6.5 mm Creedmoor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 6.5 mm Creedmoor | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Rifle | |
| Place of origin | United States | |
| Production history | ||
| Designed | 2007 | |
| Manufacturer | Hornady | |
| Produced | 2008 | |
| Specifications | ||
| Bullet diameter | .2645 in (6.72 mm) | |
| Neck diameter | .2969 in (7.54 mm) | |
| Shoulder diameter | .459 in (11.7 mm) | |
| Base diameter | .470 in (11.9 mm) | |
| Rim diameter | .4728 in (12.01 mm) | |
| Rim thickness | .0539 in (1.37 mm) | |
| Case length | 1.920 in (48.8 mm) | |
| Overall length | 2.820 in (71.6 mm) | |
| Primer type | Large rifle | |
| Ballistic performance | ||
| Bullet weight/type | Velocity | Energy |
| 120 gr (7.8 g) AMAX | 3,050 ft/s (930 m/s) | 2,478 ft·lbf (3,360 J) |
| 140 gr (9.1 g) AMAX | 2,820 ft/s (860 m/s) | 2,472 ft·lbf (3,352 J) |
| Source: Hornady Manufacturing Company | ||
The 6.5 mm Creedmoor (also known as just 6.5 Creedmoor) cartridge was introduced by Hornady in 2007. Many wildcat cartridges based on the 6.5mm bullet and the .308 Winchester overall length have existed many years prior to the introduction of the new Hornady cartridge. The pressures of this loading do not exceed that of 308 Winchester. When loaded with heavier bullets, longer case capacity rounds such as the 6.5x55 Swedish and 6.5-284 are capable of greater velocity. However, due to its shorter overall length, the 6.5 Creedmoor has a slight advantage over these longer rounds in that it can be chambered in a shorter length bolt action or the newer AR-10 rifle.
6.5 mm (.264") bullets, in general, are known for their relatively high ballistic coefficients, 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.
