Reloading possibilities of 6.5 Creedmor compared to .308 Win?

[1stLast&Always]

I am interested in both the 6.5 Creedmor and .308 Win. I am considering that the Creed uses a special .30 TC parent case, whereas the .308 is more plentiful for brass.
Aware also that even though the .308 is a world popular caliber (and a former Marine Corps Sniper recommended I get one since ammo and parts are plentiful worldwide), that the Creed has been gaining popularity. It has less recoil and many other benefits. The drawback may be it is not a practical reloading round?

Do any of you think the Creed will surpass the .308 on the military/world stage? I am curious how cost effective it may become to reload for it instead of the .308.? Looking into reloading and shooting .308, but if markets move to Creed in the next few years (a lot of competitive shooters love it) then perhaps it would be worth it? Is anyone reloading Creed currently? What is the availability of brass and cost per round to reload compared to .308?

On the other hand there really are no close by places to shoot .308 or Creed in Indy, so even though I love the round, there's not much practicality to shooting a lot of it here. Before I purchase my first bolt gun I'd like to take this into consideration. I've been reloading 9mm and .300 Blackout for about a year, so I'm fairly new to reloading.

Thanks for your replies!

 

[natdscott]

Creedmoor is a flavor of the week. It will pass.

I think it IS here to stay, and there are LOTS of components and rifles available for it, but a NATO killer it ain't.

Go with the Creed. Or go with the .308. There's not a bad choice there, but don't choose because someone told you to, sniper or not.

 

[Broom_jm]

The 6.5 Creedmoor is a good cartridge that I, too, think will be around for many years to come. I don't think it will supplant the 7.62x51 as a NATO round, but that wouldn't really matter. The availability of reloading components for both is very good and will remain that way for the foreseeable future. Both are excellent rounds for which to load your own ammo. If you are somewhat recoil shy, the smaller round may be the right choice for you. From a practical standpoint, whether hunting or target shooting, they are peas in the same pod.

 

[bstewrat3]

I have been a 6.5mm fan for 25 years since I bought my first Swedish Mauser. I initially bought it because it was different than the norm of 223 and 308 most people seem to gravitate towards for recreational shooting and because it was a quarter the price of a base model Remington 700. Since I have been messing with them there have been several attempts to get a 6.5 into the spotlight to be the next great thing, 260 Remington, 6.5x284, 6.5 Grendel, 6.5x47 and now the 6.5 Creedmoor. Of all of them the Creedmoor seems to be making the most progress. I don't think it's going to get much more traction than it currently has, so if you are going to get in the 6.5 game, now is a great time. Neither the 308 or the Creedmoor are going to be economical to shoot, so if you are not using them for hunting and just want a range gun the 223 or 7.62x39 will get your cost per shot down significantly.

 

[avboiler11]

The biggest issue with reloading 6.5 Creedmoor is that its burgeoning popularity has made H4350 become unobtanium in much the same way Varget did during the Great Shortage of 2013...you know, the same shortage where nearly EVERYTHING related to 5.56 and 7.62 NATO components including brass, powder, primers, and bullets were impossible to find.

Of course IMR4451 is a worthy substitute for H4350 and more available, and many have had luck with Reloader 16 and 17. Varget and 4064 work well with 120/123 class bullets.

6.5 Creedmoor is NOT going away; it has already far supplanted the popularity of other 'it' cartridges like 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC, all the Wizzums and SAUMs, and many others. Hornady's support upon its birth has ensured it won't become an orphan chambering and frankly there are multiple reasons it has become so popular.

But yeah, it ain't "cheap" to shoot...although one can reload it for about $0.50/rd assuming you already have brass.

That said, on the PRS circuit it is fading in popularity already in favor of 6mm chamberings like 6 Creedmoor, 6x47L, 6XC and 6 Dasher.

 

[natdscott]

A person in the know sez: N160 will do the speed of 4350, but with more barrel life.

I also know a guy with 8 lbs of 4350 for sale.

-Nate

 

[thephasdin4]

6.5 has better ballistics than the 308 thus is a very popular cartridge in the competition world. The down side to it are: faster barrel wear, less number of times you can reload a piece of brass, less available component (for the time being). It is very unlikely to surpass the 308 on the world stage because it's still very new. The 308 has been around for a while and is in use world wide as 7.62x51 NATO. Just because the 6.5 has better ballistics doesn't mean it will replace the old work horse. The 308 is in use from sniper rifles to machine guns all over the world and will stay in service for a while. It's not a perfect caliber, but it's good at what it does and serve its purpose well

 

[thephasdin4]

As you are somewhat new to reloading, I'd get into reloading the 308 as a starting place. Precision reloading is very different from normal reloading. It takes time and patience to a whole new level. It takes a lot of trial and error and trips to the range to do tests after tests and collect your data to make that perfect recipe for your rifle. I feel like the 308 will be cheaper and more forgiving.

 

[avboiler11]

less number of times you can reload a piece of brass

That is not an accurate statement.

As for "ease of loading" 6.5 Creedmoor, there is a load that is as "easy button" as the 175 SMK/41.7gr 4064 load for 308:

41.5gr H4350 under a 140gr Amax or ELD-M, in Hornady brass, loaded to 2.81" COAL. This is the original 140gr Amax Match factory load, and if this load does not shoot sub-MOA there is almost certainly an issue with the shooter, system or both. I found that load worked great with both the 140gr Amax and the 140gr HPBT...

 

[thephasdin4]

I guess if you keep the sizing to the minimum (like neck sizing only) as well as annealing frequently, any brass will last a long time and the primer pocket will be the first to give out

 

[natdscott]

You don't have to neck size to keep from overly sizing the rest of the casing and therefore reduce life. FL can do that as well.

-Nate

 

[1stLast&Always]

Thanks for the detailed responses. I went with the RCBS (standard steel) .308 FL dies. I would have bought 4064 but they were out. I was tempted to buy CCI 200 as they had tons. I think the deciding factor was brass availability, powder availability and as was mentioned "work horse". I'm good with recoil. Cabela's can't keep the Creed powders in stock they said! Maybe that will pass too? I am still trying to decide if I want to go bolt or semi this year. I'd like to stay in the $500 range(unless it's a Scout) and I don't anticipate shooting this beyond 300 yards. Looking mainly for a workhorse as I don't yet see myself competition shooting.

 

[thephasdin4]

RCBS makes good dies. I'd add Varget to your to-try list of powders. It's very temperature insensitive compared to most others and have served me well with most 30 cal reloads. I highly suggest a bolt gun that isn't a scout. I feel like I have learned most things about guns and reloading with my bolt setup. For under $500 I think Savage or Mossberg would be great choices. Optics wise I recommend SWFA. Do a lot of readings and research things before you buy. Good luck.

 

[Broom_jm]

About 5 years ago I bought my son a Savage Model 10 FLP (left-hand, bull barrel, synthetic stock) with a Burris FF-II scope on it for $500. Using H4895 and 155gr AMAX bullets, that rifle has shot under 1/2 MOA for 4 different shooters. I shot it at 300 yards and kept 5 rounds under an inch. Not all Savage rifles are that good, but this one has been a lot of fun to work with.

Point being: There are accurate rifles out there these days for under $500. For what you're wanting to do, there are quite a few options, really.