6.5 (Creedmore - x284 - x06 - x55) Reloading Considerations

[CouesPursuit]

I've never had a tougher time settling on something than which 6.5 I would like to eventually get into, and as a novice hand loader, I figure I better understand this aspect of the trade-offs.

 

I keep reading how much easier it is to load for a 6.5 Creedmore than some of its variants, such as where I have been leaning, the 6.5x284. I'm wondering if anyone can elaborate please.

 

For 6.5's, I've read about properly matching twist rate to barrel length. Is this bullet specific or pressure specific, if at all?

 

If you are buying say, Lapua or Nosler brass and loading from scratch, how does this apply?

 

Thanks.

 

 

[Red Rabbit]

The barrel twist needed to stabilize a bullet depends on the bullet's weight, length, diameter, shape, and the bullet velocity and atmospheric conditions. Heavier, longer, sleeker bullets will require a faster twist. There are twist calculators, and some bullet manufacturers like Barnes give a recommended barrel twist for their bullets. For your 6.5CM or 6.5x284, a 1in8" twist would be preferred. Most 6.5 Creedmoors are twisted 1in8. Barrel length should only affect needed twist in that a much shorter barrel will yield less velocity and hence need a slightly faster twist for a given bullet. Brass should be a non factor.

[metau]

How many rounds do you plan on putting down the barrel in a year? What do you want to shoot at? How far are you confident shooting already? How far do you want to shoot with this rifle? What do you want the finished weight of the rifle to be?

 

Tons of other questions to go along with those.

 

If I were looking at a 6.5, I would approach it from this aspect: Knowing what I want to shoot at(paper, thin skinned game or medium skinned game), I would pick a particular bullet that do said job the best. Then I would determine what muzzle velocity I was needing to achieve the trajectory I wanted with said bullet. Once I know the bullet and the speed needed, that would tell me what my choices are for cartridges that can realistically meet that trajectory. rifle weight would play into limiting factors of SA/LA as well as barrel length, which would further narrow or expand said field of cartridge choices.

[CouesPursuit]

Thanks for the response, metau. I wanted this to be specific to reloading but I'm always open to suggestions, here it goes -

How many rounds do you plan on putting down the barrel in a year?

I honestly can't answer this until I understand my level of satisfaction with the rifle, and if I have any further talent as a shooter. I can tell you I don't have the time to put hundreds of rounds down the barrel a year. I also have an enjoyable, accurate to 500 yard rifle to do that with already.

 

What do you want to shoot at?

Everything. Target to 1000+ if I develop the talent.

 

Deer and elk to 600 with complete confidence if I had to. A gun that will buck the big Wyoming winds at the Antelope 440 yards away like I had last year. This is where I start deciding against the Creedmore since I won't be shooting hundreds of rounds a year.

 

 

How far are you confident shooting already?

I practice out to 500 yards consistently. I'm confident my current rifle selection, at least in part, is limiting me from shooting farther, accurately.

 

What do you want the finished weight of the rifle to be?

I would consider weight of the rifle once I had a bullet and cartridge in mind first. Something manageable, potentially correlated to expected recoil. Nothing extremely light or heavy.

[Hoss50]

Don't overlook 6.5x55 or 6.5x55 AI if you are building a rifle in 6.5. They have done everything 6.5CM & 260 have for over 120 years.

[CouesPursuit]

Thanks!

 

I am not looking at building a custom for a while. I would probably go custom when the time came to rebarrel, hence why I'm not really afraid to love long range shooting so much that I burn out a 6.5x284 and decide what to do with the gun from there.

 

I'm not afraid of investing into it but I don't want to drop thousands of dollars into long range shooting until I decide it's for me.

[duckhunter175]

I get the feeling that both the 6.5cm and 6.5x284 are both relatively 'easy' to handload. IE they have almost an inherent accuracy. I can speak for the 6.5x284 as the first cartridge that I handloaded for and load development was very easy and there is tons of data out there. Brass isn't overly difficult to come by.

 

As for the 6.5cm--- this cartridges best feature is that you can find factory ammo easily that will shoot extremely accurately (hornady match, precision hunter, HSM, etc etc). Brass is also easy to find. You probably won't touch the 3000fps with a 140 barrier that seems to be the quest of lots of 6.5 shooters but brass should last a long time and again there is tons of data available.

 

6.5-06- Maybe you reach that magic destination of a 140gr+ at 3000fps. Make your own brass.

[STOMP442]

Ease of loading and the simple fact that there are numerous options in factory rifles as well as match quality factory ammo puts the Creedmoor in a class of its own. It's following is only getting stronger and with that more and more options available. It doesn't do anything better than any of the other 6.5's mentioned other than it was designed to fit a standard magazine with the 140 class bullets. I for one don't really understand the hype with the cartridge but it does do everything pretty well. Accuracy is great, velocity matches the old swede, ammo is available just about everywhere, great bullet selection from 107gr all the way to 160, barrel life is very good and it is very deadly even at long ranges. Just about every major rifle maker is offering a model chambered in the Creedmoor so it really boils down to what one has the features you like best. An 8 twist barrel which is pretty much standard for a 6.5 will handle just about any bullet you can throw at it and as far as ease of reloading, I haven't found it to be any better than any other 6.5 cartridge out there as they are all pretty easy to tune. I vote Creed just because you have more options.

[lancetkenyon]

.260 Rem does everything a 6.5 Creedmoor will do as well.

[GreyGhost85]

Why not a tried and true .264 win mag? No problem getting them over 3,000fps with 140's

[77man]

I've had all mention except the 6.5x55. My pick 260 great all around cartridge. but it's hard for a 6.5 not to shoot.

[CouesPursuit]

Appreciate it guys. It's hard to pick one, period. Thanks for pondering!

[duckhunter175]

.260 Rem does everything a 6.5 Creedmoor will do as well.

 

 

For the .260rem shooters-- what are thoughts on availability and quality of factory ammo vs the 6.5cm?

[STOMP442]

Not nearly as easy to find but you can find it if you look and the match stuff will cost you. Probably not going to find it at the run of the mill mom and pop shop if you forgot your ammo on a hunt somewhere. Reloading wise Lapua makes brass for it as well as Norma and Nosler but you can always neck up or down any .308 based cartridge and go from there. The huge success of the Creedmoor is due in large part that there are many factory loadings available in a number of different bullet weights as well as a few match quality loadings at very reasonable prices.

 

 

The 6.5 Creed has gotten the aftermarket support the .260 deserved but didn't get back in the 90's

[Red Rabbit]

 

 

 

 

For the .260rem shooters-- what are thoughts on availability and quality of factory ammo vs the 6.5cm?

 

 

Looks like Nosler makes a good selection of 260 Rem ammo. 3 choices for 6.5CM.

Midway shows about 11 diff varieties available or backorderable for the 260Rem and 18 for the 6.5CM

The Hornady factory ammo in 6.5CM has shot well in mine.