accubond. The Oryx is the only controlled expansion projectile I use in any of my rifles.
I shoot several hundred red deer every year, plus hundreds more goats and pigs. Like many experienced shooters I pride myself in being able to drop the vast majority of animals on the spot, DRT. The reason this is important is primarily for recovery purposes, if they run even a short distance it’s very hard to find them in that kind of terrain without a dedicated deer tracking dog. Our rural environment is completely different to North America in that all of these large ungulates are pest species that are out of control, in the same way that your hogs are. There is no tag system and we have to shoot as many as we possibly can in order to stay on top of our land management. A great deal of the recovered game meat is consumed by our families and those that we provide for in the community, however an increasing proportion is also shot to waste.
So to say that using match grade ammunition is stupid and idiotic needs a bit of research & validation on your behalf. I’ve spent a lot of time in North America hunting with relatives and ex-colleagues (I used to work for Newmont Mining Corporation in Nevada and Colorado), and I’ve always been struck by how blinkered a lot of American hunters are to how different projectiles work on different categories of game at different ranges & impact velocities.
I’m glad to be of assistance to your learning. Good luck and happy hunting.
3 months ago, took down a kudu bull 300m away with a shot to the aorta. Dropped where he stood. Remington core lokt 140gr in 6.5 creedmoor. Shot placement is everything. Recovered the bullet his skin on the other side.
I hunt white tails with the rem core loc. 140 gr. Only had to shoot more than once. My fault. Not the 6.5. KISS ALWAYS and OLD DEVIL
The creed is great at what it’s designed to do. For hunting purposes, it’s just another short action, 100-150 grain bullet between 2600-2800ish fps. Not much difference between the creed vs a 7-08, 308, 243, etc. put a good bullet where it needs to go at a reasonable range and you’ll be just fine.
6.6x55 wannabe.
@@chrisblake1918 it’s not really a wanna be overall. It does what it was designed to do very very well, shoot heavy for caliber high BC bullets effectively and accurately out to very extended ranges with low recoil for target shooting. It’s not the cartridges fault people buy a box of precision hunter and think they’re 1,000 yard guys. I’m also never going to sit and say it’s the best elk cartridge you’ll ever shoot because it is far far from that lol.
@@BadoreksDailys but but but-you mean I can’t blast the socks off of Timothy Rex at 1900 yards? But Timmy been talking bad about my wife and I prefer to slap asenine, addle pated, feeble headed, squirrel brained Jack asses of his size from a distance!
@@BadoreksDailys lol you shouldn't be shooting any animal out side of coyotes and rabbits at a 1000 with a 6.5 creed. Not enough energy at all. That's where even the 7mm-08 takes over identical drop to the 6.5 but carries much more energy past 500 yards.
@@EatingWild That’s my point, it gets a bad rep from people buying into the long range thinking that means hunting. It doesn’t, it is a fantastic long range TARGET cartridge with low recoil, high BC bullets. For HUNTING it’s not really any different than your 7-08, .308, etc in the hands of MOST hunters. No mule deer is going to know the difference between a 165 partition out of a .308 and a 140 accubond out of a creed at 250 yards. No whitetail at 50 yards is going to know the difference. Point being there’s no shot I would take with a 7-08 or .308 that I wouldn’t take with a 6.5 creed and vice versa.
I really love my X Bolt Hells Canyon Speed in 6.5 Creedmoor. I'd never claim it's superior to anything else, but it's perfect for me.
Which is why so many different rounds exist.
Have the same rifle and love it
@@chrisblake1918to make more $$$$$
Took a moose and 1 whitetail with mine. Both heart shots, moose went 10 feet, deer went 30 feet. No need for blood trail.
Have the same rifle in 308 I love it
Not a Creedmoor, but I stopped shooting my .300 win mag for my 6.5 PRC for elk. It's such a joy to shoot.
Shhhhhh don't tell everyone!PRC rocks but the 300 definitely has some legs it's still hits hard way out there
I was deer hunting with my Kimber Montana in 6.5 CM. Came upon a black bear and had a fall bear tag in my pocket. I felt a tad under-gunned, but the little Creedmoor dropped the bear in his tracks. I felt comfortable giving that rifle to my son for his first deer rifle, and he's proud to have one of his dad's rifles with a good hunting story behind it.
Thanks for the great information, Mr. Spomer. One day the Creedmoor hype will die down and people will accept it as a normal round that has many uses. It's a pretty good round, I think!
" The secret's in the sauce " The sauce being the bullet. A .264 Barne's TTSX or a Nosler Partitioned or Bonded and an ethical distance gets most anything done bigger and badder will do. Placement always rules, no matter the artillery.
Exactly right! My old-school choice is a .270 with a 130 grain TTSX or Nosler partition. None that I've shot with it have survived. I'm sure the 6.5 Creedmore with the right ammo and good bullet placement will do the job.
@@jimkelly1578
In the mid 70's, I came by my first Rem. 700 BDL in .270, having found love at first handling. Setting aside, the Rem. 742 in 30-06, primarily a Florida gun and Core-Lock'ed ammo, I never had any issues.
Using the same ammo in .270 but in Bama, on much larger bodied deer, I was experiencing separation, no anchoring, and poor blood trails if any.
I tried a box of Federal Premium, in 150 gr. Nosler Partition, and have never looked back since that day.
It is surprising, that hunters can hunt for decades and be so particular about caliber, yet pay the least attention to the projectile.
With the right bullet, and good placement, just about any center fire rifle will do the job.
I'm an eastern U.S. hunter, so as you know, most of our shots taken don't enter the ethical distance realms, but there have been many over the decades that I won't hunt with, due to placement issues.
I'll wager you know a few also.
It's almost comical that this is still being debated by people... I'd say inside 300 yards it will put down most of the game in North America with proper bullet choice and shot placement. You can really stretch it out farther for animals like mule deer on down and I would be comfortable taking a 400 yard shot on a white tail but that's as far as I would chance it. It wouldn't be my 1st choice for moose, bear, or really even elk but I know people who's used it successfully on all of them. I own a 6.5 Creedmoor gas gun, and 2 bolt guns one is Springfield's new 2020 Waypoint and a Thompson Center Venture. I hunt with several other cartridges also so it not like I think the 6.5 Creedmoor is the best of the best but it's a very capable cartridge... Great video as always keepem coming brother!!!
It's a great cartridge for moose I have shot 3 with it and dropped them all rate away it gets great penetration but it's opinion for what you like to hunt with
I wouldn't have a problem for it with elk depending on where a person is hunting, if your hunting private land and know you won't be shooting more then a few hundred yards then it would be a great choice. But I'd agree it certainly not a wide open spaces kind of rifle for elk.
One thing for elk specifically, Colorado law dictates it must retain 1000 foot pounds of energy at 100 yards, not sure where they got that number from just found it interesting when I found it researching for my first Colorado hunt next fall. I'll be taking a 7mm rem mag, but I'll be hunting public land so I want to be prepared for any range.
@@jaydunbar7538 ya 7mm it a good choice for elk I don't have them where I live but I like my 6.5 and would probably use it again for moose and your right shit placement is everything no matter what gun
@@ontariohunter443 I don't doubt you at all buddy I know people who's done the same. When I'm moose hunting I'm traveling a long ways from SW Louisiana and paying a good chunk of money also. I've got 2 guns that gives me some added horsepower, a little bit of an insurance policy, and makes more sense for me considering what I have to do in order to go hunt them which are a 7mm Rem Mag and 28 Nosler. I also have a 280AI that would get the job done as well. That said even if I didn't have to travel to hunt them I'd still rather have that added horsepower but that also comes at a cost you're going to have a heavier harder recoiling rifle then something like a 6.5 Creedmoor or even a 6.5 PRC... Take care brother!!
@@jaydunbar7538 I'll be shooting a 280AI on my next elk hunt but just like for moose I've got to travel a pretty good ways and pay a good chunk of money to hunt them from SW Louisiana. I normally shoot a 7mm Rem Mag but the 1st elk I ever killed was with a 270WSM right at 200 yards so if that could do it a 6.5 Creedmoor or PRC with a heavily constructed bullet should have no problems at reasonable distances. It really all comes down to the time and money it takes for me to hunt elk same goes for moose. There's no sure thing in hunting but if I can stack the deck in my favor in any way that's what I have to do in order for it to make any sense for what goes into a hunt for me... Take care man!!!
Being a Swedish hunter using, among other cartridges, 6.5x55 with 155/156 grain for large/tough body animals I’m missing heavier bullets in 6.5 creedmoor. High BC ~140 grain bullets are fine for target shooting and “smaller” games but I want penetration and reliable expansion when hunting up to 300 yards. I know that with monolithic bullets you can receive similar or better penetration but I still prefer bonded. Nothing against the cartridge but I don’t see it bring more meat to the table than 260rem, 6.5x55 or any of the “old” 6.5 cartridges do. Hunting, to me, is more understanding your game, its habitat, your capability with your rifle and lastly your cartridge as long it is legal to use on the specific game.
Sensible analysis and conclusions, Christian.
Well said.
Well, the swedish laws regulating hunting ammunition is the sole reason we got 156-160 bullets on the 6.5. Sure, the old "1890s" bullets was 150+ grains and round nose, but after the "invention" of spitzer bullets the 140 was the standard.
The 160 does nothing a 140 does, but when the rules was made up they wanted to prevent people using military ammo for hunting, and most loads in the 60's was not loaded to the velocity (and energy) needed in swedish laws (e@100m 2000J with 156+ and e@100m 2700J with 140gr).
But with modern rifles, that is anything after ww2 basicly, can do 140's in the velocity needed. But there is still small ring mausers and krags that dont like those pressures so the ammo makers go the safe route with 156-160 like the oryx, interlock, mega etc.
But 140gr @ 850m/s and on targets really close, 50 meters or so, like we usualy hunt moose they tend to be to explosive.
@@RonSpomerOutdoors no ballistics print out for comparison? C'mon Ron you're slippin! J/k love what you do. Keep em coming....
You can get a 6.5 creed 149gr. bullet
For me, the 6.5 cm’s biggest advantage is that it is my high volume target round/rifle. So, despite being a less capable hunting round than my 30-06 and .270, I am a much better shoot with my CM. I think that is the same for a lot of people. So it starts to come down to which rifle do I trust my shots at 300 yards on Elk with more? The .270 that maybe gets shot 20 times a year, or the CM that gets shot 500-1000 times/year?
My first and still my favorite 6.5 rifle is a Ruger M77 MKII in .260 Remington with a 1 in 8 twist.
A perfect yet affordable old school rifle. Gloss blue finish, walnut stock and a controlled feed action.
How dare you think a rifle chambered in another round based on the .308 case with an identical bore size and almost identical velocity could ever hope to match the 6.5 CM!!!!! :)
@@mdd1963 Yes, Brian Klamer is a blasphemer! Shun! Shun the blasphemer! LOL
I used the 6.5 x 55 about 40 years ago when the M94 carbines were coming in and really cheap. My teenage boys shot it with great success. I used it on several South Texas deer hunts and dropped deer like a lightning bolt. When the 6.5 CM came out, I got one and it likewise kills Texas deer like lightning bolts. The farthest any has run after a chest/lung/heart shot has been 30 yards. My oldest (62) son is still mad at me for trading off the M94.
Thanks Ron, after I watched this video I went out to buy me a Remington 700 chambered in 6.5 creedmoor. I mounted a Good Burris scope zeroed in for 100 yards . It is an excellent round , I’m going to use this year for white tail deer hunting. I’m a 308 fan but I’m going to give 6.5 a chance.
We’ve taken down several hogs and deer with the 6.5 - it does what you need it to do! Great insight sir!!
Thanks 👍
Hey Ron, I enjoy your videos. For me, the bottom line is a good quality hunting bullet coupled to good shot placement and reasonable shooting distance is the key.
Those are good keys, Gpax!
I bought my 6.5 to hunt whitetail following a shoulder replacement. I really appreciate the reduced recoil and I didn’t have to sacrifice much over my .308 in terms of ballistics.
Fred, the 6.5 CM loaded right has superior downrange trajectory than the 308 Win. That's the main reason it took over in long range shooting competitions.
Yeah but could have just got .243...
Lets be honest, 95% of big game killed in North America every year is deer sized and smaller, 400 yards and in. The 6.5 Creedmoor is an ideal cartridge for that task. Anyone can handle the recoil and get back on target to see the results, the high BC bullets make wind less of a concern for novice shooters guessing in the field, and the bullet weight/velocity has plenty of juice to drop deer further than most people have the skill to attempt. The best thing the Creedmoor has done is gotten the average hunter interested in accuracy and made it attainable at a decent price. No, its not the cartridge for the "1 gun man", but I've never met that elusive character who refuses to buy more than one hunting rifle.
I cant argue i just use my 6.5-300 weatherby for bettwr wind hold and flatter shooting
Now I like the 6.5 creedmor but i my opinion 30-06 and 300 win mag and along with the 270 are the best for hunting mule and whitetail deer from my experience and my families experience
Yeah but the 7mm-08 already existed.
Seen lots of deer put down with a creedmoor. My son shot his first deer last season with his creedmoor. And I used it to take my deer this past season as well. Shot mine at around 350 yards. Worked great.
Exactly. My 16 year old took his first buck with the Creedmoor. 160 yards and deer dropped. He has hit hogs at 240 yards and dropped them. He loves it.
Could do that with a 257 roberts.or a 243.
@@robertwolfe2971 as well as a 308 270 3006 etc etc it depends on what you want to use they all work
@@robertwolfe2971 you could do that with an F16 or even an M1 Abrams tank, no problem at all
My wife does really well with her 6.5 creedmoor for hunting. 120 Barnes vor-tx ttsx factory load is an amazing performer on animals. She’s harvested mule deer, antelope, javalina, and elk all within 300 yards one shot kills all pass throughs. I harvest a cow elk with it this year as well after my 300 Weatherby was having some issues 1 shot harvest as well. Minimal meat damage is the #1 selling point with that Barnes bullet.
Try the 156 gr. Berger bullet. You should be very happy with the results. Thee most accurate bullet for my rifles
@@martinstiastny7679 is that a cup and draw type bullet
@@Peter-od7op Copper
@@martinstiastny7679 Cup and Core highly frangible bullet.
@@aarons307 I've found the Berger 156 to be awesomely accurate. I've used it in my 6.5x55 and the Creedmoor. I'm very happy
(actually thrilled) with the results.
The bullet does hold together. I've used it in South Africa and out west.
Accurate enough to be used as a varmint cartridge
Incredible insight again. I was leery of the Creedmoor but finally got a savage Ultralite in 6.5 and wouldn’t trade that rifle for the world. That round is a pleasure to shoot and goes exactly where you want it to. My go to rifle for deer and smaller.
That's all I grab anymore and used a 7mm mag for bigger now I just use the 6.5 have personally watched it kill several elk and moose at 3-400 yards and one at 60 yards. 6.5 is hard to beat I'd shoot anything in north America w it
I have the 6.5 stainless Ultralite, VX6 2-12 Firedot. Like you, it is my go to mountain rifle.
As long as its deer or smaller. Those idiots taking it for elk are just asking to lose wounded game.
@@twolak1972 you're a one-man human centipede, dude.
I still like my 7mm/08 Remington for deer size game
Agree, it works great I bought my X-Bolt 7mm-08 about 10 years ago, before the 6.5 Creedmoor really took off. So similar I can't see a reason to switch for what I do. But, if I were buying today, I'd look pretty hard at the 6.5 Creedmoor- so many rifles and so much ammo to choose from in normal times.
Hello from Finland Ron. I would like to add 6,5x47 Lapua caliber to the discussion. Yes I know it is reloaders caliber. It is made for long range precision shooting and damn it can be so accurated. Here in finland it is allowed caliber for a roe deer, white-tailed deer, moose and even brown bear. Yes I know its marginal for those big ones but whit proper bullet(120gr barnes ttsx) it can be done.
And thanks for the good channel!
It's a fantastic cartridge! I think here in the states there is an old misconception that a cartridge has to push a bullet over 3000fps to be truly effective on game. The 30-06 and the .270 Winchester and the great gun writers of old like Jack O'Connor set the standard here. Anything less was considered a "ladies rifle" and the magnums like the .264 and .300 Winchesters, only marginally better, were considered a true man's rifle. Most folks don't know (or didn't at the time) much about twist rates and heavy for caliber bullets and the resulting ballistic advantages. If I didn't sound like a howitzer and kick like a mule it wasn't a good hunting rifle. The Creedmore and the 6.5 Lapua do more with less and as any marksman will tell you, "it's the Indian, not the arrow". I personally guided a gentleman on a deer hunt that missed three shots at a trophy deer under 150 yards because he was terrified of the 300 Weatherby magnum he was shooting. I told him his scope must have gotten knocked out of zero even though I saw him flinch. Took him to the range and handed him my model 70 featherweight on .257 Roberts. Had him shoot a few groups and he was delighted with that rifle. The next morning he had a shot at a beautiful buck at just under 300 yards. He dropped it in it's tracks with the Roberts. He later admitted the Weatherby had punished him at the range, and the muzzle blast had left his ears ringing for days. But he said the Roberts was such a joy to shoot he didn't even think about it when he took the shot that got him the biggest buck of his life.
Yes, I think it's all round the world that kind of masculine thinking about weapons and caliber. Bigger is better even if you had to shoot your eyes closed. Here in Finland, most deer and moose are shot with a .308 win caliber gun and copper bonded lead bullets like Norma oryx or Nosler Accubond. I myself have moved to lead free bullets several years ago. I dropped 20-30grains of bullet weight vs. copper / lead bullets to get more velocity to ensure the bullets targetperformance.
I've got an old Sako that used to be in 25-06, since been rebarrelled in 6.5-06 AI. It shoots like a laser beam, but it can be easily be loaded down to Creedmore velocities. Makes it very soft shooting and much better barrel life.
I wasn’t interested at all in a 6.5cm. Then, I received a very nice rifle chambered in such with nice glass to go with it. It just sat in the safe for months, then I thought, I may as well sight this thing in. After all, someone bought me this very nice set up, and it’s just sitting there. I took it out, and was surprised at the first shot. Just 2 inches to the left, and no recoil whatsoever. I fired two more. The bullets were touching. I made the scope adjustments and had the same results in the black. Now, it’s my favorite deer rifle, and probably always will be.
Took a decent buck and 2 hogs last week with my 6.5 creedmoor. Loaded up some Hornady 130 grain SP’s with IMR4350, and dropped them where they stood.
I think the .280 Remington is the greatest all-around hunting cartridge, that gets ignored by the masses. And it’s probably due to mass formation psychosis. ;)
That dang mass formation psychosis is everywhere! No matter what the numbers say people have such strong personal opinions about cartridges and loadings. People get all wonky about this stuff, people go to fisticuffs over .22 long rifle cartridges and set-ups. I just shut my mouth, but I do listen to Mr. Spomer, he's not an emotional type of fella. He's right down the middle.
A 280 is one of the few “standard” calibers I don’t have. I can’t find one at a decent enough price for what it is.
.284 Winchester as well, darn that psychosis
I have a Remington Mountain Rifle chambered in a .280 Remington and I love it.
I have a 280 ackley improved. Its my favorite rifle.
The 6.5 Creedmoor is one of three I'd recommend for any beginner. I always say.. pick one of them and you won't be disappointed.
What are the other two?
My personal favorite the 7mm-08 Remington and my grandfather's favorite the 270 Winchester.
Now now.. I'm not getting into a cartridges war.. but in all seriousness the Creedmoor seems to offer more rifles to choose from and more ammo too!
I said beginner.. not reloader :)
Both are great cartridges, so it just depends upon the type of terrain your hunting and how far you are willing to shoot! Your Grandfather (just like my Grandfather also is very wise - he preferred the 270 Winchester also) and I finally came around to his way of thinking! The old man was smarter than I gave him credit for, but know I know better! Thanks Grandpa! Had I took his advice, I would have been much more successful (richer) and had a "few more" trophies on my wall! I am done with the "Magnums" he called them "Manglums" (Ha Ha)!😯
A 270 win is not a beginners cartridge
🤠 Really? My Dad started me out with my Grandfather's 30-06 when I was 12!But, I guess people were just tougher back then and my comments were not targeting "beginners" anyway - which most the people on this channel aren't! I would agree that the "6.5 Creedmore" is a good beginner's cartridge - "for deer"! 😁
@@sparky_-mf2cs not all beginners are children. I would recommend a rifle that any beginner could grow into. Not waste hundreds of dollars on a firearm that they'll outgrown either. With the 6.5 , the 270, and the 7mm.. you get an excellent cartridge that's excellent for medium sized game.
I don't believe the 243 Winchester is a great choice for a youngster either. Better for a seasoned hunter that knows it's limitations. My opinions anyway
@@ronlowney4700 my father did the same.. he only ever hunted with one rifle. His Winchester model 70 chambered in the 30 aught 6.
But having three brothers we'd use a 303 British or a shot gun until we purchased our first firearm. My first rifle was a Savage 110 in 30 aught 6
I have had a 6.5 - 284 for many years and loooooove it.
You are smart, very smart. The 6.5/284 is like shooting a laser. In 2003 600 yard match 531 of National Long Range Championships I shot a 200 clean with 14 X’s. Unbelievable wind resistance. Only barrel heat took me out of X ring on first 6 shots for record.
I was surprised when I switched from hunting with a 300 Weatherby to a 6.5 Creedmoor, I was surprised that the 3 deer I've harvested didn't run much further versus when hit with the big 300. maybe 15 feet of difference... maybe 1 second of difference....
for reference my load for 300 Weatherby was factory ammunition, with a 200gr Accubond
for 6.5 creedmoor is a 130gr Accubond using RL-17.
a big difference in recoil as well, the 6.5CM is a full 2lbs lighter and recoils about 1/10th what the Weatherby does... or feels like it atleast. I save the 300 for Elk
my bro-in-law told me his mate here in NZ took a female red deer just under 1000yards with the 6.5 creed head/neck shot, not to sure what bullet he was using and the guy is a pro shooter, yeah you could say im talking garbage but alot of guys here in NZ take deer from 400-700 yards due to real thick bush and just easier to spot them on a glassing knob, but there all using .30 cal rounds like the 300WSM and WinMags even 7mmWinMag. Cheers Ron for the great videos and info have learned alot from this channel.
Thanks Sean!
Been saying this for a number of years now, the 6.5x55 has been doing this since smokeless powder was invented!
The Swede's had a fast twist rate as well. The 6.5x57 is even a bit better, but it's not really a thing over here in the US.
Should be, and an AI version would be awesome, and still easy on the barrel!
The 6.5x55 was designed to shoot a 156gr round nose bullet less than 2400 fps and has an O.A.C.L. of over 3.00". Not exactly going to set the ballistic or hunting world on fire. It was later updated to a 140 grain bullet going 2625 again nothing that is going to garner any attention. , it's fast twist is 1:8.66" not quite fast enough to stabilize a long for caliber high bc bullet, but good enough to do everything a 260 rem was designed to do. With its legacy of over 100 years of old production surplus rifles you cant really make +P ammo that could keep up with modern medium actions like the 6.5 PRC and its not able to compete against long action 6.5 cartridges so it is really a dead end. If you make it longer and an A.I. you just as well use the 6.5 PRC 6.5-284 6.5 rem mag 6-06 A.I. etc.
If you A.I. the 6.5x55 then push the shoulders back to fit a standard short action respec the twist to 1:8-1:7.5 Throat for a 156 -160 VLD bullet and up the pressure spec to 65k everyone would just say why did you do that when the 6.5 Creedmoor already does everything it can do its a proven round and is readily available in commercial rounds and by all major gun companies.
Go find a 6.5x 55 on the shelf new....... then find ammunition.... I enjoy both
Well, I've been shooting games with a 6.5 x 55 since the late 1980's I see no reason why I should buy a 6.5 Creedmoor. Right now I got plenty of 120 gr Remington Corloks that I bought in bulk back in '90. They work well in the 6.5 x55. I got a couple of thousand cases too. The problem right now is that both primers and powder have been hard to come by. I for 400 rounds loaded so I will be able to collect my venison without much issue for some time.
@Brett Hammons Except better BC, SD and works in a short action. It doesn't make 6.5x55 worthless, but when buying a new gun it'd be silly to go with the objectively worse option.
All these new cartridges coming out are partly to update old designs and partly new invention, they can't be compatible with prior designs as it just doesn't work, someone could chamber one in an old rifle so instead of loading outside saami specs, they create a new cartridge.
Is there ever a bad excuse to need a new rifle anyways?
Absolutely love my 6.5 creedmoor Bergara Approach 2019 model. Favorite hunting rifle as far as my short actions go. Don't claim it to be any better than my 300 win mag but it sure is a sweet shooter
Thats all that matters, good luck hunting.
I have taken several deer with Nosler Ballistic Tip 6.5 CM, and the bullets performed beautifully. They made a small hole going in, wreaked havoc on the boiler room, and made a big hole exiting. That said, I have had similar experiences with Nosler BT 7mm-08 rounds.
There’s a couple things that the Creedmoor has going for it, the shoulder angle, and the faster twist rate. The 308 started out as military round then became a hunting round, then a competition round. Where’s the Creedmoor started out as a competition round, now it’s used as a hunting round.
30: 06 all day every day!!
The military uses 6.5 cm too
I rebarreled a Remington 700 with a barrel chambered in 6.5 CM over 6 years ago. Last year I rebarreled a Weatherby Vanguard and converted it to a 6.5 PRC. Both rifles are very accurate and have been used in the field with great success on a variety of game. When I'm reloading for these guns, I can't help but be amazed at how efficient the little Creedmoor is. Yes the PRC will give you about 150-200 fps more velocity for the same bullet, but the CM is close enough for my purposes with a lot less powder. And my borescope is showing much faster throat erosion with the PRC. Bottom line: my custom .300 Win Mag is getting lonely in my safe.
I went with the 260 Remington it felt better than joining the Creedmoor cult. My 260 Remington barrel is 1-8 twist and I have it in a Remington R25 G2.
I have savage rifle it was set up so magazine was larger so you can use all of bigger bullets without setting into powder
I did some serious search on the Creedmore and ended up going with it for my son's first hunting rifle. He's had it a couple of years now and has always had 1-shot kills at up to 300 yards. All whitetail, so nothing "big game", but still an exceptional round and very effective for him. I've never had one myself, but have shot some longer distances with his and I've been very impressed with the drift/drop beyond 300 yards.
Ron, great video on the 6.5. Agree with all you stated. As I've said before, been shooting a M96 Carl Gustaf 6.5x55 Swede with a 1912 receiver date since 2000. Either fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how one looks at it, the 6.5x55 is a wonderful round. Commercially it is loaded light (liability issues with older receivers like mine) at 2650fps, but that is more than ok with me as the recoil is very very manageable. Can be handloaded to 6.5CM specs with newer rifles. Super accurate. Quarter covers 3 shots. Not bad for a 110 year old rifle. I owned a 6.5CM in TC Compass. Very accurate. Killed a deer with it the first year I had it. Sold it though. Didn't need two 6.5's and I am not a threaded muzzle kinda guy. Good gun though.
I have listened to you for years and always found you to be spot on. I’m an old guy that just bought my first 6.5 and got it for the most to shoot targets. I am intending to use it for speed goats this fall and maybe deer. At 73 I’m not as mobile as I used to be and should I be lucky enough to have a chance at an elk, I will have my trusty.270. Thanks for what you provide to us.
Based on my experience hunting with a 6.5 Creedmoor over the last few years, I agree totally with your conclusion. A fun cartridge (short action, low recoil, accurate) to hunt with as well as punch paper - a rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor can serve two purposes (provided proper bullet design is used for hunting or paper punching). Would I recommend to a friend to “run out” and buy a rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor just for hunting? Easy answer - No. There are so many other cartridges both old and new that are better for hunting. Why did I buy one? I bought into the excellent Marketing Hype.
Thank you Ron for the review on this caliber/gun. I just bought mine not long ago, will have it out soon to test it. I have a .270 but I hunt with my Winchester 30-30 that never fails to bring meat to my freezer. I was debating to myself on whether to buy a .308 or a 6.5 creedmore. We'll see how this one shoots. I hunt in my backyard so not really worried about buying a gun for real long distance, but when you see room in your gun safe, you just don't sleep good until you fill that gap, and that's a fact.
I took a deer at 100 yards my elk at 600 with a hornady 6.5 creedmore 143g
eld-x this last season. No bullet recovery but dropped both one shot. Had a friend take an elk with two shots same ammunition. It’s definitely all about shot placement. Great video buddy.
Thanks Thrivealist. My friends took 6x6 bull elk at 460 and moose at 600 with Creed last two seasons. 3 shots.
Nice, round, figures.
It's a great cartridge anywhere from deer to moose
Still gonna say that my Tikka T3x superlite in 7mm-08 is what I would take way before I take a 6.5 creedmoor
Hey, whatever works for you. There’s another poster on here that has the same rifle in a 6.5. I have it in 7 rem mag and it’s a lot but a wonderful rifle. I’ve yet to lighten the trigger but plan on it now that hunting season is over.
@@vitaly6312 I lightened my trigger and it made a world of difference. I’m going to put a brake on mine so my sister can shoot it as well
I’ve been searching for a Superlite in 7mm-08 for nearly a year. 🙁
THANKS Ron for throwing in a few words of comparison to the .270 Winchester. I have enjoyed a 50 year history with this cartridge and caliber so it's so very hard for me to compare anything else > 🙂
I think the thing with any rifle round is that they are a compromise of many different factors. For example you could also make a 6.2 which is lighter and faster, or you could make a 6.8 which is heavier and more powerful. For self defence you may prefer military calibres such as 7.62 or 5.56. Personally cost is a big factor to me so I will always stick to the popular stuff like .308 or even milsurp like 7.62x54r. The 6.5 CM is an excellent round it just depends if its the right round for YOU .
Yes sir, that is exactly why I do not like the "Bragmoor", the people that will not stop telling me they have one! Marketing again, nothing new under the sun, just a new spin on it! Love what you do, honest and you have fun with it and I enjoy it! Thank you again.
Thanks Zechnar.
A 6.5CM running 130gr Accubonds at 2850fps for my 9year old son and my 30-06 running 165gr Accubonds at 2850fps for me when we are hunting. He will shoot his first Gemsbuck in June with the 6.5 CM and I will back him up with the 30-06.
I don't believe the 6.5 CM is a magic cartridge but it does fill a gap between my 243 and 30-06 for my son to hunt with.
It's a lot of fun to shoot paper and steel with the CM and we will see what it does in the field.
We shot several with the 130 AB this year...Phenomenal, you won't be disappointed
I have two of them. One in bolt and the other in the AR platform. Both are tack drivers!
I have a custom No. 1 Ruger in 6.5x55 so don't really need a Creedmoor. I can exceed 2800 fps pretty easily with a 140 but the Creedmoor is close enough to for the difference to be inconsequential. They will both take game with good shot placement.
It's a great cartridge when used inside its limitations.
I really love the browning BXR ammo in my creedmoor. You put it in the vital zone and I have yet to have one not drop on the spot.
I started hunting deer only 2 years ago. I began stalking deer without pulling the trigger, studying the behaviour and what spook them, until I felt confident to pull the trigger of my 6.5CM Tikka stainless. so far I took 4 bucks, all of them between 70 to 120 yards. the CM was great, the deer walked max10-20 metres, some of them collapsed on the spot. the meat loss due to damage was minimal with an exit would not much larger than 2 inches and little bruising. Bleeding the dying buck is essential and a good heart /lung shot helps keeping the meat bloodless. Do I love the calibre? YES ! I tried a .308 and I was uncomfortable with the recoil. the 6.5CM with a limbsaver recoil less than a .223 and stuns/ shocks at impact. thanks for the video, I am a big fan of your work and expertise.
Ty on not using match bullets for hunting.
A guy I know won a cheapo depot Ruger American in a raffle, he needed the money and I damn sure didn't need another rifle,,,
So I ended up with a 6.5 CM ,
I slapped a 3-12 Athlon scope for 140 bucks on it and loaded up some 99 grain Hammer Hunters on top of Varget...
I will not provide range report as is a little unbelievable , I'll say it shoots so good my wife took it away from me, she has killed several deer, pigs,
She loves it ..
I shot a mule deer with a 6.5cr and 143 eld-x bullet at 350 yards in 15-20 mph winds with hardly and hold off. The buck went 10 yards and tipped over. Any skepticism I had before is now gone.
Grandpa preferred a 243. Uncle 308. I started with 6.5 CM. My co worker has 30-06. Deer don’t seem to mind which cartridge. A quality rifle and cartridge will out shoot most shooters
Here in Michigan Ron I do love my 260 rem for deer hunting. I’m always the odd man with the odd caliber at deer camp and usually very successful 😉Keep up the great work.
Thanks Mark.
Mark,
I've been a .260 shooter since 1998. Went to my Ruger dealer at gun show looking for 25-06, took Jim's recommendation and bought the then new .260 . Best center fire rifle decision ever made.
@@brianklamer3328
Brian I think it was around the same time l bought my Remington model 700 chambered in 260 and yeah after I shot it I fell in love with it. It’s a keeper!
@@marktomasunas4926 Mark, do you know if the twist on your 700 is 1 in 9" or 1 in 8"?
I wouldn't be afraid of using it on mule deer or elk if shooting a heavy bonded bullet and keeping the range realistic, like under 300 yards.
@@brianklamer3328
I’m not sure Brian what the twist is. I would have to have a gunsmith check that out. The opportunities I’ve had to hunt out west I’ve depended on my second most favorite caliber the Remington 7mm mag this I have in a Winchester model 70 these two rifles handle everything this old man can still hunt. Just remember to. Always keep the odds in your favor 😉
Just got a Sauer 100 in 6.5x55 last year and love it.
6.5 works very well in its relm, so does the 7mmo8 and there very close. People that try to push it are the ones that see failure as you can with alot of cartridges. I have one, not my go to but it works when I take it
The two whitetails I shot with it definitely think it’s adequate for big game.
Just got one and love it. Looking forward to taking a T-Rex at 6 miles.
I know of and have seen people using the 6.5 creedmoor successfully on a variety of medium and big game. Those that use it seem to love it.
I think the invention of this cartridge came around the time when long range shooting became an interest for people that don’t necessarily hunt. If you are not a hunter then you don’t take into account terminal performance and it’s easy to overhype its capabilities. I think this is one of these cartridges where everything was brought to bare at the same time along with sensible twist rates and this cartridge gives quite a bit without asking for much. This cartridge creation has taken things in a new direction and has even improved other older cartridge factory offerings because now everybody has to try harder
I just bought a 6.5 creedmoor, sighted it in fairly easy at 100yds gonna use it for white tail here in PA i love shooting it, great gun.
The 6.5 CM is good at many things, it is the perfect compromise between range and trajectory, stopping power, bullet weight, penetration, recoil, blast, etc that's why it is so popular and gaining. It fits in short action lightweight rifles. It's cousin the 6.5 Swede has been taking all kinds of big game worldwide for over 120 years which built a reputation as a great hunting cartridge.
Good but not great
@@Simon-talks meh. It's ok at all levels but not great at any
6.5CM seems to be a really great all around cartridge. Not just good but really great all around.
@@Simon-talks there a lot of magnum snobs who like to criticize it but it does the job just like the 30-30, which the gun media largely ignores. The proof is in the dozens of new magnum rounds the industry created and which failed to catch on because they were not needed and had drawbacks.
@@PassivePortfolios Yep, 6.5CM is phenomenal, I agree
Love my 6.5x55 SE!!!! I can do more with it in a modern rifle than someone with the 6.5 Creedmoor. 😎😎😎
Great video as always, Mr. Ron. I only have a few Bucket List rifles left and one is a Ruger No. 1 Manlicher in 6.5*55. Keep it up! God bless, Stay safe, Shoot straight. - Hedge
As a fun project, I built an AR-10 skeletonized in 6.5 Creed. Topped it with a Quigly-Ford scope that is matched to the rifle. It is seriously so dang fun to shoot. I know its limits and it will never see a day where it goes Elk hunting but will use it on Antelope and Deer!! So now I am running out of reloading supplies for it and that sucks!!
Too right about the bragging about the creedmoor.
The first words out of my mouth afterwards is "how many rounds you have left?"
It's almost impossible to find ammunition (6.5 creedmoor)on the shelves for it around here in NM.
I hear that a lot 6.5creed is hard to find not in Pennsylvania the 6.5creed is just as easy to get as 30-06,308,30-30 and most standard rounds, not counting the ammo shortage that's why u cant find them just like all the other rounds
This is why most humans use the internet to find ammo, ANY and ALL ammo is easy to find on the internet.
Thanks for video, well said. Most of the complaining I’ve seen is from people not understanding why the creed exists when there were so many cartridges that did the same thing. What’s wrong with having a new cartridge? Nothing. Picking a creed over a swede is like picking a 7mm-08 over a 7mm mauser. I have a mauser because I love the history. I have a creed because my local gun store almost always has ammo for it
How dare you bring common sense into this comment section. Logic has no place here. How can a modern cartridge have any other use except to poo all over the existing ones that have been taking game for decades. Why would anyone want a new cartridge saami speced for modern factory rifles that can mag feed in a short action for match shooting aswell as run in semi autos? No way pal, not in here, no you don't. Also a guy above ran the numbers and the 25 06 apparently has it beat so I rest my case.
I love your videos Ron.always looked forward to your articles in the hunting mags. Long before the internet. I think the 6.5’s kill so well because of the sectional density. I’ve Been using 6.5 Swede for 30 years it kills stuff dead. I got a creedmoor a few years ago because it’s a lot cheaper and easier to find ammo for and works in short actions. I find short actions easier to mount scopes on and a little lighter to carry. I think the prc would be great but My 270 would get to jealous.I hope you had a awesome hunting season Ron.. be safe
Thanks Robt!
If I were looking at buying a 6.5 rifle to chamber a readily available cartridge to "duplicate" the 6.5x55 Swedish it would be the 6.5Creedmore. Yes it is a bit hyped. As far as deer and antelope I had a 25-06 that worked just fine.
Well, the ammo makers certainly make a wide variety of hunting ammo for the round. We checked into this when my son got a 6.5 CM (that same Mossberg model) for deer hunting a couple of years ago. I agree that success will depend on bullet technology but they’re pretty good at that aspect now.
.264 diameter bullets to Me make it a Antelope Deer and Caribou gun in any flavor case. More powder just makes for a longer point blank range. IMHO and this is from a long time .264 Win Mag Fan.
The 6.5 Creedmore is legal for all game in germany, though i know no one that uses it. Though many hunting ground owners require a minumum caliber of 7mm. The 6.5x55 is more common than the creedmore. I'd love to shoot one, but i doubt I'll buy one.
I've got the feeling, that "our" hunters are a bit old fashioned in some parts of the country. Hence they'll more likely stick to their 8x57IS or 308.
Ron, I have a hunting cartridge comparison that will diffidently be a challenge and maybe the first on TH-cam. It is the 300 Ham'r vs 300 Blackout vs 30-30 Winchester.
I love my 6.5 Creedmoor, unbelievably accurate. My 308 and 30-06 don’t compare, but use my 30-06 for deer hunting. Unfortunately my 308 has eccentricity been retired. It has been replaced by my 6mm and 6.5 Creedmoors for target shooting.
How ya liking the 6mm creed? I have a.243 so I really don’t need one, but the 6 creed would look good next to my 6.5
@@lrac7751
The 6mm Creedmoor is remarkable as is the 6.5 Creedmoor. I shoot 1000 and 1200 yards at a range almost every week. My 243 could not achieve that distance with any accuracy. I got a 5” group at 1000 yards a couple weeks back with my 6.5 Creedmoor. Both my 243 and 308 are pretty much retired.
@@jw3946 🤣
Never a fan of the 6.5 but the new 6.8... Yay...!!!
I’ll stay with my 6.5x55, 6.5-284, and 264 win mag. All 3 are classy cartridges that just get the job done. No need for a man bun.
From what I've read, the cave men made good use of their clubs. Don't know about their hairstyles.
The Swede was actually the go to target round for many decades. A lot of European competition records were held by the swede. The Sedish Mauser actually has a relatively fast twist as 8.7-1, I sporterized one back in 1996 and it is the second most accurate rifle I ever owned behind my Rem Sendero in 300RUM
I use 6.5 Grendel for whitetail deer for a few years now ... so I assume 6.5 creed would be just fine
I have a .260 that's worked very well on whitetails... I couldn't imagine the 6.5CM being any different. I've thought a bunch about getting a Grendel but with ammo the way it is right now.... It seems that a Grendel with 123gr would be pretty sweet.
I have a .260Rem but I ordered it with 1:8 twist. Shoots 140gr very well and those 140s work really well on whitetails.
A 260 Remington with a 140 Gr Remington core lokt bullet just cannot be beat for whitetails but I gave mine away to a young friend of mine that did not have a hunting rifle so I'm probably going to buy a 6.5 creedmoor
@@2017Toy that's exactly what I used... 140gr Remington Core-Lokts.
I find the 6.5x284 Norma to be a better option than the Creedmo'. I also recently added the 6.5 Wby RPM to my rifles in that weight class. Which means the Creedmo' is just standing around the safe with its thumb(safety) up its azs!
Awesome cartridge, use it very effectively on deer, antelope, and elk.
I always wondered why the 6.5 Carcano never got analyzed or compared with other 6.5 cartridges interms of ballistics.
It is far underpowered compared to the 6.5 X 55, or the Creedmore. It will do your deer, but best left to shots under 100 yards.
I love the 6.5 creedmoor. I've always been surprised that the .260 remington was a flop since it seems like a great deer round. But the creedmoor is even better and lots of guns available.
The 6.5C has inferior ballistics to the .260 Remington, it's kind of like a .260 short and weak.
It can shoot heavier bullets though.
@@billj5645
Absolutely nothing wrong with the 6.5 CM for hunting. I have a .260 Rem and several 6.5x55s. Along with the 6.5x47 Lapua, these are all pretty much equal to each other. I have taken several white tail over 400 meters away with my .260 and I helped my uncle take his first quarter mile deer with his. With the proper loads, these are all perfectly capable at any range.
I am glad the he pointed out that one of the big differences between many of the recent cartridges like the 6.5 CM and most of the older, largely American cartridges like the .260 Rem* is the bullet length. For some reason most of the cartridges developed in the US have had relatively stubby, lower BC bullets. There have always been people who have ignored the SAAMI specs and used longer actions and used longer bullets in faster-twist barrels, but factory ammo was always limited to the original specifications.
*270 Win, .223, .308, 7mm Rem Mag, 300 Win Mag, 300 WSM, etc...
Ron, educational video as always. Big fan of the 6.5 CM. Harvested a very nice buck this year with it. Impressive results with Hornady precision hunter eld-x, 143 gr factory. Another fantastic cartridge to add to my collection. Keep up the good work!
I got the 6.5 to try out long range shooting. But decided to try it for whitetails this past hunting season. I shot a buck at 80 yards this past November with my 6.5 Ruger, 140 grain. It was walking, I stopped it, shot it, it paused, then ran 30 yards. Previous years with my 30.06, same exact spot with two other deer - one ran 10 yards, one fell on the spot. Both are acceptable results - meat in my freezer. PA hunter, most shots are closer than 200 yards.
Umm, the 6.5x55 has more powder capacity than the 6.5 CM and in a modern rifle like a Tikka can supercede the 6.5 Creedmoor.
I can second that as a 60 yrs old gunmaker, while having built literally hundreds of 6.5 Swedes in both Europe & NZ, plus a couple of dozens over these past 16 yrs here in 🇨🇦, while having used the Swede myself as my main hunting rifle caliber for over 45 yrs; I can truly state that the Swede is and has always been way underloaded in case of using it in the old M96/38 actions inside North America! However; when handloaded in modern actions such as the T3 or even in the old Msr 98’s, it an be loaded to much higher pressures like most Euro mfg’ers do and will leave all you 6.5CM’s .260Rem. & 6.5x47Lap. in the dust and is right on the heels of the 6.5-.284/6.5-06, while its A.I.- version is equally in performance to both these beforementioned! Meanwhile it has the benefit of handling the heaviest bullets much better, then any of its SA cousins rounds, which weights are usually the ‘best’ for the larger game (and yes, including polar bear according to my Norwegian collegues), because of their superior deep penetration and in case of Moose, Elk & deer, its minimal meat loss with some of my old favourite bullets like the 155gr Lapua Mega, the 140 Nosler Partition, aswell as the later introduced Naturalis or even the 160 Hornady SP have never failed a beat on anything walking! This blows the myth to bits of this one guy stating that only 120-129grs work best: yeah, especially if you don’t care about meat & organ loss.
Short answer yes it will work great for hunting with the proper hunting bullet and shot placement. I have been shooting a Swede for 22 years because it’s my go to rifle. When you handload you get a slight advantage over the creedmor due to case capacity. 140gr bullet traveling mid 2900 fps does the trick every time.