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February 27th, 2017
6.5 Creedmoor (right) shown with .308 Win (left) and .243 Win (center) for comparison.
Though most popular for competition applications (PRS and XTC), the 6.5 Creedmoor is also a capable hunting cartridge. This month Norma spotlights the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge and outlines the game-harvesting capabilities of Norma 6.5 Creedmoor factory ammunition.
Origins of the 6.5 Creedmoor
Dave Emary, senior engineer at Hornady, asked fellow competitive shooters about their “wish list” for a mid-sized round with long-range potential. It needed to offer efficiency, good ballistics, fine accuracy, and reliable feeding from a magazine. To achieve these goals, Emary necked the .30 T/C to .264 caliber (6.5 mm). The shoulder on this case is well to the rear, so long bullets with high ballistic coefficients can be used in short actions. The efficient Creedmoor case and its modest powder charge deliver hard hits on big game while keeping recoil modest. The case runs well in magazines sized for the .308 Winchester, and because it is efficient, the 6.5 Creedmoor delivers velocities very close to the .260 Remington (which is basically a 6.5-308 Win) with less powder. The 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge has shown excellent accuracy in PRS competition, though the 6mm Creedmoor has proven more competitive, given its reduced recoil.
Hunting with the 6.5 Creedmoor
by Wayne van Zwoll
I learned about the 6.5 Creedmoor by way of a rifle from Todd Seyfert at Magnum Research. The Remington 700 action wears a carbon-fiber barrel with a Krieger stainless core. GreyBull Precision added a stock and a modified 4.5-14X Leupold scope. Its 1/3-minute elevation dial is calibrated specifically for 130-grain boat-tail spitzers at Creedmoor velocities. “Spin the elevation dial to the distance in yards, and aim dead-on.” said GreyBull’s Don Ward. Prone with a sling, I was soon banging steel at 500 yards.
By the charts, the 6.5 Creedmoor is a superb cartridge for deer-size game. But I caught only a late elk season with this new rifle. The 6.5×55 and .260 had taken elk for me; surely the Creedmoor would as well. Alas, the close shot I’d wanted, to ensure precise bullet placement, didn’t come. When on the final evening Don and I spied a bull far off, there was no approach. “Your call,” he shrugged. “The air is dead-still.” I snugged the sling, prone, and dialed to the yardage. Ribs spot-lit by a sinking sun, the bull paused. Craaack! The animal spun, sprinted and fell. That shot was twice as long as any I’d ever attempted at elk.
Whitetail hunting with a Ruger 77, then a trip to sub-Saharan Africa with a T/C Icon, kept the 6.5 Creedmoor in my ammo pouch. The T/C dropped a Vaal Rhebok at 250 yards, in stiff wind (photo below). Shorter pokes on a variety of game produced consistently quick kills. I found the Creedmoor’s limit with an eland.
A high ballistic coefficient helped a Creedmoor bullet slice stiff wind 250 yards to this Vaal Rhebok.
Since then, I’ve seen several animals brought to bag by the 6.5 Creedmoor. And I’ve used it in a variety of rifles on paper and steel targets to 1,200 yards. It has become one of my favorite cartridges for deer-size game. Its mild report and recoil make it easy to shoot accurately. It seems an inherently accurate cartridge too. I’ve punched half-minute groups from production-class rifles. The proliferation of hunting loads for the 6.5 Creedmoor includes none better than Norma’s 130-grain Scirocco. This sleek, polymer-nose bullet, with its 15° boat-tail and a G1 ballistic coefficient over .550, flies very flat. In expansion and penetration tests, it opens reliably down to 1,750 fps, and drives straight and deep. A bonded bullet, it stays in one piece after high-speed impact, routinely retaining more than 80 percent of its original weight.
Story Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
February 3rd, 2017
The 45th Annual Safari Club International (SCI) Convention is underway now at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The big event opened February 1st, and concludes Saturday the 4th. Over 20,000 hunters and sportsmen are expected to attend this year.
$10 Million in Auction Items This Year
The SCI show is famed for its fund-raising auctions. At this year’s Convention, over $10 million worth of exotic firearms, once-in-a-lifetime hunts, and fine collectibles will be auctioned. Net proceeds from the auctions are used by SCI to promote conservation and game management efforts worldwide. Here’s a past auction item, a Krieghoff Double Rifle valued at $84,000. This ‘Legends of the Hunt’ double rifle, chambered in .470 Nitro Express, is custom engraved by master engravers Michael Oke and Andreas Scholz. The stock is exhibition-grade Turkish walnut with ebony pistol grip and fore-end tip. There are gold barrel bands and gold accents on the express sight blades and double triggers.
Over 1000 Exhibitors from 33 Countries
This is a huge event, with over 1000 exhibitors from 33 countries and six continents. Notably, hundreds of top guides and outfitter services are showcased in the Outfitters Hall. The SCI convention also features many firearms manufacturers and custom gun builders. In the Gun Maker’s village prestigious European gun makers and engravers display their work.
The SCI convention boasts “the largest display of wildlife art at one venue anywhere in the world” according to Ammoland.com. The work of 55 artists and 110 taxidermists will be on display.
Hunt of a Lifetime — What Would You Hunt and Where?
A couple seasons back, Sierra Bullets asked its staffers about their dream hunting destinations. The Sierra techs, all avid hunters, were polled about their favorite hunting venues. Here are their answers to the question: “If you could hunt anything, anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you hunt?”
Photo courtesy Kirabo Safaris, South Africa
Africa topped the list of “dream hunting locations” by a landslide. Canada and Alaska were both picked twice, with other destinations each favored by one staffer:
Africa 6 votes (Kudu, Eland, Cape Buffalo, Leopard, Lion, Plains Game)
Canada 2 votes (Moose, Black Bear)
Alaska 2 votes (Dall Sheep)
Wyoming 1 vote (Antelope)
US Rocky Mountains 1 vote (Elk)
Argentina 1 votes (Doves)
Australia 1 vote (Non-specific)
Carroll Pilant (Ballistics Technician): “Back to Africa for kudu and eland.”
Rich Machholz (Ballistic Technician): “African Cape Buffalo with my longtime friend Lloyd in Zimbabwee.”
Tommy Todd (Chief Ballistician): “Free Range African plains game”
Photo courtesy Namibia Hunting Safaris.
July 23rd, 2015
Story Based on Report by NSSF
American shooters, along with Brownells and Redding, are providing help to the South African Palma (Target Rifle) team members, who will be competing at the Long Range World Championships at Camp Perry in early August, 2015. The ability of the South Africans to compete has been jeopardized by the unexpected seizure of their pre-shipped match ammo by U.S. Customs and ATF. We don’t know why the Feds seized the South Africans’ match ammo, but without it, the South African Team’s ability to participate in the Long Range World Championships has been threatened.
To rectify this situation, American F-TR and Palma shooters, backed by Brownells and Redding, have secured reloading equipment (presses, dies) and ammo components (brass, bullets, powder) so that the South Africans can assemble the needed .308 Win ammo on their arrival in the USA at the end of July.
 According to industry sources, the shipment of match ammo for the South African Palma team was seized at the U.S. port of entry by U.S. Customs and ATF agents. When Ray Gross, captain of the U.S. F-TR rifle team, learned about this, Ray contacted Geoff Esterline, Product Category Manager at Brownells. Esterline immediately turned to Robin Sharpless, Executive VP of Redding Reloading, for help.
“I won’t go into the full list of presses and accessories we’ve gathered up, but I can say it’s extensive,” Sharpless told NSSF. “A member of the U.S. F-TR team who lives near Camp Perry has agreed to take our shipment and those from Brownells and the other companies providing brass, powder and bullets so that, when the South African team arrives in the U.S. during the last days of July, they can get started immediately on hand-loading. The U.S. team is even building benches for the press setups, so the South African team should be able to knock this out and get to the more important task at hand, and that is shooting at Camp Perry.”
The 2015 Palma Match and Long Range World Championships will be held August 3-15, in conjunction with the annual NRA National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio.
Ray Gross reports: “The folks who deserve credit for this are the members of the U.S. Palma Team, Ryan Henning, Geoff Esterline of Brownells, and the folks at Redding. Members of the Palma team had donated much of the needed equipment within hours of U.S. Palma Team Captain Dennis Flaharty putting the word out.
My contribution was limited to a few emails to Brownells. They coordinated with Redding to provide the remaining equipment. This is a great example of international shooting camaraderie, but my part in it was very small.”
April 17th, 2013
Story by Lars Dalseide for NRABlog
Protea is the top team trophy at the South African International High Power Championships. Named after the South Africa’s National Flower, the International Protea is shot over three ranges measuring out at 300, 600 and 900 meters. Keeping with the earlier team matches, it was South Africa that powered past England and the United States to claim the hometown title.
Photos by 2013 England Rifle Team
Teams from South Africa, England, the United States, Wales and Ireland readied in the early South African sun for their 8:00 am start. “These are the smallest targets,” American shooter Anette Wachter explained on her website (30CalGal.com). “The winds were up and tricky at all meter lines.”
With twelve shooters per team gunning for a perfect match score of 1800, it started at 300 meters. England held tighter than the rest finishing with 597. Right on the Brits’ heels were South Africa at 595 and the United States at 593. That’s when South Africa made its move.
 But things changed at the 600 meter line. England dropped ten points at 600 meters. Both South Africa and the United States dropped five each. That left South Africa in command with a two point lead over the United States. The hometown advantage would be even more apparent in the final round (900m).
On the back of perfect scores from Bona and Brand, South Africa finished on top with final score of 1769.193. England was practically perfect at 900 meters to finish second while the United States ended up in third. “What a heart break,” Wachter wrote. “But we fought hard. Coaches Emil, Steve and Norm did a great job. The saying is that as a shooter on a team your only job is to pull the trigger. But ‘just pulling the trigger’ is scary.”
Parag Patel Wins Individual Honors
Though South Africa walked away with most of the team titles, it was an Englishman who won the overall individual championships. Mr. Parag Patel, a consultant surgeon at St. George’s Hospital in London, finished his South African tour as the tournament’s top shooter. Parag won the South African Championships, their most coveted prize which is made up of the Grand, the State President’s second Stage and the State President’s Final. As a reward for winning the South African title, he was driven off the range in a vintage 1934 Ford. Click Here to see Parag with the 2013 England Rifle Team.
The tournament now complete, teams are all returning home. For some it’s an incredibly short drive and for others it’s an unbelievably long plane ride. All in an effort to keep in game shape for the next Palma Rifle World Championships in Camp Perry, Ohio.
April 6th, 2013
Story by Lars Dalseide for NRABlog
Bloemfontein, South Africa — The South African Rifle Team jumped out to an early lead in yesterday’s America Match at the General de Wet Range. Gaining ground in each of the four relays, the South Africans’ final tally reached 2362.251 before teams from the U.S. and England fired their final shot. By then, South Africa was in the clubhouse with a 13 point win.
The America Match is a four-round team competition shot at 300, 600, 800 and 900 meters. Made up of eight-man teams, each has the opportunity to score up to 600 points per round. Shot last year during the NRA Long Range High Power Rifle Championships in Camp Perry, this is the first America Match win for South Africa.
Having Long Range High Power Rifle Fun in the African Sun
Though one may try, it is truly impossible to simulate game day situations in practice. All the preparation in the world will never prepare you for the tension or adrenaline spike that accompanies real life. The distractions are even greater when competing in South Africa.
Not only is there the incredibly long plane ride, a new culture to embrace and new cuisines to devour, there’s also the local wildlife to consider. Don’t believe me? Then listen to what Alex Williams had to say on the England Rifle Team website:
Aside from keeping a beady eye on the targets, there were several opportunities to cop a look at the local wildlife – dawn is heralded by the cooing of pigeons and the squeaking of hundreds of small starlings. Zebras and elegant giraffes festoon the grasslands on the drive from the hotel to the range. Springbok prance through the fawn coloured savannah startled by the passing minibuses. Dinner also provides an opportunity to sample some of the local wildlife, which generally appears medium-rare.”
Redemption via the Rifle Awaits
Though the American Match holds a special significance to those of us here in The States, American shooters have to toss those results aside. Same goes for the the English, the Welsh and the Irish. After all, they are only three days into ten day of competition. There are plenty of victories left to be had.
Having the home field advantage has played well into the South African’s hands so far. The heat, the elevation (4,500 feet above sea level) and familiarity with the surroundings makes aiming that rifle all the more favorable for the locals. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Things can change.
Yesterday’s match saw Team USA finish second. Under the leadership of Head Coach Norm Anderson, along with coaches Emil Praslic and Steve Harding, Team USA’s shooters (including Lane Buxton, Brandon Green, Michael Storer, Ty Cooper, Bob Gill, Nate Guernsey, Anette Wachter and Dave Crandell) are sure to find their mark soon enough.
Thanks to Anette Wachter and James Watson for contributing to this post … both with pictures (Anette’s) and information. Follow Anette’s coverage of her long range high power shooting saga at www.30calgal.com.
January 29th, 2011
 GS Custom Bullets has been producing high-quality hunting and target bullets in South Africa since 1993. GS Custom Bullets specializes in monometal solids. For hunters, the GS solids have proven extremely effective on game animals, including the biggest species on the African continent. The GS match bullets are CNC-machined to very exacting tolerances, offering superior concentricity and uniformity. The large match bullets feature drive bands for reduced engraving force, and an extremely slippery shape for exceptionally high ballistic coefficients. GS has made a special 1,100-grain 50-caliber projectile that has a calculated G1 BC of 1.85! This bullet, launched at 3400 fps, can stay supersonic out to 4,000 meters — that’s 2.49 miles!
Gerard Schultz, founder of GS Custom Bullets, holds a number of patents on his bullet designs. Currently GS Custom is selling to the American market through its South African website, GSCustom.co.ZA. However, this year GS Custom hopes to expand production to North America, starting a production facility in the USA. The North American effort will be lead by Gerard Schultz’s daughter, Gina, and her husband Anthony. They can be contacted through GSCustomUSA.com. We met with Gina and Anthony at SHOT Show in Las Vegas and learned more about these remarkable bullet designs. The video is worth watching. These are no ordinary bullets.
October 17th, 2009
LINK: John Loh Rest Donated for World BR Championships
Can a rest be a work of art? Yes, it can — when crafted by John Loh of JJ Industries. John, one of the great guys in the sport, donated this rest to support the U.S. Team at the BR Worlds in South Africa.
June 25th, 2009
The World Benchrest Championships are underway right now at the Krokodilspruit Range in Pretoria, South Africa. The 100m matches have been held and Team USA A is currently in the lead. Daily updates (with photos) are available on the WBC10.co.za website.
Today, the 25th, 200 meter competition begins. So far, Gene Bukys (USA) won the HV100 meter with Roland Igle (FRA) second and Chris Harris (USA) third. Gene also nailed a 2.74mm small group (0.108″). In the Team standings the USA A team leads with Australia A in 2nd place and Italy in 3rd place. In the 2-Gun competition, Gene Bukys (USA) now leads the field, with Wayne Campbell (USA) in 2nd place and George Carter from Canada in 3rd place.
Individual and Team match results are tabulated daily and posted online. You can download current results on the WBC10 Downloads page. Photos courtesy Renier, WBC10.co.za.
June 15th, 2009
John Loh of JJ Industries has generously donated a complete front rest to be sold at the World Benchrest Championship (WBC-10) held at the Krokodilspruit Range in Pretoria, South Africa, June 22-29, 2009. Proceeds from the sale will be used to defray the expenses of the USA Benchrest Team. The rest will be on display at the World Championships next week, and sold to the highest bidder.
This WBC-10 Special Edition rest is based on John Loh’s impressive, 18-lb JJ Ultra Front Rest, sold for $879.95 commercially. John has added some unique upgrades for this one-of-a-kind, 22-lb Special Edition. The center shaft is beefier, with a larger diameter. All the knobs (other than the bearing bronze rear adjuster) are crafted from machined aluminum. Loh front rests are already noted for allowing super-smooth and precise vertical and horizontal adjustments, and the larger center column makes this special unit even better. The rest comes with a 3″-wide Edgewood front bag fitted with a spacer block with bubble level. The side plates for the top bag are inscribed with “TEAM USA” and “World Benchrest Championships – South Africa 2009″ is engraved on the front of the base plate.
May 31st, 2009
 The 2009 World Benchrest Championship (WBC-10) will be held at the Krokodilspruit Range in Pretoria, South Africa June 22-29, 2009. WBC-10 includes matches at 100m, 200m, and 300m. Complete information on the upcoming event are available at the WBC10 website, wbc10.co.za. A handy FAQ Page provides answers to questions about accommodation, transport, and South African firearms laws. CLICK HERE for WBC10 Event Schedule.
Listed below are the names of the team members who will represent the United States at the 2009 World Benchrest Championship (WBC-10) in South Africa this June:
Team 1 – Ed Adams, Wayne Campbell, Gene Bukys, Tony Boyer
Team 2 – Larry Costa, Mike Ratigan, Bill Summers, Joe Krupa
Team 3 – Chris Harris, Don Nielson, Cecil Peterson, Tim Oltersdorf
First Alternate: Gary Sinclair
Honorary Team Captain: Walt Berger
Krokodilspruit is a modern multi-purpose shooting range situated approximately 23 kilometers north of Pretoria and is the home range of the Gauteng Benchrest Shooting Association. June is the first month of winter in South Africa, but this area has little rainfall in winter.
Something New for 300 Meter Stage?
Most American short-range Benchrest matches are shot at 100 and 200 yards only. WBC-10 includes a 300m match on Saturday, June 27th. As South Africa is known for strong and challenging winds, it will be interesting to see if some competitors try heavier, higher-BC bullets at 300m rather than the typical 60-70gr flatbase 6mm bullets used at 100 and 200.
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