Why the 6.5 Creedmoor Cartridge for Big Deer, Elk and Kudu Hunting? By Ed Hale -Weatherby Update |

I have tested 3 rifles in 6.5 Creedmoor, the Ruger M77 Hawkeye Predator which I wrote about in 2015, Savage Model 12 LRP (Long Range Precision) Rifle, and the Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor both I joyfully tested this year. The Creedmoor was created for long range target shooting and is a supreme newly designed cartridge just a bit smaller than the .308 Winchester Case. It shoots fast, hits hard and recoils little, and is accurate as all get-out in the right rifle. Perhaps you read an article I wrote in 2015 on it.

All three test rifles were fantastically accurate, shooting sub-MOA and packing a wallop to boot! On the target range I busted 8 inch balloons at 1000 yards with this cartridge shooting the new 143 grain Hornady Precision Hunter ELD -X(Extremely Low Drag) 143 in the Savage M12 LRP. With a high ballistic coefficient such as the G1 .625 Hornady bullet it comes out of the barrel at a modest 2700 fps.

But more than that, it is a dynamite hunting cartridge with the right weight bullet like the 143 grain because it has very high Sectional Density (SD) where bullet weight vs diameter, a key factor in penetration of vital organs. The SD of the Hornady bullet is .293, hold that thought. Calculations of killing energy for Elk and Kudu are 1500 ft-lbs and can cleanly kill out to 350 yards where the bullet is still traveling at 2200 fps yet not punish the hunter in recoil

I purchased the Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor which shoots sub-MOA for hunting. At 6.6 lbs with 4 round capacity and Moss Green it is a shooter that is easy to carry.

My grandkids can kill deer with it too someday. Ok, now the Sectional Density is .293 which allows more mass to penetrate in a smaller diameter than some other bullets.

It was Winchester that invented a way to classify bullets based on Sectional Density for the taking of various game animals; and call it Controlled eXpansion Performance or CXP and where game animals were broken up into 4 categories CXP1 thru CXP4. CXP1 for game less than 50 lbs., CXP2 for game 51 to 300 pounds, CXP3 for game animals 301 lbs. to 1000 lbs. and finally CXP4 for animals over 1000 to 12000 pounds such as Cape Buffalo up to Elephant.

The 6.5 143 grain bullet meets the CXP3 criteria for game up to 1000 pounds provided it delivers the energy for a clean kill. For Moose it is recommended to be 2500 ft-lbs. The 6.5 Creedmoor can’t develop the recommended 2500 pounds of energy to kill Moose but many hunters use the .270 and .308 and 30-06 delivering energies less than recommended yet kill due to excellent shot placement and meet the CXP3 criteria of having at least an SD of 0.260 for deep penetration. You recall that the SD for the 6.5 Hornady is .293 and way up there in CXP criteria. Just .007 from hitting the CXP4 bandwagon.

I love my Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor as a hunters rifle, not flashy, love the color, handles like dream, adjustable trigger, shoots hard and kicks soft and really cost effective. I make mine bark with a Leupold VX scope on it.

For more on Sectional Density go to http://www.chuckhawks.com/sd.htm and on CXP info go to http://www.chuckhawks.com/cxp.htm

For the Ruger American Predator rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor go to http://ruger.com/products/americanRiflePredator/models.html

2018 Update:

At New Hampshire Rifleman Magazine we are continuing to test the Weatherby Vanguard Weatherguard in 6.5 Creedmoor and sports a handsome Monte Carlo stock with a higher cheek rest, 22 inch barrel, a 2 stage trigger, Weatherguard barrel coating and shoot sub moa groups. (retail $585.00) And has one of the best actions in the world. This is a hunters rifle and able to withstand the rigors of rain and snow yet need little attention to exterior rust.

We now prefer the Weatherby for its very low cost and very high quality and weather resistance.