6.5 Creedmoor
Designed for long-range target matches; adopted for deer, pronghorn and hogs. Elk with good bullets inside 400.
Good for: Deer/hog, Elk/moose
A typical factory load is a 143 gr ELD-X bullet at about 2,700 ft/s, with roughly 2,315 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle.
Typical load
143 grELD-XMuzzle speed
2,700 ft/sMuzzle energy
2,315 ft-lbsTypical BC (G1)
0.623maker's published G1Twist rate
1:8Practical range
400–500 ydPoint-blank range
275 yd6" vital zoneRecommended platform
Light or standard rifleLight recoil; fine in a 6–7 lb rifleOn the Hunting Rifle Cartridges chart
Made to hunt
Designed for long-range target matches; adopted for deer, pronghorn and hogs. Elk with good bullets inside 400.
Typical load
143 grELD-X
Typical muzzle fps
2,700ft/s
Typical muzzle energy
2,315ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
0.623maker's published G1
Twist rate for typical load
1:8
Effective ethical range
400–500 yd
MPBR
275 yd6" vital zone · Near zero 25 yd · Far zero 233 yd · Min PBR 0 yd · Max PBR 275 yd · Sight-in @100 2.74" high
Recommended platform
Light or standard rifleLight recoil; fine in a 6–7 lb rifle
Open the full Hunting Rifle Cartridges chart →
On the Precision Rifle chart
Made for
The benchmark long-range round: mild recoil, high-BC bullets and great factory ammo for matches and hunting.
Typical load
140 grELD Match
Typical muzzle fps
2,710ft/s
Typical muzzle energy
2,283ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
0.646maker's G1, used for the drop figures
Twist rate for typical load
1:8
500 yd
Drop 53.3" (10.2 MOA)Wind 14.7" (2.8 MOA) · Speed 2,047 fps
800 yd
Drop 178.5" (21.3 MOA)Wind 41.2" (4.9 MOA) · Speed 1,701 fps
1,000 yd
Drop 319.9" (30.6 MOA)Wind 68.5" (6.5 MOA) · Speed 1,497 fps
Supersonic to
1,490 ydstays above 1,125 fps
Barrel life
3,000rounds
Recoil & cost
ModerateCost $
Recommended platform
Precision rifle, 11–16 lbLight recoil
Open the full Precision Rifle chart →
On the AR Caliber Guide chart
Made for
The most popular AR-10 upgrade: less recoil and wind drift than .308 for long range and hunting.
Typical load
140 grELD Match · 24" barrel
Typical muzzle fps
2,710ft/s
Typical muzzle energy
2,283ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
0.646maker's published G1
Twist rate for typical load
1:8
Practical range
400–500 yd deer · 1,000 yd steel
What to change
Barrel: Change · Bolt: Keep · Standard · Magazine: Keep · Standard .308
Open the full AR Caliber Guide chart →
Head-to-head comparisons
- .308 Winchester vs 6.5 Creedmoor
- .243 Winchester vs 6.5 Creedmoor
- 6.5 Creedmoor vs 6.5 PRC
- .270 Winchester vs 6.5 Creedmoor
- 6mm Creedmoor vs 6.5 Creedmoor
- 6.5 Grendel vs 6.5 Creedmoor
- 6.5x55 Swedish vs 6.5 Creedmoor
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Speed, energy and BC are typical figures for the listed load; real numbers vary by brand, lot and barrel length. Always check the ammo maker's data for your exact load.