Why the 6.5 Creedmoor and Not 6.5x55 BJAI

[RW]

Why all the excitement over the 6.5 creedmoor and not the 6.5x55? It is virtually the same cartridge!! And it is a 100 plus years old!!

 

[rogn]

I think you sort of answered your own question- is new and sexy where the old Swede is just that. Old and dowdy.

 

[grovey]

The creed is a modern case design with a sharper 30 degree shoulder and less taper in the body. Add the fact that it fits in S/A mags, and was marketed to the tacticool crowd and there's your answer. The swede is an old case design with less shoulder angle, more taper to the body, and it needs a long action. They both put holes in stuff, so choose the one that suits your needs.

 

[rardoin]

Grovey provided a very good answer to your question. I'll add a little more.... The base Swede has about 6gr water capacity more than the 6.5 Creedmoor; this is hardly 'virtually the same'. The 6.5 x55 BJAI you reference in the post title adds another 3.5-4gr in capacity compared to the Creedmoor case. I can run 142gr and 150gr bullets at 3000 and 2950 fps respectively without hammering/overpressuring a case in my 6.5 x55 BJAI with a 30" barrel. This is not possible in the 6.5 Creedmoor case...at least not without trashing the brass and possible the shooter.

Your question may have been more appropriate if your comparison was with the .260 Rem.

I do shoot a 6 and 6.5 Creedmoor and they are fine cartridges....and were marketed quite well. It got me hooked into this game and for that I am grateful to Mr. Hornady.

 

[swd]

6.5x55, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x55BJAI
Even in standard form there’s nothing feeble about the Swede and in BJAI form it’s a modern hot rod.

 

[Milo 2.0]

6.5x55, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x55BJAI
Even in standard form there’s nothing feeble about the Swede and in BJAI form it’s a modern hot rod.

Right, still LA vs SA though.

 

[swd]

Right, still LA vs SA though.

Depends on free bore and bullet. With a Wyatt’s box and short free bore you can go SA if that’s what you really want. Everything I shoot is single shot so it doesn’t matter to me.

 

[Milo 2.0]

Depends on free bore and bullet. With a Wyatt’s box and short free bore you can go SA if that’s what you really want. Everything I shoot is single shot so it doesn’t matter to me.

Understood, I did a couple 7 saums in short actions with Lawton target actions, ejecting loaded rds a giant PIA. Pull the bolt, then case drops after ejection port cleared, fish the case out the back end.

 

[rardoin]

Right, still LA vs SA though.

Only in a repeater.

 

[Milo 2.0]

Only in a repeater.

Lol, why would anyone buying or building a 6.5 creedmore shoot a single shot action. You guys have said for 4 yrs the creed is not a accurate rd. Not BR, so cone of fire is the game, multiple rds for 1 hit, mag feed it and rip that bolt.

 

[Kramerica]

I honestly picked the creedmoor over the 260, 6.5x47, and other similar rounds just because of factory ammo offerings before I got into reloading. Also the RPR hit at a great price when I couldn’t afford a custom rifle. The perfect storm.... most others probably just fell for the marketing. I’m not complaining though

 

[rardoin]

Lol, why would anyone buying or building a 6.5 creedmore shoot a single shot action. You guys have said for 4 yrs the creed is not a accurate rd. Not BR, so cone of fire is the game, multiple rds for 1 hit, mag feed it and rip that bolt.

Referring to the Swede Milo. I suppose I did not make that clear.

I have never said the Creedmoor (6 or 6.5) is not an accurate round.

 

[Milo 2.0]

Referring to the Swede Milo. I suppose I did not make that clear.

I have never said the Creedmoor (6 or 6.5) is not an accurate round.

I know. Giving you and others a hard time.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Metric cartridges are akin to communism to a lot of folks believe it or not.

 

[jim_k]

The 6.5 SM has a wider diameter case rim, and often requires the bolt face to be opened up to the cartridge's non-standard size. It may not be as simple as a barrel switch. And much of the available brass is smaller than the maximum SAAMI standard, making the base of the case very loose in the chamber, compared to other cases. This can adversely affect accuracy. However, if you can deal with those issues, the 6.5 SM is very versatile. Like others, though, I am moving away from it to the 6.5 CM. Lots of available brass, no real issues about reamer throat (the typical 6.5 SM reamer has a throat that's more than 1/4" too long), shared data facilitates helpful info sharing, and you only need the 6.5 SM for longer ranges than I'll ever care to shoot. The wind drift for all of the heavier target bullets in 6.5 is basically the same at 1,000 yards, and most people don't get that far. For an F/O rifle at 1,000 yards, the 6.5 SMAI with a match chamber reamer and a 7.5 twist 30-32" barrel will compete fine, without needing a magnum bolt face. It's still inconvenient to fire-form the brass for the AI. And nobody I know who's really top-tier in 1,000 yd. F/O has a 6.5 SMAI. The closest would be ShootsDots and his experience with 7-08 AI.

 

[AJC]

I have an original 6.5 sm that i plan to shoot and because i will already have components i figured i may get a barrel to spin on a new action to try it out. I have not spent a lot of time behind that rifle so i don't know the recoil but memory says that its not as aggressive as 308 and that's nice.

 

[perry42]

The 6.5 creedmore is good but the 6.5x55AI is much better at 1,000yds and beyond.

perry42

 

[dgeesaman]

Metric cartridges are akin to communism to a lot of folks believe it or not.

I guess these folks count caliber in 25ths of an inch.

 

[perry42]

I could care less about a cartridge being metric or in inches as long as it is accurate.

perry42