6.5mm Creedmoor
The 6.5mm Creedmoor (6.5×48mm), 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.
| 6.5mm Creedmoor | ||||||||||||
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Size comparison of some 6.5mm cartridges, left to right: .264 Winchester Magnum, 6.5×55mm Swedish, 6.5×52mm Carcano, .260 Remington, 6.5mm Creedmoor, 6.5mm Grendel | ||||||||||||
| Type | Rifle | |||||||||||
| Place of origin | United States | |||||||||||
| Production history | ||||||||||||
| Designed | 2007 | |||||||||||
| Manufacturer | Hornady | |||||||||||
| Produced | 2008–present | |||||||||||
| Specifications | ||||||||||||
| 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 in 8 in (203 mm) | |||||||||||
| Primer type | Large rifle, Small rifle (Alpha Munitions, Lapua, Peterson and Starline brass) | |||||||||||
| Maximum pressure (C.I.P.) | 63,091 psi (435.00 MPa) | |||||||||||
| Maximum pressure (SAAMI) | 62,000 psi (430 MPa) | |||||||||||
| Ballistic performance | ||||||||||||
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| Test barrel length: 28 inch Source(s): Hornady, SAAMI, C.I.P. | ||||||||||||
The 6.5mm Creedmoor was designed specifically for long-range target shooting, although it has been used successfully in medium 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.