Evening all, I’ve got a slot for a 6.5mm creedmoor to fill. I would appreciate some real world advice on what barrel length is best suited to this cartridge. The rifles primary use will be for stalking in and around Oxfordshire with a little bit of gong bashing, and a trip to Scotland once a year. I will be reloading for this chambering. Im pretty set on a tikka. I’ve two t3’s at the moment both with 20inch barrels . Barrel length on these in 6.5mm seem to be 20 or 24 inch, plus moderator. I don’t want to make the wrong choice and regret it.
6.5 creedmoor barrel length
- Thread starter Ludders
- Start date
Deermanagement
Well-Known Member
Using a 20”, 130g Accubond with 44.3g of RS62
Likely just over 2700 and hits Sika and Roe over easily any time of the year.
Have a LP moderator with 80mm overhang, so well balanced, easy to carry and easy to shoot.
Likely just over 2700 and hits Sika and Roe over easily any time of the year.
Have a LP moderator with 80mm overhang, so well balanced, easy to carry and easy to shoot.
tac29136
Well-Known Member
I have a T3x CTR Stainless Adjustable in 6.5cm, with a 24 inch barrel. Bearing in lind I cannot reload, so I'm restricted to factory ammo. When I can, I'll rebarrel it with a 22" or 24" proof carbon sendero barrel, that way it'll be light weight for hunting with plenty of length for gong bashing at range too.
Deermanagement
Well-Known Member
There it is...... 20"...... perfect
Stalker-of-the-deer
Well-Known Member
Depends what your after,
Purley for hunting I'd go as short as you can get away with.
If a bit of target on the cards look at a 24" where the extra velocity will help you out but you can still use it out In the field
Purley for hunting I'd go as short as you can get away with.
If a bit of target on the cards look at a 24" where the extra velocity will help you out but you can still use it out In the field
LarryLightFoot
Well-Known Member
I have an S20 that started life with a 24” barrel but I got it lopped down it’s now 22&1/4” more manageable for mooching about, will be putting it over the chrono next week with a few different lots of factory ammo to see what it’s spitting out energy wise .
If you carry a 24” barreled rifle like you are in your profile photo you will be poking the ground 
Right now to be serious;
What calibre’s do you already have in 20” Tikka T3’s?
Will the 6.5 creedmoor realistically just be duplicating what your other rifles will already be accomplishing? Are you intending to dispose of these other rifles and just have one rifle?
The rule of thumb for velocity and barrel length is 25fps per inch. This is across the board. So 100 fps in ballistics software and a 143gr ELD-X bullet.
Depending what your “Gong bashing” actually entails and what distance.
At 500m 10mph 90 degree wind drift for 2550fps is 20.4” and 2650fps 19.2”.
There is nothing in it in the grand scheme of things.
Now if you go big or go home and change the calibre or a 6.5 PRC you will see some real advantages in the ballistics. The 143gr ELD-X doing 2960fps you will see 16.3” of drift.
when we look at the drops at 500m
2550fps 69.4”
2650fps 62.8”
2950fps 48.8”
Under 300m which I would say is your average stalking distances the real world ballistics difference between all three velocities is so close I don’t honestly think you would notice the difference between them.
You say stalking in Oxfordshire. Is it open arable fields or woodland that’s open or unmanaged where you are having to weave through branches.
I recommend downloading a ballistic software and having a look and comparing your current chamberings with the 6.5 creedmoor and deciding why you want/need to add this chambering to your tool kit.
Right now to be serious;
What calibre’s do you already have in 20” Tikka T3’s?
Will the 6.5 creedmoor realistically just be duplicating what your other rifles will already be accomplishing? Are you intending to dispose of these other rifles and just have one rifle?
The rule of thumb for velocity and barrel length is 25fps per inch. This is across the board. So 100 fps in ballistics software and a 143gr ELD-X bullet.
Depending what your “Gong bashing” actually entails and what distance.
At 500m 10mph 90 degree wind drift for 2550fps is 20.4” and 2650fps 19.2”.
There is nothing in it in the grand scheme of things.
Now if you go big or go home and change the calibre or a 6.5 PRC you will see some real advantages in the ballistics. The 143gr ELD-X doing 2960fps you will see 16.3” of drift.
when we look at the drops at 500m
2550fps 69.4”
2650fps 62.8”
2950fps 48.8”
Under 300m which I would say is your average stalking distances the real world ballistics difference between all three velocities is so close I don’t honestly think you would notice the difference between them.
You say stalking in Oxfordshire. Is it open arable fields or woodland that’s open or unmanaged where you are having to weave through branches.
I recommend downloading a ballistic software and having a look and comparing your current chamberings with the 6.5 creedmoor and deciding why you want/need to add this chambering to your tool kit.
I have a 24” on mine but would have preferred a 22” - the barrel I had fitted was fluted in such a way it couldn’t go shorter.
I’d say go for 24” to start as you will lose some velocity going short and with the heavy 6.5s this can lead to some relatively low velocities.
The other reason to go for 24” is that you can get it shortened for not much money (assuming it’s not fluted in a way that interferes) but you can’t add length if you find the 20” too short without spending a lot on a new barrel.
I’d say go for 24” to start as you will lose some velocity going short and with the heavy 6.5s this can lead to some relatively low velocities.
The other reason to go for 24” is that you can get it shortened for not much money (assuming it’s not fluted in a way that interferes) but you can’t add length if you find the 20” too short without spending a lot on a new barrel.
LarryLightFoot
Well-Known Member
Yes indeed, Andy at RifleCraft done my S20 took it down from 24” to just in front of where the fluting ends with small band of unfluted left, hence 22&1/4” £95 inc. VAT .
For general stalking the 20" will be fine. It's not a high capacity case so long barrel gains/losses won't be huge. If you were formal target shooting with it I'd say 24", but it sounds like you're not. I'd take the day to day ease of use, not knocking branches as you duck under them and having a nicer balance with a mod on every stalk over a few extra fps every time!
PhilSN12
Well-Known Member
I am a big fan of short barrels, my .223 has a 14.5" barrel and as I said, my 6.5CM has a 18" barrel. Neither weapon has let me down or suffered from stopping power or accuracy.
Everything is a compromise in shooting, choose what you want to shoot, find the right round to work with it and enjoy being out in our wonderful countryside (while we can), hopefully you get the chance to take the shot and any if the rifles we have been talking about will do the job.
Everything is a compromise in shooting, choose what you want to shoot, find the right round to work with it and enjoy being out in our wonderful countryside (while we can), hopefully you get the chance to take the shot and any if the rifles we have been talking about will do the job.
My other t3’s are 243 and 223. The 243 will go, eventually maybe. I wanted the 6.5 to move over to lead free ammunition. 99% of my shooting will be within 300m. I have some open field permission and some woodland, all stalking shot taken round home are nearly all within 200m.If you carry a 24” barreled rifle like you are in your profile photo you will be poking the ground
Right now to be serious;
What calibre’s do you already have in 20” Tikka T3’s?
Will the 6.5 creedmoor realistically just be duplicating what your other rifles will already be accomplishing? Are you intending to dispose of these other rifles and just have one rifle?
The rule of thumb for velocity and barrel length is 25fps per inch. This is across the board. So 100 fps in ballistics software and a 143gr ELD-X bullet.
Depending what your “Gong bashing” actually entails and what distance.
At 500m 10mph 90 degree wind drift for 2550fps is 20.4” and 2650fps 19.2”.
There is nothing in it in the grand scheme of things.
Now if you go big or go home and change the calibre or a 6.5 PRC you will see some real advantages in the ballistics. The 143gr ELD-X doing 2960fps you will see 16.3” of drift.
when we look at the drops at 500m
2550fps 69.4”
2650fps 62.8”
2950fps 48.8”
Under 300m which I would say is your average stalking distances the real world ballistics difference between all three velocities is so close I don’t honestly think you would notice the difference between them.
You say stalking in Oxfordshire. Is it open arable fields or woodland that’s open or unmanaged where you are having to weave through branches.
I recommend downloading a ballistic software and having a look and comparing your current chamberings with the 6.5 creedmoor and deciding why you want/need to add this chambering to your tool kit.
What do you think to the sako s20?
I quite like the look of them.
In that case a 20” 6.5 creedmoor fits the bill perfectly.
Keep the barrel short for what you are going to be using the rifle primarily for. Gong bashing gets very expensive when using copper. I bought a .223 to gong bash. Half the powder cost and you can get inexpensive bullets that will be less than half the cost of the copper you feed the 6.5 and still 2/3 the cost of lead 6.5’s but just as much fun. Unless you are shooting deer over 300m and it would pay to practice at those distances with the 6.5 why bother.
If one of your current T3’s had been a .308 or something bigger than the .243 then the 6.5 creedmoor really would have been pointless.
The 24” creedmoor really doesn’t gain enough over a 20” under 300m.
LarryLightFoot
Well-Known Member
Ha well on here there are either genuine haters or all in good spirit **** takers and there are those who like them .
Me I say each to their own, it was one of only a couple that shouldered well for me, then one came up secondhand and slightly over my budget but I went for it, yes it’s a plastic stock but my experience is, I’m not thinking about all that shat when I’m shooting, im concentrating on what needs to be and so far so good first outing I was punching half MOA on paper, bolt is very smooth and feeding rounds is as it should be without issue, I’ve topped it with a Leupold VX5-HD 3-15x56 and popped a Stalon X108 on the front end, balance feels good to me ( disclaimer I’m not as experienced as others ) then again I’m used to humping 15kg on me all day at work, I will be starting to use it in anger so to speak in the coming weeks to clear some Munties in a Woodland environment so that should give me more feedback.
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