Can the 6.5 Creedmoor ever be dethroned? Amazing ballistics, minimal recoil, inherently accurate, a large variety of bullet types and weights, tons of brass… What more can you ask for?
I love my 6.5 Creedmoors. I’ve used 16.5in, 20in, and 26in steel and carbon barrels in 6.5 Creedmoor for various actions. I also have Proof Carbon prefit 6.5 Creedmoor barrels that shoot awesome right out of the box. I’ve become so familiar with the caliber that I hardly do load development now. I drop 41 grains of H4350 in a case, seat a Berger 144 hybrid or a Hornady 147 eldm about 20 thousandths off the lands, and go to shooting.
I hardly ever shoot groups bigger than 1/2in group at 100 yds and they’re generally a ragged hole. I use my 6.5 Creedmoor in PRS matches, NRL Hunter matches, and even take elk from 150-600 yds. But, I was always sore about a barrel burning out at 2000 rounds and lower energies for elk hunting… At least by my standards. I started toying with the idea of a 7 Sherman Short, which is essentially a 7 SAUM that has the shoulders blown out like a Dasher. I was browsing Patriot Valley Arms and noticed they have an option for a 7 Creedmoor in a short action. So I inquired.
The Build of the 7 Creedmoor
Josh Kunz at Patriot Valley Arms has spearheaded the pre-fit world of barrels for years. He cuts a mean barrel and has a new carbon line that I must say rivals my Proofs, if not edges them out, when it comes to first-round impact shifts in an 8-shot string. I called Josh, and he said that I should try a 7 Creedmoor for NRL Hunter and then use it for elk. Let the barrel work begin.
I needed a barrel that would balance well on a light chassis for NRL Hunter matches, but still be capable for hunting come elk season. I had Josh do a 7 Creedmoor chambered pre-fit for a Terminus Apollo action. Here are the specs:
- Osprey Steel blank, tapered down and wrapped in carbon, a Patriot Valley Arms exclusive.
- 26in, threaded 5/8 24
- 1/8 twist
For brass, I used Lapua 6.5 mm Small Primer cases that I necked up (used a mandrel to expand the neck) to 7mm size. I then simply changed the bushing in my 6.5 cm Redding Type S bushing die to accept a 7mm bushing size for sizing. To seat a bullet, I had to use my 7 SAUM micrometer seating die. There may be other seating dies that work better… but the SAUM die worked fine, so I used it.
A few key advantages Josh had mentioned as we started this journey were:
- Barrel life when compared to an overbore 6.5 cm
- Accuracy
- Energy
I can’t verify the barrel life yet, as I only have about 300 rounds down the barrel, but I can attest to the latter.
Here are my rifle components for the build for the elk hunt I went on:
- Terminus Apollo Short Action Right Hand
- XLR Envy Pro with C6 Buttstock (normally an Element 4.0 mg)
- MDT Ckye Pod Double Pull Light version
- TriggerTech Special set at about 16 ounces
- Osprey Carbon wrapped barrel in 7 cm
- KG Made R30 Suppressor Direct Thread mounted
- Kahles 5-25 Left Side Windage with Skmr3 reticle
- Spuhr 4001 scope mount
Accuracy of the 7 Creedmoor
I started with a couple of powders that other 7 CM users suggested: Varget and H4350. The bullet used for testing was a 162 ELDM.
H4350 produced insanely good SDs (1-2), but the speed was very slow. I didn’t run up the pressure too much, but it was at 2595fps with around 41 grains of powder.
Varget, however, did its magic and sent a 162 ELDM without pressure at 2780 fps, SD of 7. This was using a charge of 42 grains. I did go higher, but felt it was unnecessary with the success I had at 42 grains. My accuracy was amazing. The Osprey barrel has no first-round impact shift and was wadding bullets in a hole. I tested time and time again… Always hammering in the same hole, or at least a ragged hole, even after months of sitting unused. This won’t be my last Osprey barrel from PVA.
I took the rifle out to my 1040 yd target and tested BC. The 162 ELDM connected on a 10-inch plate without a problem and had much more impact energy than my 6.5 cm with a 147 ELDM. I used a BC of .338 G7. I then bumped to 1305 yds and found that it was .05 mils low… or half a tenth. So .338 is pretty close.
I will test this caliber in a competition like NRL Hunter matches, but the rifle has been through two elk seasons and a few coyotes. Where I hunt locally, we have some very open country, and a shot could be over 500 yds quite easily.
Energy of the 7 Creedmoor
I’ve tested the 162 ELDM on multiple cow elk. Not all of these elk were taken by me; some were harvested by close family.
Let’s take an instance of an elk at around 475 yds. This elk was broadside and hustling as I was discovered before I was actually ready to shoot. I got down prone, extended the bipod a fair amount, took one final range to get the final dope, then sent a round right through the kill zone.
I will say the biggest thing I noticed was the impact on the elk, while being able to watch the bullet hit through the scope. In other words, when I use my 30 Sherman Magnum with a 225 ELDM, I don’t get to watch much unless the elk are out there past 650 yds due to recoil. But there is a huge amount of energy in the 30 SM. With the 7 CM, I have much less recoil, so I can see my shots, and the impact on the animal is impressive. When I use my 6.5 CM with 147s, the elk goes down, but not with nearly the ‘punch’ as the 7mm 162 ELDM.
I failed to take pictures of the internals of this elk, but needless to say, the heart and lungs were thrashed.
Looking at the numbers at 475 yds, we see the 7 cm wins handily in relation to energy on target, in addition to a 7mm hole going into the animal, not a 6.5mm hole. It might seem small, but it makes a difference when hunting.
2200 Elevation, 61 degrees
162 ELDM @ 2780 fps
Remaining Energy = 1740
147 ELDM @ 2825 fps
Remaining energy = 1591
I’m aware that there are higher BC, heavy 6.5mm bullets that carry more energy on impact… but a 7mm hole compared to a 6.5mm hole (like a 30 cal vs 7mm hole), does a lot of damage comparatively. I also realize you can speed up a 6.5 cm, but I’m trying to compare a similar scenario with velocity and brass life.
Here is a quick coyote story, because everyone likes that. My 7 CM was in the cab of the pickup with my dad while feeding cows off the back. We saw a coyote, and I went ahead and grabbed the rifle. He was over on the next canyon wall, but wouldn’t stop running. We finally got him to look just long enough for me to range 551 yds, dial, then squeeze. I’ve never seen a coyote fold like that, especially with my 6.5 CM. He folded in half where the bullet hit him right behind the shoulder. And the bullet went through him and splashed on the backside, sending up a fair amount of dirt… as though the coyote didn’t even slow it down. Dead on impact.
Barrel Life
I am yet to put more than a few hundred rounds down this barrel. However, in discussing with other 7 CM shooters that have Patriot Valley Barrels, they have documented over 3500 rounds and going strong… throat erosion and muzzle-end rifling still look like new.
Time will tell, but this might be the barrel/action combination that my grandchildren get to shoot at this rate.
Match Shooting
As for match shooting, I plan to provide a comprehensive overview of how the caliber performs in a 12-pound configuration, featuring heavier recoil than the 6.5 Creedmoor. I will write a follow-up article on this topic.
READ MORE HERE: Springfield Armory Model 2020 Heatseeker Review
Conclusion
I won’t be selling any of my 6.5 Creedmoor barrels or rifles. I still have plans for future builds leveraging the 6.5. However, anyone interested in the 6.5 should take a look at the 7 Creedmoor as a very viable option for hunting and match shooting. If a shooter desires more power and a larger bore size, coupled with consistent accuracy and low recoil, the 7 Creedmoor is a great option.
To learn more about Patriot Valley Arms, Osprey barrels, and the 7 Creedmoor cartridge, visit Patriot Valley Arms.
*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! ***
Read the full article here
