6.5 mm Creedmoor
Encyclopedia
The 6.5 Creedmoor is a centerfire
rifle
cartridge
introduced by Hornady
in 2007. When loaded with heavier bullets, cartridges such as the 6.5x55 and 6.5-284 are capable of greater muzzle velocity due to their longer cases and larger powder capacity. However, due to its shorter overall length, the 6.5 Creedmoor is more flexible in its ability to be chambered in short-action bolt rifles and AR-10
rifles.
6.5 mm (.264") bullets, in general, are known for their relatively high ballistic coefficient
s, and have seen success in rifle competition. The 6.5 Creedmoor is capable of duplicating the trajectory of the .300 Winchester Magnum
while generating significantly lower recoil
. Also, converting a rifle chambered for the .308 Winchester
(or any of its offspring, such as the .243 Winchester
, 7mm-08 Remington or .338 Federal
) to 6.5 Creedmoor generally requires little more than a simple barrel change.
Centerfire ammunition
A centerfire cartridge is a cartridge with a primer located in the center of the cartridge case head. Unlike rimfire cartridges, the primer is a separate and replaceable component....
rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
introduced by Hornady
Hornady
Hornady Manufacturing Company is an American manufacturer of ammunition and handloading components, based in Grand Island, Nebraska.The company was founded by Joyce Hornady in 1949 and is currently run by his son Steve Hornady who took over after his father's death in a plane crash in 1981.Hornady...
in 2007. When loaded with heavier bullets, cartridges such as the 6.5x55 and 6.5-284 are capable of greater muzzle velocity due to their longer cases and larger powder capacity. However, due to its shorter overall length, the 6.5 Creedmoor is more flexible in its ability to be chambered in short-action bolt rifles and AR-10
AR-10
The AR-10 is an American 7.62 mm battle rifle developed by Eugene Stoner in the late 1950s at ArmaLite, then a division of the Fairchild Aircraft Corporation...
rifles.
6.5 mm (.264") bullets, in general, are known for their relatively high ballistic coefficient
Ballistic coefficient
In ballistics, the ballistic coefficient of a body is a measure of its ability to overcome air resistance in flight. It is inversely proportional to the negative acceleration—a high number indicates a low negative acceleration. BC is a function of mass, diameter, and drag coefficient...
s, and have seen success in rifle competition. The 6.5 Creedmoor is capable of duplicating the trajectory of the .300 Winchester Magnum
.300 Winchester Magnum
The .300 Winchester Magnum is a popular, belted, bottlenecked magnum rifle cartridge that was introduced by Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1963 as a member of the family of Winchester Magnum cartridges. The .300 Winchester Magnum is a magnum cartridge designed to fit in a standard length...
while generating significantly lower recoil
Recoil
Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...
. Also, converting a rifle chambered for the .308 Winchester
.308 Winchester
The .308 Winchester is a rifle cartridge and is the commercial cartridge upon which the military 7.62x51mm NATO centerfire cartridge is based. The .308 Winchester was introduced in 1952, two years prior to the NATO adoption of the 7.62x51mm NATO T65...
(or any of its offspring, such as the .243 Winchester
.243 Winchester
The .243 Winchester is a popular sporting rifle cartridge. Initially designed as a varmint round, it is now more frequently used on medium to large game such as whitetail deer, mule deer, pronghorn, wild hogs, and even black bear and caribou...
, 7mm-08 Remington or .338 Federal
.338 Federal
The .338 Federal is a rifle cartridge based on the .308 Winchester case necked up to .33 caliber. It was created by Federal Cartridge and Sako in 2006 and intended as a big game cartridge with reasonable recoil for lightweight rifles.-Comparison:...
) to 6.5 Creedmoor generally requires little more than a simple barrel change.