Been looking at a target/ long range hunting rifle, seriously considering A Savage 12 LRP. They will be available in 260 Rem and 6.5 Creedmore. Initially I thought of the 260 but what's upwith the creedmore and why would one be betterthan the other?
Which is the best 6.5 cartridge?
- Thread starter BCBRAD
- Start date
For LR hunting go with the 260. More case capacity, higher velocity, much more common brass. - dan
I really like the 260, I have no experience with the Creedmore but from what I have read they are very close.
Now with Lapua making 260 brass it may make the decision easier.
http://www.lapua.com/en/products/new-products/1
Have you read this?
http://demigodllc.com/articles/6.5-shootout-260-6.5x47-6.5-creedmoor/
Now with Lapua making 260 brass it may make the decision easier.
http://www.lapua.com/en/products/new-products/1
Have you read this?
http://demigodllc.com/articles/6.5-shootout-260-6.5x47-6.5-creedmoor/
lejarretnoir
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- 162km from Connaught
The best is 6.5x55 actually. A little more capacity than the .260 Rem.
6.5x47L would be a better choice than 6.5 Creedmore if you're looking for repeater function IMO. Better brass, small rifle primer. I think the 6.5 Creedmore is the American answer to the 6.5x47L. Use .22-250 cases to neck up and blow out, large rifle primer.
Either way, unless you score some Creedmore or Rem 260 cases you're into neck and some case forming. Something to consider when you have hundreds of cases to do.
6.5x47L would be a better choice than 6.5 Creedmore if you're looking for repeater function IMO. Better brass, small rifle primer. I think the 6.5 Creedmore is the American answer to the 6.5x47L. Use .22-250 cases to neck up and blow out, large rifle primer.
Either way, unless you score some Creedmore or Rem 260 cases you're into neck and some case forming. Something to consider when you have hundreds of cases to do.
I can't comment on any of the calibers mentiond. my reply is for the choice of your rifle. I have a savage model12lrpv in 204. It's an excellent gun but very heavy. I had originally bought it to chase coyotes around on ski doo with dogs. I changed quickly to an SL8. Like I said, very good gun but very heavy, depends on your intended application
lejarretnoir
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- 162km from Connaught
You just made my day!!!
BCBrad,
There is no definite answer to your question, but some factors that will influence the answer depend on whether you reload, how far you are talking in terms of "Long range Hunting" and what you intend to hunt.
Furthermore, if you are limiting your rifle choices to just the LRPV, well it may be a case of the best of a small lot.
The 6.5-284 is a great long distance hunting cartridge, it can be exceptionally accurate and will easily handle any 6.5 bullet out there. It suffers from short barrel life... now, as a hunting rifle, it will last a lifetime, but if you plan to shoot targets , count on an accurate life of 1000 rounds or less. My last was done at 750 rounds.
The 6.5X55 SE round does everything the 6.5-284 does, but with better barrel life. It is not available in Savage, but Tikka makes several rifles that would do double duty, (The Tikka Varmint and Super Varmint) and they are exceptionally accurate guns. and very well made.
the 260 is an excellent 6.5 cartridge for accuracy, but with heavy bullets, may not have the terminal energy of the previous two cartridges for long range hunting. The ammo is easy to find, and they a re pretty easy to make work.
The Creedmore is a good cartridge, but ammo and brass are hard to find, plus I have a prejudice that if I cannot get Lapua brass for something, I won't use it.
FWIW, if I were to want a long-range multi-purpose rifle in 6.5, I would build/buy a 6.5X55SE in a heartbeat.
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
For a factory chambering in a Savage, 260Rem. More case capacity, huge mags so you can push those 140's out.
The Creedmore is a niche player with the only real benefit being ease of use with 2.8" 308 mags commonly found on Rem type repeater actions. It offers more case capacity then the 6.5X47L.
The Creedmore and 260Rem do exactly the same thing in 'short' mags. Benefit of the 260Rem, cheaper everything that can actually be found.
260Rem will do more in a long mag by virtue of more case capacity. 6.5 Swede would be a very good choice also.
Now for the best option in a standard SA Savage, as Ian said, 6.5-284. LR Hunting is about putting hurt downrange - bigger better. Of the SA options, the 6.5-284 is one of the best before getting into overbore magnums.
If you were to build a LA, I would suggest the 6.5-06. Loved mine but will not really do much more then the 6.5-284.
These larger cases WILL be harder on barrels but so what. For hunting, bore life is moot.
If the goal is a dual purpose rifle, consider 2 barrels each optimised to the performance you want. Light weight for hunting. Heavy barrel and long for target shooting.
Very simple to change barrels in a Savage.
Jerry
PS Now Lapua makes 260R brass
The Creedmore is a niche player with the only real benefit being ease of use with 2.8" 308 mags commonly found on Rem type repeater actions. It offers more case capacity then the 6.5X47L.
The Creedmore and 260Rem do exactly the same thing in 'short' mags. Benefit of the 260Rem, cheaper everything that can actually be found.
260Rem will do more in a long mag by virtue of more case capacity. 6.5 Swede would be a very good choice also.
Now for the best option in a standard SA Savage, as Ian said, 6.5-284. LR Hunting is about putting hurt downrange - bigger better. Of the SA options, the 6.5-284 is one of the best before getting into overbore magnums.
If you were to build a LA, I would suggest the 6.5-06. Loved mine but will not really do much more then the 6.5-284.
These larger cases WILL be harder on barrels but so what. For hunting, bore life is moot.
If the goal is a dual purpose rifle, consider 2 barrels each optimised to the performance you want. Light weight for hunting. Heavy barrel and long for target shooting.
Very simple to change barrels in a Savage.
Jerry
PS Now Lapua makes 260R brass
- Location
- Edmonton mostly
The Swede is a classic that is hard to beat, and available in very accurate Tikka rifles. Good barrel life, forgiving on the loading bench, excellent brass out of europe and a solid reputation would make me lean on the swede. No pesky caseforming/fireforming operations. If you feel the need to spend time and barrel life making a cartridge work then a 6.5x55 improved will run right alongside a 6.5x284.
You should be able to get a Savage in a 6.5x284. That would be my choice for long range. Get a 26" barrel to maximize velocity. Also Lapua makes brass for it. Another good one is the 6.5 Rem Mag, but you would have to go custom to get that one. I have the 264 WM (actually two of them), and really can't recommend them. They are too overbore, innefficient, and as a result really hard on barrels. The 6.5x284 and 6.5 RM are a little more civilized, and should do better for barrel life.
There are so many great 6.5 cartridges. If you want to hunt long range though, I would go with a 264 win mag or something similar as it would prabably feed a little better than a 6.5-284 and would keep the energy up at those longer ranges a little better, and being a hunting rig, your barrel life isn't as big of a concern. If you want target, well then there are a lot of options that's for sure.
