nun_hunter
Well-Known Member
Very true, never found any factory Creedmoor ammo in Sussex anywhere.
6.5 Creed or 7mm-08 whats your prefrence & why?
- Thread starter Rusty Gate
- Start date
Very true, never found any factory Creedmoor ammo in Sussex anywhere.
Who knew Wiltshire were on the forefront of ammo supply!? Both RFDs i use stock a good selection, not that I buy, as I reload!
Bullet placement, speed and design is more important than diameter. High BC mean they travel through the air better. There are high bc bullets for both 6.5 and 7mm. I prefer the 6.5's because I think the 120-140 grain bullets are just a sweet spot weight to use for the UK deer. It appears that the creedmore is becoming more and more common and I do hope it continues, it does have a lot going for it.
Littlejimmy
Well-Known Member
New owner of a 6.5 creed. T3 stainless 24" barrel, very impressed so far. I can only warn you about the cost of factory ammunition. £££ I have decided to home load.
You'll like the Creed and you should reload. I had mine out with some Lovex powder last week and the groups were mesmerizing. Shooting Nosler RDF 140's they were piling atop each other, literally, at 100 yards.My 10 shot chrono string, for which I shoot in a measured cadence and not necessarily for group, still fell in at 1" just using a rough aiming point on the target to get the bullet into the radar cone. Loaded with Lee Dies to Nosler's specified OAL. ~Muir
ChesterP
Well-Known Member
I've been homeloading for my 6.5CM for about a year now, using Redding dies. One tip is when using the more "pointy" stream-lined bullets, buy a VLD-type seater plug if you want your loads to be concentric!
My own experiences suggest that, like the .308, it's a very easy and tolerant cartridge to load for, and almost all people using similar bullets and the same powder that I use seem to be getting near identical results when it comes to the sweet spot for accuracy and precision. I use mainly 139 and 140grn bullets and RS62 in small primer brass (more reloads from it) and around 44gr RS62 sees bullets punching tiny groups (archetypal one-ragged hole groups) at 100 yds. The rifle can shoot better than I am capable of. Those using large primer brass seem to get similar results between 42.5 and 43 gr using the same powder/bullets.
Whilst the 6.5 won't replace my other cals (the 223 is just handier and more economical for vermin control purposes and the .308 just seems to "bang-flop" every deer I hit with it), the 6.5 has one or two advantages up it's sleeve for those 200 yd plus shots. High sectional density means good penetration. That, combined with the right bullet would, I imagine, make it a great choice for some of you hill stalkers on reds? High BC bullets also buck the wind better and suffer less drop. None of these are particular advantages to say 200 yds, I agree, but for those, like Dodgy, who shoot over terrain where there's little choice but to stretch things out further, the Creedmoor makes a lot of sense.
It also flatters the shooter on 600m targets...a recent outing saw a string of 10 shots group into around 0.7moa. That's no competition winning group but I'm no competition level shooter. It is better though that I managed with either the .223 or .308 at the same distance.
My own experiences suggest that, like the .308, it's a very easy and tolerant cartridge to load for, and almost all people using similar bullets and the same powder that I use seem to be getting near identical results when it comes to the sweet spot for accuracy and precision. I use mainly 139 and 140grn bullets and RS62 in small primer brass (more reloads from it) and around 44gr RS62 sees bullets punching tiny groups (archetypal one-ragged hole groups) at 100 yds. The rifle can shoot better than I am capable of. Those using large primer brass seem to get similar results between 42.5 and 43 gr using the same powder/bullets.
Whilst the 6.5 won't replace my other cals (the 223 is just handier and more economical for vermin control purposes and the .308 just seems to "bang-flop" every deer I hit with it), the 6.5 has one or two advantages up it's sleeve for those 200 yd plus shots. High sectional density means good penetration. That, combined with the right bullet would, I imagine, make it a great choice for some of you hill stalkers on reds? High BC bullets also buck the wind better and suffer less drop. None of these are particular advantages to say 200 yds, I agree, but for those, like Dodgy, who shoot over terrain where there's little choice but to stretch things out further, the Creedmoor makes a lot of sense.
It also flatters the shooter on 600m targets...a recent outing saw a string of 10 shots group into around 0.7moa. That's no competition winning group but I'm no competition level shooter. It is better though that I managed with either the .223 or .308 at the same distance.
Nope. Sounds identical.
In reality all these middle weight centerfires have marginal differences in the field.
Inside the hunting ranges, where the bullets still have enough retained energy for deer hunting, there is no ballistic difference between the 6.5 CM and the 7mm-08.
With the right bullets, a 7mm-08 will shoot right with a 6.5 CM to 1,000 yards, if that sort of plinking is of any interest to you.
With the right bullets, a 7mm-08 will shoot right with a 6.5 CM to 1,000 yards, if that sort of plinking is of any interest to you.
For me the big advantage of the 7mm08 is that you can get factory loaded 160gr rounds (Norma). Maybe it’s just psychological but I feel better hunting boar with 160gr than the 140gr which seems the standard for the 6.5mm CM. That said 156gr is the standard heavy load for the 6.5x55, so you’d expect it to become available for the 6.5mm CM sooner or later.
norcan
Well-Known Member
@pzbrook That's far from guaranteed, unfortunately. If you stay within the maximum overall length specification, the CM isn't as suitable for really long bullets as well as the x55 and other standard-length cartridges, as they'll intrude into the case enough to reduce powder capacity. On the other hand, selection and availability are much better than for the 7mm-08 if you're happy with 143 grains or so as a maximum for factory ammo.
Interesting, I didn’t know that - I assumed that because the CM is American, and that they seem to prefer 140gr, manufacturers just hadn’t gotten around to loading heavier bullets. For me the clincher is being able to buy commercially loaded heavier rounds. Rightly or wrongly, I feel happier with them for hunting boar.
One on top of two
Well-Known Member
7mm-08 was wildcatted before we had all these heavy for calibre high BC bullets and is treated as such. Now if you are a hand loader the 7mm-08 has way more potential than the 6.5 Creedmoor.
Take a Tikka T3X with 9 twist barrel, a 30-06 mag and exchange the bolt stop for a long action one (one pin). And now you can load 162/180gr bullets out to touch the lands.
Even constrained to 2.950” short action mags 180gr Eldm @2600fps out of a 22in barrel is still doing 1400fps @ 1250yds… Smokes the creedmoor hand loaded with long barrels, 147+ bullets and all the other 308 derivatives with energy on target and wind drift once you start pushing past 300yards.
Factory loads are a different matter of course.
Take a Tikka T3X with 9 twist barrel, a 30-06 mag and exchange the bolt stop for a long action one (one pin). And now you can load 162/180gr bullets out to touch the lands.
Even constrained to 2.950” short action mags 180gr Eldm @2600fps out of a 22in barrel is still doing 1400fps @ 1250yds… Smokes the creedmoor hand loaded with long barrels, 147+ bullets and all the other 308 derivatives with energy on target and wind drift once you start pushing past 300yards.
Factory loads are a different matter of course.
I considered the 7-08 and went with creedmoor .
I load 140g at 2750 fps but have the option for a sub 100g vmax for vermin ,
If your planning on putting something like a hik alpex on it then you can set more than 1 load so can make it a very versatile rifle
Each to their own …. In most scenarios of hunting , I doubt it’ll make much difference.
As for availability at different RFDs, if you know the bullet you want , they should be able to get them in
I load 140g at 2750 fps but have the option for a sub 100g vmax for vermin ,
If your planning on putting something like a hik alpex on it then you can set more than 1 load so can make it a very versatile rifle
Each to their own …. In most scenarios of hunting , I doubt it’ll make much difference.
As for availability at different RFDs, if you know the bullet you want , they should be able to get them in
Utectok
Well-Known Member
Personally I Love the low wind drift of the 6.5 bullets. If you want to shoot a 7mm get something that’s got a decent twist and throat that will take sexy long bullets (7 prc or something) but really it will make no difference to deer deaths both are fine……. for long range targets it’s a different matter.
Back when this thread started, in 2018, 6.5CM was still a bit of a new boy in the UK, 7mm-08 was established and had the better selection of factory ammo. Nowadays the 6.5CM has plenty of ammo choices, not so with the 7mm-08.
Both are excellent, I ran a Sako 75 Varmint in 7mm-08 for many years, but am happy with the 6.5CM as I mainly shoot at the range these days. 6.5PRC has more oomph but again not much factory ammo now, but in another 6 years the 6.5CM could be languishing and everyone could be shooting a 6.5PRC. We are a pretty fickle bunch.
Both are excellent, I ran a Sako 75 Varmint in 7mm-08 for many years, but am happy with the 6.5CM as I mainly shoot at the range these days. 6.5PRC has more oomph but again not much factory ammo now, but in another 6 years the 6.5CM could be languishing and everyone could be shooting a 6.5PRC. We are a pretty fickle bunch.
Until the next best thing comes along. Is always the case.
The 7-08 with a Nosler 140gr was my go to for years. I’ve shot a lot of deer with that rifle.
The ballistics of every centrefire under 300m are so similar you could put them in a hat and pick one. I ditch you would be unhappy using one for the rest of your life.
The 7-08 with a Nosler 140gr was my go to for years. I’ve shot a lot of deer with that rifle.
The ballistics of every centrefire under 300m are so similar you could put them in a hat and pick one. I ditch you would be unhappy using one for the rest of your life.
Are you a Vegan?
Kindest regards, Olaf
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