Anybody using 6.5mm Hornady Creedmoor in the UK?

[Laurie]

Does anybody know of 6.5 Creedmoor being used here in good old Britain? I know it's ballistically similar to .260 Rem, but it has a nicer case shape and sharper shoulder angle, and looks like it might be quite a performer. Our US cousins have taken to it in a big, big way too for tactical and service rifle shooting.

 

(Thinking of having my .308W SGC SSR-10 rebarreled to the Creedmoor. With less case taper than .243, .260, 7mm-08, and .308, it should extract easier too.)

[Snowz]

Why not a 260ai if you want steeper neck angle I'm having one built should be ready for the weekend

[littlefraggle]

You can come and have a go with mine if you fancy it. Performs very well and an excellent XTC round as that's what it was developed for. It's main competitor in HRA matches in USA is 6XC. I use both, the HRA National Championships at Bisley was won (781.36 ex 800) this weekend with a 6XC. The prone rapid (10 shots from standing to prone with a mag change in 60s unsupported) string at 300y was 8 Xs and 2 10s (the X ring is very small).

 

I have used both, cant really pick between the two but the 6.5 will have better barrel life.

 

G

[Laurie]

Thanks for the insight. I wondered how it squared up against 6XC. looks a good little cartridge - Gun Pimp and I are considering rebuilding a .308W SSR-10 in it using a spare 6.5 barrel and it looks a much better bet than our original thought of 6.5X47L in this role given that cartridge's likely primer piercing with its small primers, and maybe hard ejection in a straight-pull too as per the Grendel.

[littlefraggle]

Thanks for the insight. I wondered how it squared up against 6XC. looks a good little cartridge - Gun Pimp and I are considering rebuilding a .308W SSR-10 in it using a spare 6.5 barrel and it looks a much better bet than our original thought of 6.5X47L in this role given that cartridge's likely primer piercing with its small primers, and maybe hard ejection in a straight-pull too as per the Grendel.

 

In straight-pull format, neither will work in AR15 format obviously but would in AR10. The one that would work in AR15 format would be 6mmAR but when I tried to do one, it suffered from bad extraction unless I used less powder than negated the benefit so sacked it off and stck to what I know works...

[baldie]

Gav/Laurie,

Get one of Armalon,s camming cocking handles...they work perfectly. I,m running full power loads in my grendel, and no problems with hard extraction anymore. At some point i,m going to rebarrel it in 6mmAR Gav.It looks a great cartridge.Personally i think the 6.5 is too much bullet for the case.

 

Laurie....it wont work....sell the AR10....to me.

[Laurie]

 

 

Laurie....it wont work....sell the AR10....to me.

 

 

Dave,

 

I might hold you to that! There will likely be a secondhand 6.5 HC AR10 + spare Krieger 0.308W 1-10" barrel for sale in 18 months to 2 years time when I've finished playing around with it in Creedmoor form.

 

Laurie

[littlefraggle]

Gav/Laurie,

Get one of Armalon,s camming cocking handles...they work perfectly. I,m running full power loads in my grendel, and no problems with hard extraction anymore. At some point i,m going to rebarrel it in 6mmAR Gav.It looks a great cartridge.Personally i think the 6.5 is too much bullet for the case.

 

Laurie....it wont work....sell the AR10....to me.

 

The Grendel runs fine in a 1:8 Bartlein, no extraction issues at all but the 6AR just doesn't at all. Bradders suggested I run it slightly over (2thou.) max headspace and while that makes it better it does not make it workable!

 

I tell you what, I've got an upper so why not fiddle with it and see what you can get it to do?

 

Gav

[baldie]

I,ll give you a ring later in the week Gav. I would definatly like a go with a 6mm AR.

[alled12]

Laurie if you want to know about 6.5 creedmore have a word with MarinePI, he has one and rather likes it. He should be able to help you with all the detials and questions. Brass is avialable in this country through midway. It is possible to seat 130 grain bergers for magazine feed. Hope this is of some use.

[Laurie]

Laurie if you want to know about 6.5 creedmore have a word with MarinePI, he has one and rather likes it. He should be able to help you with all the detials and questions. Brass is avialable in this country through midway. It is possible to seat 130 grain bergers for magazine feed. Hope this is of some use.

 

 

Thanks for that. I'd already made up my mind to try the cartridge when I started the thread, as its huge popularity in the USA says it must have something special going for it, especially when you'd imagine that its similarity to the existing .260 Rem would have made it a non-starter. It was simple curiosity as to whether we had anybody using it here already. I thought some of the HRA guys might have acquired / built rifles chambered for it, and that's obviously the case (if you pardon the pun) from what Gav posted. I'm must say that I'm impressed that it matches up to 6XC in this kind of shooting.

[littlefraggle]

Thanks for that. I'd already made up my mind to try the cartridge when I started the thread, as its huge popularity in the USA says it must have something special going for it, especially when you'd imagine that its similarity to the existing .260 Rem would have made it a non-starter. It was simple curiosity as to whether we had anybody using it here already. I thought some of the HRA guys might have acquired / built rifles chambered for it, and that's obviously the case (if you pardon the pun) from what Gav posted. I'm must say that I'm impressed that it matches up to 6XC in this kind of shooting.

 

How about 6.5XC as well. 22-250 Case, Improved and very decent performance...

[Laurie]

How about 6.5XC as well. 22-250 Case, Improved and very decent performance...

 

Gav,

 

It's not that far off 6.5X47L case capacity wise, less than 2gn water according to QuickLOAD, but would provide a large primer cartridge which I reckon a significant advantage in many rifles with the cratering / piercing issue at below max pressures. (Vince B and I looked at whether Creedmoor brass could be reformed to 6.5X47L to get a large primer version of the cartridge for those like me whose rifle suffers endemic primer piercing. My 6.5X47L FN SPR is so affected by this that I'm having it rechambered to .260 Rem and using a different action with smaller diameter firing pin for the 6.5X47L. However, reforming Creedmoor brass to Lapua involves a hefty shoulder set-back, more than we thought so it's difficult and a lot of work even though it's possible.)

 

In this particular project, I want to avoid wildcats. Rifle build and subsequent handloading efforts will be written up in TargetShooter in due course and a factory cartridge, albeit an exotic one for British shooters, is of greater interest to most people. (I have a user-friendly wildcat project or two in mind as well that involve our friend Baldie, although he doesn't know this yet!) I'm intruigued by the Creedmoor's huge success in the USA bearing in mind there being an existing design filling the ballistics slot, its relatively modest performance, Americans only recently 'discovering' 6.5mm etc. It seems to be one of those cartridges that delivers more than it promises and rightly or wrongly creates its own legend (or myth) as a giant-killer. You see posts on US forums by people who believe it'll outperfom 6.5-284 and suchlike!

[littlefraggle]

Well I have a 6.5-250 Improved Reamer (6.5XC), a 6.5-08 Improved and a 6XC, gauges and dies if you want to give it a lash. I'm getting a squeak under 3000fps with 37.1g of N150 with a 123g Scenar with the 6.5.

[Laurie]

Gav,

 

thank you for the offer - I'll keep them in mind.

 

Laurie

[janner]

Does anybody know of 6.5 Creedmoor being used here in good old Britain? I know it's ballistically similar to .260 Rem, but it has a nicer case shape and sharper shoulder angle, and looks like it might be quite a performer. Our US cousins have taken to it in a big, big way too for tactical and service rifle shooting.

 

(Thinking of having my .308W SGC SSR-10 rebarreled to the Creedmoor. With less case taper than .243, .260, 7mm-08, and .308, it should extract easier too.)

Hi laurie, I have the reamers and dies on the shelf for 6.5 creedmoor. Ratwhiskers and I will be finishing a rifle in that caliber by the end of the month. it would appear that many are still missing the trick with the 260 rem .ie the overall length with the 140 grain bullets is too long for the correct positioning of the bullet in the case when using AI mags.As the bullet has to seated too deeply in the case in order to function properly through the magazine You are giving up up to 8 percent case capacity and not using the case or the higher bc projectile to its fullest potential. The creedmoor allows for the 140 grain bullet to be seated with the boattail shank/ junction of the bullet to be seated 0.030 forward of the neck shoulder junction of the case and still have 20/30 thou clearence in the mag for perfect functioning. you want to realy extend your range then this is the way to go ( 1400 yards) . But as you are enquiring good sir I know that you will have already run the figures through the ballistic program and know that i speak only the truth. The creedmoor acheives what the 260 should do if run either from a correcctly throated single action or a lomg action with the throat cut for the 140 grainers .

yours respectfully Mike Norris Brock and Norris Custom Rifles

[foxing2night]

Hi laurie, I have the reamers and dies on the shelf for 6.5 creedmoor. Ratwhiskers and I will be finishing a rifle in that caliber by the end of the month. it would appear that many are still missing the trick with the 260 rem .ie the overall length with the 140 grain bullets is too long for the correct positioning of the bullet in the case when using AI mags.As the bullet has to seated too deeply in the case in order to function properly through the magazine You are giving up up to 8 percent case capacity and not using the case or the higher bc projectile to its fullest potential. The creedmoor allows for the 140 grain bullet to be seated with the boattail shank/ junction of the bullet to be seated 0.030 forward of the neck shoulder junction of the case and still have 20/30 thou clearence in the mag for perfect functioning. you want to realy extend your range then this is the way to go ( 1400 yards) . But as you are enquiring good sir I know that you will have already run the figures through the ballistic program and know that i speak only the truth. The creedmoor acheives what the 260 should do if run either from a correcctly throated single action or a lomg action with the throat cut for the 140 grainers .

yours respectfully Mike Norris Brock and Norris Custom Rifles

Very interesting,,, Keep it coming gents!!!!

 

See you all soon,, Darrel

[terryh]

Gents

 

Alpha Ind. mags give you another .135 on bullet seating if you're needing it?:

 

http://www.alphaindmfg.com./store/index.php?route=product/product&path=35&product_id=51

 

Going with some of their mags for next LR/tactical build (not a 6.5 BTW) very good quality, function well and do not cost too much.

 

Terry

[Andrew]

Hi laurie, I have the reamers and dies on the shelf for 6.5 creedmoor. Ratwhiskers and I will be finishing a rifle in that caliber by the end of the month. it would appear that many are still missing the trick with the 260 rem .ie the overall length with the 140 grain bullets is too long for the correct positioning of the bullet in the case when using AI mags.As the bullet has to seated too deeply in the case in order to function properly through the magazine You are giving up up to 8 percent case capacity and not using the case or the higher bc projectile to its fullest potential. The creedmoor allows for the 140 grain bullet to be seated with the boattail shank/ junction of the bullet to be seated 0.030 forward of the neck shoulder junction of the case and still have 20/30 thou clearence in the mag for perfect functioning. you want to realy extend your range then this is the way to go ( 1400 yards) . But as you are enquiring good sir I know that you will have already run the figures through the ballistic program and know that i speak only the truth. The creedmoor acheives what the 260 should do if run either from a correcctly throated single action or a lomg action with the throat cut for the 140 grainers .

yours respectfully Mike Norris Brock and Norris Custom Rifles

 

I read an article about the 6.5 Creedmore in which the author stated that the 6.5 Creedmore was what the .260 should have/could have been. Marine PMI of this site has been using it for about a year now. He is very enthusiastic about it.~Andrew

[Laurie]

Thanks guys - what you're saying, especially Mike (Janner), is just what I thought about it. We have a slightly tight neck reamer on order from PT&G - have been waiting forever for it! When it eventually arrives it'll be used in a Stiller bolt-action magazine rifle and the SSR-10 straight-pull. I'm looking forward to trying the cartridge.

[Laurie]

Hi laurie, I have the reamers and dies on the shelf for 6.5 creedmoor. Ratwhiskers and I will be finishing a rifle in that caliber by the end of the month. it would appear that many are still missing the trick with the 260 rem .ie the overall length with the 140 grain bullets is too long for the correct positioning of the bullet in the case when using AI mags.As the bullet has to seated too deeply in the case in order to function properly through the magazine You are giving up up to 8 percent case capacity and not using the case or the higher bc projectile to its fullest potential. The creedmoor allows for the 140 grain bullet to be seated with the boattail shank/ junction of the bullet to be seated 0.030 forward of the neck shoulder junction of the case and still have 20/30 thou clearence in the mag for perfect functioning. you want to realy extend your range then this is the way to go ( 1400 yards) . But as you are enquiring good sir I know that you will have already run the figures through the ballistic program and know that i speak only the truth. The creedmoor acheives what the 260 should do if run either from a correcctly throated single action or a lomg action with the throat cut for the 140 grainers .

yours respectfully Mike Norris Brock and Norris Custom Rifles

 

 

Mike,

 

PM sent re reamer.

 

Laurie

[crumbly]

Gav,

 

It's not that far off 6.5X47L case capacity wise, less than 2gn water according to QuickLOAD, but would provide a large primer cartridge which I reckon a significant advantage in many rifles with the cratering / piercing issue at below max pressures. (Vince B and I looked at whether Creedmoor brass could be reformed to 6.5X47L to get a large primer version of the cartridge for those like me whose rifle suffers endemic primer piercing. My 6.5X47L FN SPR is so affected by this that I'm having it rechambered to .260 Rem and using a different action with smaller diameter firing pin for the 6.5X47L. However, reforming Creedmoor brass to Lapua involves a hefty shoulder set-back, more than we thought so it's difficult and a lot of work even though it's possible.)

 

In this particular project, I want to avoid wildcats. Rifle build and subsequent handloading efforts will be written up in TargetShooter in due course and a factory cartridge, albeit an exotic one for British shooters, is of greater interest to most people. (I have a user-friendly wildcat project or two in mind as well that involve our friend Baldie, although he doesn't know this yet!) I'm intruigued by the Creedmoor's huge success in the USA bearing in mind there being an existing design filling the ballistics slot, its relatively modest performance, Americans only recently 'discovering' 6.5mm etc. It seems to be one of those cartridges that delivers more than it promises and rightly or wrongly creates its own legend (or myth) as a giant-killer. You see posts on US forums by people who believe it'll outperfom 6.5-284 and suchlike!

[crumbly]

Hi Laurie, I have a AE rebarreled in 260 Rem, (290 thou neck 31 inch border 5R bar) for 2 years I put up with the Cratering and pierced primers even to having a new firing pin and spring until I had the bolt rebushed from 80-60 thou and the firing pin reduced from 78-58 thou, I can now use 139gr scenars at over 2900fps, 123gr scenars were 3180fps although I now load these down to 3050fps, none of these loads showed any sign of pressure.

Regarding loading to mag lenght, my COL is 2.920 thou, although I could load to 2.970 thou which will still work through the mag, leaving plenty of room for powder,

I can only think of one better cartridge, and that is the 260AI, although I have just had a 6.5x47L built on my other AE, and will pick it up at the travalgar meeting, this choice may have been a mistake.? crumbly

[Guest richness]

Fascinating thread thanks guys