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6.5 Creedmoor vs .260 vs 6.5x55 SE

Squiddy

Hi guys,

I'm in the market for my first 6.5mm long range precision gun that will be primarily for range use with an occasional hunting session.

Rather than build a custom I've narrowed it down to two factory rifles I think will work well.

Tikka Sporter
&
Ruger RPR

Now, I know the Tikka has a superior build quality, and it comes in .260 & 6.5 x55 SE.

The RPR comes in 6.5 Creedmoor and has excellent customisation options and reviews online. It's also suppose to be good out to a mile (probably not well with factory ammo though?).

Now.... Out of 6.5x55, .260 and 6.5 Creedmoor what has the best long range ability and accuracy? I know they're all good and accurate, but as far as I can tell more people shoot further with the Creedmoor, but a lot of people are using the .260 to 1200 yds. Having a browse on things like YouTube the 6.5x55 is accurate but you don't see many people using it over 1000 yards. It's an older cartridge but enjoying a revival in modern firearms.

I'll be doing my own hand loads eventually, so making my own ammo and not using factory.

So it's either the Tikka or the RPR...

Any advice?
 
I have never shot a Swede, but do shoot a .260 and a CM regularly. The .260 and CM are side by side, even in loading it yourself. From what I have read and heard the Swede will do better in a long action, as will the .260 if you run long bullets. The Swede can give some good speeds and there is no reason why it can't be shot just as far and as accurately as the other two. I think the reason most don't run a Swede is most of the data is for older model guns and you have to feel your way around reloading it to stay safe and get what you want out of it. There is a thread on the Sniper's Hide for reloading and there are a ton of threads on it covering the Swede and reloading it and performance of that round. The shooter is the determining factor. I do know that on 2/12/16 I shot hand loads for a CM at 100 yards that performed very well, as did my .260. I shot one box of Hornady Amax match, it never grouped over 1/2 for the 20 rounds in 5 shot strings. Either rifle will do what you want it to do, but I do have a hankering to try out the Ruger PR. 'IF' I were to do that I would spend the money and get the LRI upgrades for it and be done with it.
 
The 6.5x55 is not slouch but I would stick with either 260 or 6.5CM. I have both but, in my mind, the 6.5CM has a slight advantage for the non-reloader. I am sure I'll catch hell for that but the naysayers don't know about the Copper Creek Ammo folks. They craft some very fine 6.5CM ammo (not to mention the Hornady stuff is as good as it gets). I know 1000 yard hits aren't an issue for any one of the them.
 
Cheers for the advice guys. I'll look into the LRI upgrades but I think I'll leave it standard for a while.

Im kinda torn between the Tikka sporter in a .260 or the RPR in 6.5mm. Anyone shot both by chance?

I forgot to mention - I am located in Australia so I'm not sure how I'm going to go with factory ammo availability. The Creemoor is new and not widely used and .260 is expensive ammo here. This was another reason for looking into the 6.5x55 - theres quite a few old mausers around and I think ammo and brass are easy to find. .243, .303 and .308 seem to be the most popular centrefire cartridges here...
 
6.5sweed. Much better selection of brass and ammo. Same goes to the 260.

The CM good luck finding Norma for it. The hornady is crap. It even fails nacked eye inspections.
 
Beig from Australia , you should be familiar with the SMLE s needing less elevation at 1000 than the Mausers or Springfields . I forgot the term , maybe positive compensation ? Precision shooting at 1000 had a few good articles onit . But they were due to action flex . Not sure about modern actions , if that was to be true , a tuner could fix it .
 
Squiddy said:
Hi guys,

I'm in the market for my first 6.5mm long range precision gun that will be primarily for range use with an occasional hunting session.

Rather than build a custom I've narrowed it down to two factory rifles I think will work well.

Tikka Sporter
&
Ruger RPR

Now, I know the Tikka has a superior build quality, and it comes in .260 & 6.5 x55 SE.

The RPR comes in 6.5 Creedmoor and has excellent customisation options and reviews online. It's also suppose to be good out to a mile (probably not well with factory ammo though?).

Now.... Out of 6.5x55, .260 and 6.5 Creedmoor what has the best long range ability and accuracy? I know they're all good and accurate, but as far as I can tell more people shoot further with the Creedmoor, but a lot of people are using the .260 to 1200 yds. Having a browse on things like YouTube the 6.5x55 is accurate but you don't see many people using it over 1000 yards. It's an older cartridge but enjoying a revival in modern firearms.

I'll be doing my own hand loads eventually, so making my own ammo and not using factory.

So it's either the Tikka or the RPR...

Any advice?
Click to expand...
Sorry about this late post as I just joined. I own a Tikka T3 Forrest in 6.5x55 Swede. Out of the box it shot factory ammo, but I wasn't getting the groups that would give me the accuracy at longer ranges to cleanly and ethicall kill. I worked up a handload using -New Lapua Brass, 46grains of RE-22, and 140 grain Nosler Accubonds. I used an OAL gauge and seated the bullets 20 thou off the lands-measured at the ogive. I also use the 140 grain Nosler partitions-At 100 yards- I put 3 of them in a dime-2.5" high dead center. My club does not have a 200 yard range, hopefully this spring-good luck!!
 
I've got a 6.5x47 Lapua, a 260 and a 6.5x55. they can say whatever they want about a creedmoore, but the Swede just plain has the boiler room to shove heavy pills harder by a large margin. Now with the Sierra matchking 150gr available that extra margin for long range work just got wider.
 
My vote is for the Tikka in .260 Rem, first; 6.5 Swede second; and Creedmoor last. Now if you are limited to factory ammo, the Creedmoor would make more sense.
 
Squiddy said:
I heard recently that heavier barrel Tikka's have better barrel resonance up to 600yds but guns like the RPR with lighter barrels are better up to and over 1000 yds. Does this make sense to anyone?
Click to expand...

No !!!!!

A quick look through the Daily Bulletin and Gun of the Week articles on record breaking 1,000 yard BR and F-Class smokepoles will show plenty of fat barrels (long, fat ones for long-ranges to get precision and velocities) and no skinny barrel jobs. That's not to say that relatively light barrels as used in Fullbore, Target Rifle and Palma cannot be made to shoot well at 1,000. Even there though a standard Palma profile or Light Palma profile is heavier than those on most factory jobs.

The Tikka T3 Tactical with its HBar type barrel is short though, only 20-inches IIRC. The resultant loss of MV can and usually does have a seriously deleterious effect on long-range ballistics. The RPR's extra few inches of barrel provides a major benefit, and the choice of a smaller calibre using high BC bullets (eg 6 or 6.5 Creedmoor) even more.

In Palma etc Rifle disciplines, there is a very restrictive overall weight limit, but to make the mandatory 308 Win cartridge effective at long ranges, the long relatively skinny barrel is a prerequisite to get a 155gn bullet at 2,950 fps plus MVs to remain supersonic beyond the 800, 900 yard mark whilst remaining at a weight that meets the overall limit.
 
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Take it you are buying a factory rifle instead of having one built. How about the new Hornady 6.5 PRC?

It's called Precision Rifle Cartridge and is faster than the Creedmore but still usable in a short action. Do not know who chambers it factory yet. I have two different 260 Ackley rifles and just love the things. Again, not factory as I have actions chambered by a local gunsmith. They are 260 Remington (factory available) with 40 degree shoulders.
 
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