Description
SIG SAUER 6.5mm Creedmoor Ammo
The 6.5mm Creedmoor Ammo (6.5×48 mm), designated 6.5 Creedmoor by SAAMI, 6.5 Creedmoor by the C.I.P. or 6.5 CM or 6.5 CRDMR for short, is a centerfire rifle cartridge introduced by Hornady in 2007. It was developed by Hornady senior ballistics scientist Dave Emary in partnership with Dennis DeMille, the vice-president of product development at Creedmoor Sports, hence the name. The cartridge is a necked-down modification of the .30 Thompson Center.
The 6.5mm Creedmoor was designed specifically for long-range target shooting, although it has been used successfully in game hunting. Bullet-for-bullet, the 6.5mm Creedmoor achieves a slower muzzle velocity than longer cartridges such as the 6.5-284 Norma or magnum cartridges such as the 6.5mm Remington Magnum. However, due to its overall length of 2.825 inches (71.8 mm), it is capable of chambering in short-action rifles like the 6.5×47mm Lapua.
| Specifications On 6.5mm Creedmoor | |
|---|---|
| Parent case | .30 Thompson Center |
| Case type | Rimless, bottleneck |
| Bullet diameter | .2644 in (6.72 mm) |
| Land diameter | .2559 in (6.50 mm) |
| Neck diameter | .2950 in (7.49 mm) |
| Shoulder diameter | .4620 in (11.73 mm) |
| Base diameter | .4703 in (11.95 mm) |
| Rim diameter | .4730 in (12.01 mm) |
| Rim thickness | .054 in (1.4 mm) |
| Case length | 1.920 in (48.8 mm) |
| Overall length | 2.825 in (71.8 mm) |
| Case capacity | 52.5 gr H2O (3.40 cm3) |
| Rifling twist | 1-8″ (203 mm) |
| Primer type | Large rifle, Small rifle (Alpha Munitions, Lapua and Starline brass) |
| Maximum pressure (C.I.P.) | 63,091 psi (435.00 MPa) |
| Maximum pressure (SAAMI) | 62,000 psi (430 MPa) |
Performance For 6.5 Creedmoor Ammo
The 6.5mm Creedmoor is a medium-power cartridge comparable to the .260 Remington and 6.5×47mm Lapua. Its energy at 300 yards using 129-grain Hornady SST bullets is listed by an independent reviewer as 1,641 foot-pounds force (2,225 J). For the 140-grain bullet at 2,700 feet per second (823 m/s) initial velocity, another reviewer reports an MPBR for a six-inch-high target of 265 yards (242 m), and reports a manufacturer-claim of “almost 1,600 ft⋅lbf (2,169 J)” of retained energy at 300 yards (274 m) using a 24 inches (610 mm) barrel.[ SAAMI test data confirms 6.5 mm Creedmoor, 15 feet (4.6 m) from muzzle, velocity of 2,940 ft/s (896 m/s) for the 129-grain bullet and 2,690 ft/s (820 m/s) for the 140-grain bullet (which compares to .300 Winchester Magnum data of 2,930 ft/s (893 m/s) for a 200-grain bullet and 2,665 ft/s (812 m/s) for a 210-grain bullet). 6.5mm Creedmoor can provide sub-half-minute of angle accuracy from factory ammo.
The cartridge stays supersonic and maintains its accuracy to past 1,200 yd (1,097 m), while the .308 Winchester with 168-grain match bullets has a supersonic range of about 975 yd (892 m).
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Cartridge dimensions For 6.5mm Creedmoor
The 6.5mm Creedmoor has 3.40 ml (52.5 grains H2O) cartridge case capacity.
6.5mm Creedmoor maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimeters (mm).[4]
Americans define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 = 30 degrees. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 203 mm (1 in 8 in), 6 grooves, Ø lands = 6.50 mm (0.256 in), Ø grooves = 6.71 mm (0.264 in), land width = 2.29 mm (0.090 in), and the primer type is large rifle or small rifle depending on the cartridge case manufacturer.
According to the official C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente pour l’Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives) rulings, 6.5mm Creedmoor can handle up to 435.00 MPa (63,091 psi) Pmax piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries, every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers. In CIP-regulated areas, 6.5mm Creedmoor chambered arms are proof-tested at 543.80 MPa (78,872 psi) PE piezo pressure.[4]
The SAAMI Maximum Average Pressure (MAP) for this cartridge is 62,000 psi (427.47 MPa) piezo pressure
Design considerations
In general, 6.5 mm (.264 in) bullets are known for their high sectional density and ballistic coefficients, and often have been used successfully in rifle competitions. The 6.5mm Creedmoor was designed for target shooting at longer ranges, and as such, couples a sensible case volume (3.40 ml) to bore area (34.66 mm2/0.3466 cm2) ratio with ample space for loading long slender projectiles providing good aerodynamic efficiency and external ballistic performance for the projectile diameter. For some loads, the 6.5mm Creedmoor is capable of duplicating the muzzle velocity or trajectory of the .300 Winchester Magnum while generating significantly-lower recoil, based on lighter projectile weight.
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