Why 6.5 Creedmoor Actually Sucks at a Mile: 1 Mile for $1K Pt 5

We've fired 6.5 Creedmoor at a mile, and we'll be coming back to the mile once more for the rifle we're working on. But if you're putting together a dedicated extreme long range rifle, 6.5 Creedmoor is not the best choice.

1 Mile for $1000 Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCzJy0eY5h1FBCTYsar8s3ZV43TmL27Tz

6.5 Creedmoor uses startlingly efficient projectiles that can remain supersonic out to roughly 1,500 yards. The mile target, however, sits at 1,760 yards. At best, that's over 250 yards of subsonic flight and a chance that the transonic barrier will not be kind to the projectile's stability. In my own testing, our 140-grain BTHP match projectiles remained perfectly stable through the transonic zone, but they fell subsonic well before the 1,500 yard mark, traveling over 400 yards subsonic before striking the target.

If I intended this rifle for pure extreme long range work, I would look somewhere other than 6.5 Creedmoor.

In this video I've selected a handful of excellent cartridge choices for 1-mile work. I've even thrown in the ubiquitous 308 Winchester for comparison.

Let's start with 7mm Remington Magnum, a well-proven slayer of deer with a trajectory that blows 300 Win Mag out of the sky. While the 6.5 Creedmoor falls subsonic just past 1,500 yards, 7mm Mag hits the transonic barrier just past 1,725 yards. That's over 200 more yards of supersonic travel. At 1,000 yards, the 7mm RM only sees a windage of 56 inches vs 6.5 CM's 67 inches (assuming 10 mph crosswind).

Next we have the newcomer, 6.5 PRC. It may seem like an insignificant step up from 6.5 Creedmoor, but it is not. Loaded with a 147-grain ELD-M projectile, 6.5 PRC has the potential to remain supersonic at one mile and beyond, striking a 1-mile target a full 400 inches higher than 6.5 Creedmoor. At 1,000 yards we're looking at only 50 inches of wind drift.

And finally, the other new monster magnum: 28 Nosler. Using the same 7mm projectiles as 7mm Magnum, the extra velocity it imparts can net a 530-inch gain over 6.5 Creedmoor and remain supersonic well past the mile marker. Wind deflection is essentially the same as the 6.5 PRC.

Of course, these aren't the only cartridges that can boast better drop and windage than 6.5 Creedmoor. On the heavy side you can choose 338 Lapua Magnum, 375 Cheytac, or 408 Cheytac. In less extreme territory you can look at 6.5-284, 264 Winchester Magnum, or any number of cartridges from Lazzeroni or Weatherby.

So why did I choose 6.5 Creedmoor vs the world? For starters, I didn't want a dedicated 1-mile gun. I wanted a flexible rifle for long range game harvesting and target punching, capable of harvesting coyotes and hogs at long distances. Loading in the garage will be relatively cheap. Barrel life will be long. Plus, 6.5 Creedmoor is the cartridge that more outdoorsmen and target competitors will actually own. Let's see what it can do.

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Kyle Broderick, The Social Regressive