Was the 6.5 cm really a necessity?

[MudRunner2005]

To say that the 6.5 Creedmoor is being rammed down your throat has to be about the most ridiculous thing I've ever read. !!!

I bought a 6.5 Creedmoor rifle , BECAUSE the rifle I wanted was not available in 260 Rem , 6.5 Swede or any other mid velocity 6.5 cart.
It wasn't rammed down my throat, I actually paid good money for the privilege of owning , shooting and hunting with a 6.5 Creed.
Would I say it is better than the other 6.5 . for me it is . For others , probably not.
Remington surely dropped the ball. First by stealing the official SAAMI name , it was already presented as the 6.5/308 A-Square.
So Remington got what they deserve.
However they drop the ball on everything they do. Like the 6.5 Rem Mag , 350 Rem Mag and 416 Rem Mag. All of them Great carts that Remington let wither on the vine.

I think what they mean by "rammed down our throats" is that it seems that everyone else has almost been paid-off or bullied (I said the word "seems", so nobody get all ****y) to abandon any cartridge similar to it, and the gun magazine editors just gushing over it every chance they get (my guess is more $$$), and Hornady's marketing team being so much better than everybody else's, plus Hornady backing the CM with the latest and greatest bullet and powder tech for their factory ammo and ignoring all other similar 6.5 cartridges, and leaving others behind. It's like they're steering everyone into that iceberg, whether we like it or not, by slowly dissolving the market for any other mid-range 6.5mm cartridges.

6.5 Grendel gets treated good by Hornady, but it's not in the same class as the others. It was geared more for AR platform, but also excels in bolt-action form. I wish Remington would put out an SPS Tac in 6.5 Grendel with a 20" 5R 1:8 heavy barrel with 5/8x24 threads from the factory. How sweet would that be? No recoil, but still a sub-500 yard deer and coyote killing machine. It would also be an awesome mid-to-long range plinker and loading for it would be cheap (less than 32 grains of powder).

 

[Greyfox]

I couldn't decide between the Creed or X47. After talking to Travis at RBROS I went with the X47. Sometimes I wish I had a little more case capacity, but the gun he built me is fast enough. Get just under 3000 fps with a 130 Berger. He assured me I was not at max with that load either. Haven't swayed from the load he developed for me. Shoots way to good to try something different.

I've been a 6.5 nut for several years shooting the 6.5x284 for my LR hunting and the the 260, 6.5 CM, and 6.5x47 for competition and medium range hunting. Of the latter three the 6.5x47 has become my hands down favorite. While I really like all three, and have been able to achieve sub .25 MOA with any of them, I have found the case design of the 6.5x47 to not only give the best case life with minimal stretching, but the also the greatest performance latitude with low sensitivity to charge weight variations.....an attribute that supports consistency. I suspect these attributes contribute to the driving force behind those that champion this cartridge.

This was a recent new bullet and powder lot check, but a typical result. With a 1.2gr charge weight range all shots will stay under .5MOA....there was a gusty cross wind when I shot this group at 200 yards. As an aside, the new bullet and powder lots were virtually identical to the prior lots. This is my competition load using 130gr Berger Hybrids over H4350/BR4 primer. 41.2 is the charge weight I use. 2890FPS/SD 4

 

[Adikted]

+!
In fact in many ways it is a better design if the re loader does his part.

It does require better smithing and proper sizing, but accuracy is there if you try for it and when fed good ammo It can be trouble free.

Unless I read it wrong the RUMs are shouldered cases and not belted.
It is still one of the best cartridges ever made and will/can do it all so I think it will out live all of us.

J E CUSTOM

You are correct, I miss remembered looking at some brass. Now it's got me wondering which cartridge I was looking at.

 

[slas]

I think Lapua has the right idea. They make 260 Rem brass now that is great when fire forming the 260 AI. It is a great case and has a good annealing done to it that starts you out with good brass In the AI version that can be loaded to max and survive many firings.

I have used the 7/08 Lapua brass in the past to make the 260 AI, But it is nice to have the proper head stamp on the case now.

I keep hoping that they will produce some of the Different RUM cases that Remington seams to have forgot.

J E CUSTOM

Went to Cabela's the other day to buy Lapua brass for my 260. They had 3 boxes of 6.5 CM, one box of 308, one box of another and no 260 brass. Look for it every time I go in, it's like they just quit ordering it. Or maybe it's so popular it goes first?

 

[Buzzsaw]

Its all about Marketing. Hornady is pure Genius, and now we all wait for results on their newest candy cane, the 6.5 PRS

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

Its all about Marketing. Hornady is pure Genius, and now we all wait for results on their newest candy cane, the 6.5 PRS

I'm very interested in the prc. I may build one if brass companies pick it up

 

[J E Custom]

Went to Cabela's the other day to buy Lapua brass for my 260. They had 3 boxes of 6.5 CM, one box of 308, one box of another and no 260 brass. Look for it every time I go in, it's like they just quit ordering it. Or maybe it's so popular it goes first?

Hear is a link for the 260 Lapua brass.

https://www.midwayusa.com/260-remington/br?cid=7369

Looks like it is on sale. I may get some more.

J E CUSTOM

 

[B-P-UU]

jeez... 2009 called and want's its discussion back...

The only difference between then and now is all 3 of the popular 6.5's have excellent quality brass options in either Lapua or Alpha or both, so that's a moot point. Pick one and go for a custom build with proper FB specs for your preferred bullet. 6.5 creed gets the nod for the off the shelf crowd.

 

[Buano]

This may be a dumb question, and I don't mean to start any kind of flame wars. Years ago I bought a savage model 12 long range precision in 260 Remington caliber. I had wanted a 260 for quite a while before I was able to get one. I love the round. I had wanted a 6.5 short action caliber, and the 260 foot the bill for me perfectly, something I felt I could hunt anything from coyote, to elk with. I bought the model 12, because I wanted a rifle I could shoot targets with, as well as take out hunting. Since then, I wanted to buy another 6.5 mm caliber short action rifle, that was lighter in weight. I was looking for a cheap accurate 260. I ended up buying another rifle, chambered in 6.5 mm Creedmoor. My question, is, what exactly does the Creedmoor do, that the 260 does not do? As far as I can tell, it appears to me that Remington's marketing completely dropped the ball on this caliber. I am looking at these two cases, curious as to why they Creedmoor is such a hot item, and the 260 has been so overlooked by the masses. I am punching dimes at 100 yards with my 260 pretty consistently, with 140 grain bullets going 2780 feet a second. The Creedmoor appears to be a good caliber, don't get me wrong, also, finding ammunition for the 260, the 6.5 x 55 Swede,or the 6.5 x 47 Lapua, in most stores is hard, to say the least. Creedmoor ammunition is stocked with match ammo ready to go. I just do not understand why the Remington 260 is never taken off like the Creedmoor did. It's like this caliber is been shoved down everybody's throat, to be the new king of the hill, when I can easily think of three other cartridges that would outperform it in the same caliber, and a short action. Am I missing something here?

Remington's technical people developed what I consider the perfect deer hunting round in the .260 Rem. Then the round was passed to marketing and strategic planning where it got almost no support.

I loved the .260 Rem specs and when it came time to get my daughter her first deer rifle, I found a use Model 7 in .260 for her. The rifle should have been the epitome of a mountain rifle, but it didn't shoot well — with my best groups running 1.75" or larger. Yes, this is definitely "good enough" for most deer hunting rifles, but it won't excite outdoors writers or inspire emotional attachment. At the same time long-range shooters were building custom rifles for the .260 that had little trouble holding .1", proving Remington could have marketed the .260 first in premium rifles that would develop a following and only later release "lesser" rifles chambered in it — if they had a management team capable of building demand for a product.

 

[280shooter]

Odd that some gun owners would seem offended at the introduction of a new cartridge.

 

[Prieto9000]

Speaking of remington doing stupid things...
Why would they offer a Sendero SF II chambered in 264 win mag with a 1:9 barrel??

 

[rcol317]

Very fun thread! I took my first deer in 1966 with a little 6.5X55 Sweed.I sporterized. Since then have had all the 6.5's. As has been mentioned the 6.5 has always struggled to get traction in the USA but the 6.5 CM seems to have attracted more than any other. Glad to see that guys are accepting the little 6.5 (.264) round today!! Good shooting

 

[bayou shooter]

This may be a dumb question, and I don't mean to start any kind of flame wars. Years ago I bought a savage model 12 long range precision in 260 Remington caliber. I had wanted a 260 for quite a while before I was able to get one. I love the round. I had wanted a 6.5 short action caliber, and the 260 foot the bill for me perfectly, something I felt I could hunt anything from coyote, to elk with. I bought the model 12, because I wanted a rifle I could shoot targets with, as well as take out hunting. Since then, I wanted to buy another 6.5 mm caliber short action rifle, that was lighter in weight. I was looking for a cheap accurate 260. I ended up buying another rifle, chambered in 6.5 mm Creedmoor. My question, is, what exactly does the Creedmoor do, that the 260 does not do? As far as I can tell, it appears to me that Remington's marketing completely dropped the ball on this caliber. I am looking at these two cases, curious as to why they Creedmoor is such a hot item, and the 260 has been so overlooked by the masses. I am punching dimes at 100 yards with my 260 pretty consistently, with 140 grain bullets going 2780 feet a second. The Creedmoor appears to be a good caliber, don't get me wrong, also, finding ammunition for the 260, the 6.5 x 55 Swede,or the 6.5 x 47 Lapua, in most stores is hard, to say the least. Creedmoor ammunition is stocked with match ammo ready to go. I just do not understand why the Remington 260 is never taken off like the Creedmoor did. It's like this caliber is been shoved down everybody's throat, to be the new king of the hill, when I can easily think of three other cartridges that would outperform it in the same caliber, and a short action. Am I missing something here?

This may be a dumb question, and I don't mean to start any kind of flame wars. Years ago I bought a savage model 12 long range precision in 260 Remington caliber. I had wanted a 260 for quite a while before I was able to get one. I love the round. I had wanted a 6.5 short action caliber, and the 260 foot the bill for me perfectly, something I felt I could hunt anything from coyote, to elk with. I bought the model 12, because I wanted a rifle I could shoot targets with, as well as take out hunting. Since then, I wanted to buy another 6.5 mm caliber short action rifle, that was lighter in weight. I was looking for a cheap accurate 260. I ended up buying another rifle, chambered in 6.5 mm Creedmoor. My question, is, what exactly does the Creedmoor do, that the 260 does not do? As far as I can tell, it appears to me that Remington's marketing completely dropped the ball on this caliber. I am looking at these two cases, curious as to why they Creedmoor is such a hot item, and the 260 has been so overlooked by the masses. I am punching dimes at 100 yards with my 260 pretty consistently, with 140 grain bullets going 2780 feet a second. The Creedmoor appears to be a good caliber, don't get me wrong, also, finding ammunition for the 260, the 6.5 x 55 Swede,or the 6.5 x 47 Lapua, in most stores is hard, to say the least. Creedmoor ammunition is stocked with match ammo ready to go. I just do not understand why the Remington 260 is never taken off like the Creedmoor did. It's like this caliber is been shoved down everybody's throat, to be the new king of the hill, when I can easily think of three other cartridges that would outperform it in the same caliber, and a short action. Am I missing something here?

Since Obama left office and the weapons industry has taken a hit from a lack of sales, companies (both weapons manufacturers and ammo) needed a way to make money. It is called marketing pure and simple. How do you make money you ask? You find something that nobody needs but everybody wants. That is where the 6.5 creedmoor fits in. The 6.5x55, 260 remingtion and actually the 6.5x284 will outdo the 6.5 creedmoor. When Hornady and Creedmoor combined with this massive marketing campaign, the door was wide open and the masses rushed to jump in. I for one will never give up my 6.5x55 Swede. My rifle will make dime sized holes at 100 yards and quarter sized holes at 200. I have never had any animal that I have taken with it take more than 3 steps. That is all I need.

 

[HARPERC]

...Odd that some gun owners would seem offended at the introduction of a new cartridge....

I won't say I'm offended, I understand one frustration. Supply not meeting demand. We've come through a period where many things we were accustomed to were no longer available. Older lines were converted to feeding some of these newer offerings. Hornady being a good example.

Seeing some new comers to manufacturing brass pleases me greatly!