Why did Hornady make the 6.5 Creedmoor?
- Thread starter jkirk
- Start date
ronsatspokane
Gold $$ Contributor
Pip squeak, that's funny. Real men shoot 338 Lapua in a 5 lb gun and they hold the butt of the rifle to their nut sack when they touch it off.
Disclaimer: I'm not a real man. I got rid of most of my boomers with the exception of a 9.3x62 in a CZ550 FS and a 300 WSM in a Winchester Featherweight. Those cause enough brain bleeding and retinal detachments for me these days. I do shoot a lot of pip squeaks including the 6.5 Creedmoor and 6BRA and even some rimfire. The reason I shoot a 6.5 Creedmoor is that when I'm shooting 90 rounds at 600 to 1000 yards in a day of competition, I don't need to add another 1000 dollars to the cost of my gun with a RAD system. I can shoot that gun (and/or the 6 BRA) in a 3 day competition and not get beaten up. Granted, the 6.5 will not run with the 284 (which everyone shoots) when the 284 is in the hands of someone who can read wind but it is close.
As far as hunting with a 6.5 Creedmoor, I know of at least 3 who sold their 300 win mags and went to 6.5 Creedmoor's for Elk. These guys are hardcore hunters. The kind of people who hike 10 miles in the snow into the back country of Montana to pull out monster bulls. Perhaps your 300 PRC will kill those monsters deader but the little 6.5 seems to get it done.
Boy, those first 2 sentences almost made be choke on my laughter.
Ok children its time for bedtime, but first drink your warm milk and off to bed you go. No more crying today because you dont like good accurate cartridges that are easy to load and have a large bullet selection. Nighty Night.
ronsatspokane
Gold $$ Contributor
And of course the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge itself matches my nipple rings and I can use it to hold my man bun in place whilst I prance to the firing line in my skinny jeans like I'm chewing a toffee with my arsehole.
ronsatspokane
Gold $$ Contributor
It must be said that I don't have hair but that should not impact the mental picture I was attempting to paint. I can identify as a skinny jean wearing metro-sexual if I choose. Hell, given the crap I see going on in the entertainment industry there may even be big bucks involved if done correctly. The Toffee Chewing Shooter handle should be available.
Mudcat
Gold $$ Contributor
The irony of the story behind the 6.5CM is that it never made it as a XTC or HP or MR or LR cartridge. A few of us experimented with it, but pretty much went back to the 6XC, or something else. It wasnt until the PRS crowd jumped on it that it went into "fan boi" status. Nothing wrong with the cartridge, as I still shoot several guns chambered in it and I have chambered a lot of rifles in it, but its a "meh" cartridge cause it doesnt really excel at anything in particular.
46and2
Silver $$ Contributor
But, but, but guys are slaughtering elk and t-rex at 7000 yards with a 6.5 Needmore.
Thanks to Hornady and firearm manufacturers YouTube marketing
They invent new calibers to stimulate sales.
This may sound shocking, but it’s logical. As Hornady doesn’t make guns, and all ammo manufacturers make and sell cartridges of their choosing, Hornady doesn’t really have any advantage or clear path to additional profits by developing this or other centerfire cartridges. Guys buy their favorite ammo brand no matter who developed the round.
Arguably, if a guy buys a case of 6.5 Creedmoor cartridges that Hornady made, then he’s not buying a case of 300 Winchester Magnum cartridges that Hornady could sell for perhaps more profit. Maybe 2:1 replacement since creedmoors miss less frequently. Spending budgets don’t increase just because choices expanded.
So, aside from industry and consumer recognition and appreciation, Hornady may not actually gain much financially at all for its Creedmoor efforts, and less than other companies do, regardless. Certainly, Lapua was quick to tool up for all the PRC’s and Creeds, and I doubt they sent a single Christmas card to the Red brand at Grand Island. This is why to me, it’s a little rude for its competitors to snub Hornady, they are innovating to everyone’s benefit. (But to be clear about the term “competitors”, Hornady may seem to loom large in cartridges, but it is the Nammo group that is truly huge in scope of small and LARGE weapons production and global presence, in addition to being foreign, state owned and military contract driven.
Hornady, still a family business, did create a genre that didn’t cannibalize its existing cartridge sales in Rimfre though, the ingenious little bottleneck HMR’s, and their smaller brother. They did put their name on that, and honestly, could have put it conspicuously on about 8 others in the last 20 years, that perhaps modesty prevented.
Arguably, if a guy buys a case of 6.5 Creedmoor cartridges that Hornady made, then he’s not buying a case of 300 Winchester Magnum cartridges that Hornady could sell for perhaps more profit. Maybe 2:1 replacement since creedmoors miss less frequently. Spending budgets don’t increase just because choices expanded.
So, aside from industry and consumer recognition and appreciation, Hornady may not actually gain much financially at all for its Creedmoor efforts, and less than other companies do, regardless. Certainly, Lapua was quick to tool up for all the PRC’s and Creeds, and I doubt they sent a single Christmas card to the Red brand at Grand Island. This is why to me, it’s a little rude for its competitors to snub Hornady, they are innovating to everyone’s benefit. (But to be clear about the term “competitors”, Hornady may seem to loom large in cartridges, but it is the Nammo group that is truly huge in scope of small and LARGE weapons production and global presence, in addition to being foreign, state owned and military contract driven.
Hornady, still a family business, did create a genre that didn’t cannibalize its existing cartridge sales in Rimfre though, the ingenious little bottleneck HMR’s, and their smaller brother. They did put their name on that, and honestly, could have put it conspicuously on about 8 others in the last 20 years, that perhaps modesty prevented.
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I was responding to the OP
Here's my take on it from the perspective of THE GUY who tries as a hobby to make older chambering, mostly in military rifles shoot.
Shut up and be happy that you can buy a modern 26 caliber rifle/cartridge that performs well off the shelf to be an well above average accurate hunting rifle. If you are a moderate competitor be happy that you have a platform with enough off the shelf quality control to be beneficial.
If you're a die hard competitor, enjoy rarely being happy, it's what you get when you participate in anything at the state of the art anything.
Why blame anyone for anything?
"Why did Hornady make, the 6.5 Creedmoor" ????
ANSWER,.. They KNEW that, my granson was gonna abscound with, my .243 Win., Tikka and,.
knew that, I wanted,.. a Lil',.. MOOR !
That Lil' gun, just,. "Works" !
ANSWER,.. They KNEW that, my granson was gonna abscound with, my .243 Win., Tikka and,.
knew that, I wanted,.. a Lil',.. MOOR !
That Lil' gun, just,. "Works" !
I think the perfect timing of the 6.5 Creedmoor and PRS becoming mainstream is the best thing for our sport in years.
Mainstream think was that rifles were for hunting or (gasp) self defense.
Along comes PRS, and shooting steel targets, and the 6.5 Creedmoor. Fast forward a decade or so to today. Darn near everyone and their dog has a 6 or 6.5 something in the space next to their hunting rifle. The space that used to be empty, because they only had a hunting rifle.
Ammo sales are up. Scope sales are up. Rifle sales are up. Bolt on crap for your gun sales are up.
Did the 6.5 Creedmoor do anything the 6.5x47 Lapua or 260 Remington didn’t do?
Yes, it absolutely did. Like it or not, it was extremely instrumental in growing a big segment of our treasured sport.
I love the 6.5 Creedmoor.
And I don’t even own one.
Mainstream think was that rifles were for hunting or (gasp) self defense.
Along comes PRS, and shooting steel targets, and the 6.5 Creedmoor. Fast forward a decade or so to today. Darn near everyone and their dog has a 6 or 6.5 something in the space next to their hunting rifle. The space that used to be empty, because they only had a hunting rifle.
Ammo sales are up. Scope sales are up. Rifle sales are up. Bolt on crap for your gun sales are up.
Did the 6.5 Creedmoor do anything the 6.5x47 Lapua or 260 Remington didn’t do?
Yes, it absolutely did. Like it or not, it was extremely instrumental in growing a big segment of our treasured sport.
I love the 6.5 Creedmoor.
And I don’t even own one.
The advantage is in the mind of the beholder - skillful marketing and paid gun writers creates the illusion that a new cartridge will enable Mr. Joe Smith to shoot nothing but X's and deer at 600 yards regardless of his skill as a marksman.
I'll let you in on a secret, in the hands of a skilled rifleman, they all work (in the same relative cartridge class) just about the same. The paper ballistics give the illusion cartridge XYZ is superior to cartridge ABC. It's all nonsensical for most shooters and hunters.
Don't get me wrong, the 6.5 Creedmoor is an efficient cartridge but so is the 260 Rem, 7mm 08, 6.5 Swede, etc, etc, etc.
Ok - blast me - I can take it.
I'll let you in on a secret, in the hands of a skilled rifleman, they all work (in the same relative cartridge class) just about the same. The paper ballistics give the illusion cartridge XYZ is superior to cartridge ABC. It's all nonsensical for most shooters and hunters.
Don't get me wrong, the 6.5 Creedmoor is an efficient cartridge but so is the 260 Rem, 7mm 08, 6.5 Swede, etc, etc, etc.
Ok - blast me - I can take it.
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