6.5 Creedmoor Barrel Length Test — Velocity Per Inch Revealed
Rifleshooter.com does some great original research — providing “hard data” you can’t find anywhere else. Here are the eye-opening results of Rifleshooter.com’s 6.5 Creedmoor barrel cut-down test. You may be surprised at the results. Read on…
What do you get when you cut a 6.5 Creedmoor-chambered barrel down to just over 16 inches? A lot more velocity than you might think. Our friends at Rifleshooter.com recently did a barrel cut-down test with 6.5 Creedmoor test rifle, shortening the barrel from 27 to 16.1 inches in one-inch increments. Surprisingly, with a 142gr Sierra MK, the total velocity loss (as measured with a Magnetospeed) was just 158 FPS, an average of 14.4 FPS per inch of barrel length. With the lighter 120gr A-Max bullet, the total velocity loss was 233 FPS, or 21.8 FPS average loss per inch of barrel.
» CLICK HERE to SEE All Velocity Values at All Barrel Lengths
To perform this velocity test, our friend Bill, Rifleshooter.com’s editor, built up a 6.5 Creedmoor rifle using a Remington Model 7 action, 1:8″ twist Green Mountain CM barrel, and MDT LSS Chassis, all obtained from Brownells.com.
Test Procedure
Five (5) rounds of each type of cartridge were fired at each barrel length and the velocity data was recorded with a MagnetoSpeed V3 barrel-mounted chronograph. The rifle was then cleared and the barrel was cut back one inch at a time from 27″ to just over 16″. NOTE: During this winter test, the air temperature was a very chilly 23° F. One would expect higher velocities across the board had the outside temperature been higher.
» Read Full Story with All Test Results at Rifleshooter.com
The photo below shows how the barrel was cut down, inch-by-inch, using a rotary saw. The barrel was pre-scored at inch intervals. As the main purpose of the test was to measure velocity (not accuracy) the testers did not attempt to create perfect crowns.
6.5 Creedmoor vs. Other Mid-Sized 6.5mm Cartridges
The 6.5 Creedmoor is a very popular cartridge with the tactical and PRS crowd. This mid-size cartridge offers good ballistics, with less recoil than a .308 Winchester. There’s an excellent selection of 6.5mm bullets, and many good powder choices for this cartridge. When compared to the very accurate 6.5×47 Lapua cartridge, the 6.5 Creedmoor offers similar performance with less expensive brass. For a tactical shooter who must sometimes leave brass on the ground, brass cost is a factor to consider. Here’s a selection of various 6.5mm mid-sized cartridges. Left to right are: 6.5 Grendel, 6.5×47 Lapua, 6.5 Creedmoor with 120gr A-Max, 6.5 Creedmoor with 142gr Sierra MK, and .260 Remington.
When asked to compare the 6.5 Creedmoor to the 6.5×47 Lapua, Rifleshooter.com’s editor stated: “If you don’t hand load, or are new to precision rifle shooting, get a 6.5 Creedmoor. If you shoot a lot, reload, have more disposable income, and like more esoteric cartridges, get a 6.5×47 Lapua. I am a big fan of the 6.5×47 Lapua. In my personal experience, the 6.5×47 Lapua seems to be slightly more accurate than the 6.5 Creedmoor. I attribute this to the quality of Lapua brass.” Now that Lapua offers 6.5 Creedmoor brass with small primer pockets, the 6.5 Creedmoor is even more attractive.
The creator of Rifleshooter.com also operates a Custom Rifle Building enterprise and gun shop in Long Island, New York: 782 Custom Guns Ltd.. He tells us: “We offer an unparalleled level of gunsmith machine shop services in the Long Island region. From precision rifles (USMC M40A3/A5/A6 XM3 clones) to customized Remington 870 and Mossberg 590 shotguns, and customized 1911s, chances are if you can dream it, we can build it!”
Similar Posts:
- 6.5 Creedmoor — Velocity and Barrel Length — What to Expect
- 6.5 Creedmoor — Barrel Cut-Down Velocity Tests
- 6.5 Creedmoor Barrel Length Test Reveals Velocity Per Inch
- Barrel Cut-Down Test Reveals 6.5 Creedmoor Velocity Per Inch
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Tags: 6.5 CM Barrel Velocity, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor, Barrel Cut Test, Barrel Velocity Test, Hornady 6.5 CM, Hornady Creedmoor, PRS, Rifleshooter.com
I did quite a bit of work with the cartridge, see 6.5 Grendel Review: 18″ Special Purpose Rifle. I tested 30 different hand loads in an 18″ barrel. While it does fill a niche, it fills a small one. I wasn’t impressed.
The 6.5 x 47 Lapua is not an “esoteric” cartridge. Rather, for the rest of the world, it is a mainstream choice across a broad canvas of shooting disciplines as well as solid hunting choice.
In other countries, the Creedmoor remains “esoteric”.
I am quite curious when you used a high BC bullet like a 140-142 grain, why you didn’t include the 129-130, especially the accubond LR? The 120 grain bullet is good, but most will opt for the 129 grain instead. Even if you added the 129 grain and tested all three.
If I remember right this author failed to do proper barrel break in before he started cutting. As we all know barrels can speed up considerably after the first 100-200rds. This means he will see less of a velocity drop as he shortens the barrel, producing less the accurate results.
Any impact on accuracy?
Grimstod
Barrel break in all is truly a myth. Some of the world’s greatest barrel makers have said in their years of experience it is not needed. They have found no true variance in longevity or accuracy. The first several round clean out any milling and begin to add copper to the barrel. I don’t get this sudden urge with a proper barrel break in.
Till you boys get the science settled I will stick with the old .308.
Short of a .300WM/.338 it is the most proven round on earth.
With AlCO,Barnes,Sierra and Nosler bullets from 110 to 220 grains I have a solution for any problem.
Grimstod,
I didn’t “fail to do proper barrel break in”, I shot a new barrel. In fact, I have the only data set on how barrel break in effects MV I am aware of anywhere, https://rifleshooter.com/2017/07/a-look-at-how-rifle-barrels-speed-up-measuring-the-increase-in-muzzle-velocity-in-new-barrels/
If you’d like to share your data sets we can compare…
I don’t like leaving speed on the table.So I would leave the barrel longer.
the creedmore is a good varmint gun but the 6.5 Remington mag is a true elk and deer killer .I have knocked a 800lb elk off it’s foot at 600yards and it never got up .I seen a man in Utah shoot a mule deer at 300 yards with the 6.5 creedmore that a 140 grams bullet and he hasn’t found it yet I seen it go down he hit it in the front shoulder. 6.5 creedmore is a good varmint gun but the mag is a true hunting rifle.
For the comment about barrel break-in: I don’t see how this can be a major issue. If I can count, only 120 rounds were fired for the test. There shouldn’t be such a change in speed that it would nullify the observations made.
If he were trying to shoot 500 rounds on a new barrel, and didn’t take speed changes into consideration, it would be a different story.
Thank you for these articles. Some of the comments seem a bit unappreciative of your efforts. Again THANKS
I just a savage 10 tactical cut and threaded at 16.5” 6.5 Creedmoor
I’ve been eyeballing a 16″ 6.5 Creedmoor bolt gun and had some reservations about velocity loss. This article and the included links have convinced me to go for it. Thanks for all the work you put into it.