By As a culture, we’re always seeking out newer and better, our tastes constantly shifting. Every new model of phone prompts us to upgrade; every new fashion trend inspires a change of wardrobe. This constant drive to adapt has led to some incredible innovations—not only in pop culture, but in the world of hunting, too. New camouflage patterns, mapping apps, and of course, weapons, seem to come on the scene nearly every day. Among those currently sweeping the hunting world is the 6.5 Creedmore rifle round. Rifles chambered in this caliber are currently selling off the shelves, and ballistics experts and hunters are raving about its capabilities in the field. This leads us to a simple question: Is the 6.5 Creedmore truly a revolutionary hunting round? Or is it simply a new, passing trend?
The 6.5 Creedmore is a centerfire rifle cartridge developed by ballistic scientists Dave Emary and Dennis Demille of Creedmore Sports, introduced by Hornady as a long-range shooting competition cartridge in 2007. Unlike most 6.5mm rounds, which, although broadly known for their accuracy, are somewhat inconsistent from caliber to caliber, the Creedmore has a higher sectional density than most 6.5s and therefore a better ballistic coefficient than more common rounds of the same diameter, such as the .260 or 6.5 Remington Magnum. The Creedmore was also designed with a shorter cartridge case and higher powder capacity than other similar cartridges. This gives it a slower muzzle velocity than similar rounds, but enables it to be chambered in short-action rifles. After its invention and introduction, the Creedmore quickly proved itself in competition and generally on the range. It boasts a lower recoil than most of the larger-caliber competitive rifles, and with its consistent performance in competition, the hunting community soon began to take notice.
Hunters who have been using the Creedmore have begun to rave about the round, using it for everything from coyotes and feral pigs to deer and even elk. The caliber’s low recoil and consistent ballistic performance have drawn many professional hunters into the Creedmore camp and driven them to experiment, seeing just what sort of hunting performance they can get out of the round. It’s been discovered that, with the proper load, the 6.5mm Creedmoor is capable of duplicating the muzzle velocity and ft lbs energy (roughly 3,000 fps and 2,500 ft. lbs) of more popular hunting rounds such as the .300 Winchester Magnum and the .30-06 Springfield, with much lower recoil and a lighter projectile weight. This gives the Creedmore significantly less bullet-drop and more consistent long-range accuracy. Those statistics are difficult to argue against.
The ammunition is still roughly experimental, with hunters using various powder loads in tandem with 120- and 140-grain rounds in a variety of different rifle platforms. However, most of the reviews of the 6.5 Creedmore’s performance in the field share the same conclusion: This round puts meat in the freezer. The 6.5 Creedmore has consistently been one of the best, if not the best-selling rifle caliber in the country since 2016. If the lack of 6.5 Creedmore rifles on gun-store shelves is any indication, this is a trend that is going to continue. Although many fads in hunting come and go, the 6.5 Creedmore has cemented itself as one of the best hunting rounds in America today.
