6.5 PRC or 6 MM Creedmoor?

[Ernest T]

If you had a 6.5 Creedmoor and were to buy another rifle, would you be more interested in a 6.5 PRC or a 6 MM Creedmoor?

[wbm]

6mm Creedmoor

[bootsmcguire]

I 2nd the 6mm. Never had any Creedmoor variant, but I am a sucker for the 6mm bore.

[Dave Hoback]

6mm… I’ve no interest in any 264 Magnum! But I would’t do the 6mm CM either. For me, .264” belongs in the 6.5-06, 6.5-284, 6.5 Swede, 260 Rem & 6.5 CM. 6mm pills, I’m looking at the x47 Lapua or even more likely, the Dasher. Anything magnum, I’m doing heavy 7mm or a 30Cal.

Still, if you are set on those two, my vote is for the 6mm CM.

[Whynot]

Really hard to say when you give no info on what you are going to be doing with it--

6.5 PRC has obvious ballistic advantages over the 6.5 CM.... but at a cost- so what's the need? If it's just a want to try something different then I'd go with a 6mm (but with a BR or BR variant).

I had a 6CM that I was pushing hard- and I didn't make it to 800 rounds before the barrel was done- might have been less than that but it's been a few years. 6mm's seem to dominate prs stuff- PRC is pretty popular with hunters (and some target shooters) and when going for small groups at longer range most people use a 7mm or 30 cal.

[Ernest T]

I'm just thinking about trying something different, but didn't want to go too big because I can't handle a heavy recoil due to a bum right shoulder. I've had three surgeries on it, between a football injury in 1977 and a motorcycle accident in 2020. The last one left me with a 5" long titanium plate, and 8 screws. I've still got a torn labrum and partially torn tendon and eschewed further repair because the doc said it was about the most painful procedure an orthopedist could inflict on a patient and at my age probably not very effective and unnecessary.

I really like the idea of the 6mm CM with its light recoil and flatter trajectory, but the short barrel life puts me off a little. On the other hand, the the 6.5 PRC also shoots a little flatter, but with the heavier bullet and larger powder charge I could reach a little longer range than I can with the 6.5 CM. I'm ringing steel with it at 950 yards, but I wonder how what the maximum range is in my hands. No hunting, no competition, just tinkering with loads, groups at 100 yards and long range plinking.

II had a friend recommend the Dasher and I need to do some research on that cartridge.

[wbm]

had a friend recommend the Dasher

Good recommendation.

[Dave Hoback]

I'm just thinking about trying something different, but didn't want to go too big because I can't handle a heavy recoil due to a bum right shoulder. I've had three surgeries on it, between a football injury in 1977 and a motorcycle accident in 2020. The last one left me with a 5" long titanium plate, and 8 screws. I've still got a torn labrum and partially torn tendon and eschewed further repair because the doc said it was about the most painful procedure an orthopedist could inflict on a patient and at my age probably not very effective and unnecessary.

I really like the idea of the 6mm CM with its light recoil and flatter trajectory, but the short barrel life puts me off a little. On the other hand, the the 6.5 PRC also shoots a little flatter, but with the heavier bullet and larger powder charge I could reach a little longer range than I can with the 6.5 CM. I'm ringing steel with it at 950 yards, but I wonder how what the maximum range is in my hands. No hunting, no competition, just tinkering with loads, groups at 100 yards and long range plinking.

II had a friend recommend the Dasher and I need to do some research on that cartridge.


People are effectively taking 6.5 Creedmoor & it’s counterpart, 260 Rem out to 1 Mile! I’ve even heard of some using them for 2000yds. The 6.5CM will go as far as is difficult for ANY cartridge. Know what I mean? ELR shooting is a whole new ball game. Watch videos on guys people shooting 1 mile or more. Even those with heavy magnums, 7mm or 30 RUM, 338 Lapua, and even the specialty magnums for target shooting, even they don’t just hit the target on after another every shot. You still see LOTS of misses at those ranges. I’m not talking about what people say on forums. Go watch one of hundreds of videos to get the truth.

[Ernest T]

People are effectively taking 6.5 Creedmoor & it’s counterpart, 260 Rem out to 1 Mile! I’ve even heard of some using them for 2000yds. The 6.5CM will go as far as is difficult for ANY cartridge. Know what I mean? ELR shooting is a whole new ball game. Watch videos on guys people shooting 1 mile or more. Even those with heavy magnums, 7mm or 30 RUM, 338 Lapua, and even the specialty magnums for target shooting, even they don’t just hit the target on after another every shot. You still see LOTS of misses at those ranges. I’m not talking about what people say on forums. Go watch one of hundreds of videos to get the truth.

You’re not helping me buy a new gun! I’ve watched many videos and was struck by how difficult it is to hit a target at 1 mile. I can see that manifest itself in my shooting. I rarely miss out to 750 yards and only hit 3 out of 4 at 950. I’m assuming things trend downward the longer you shoot.

is the 6mm dasher only available in a custom gun?

[charlie b]

I went through a lot of this when choosing my current barrel. No competition, no hunting. Velocity vs range vs barrel life vs recoil.

The range I shoot at is 1000yd. I had a .223 that was more than capable out to 600yd. I wanted to be able to go to 1000 on a more regular basis. My .308 was ok with 155 or 175gn bullets, but, recoil had to be 'managed'.

I settled on the 6mm due to recoil. Then velocity vs barrel life. I considered 6BR 'minimum' and .243 'maximum'. What vel is minimum? Well, several 1000yd BR folks have used the 6BR, including a record at one time. So, what to buy? I narrowed it to 6BR, 6BRA, 6x47 and 6CM. I went with the 6BR mainly due to barrel life and factory brass.

So far I have been more than happy with it. Only one group at 1000yd, 9", Hornady 103ELDX bullets. And those were not max load, only 2800fps. Not great, not bad, especially for the first try.

[bsekf]

6x47L

[Dave Hoback]

I like the 6x47. It’s actually the largest of the cases I like seeing 6mm in. (I don’t count 243 Win. because it’s an ICON!) I’m not a fan of 6 & 6.5mm in giant magnum cases, just as I’m not fond of Huge, Heavy bullets in teeny-tiny cases. The 6mmBR is ok.., but I’d much rather the 6BRA. The BR has too much wasted material. Having it’s monstrosity of a looong neck for those who believe the myth of the long neck, LOL!

In the end, the 6 Dasher is about perfect.

[GrenGuy]

For the last 5 years or so, the 6mmBRA has out performed the 6mmDasher.
The 243Win is a known barrel burner. All the other 6mm’s down to the 6mmXC get slightly better barrel life.
I think the sweet spot for 6mm to 1,000yds is the 6mmGT. If Lapua made brass for it and it was available, I would have already built one.
The powder volume is right between the 6Dasher and the 6XC. And, the 6GT has an ample neck. Thing is, some guys are doing well with
it, but it hasn’t been around long enough to catch on yet.
I don’t have a warm feeling about the future of shooting right now. Lapua has announced that we won’t be able to get brass like we have in the past. Primers and powder have loosened up, but I still can’t get My favorite powder right now, and don’t know if it will ever happen again. One of My match barrels has just deteriorated to 1/2MOA with 2,300 rounds on it. I’m real hesitant to invest in a replacement right now.

[Robinhood]

Really hard to say when you give no info on what you are going to be doing with it-- 6.5 PRC has obvious ballistic advantages over the 6.5 CM.... but at a cost- so what's the need? If it's just a want to try something different then I'd go with a 6mm (but with a BR or BR variant). I had a 6CM that I was pushing hard- and I didn't make it to 800 rounds before the barrel was done- might have been less than that but it's been a few years. 6mm's seem to dominate prs stuff- PRC is pretty popular with hunters (and some target shooters) and when going for small groups at longer range most people use a 7mm or 30 cal. Sell the barrel on the 6.5 CM. Buy a 6MM CM barrel from a top manufacturer. Buy a 7 PRC barrel and a custom action and Stock. Have many years of happiness.

[Dave Hoback]

You’re not helping me buy a new gun! I’ve watched many videos and was struck by how difficult it is to hit a target at 1 mile. I can see that manifest itself in my shooting. I rarely miss out to 750 yards and only hit 3 out of 4 at 950. I’m assuming things trend downward the longer you shoot.

is the 6mm dasher only available in a custom gun?

Im sorry Ernest. I missed your response here. To be honest, I’m speaking from a reloader perspective. And also someone who simply enjoys messing around with & testing things. Let me ask, do you reload? Or: use factory ammo? Or: both perhaps. I ask because really, if you rely at all on factory ammunition, then 6Creedmoor is your answer. Try this test:

Go to MidwayUSAw. Type in “6mm Dasher”, “6mm BR” Then type in 6mm Creedmoor. It’s eye opening. There are also several factory loads for the PRC as well (not as many though), but since you already have a 6.5mm… eh!

In the end, just go with your gut. Really… don’t listen to anyone here or anywhere else on something like this. You will be the one paying for it & enjoying it. And you know ​what you want more.

[bootsmcguire]

I’m not a fan of 6 & 6.5mm in giant magnum cases

I'll refrain from suggesting my three favorite 6mm's thus far LOL. Years back when I was here daily I got to reading too many of scope-eye's posts of the necked down RUM cases and the like shooting small bore boolits and I caught the itch which led me to my 243AI and then to my 6-06, and then to my 6mm-WSM. Yeah I know that they are barrel killers and guzzle powder but ehhh it's fun. With the exception of the 243AI they have not been high volume shooters for me to worry, and 100-105gr boolits at 4K fps are fun. Not practical, but fun.

[Ernest T]

Im sorry Ernest. I missed your response here. To be honest, I’m speaking from a reloader perspective. And also someone who simply enjoys messing around with & testing things. Let me ask, do you reload? Or: use factory ammo? Or: both perhaps. I ask because really, if you rely at all on factory ammunition, then 6Creedmoor is your answer. Try this test:

Go to MidwayUSAw. Type in “6mm Dasher”, “6mm BR” Then type in 6mm Creedmoor. It’s eye opening. There are also several factory loads for the PRC as well (not as many though), but since you already have a 6.5mm… eh!

In the end, just go with your gut. Really… don’t listen to anyone here or anywhere else on something like this. You will be the one paying for it & enjoying it. And you know ​what you want more.

I don't use factory ammo for any bolt rifle.

I'm not at the point where I know what I want yet. The 6.5 PRC is certainly the turn-key approach. Buy the rifle, scope, dies and brass and I'm good to go. Same for the 6mm CM, but there is that niggling barrel issue. I've shot 400 rounds of 6.5 CM since July so a barrel that lasts 1000 rounds is problematic for me. The Dasher is intriguing, but I don't have the skills to build a rifle and don't see myself going the custom rifle route due to cost. Making my own brass has some appeal though. I'm still pondering.

[Dave Hoback]

I wouldn’t worry about what you’re hearing man. If this just about you worrying about your 6.5CM, DON’T! Don’t chase crazy velocity and the 6.5 Creedmooor will last a whole lot more than 1000rds..

[wbm]

Don’t chase crazy velocity and the 6.5 Creedmooor will last a whole lot more than 1000rds.

+1

[deadduck357]

Depends on your use.

I have both. Chose 6mm Creed over the 6.5 Creed because it's faster, flatter with a bit less recoil. Take your time at the range in between shots. It will take deer, pronghorns, and yotes. Very similar recoil to .243 Win., and a bit less than 25-06 but with similar ballistics.

Wanted something to hit harder and the 6.5 PRC does. Anything you can kill with a 270 Win you can also with the 6.5 PRC. Recoil is about the same as 6.5-284.

They are both awesome cartridges, it just comes down to what you're needing it for. The 6.5 PRC will take heavier game than the feeble 6.5 Creed.

While the 6.5 Creed is a decent round I have no use for it.