What’s so good about the 6.5 Creedmoor?

Why is there so much buzz surrounding the 6.5 Creedmoor? And should I be thinking about switching from my 308 Winchester? Help!

QWhat is it with the 6.5 Creedmoor? I’ve never known a buzz like it around a calibre – I assume if I buy one, I’ll never miss another deer and women will fall at my feet. Or shall I just stick with my .308 Winchester?!

Dom Holtam replies: I feel your pain… and I have been sorely tempted myself. Everybody I know who shoots a Creedmoor has been impressed. Accurate, versatile, capable of performing very well at long distance. It’s a great round and, more importantly, it has a cool name.

However, it is not reinventing the wheel. The .308 is a great calibre… so is the .243. If you have to have a 6.5, the venerable 6.5×55 Swedish Mauser has been doing the business for over 120 years. Or how about the .260 Remington? It is very similar indeed to the 6.5 Creedmoor in terms of ballistic performance and was introduced back in 1997.

There are plenty of off-the-shelf rifles and factory rounds that shoot comfortably sub-MOA and for most of us, that is enough. If you are shooting competitions, maybe you’d be looking for extra, but then you’d also be looking at homeloading and maybe a custom rifle… and that’s a whole new kettle of magic!

If I was in the market now, looking to buy an all-round calibre, yes, I think the Creedmoor would be at the top of my list. Is there enough benefit for me as a recreational stalker to trade in my .308 or .243? Absolutely not. Does that mean I won’t eventually break and buy one anyway? Who knows?!