Sunday GunDay: DIY 6mm Creedmoor with Howa Barreled Action

The 6mm Creedmoor has become one of the most popular cartridges for PRS/NRL competition, and it also works great in the varmint fields. Good Lapua 6mm Creedmoor brass is available, and there are many 6mm Creedmoor factory rifle options now, such as the Savage Model 110 Elite Precision with MDT chassis and the Ruger Precision 6mm Creedmoor with 26″ barrel.

Do-It-Yourself 6mm Creedmoor Rifle Project — UltimateReloader.com
Another smart, cost-effective option for 6mm Creedmoor fans is to build your own rifle, starting with a Howa barreled action. The Howa 1500 is a mag-fed, flat-bottomed bolt action that ships with the excellent HACT 2-stage trigger. Howa 1500 full-size barreled actions have been available with a variety of barrel lengths and contours, starting at $429.99 at Brownells. Howa 1500 Mini barreled actions are available starting at $399.99 at Brownells.

There are quite a few good stocks/chassis systems now offered for Howa 1500 actions, including the excellent KRG Bravo Chassis, which features an ergonomic composite outer shell over a precision-machined inner chassis.

Gavin Gear fitted a KRG enclosed fore-end and Mystic Precision MPOD to his 6mm Creedmoor rifle.

Our friend Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com has built a nice 6mm Creedmoor rifle using a Howa 1500 heavy-barreled action and KRG Bravo Chassis. This project has proven very successful. The rifle has shown impressive accuracy and outstanding reliability. Gavin has used this rifle in some practical/tactical competitions, and it did well.

In this video, Gavin fits KRG’s enclosed fore-end to the KRG Bravo chassis. This accessory fore-end features a top Picatinny rail and various attachment options on the sides and lower section. Here you can see the enclosed fore-end (upper right) next to the factory forend included with the KRG Bravo (lower left):

Gavin then fits a Mystic Precision MPod from EGW. This stable, wide-base bipod uses a T-Slot rail for rifle attachment, and has legs that adjust independently for height. The video shows the rifle coming together step-by-step. This is something the average guy can do with simple tools — no gunsmithing is required, because the Howa barreled action is pre-chambered for the 6mm Creedmoor cartridge.

In the video above Gavin unboxes his Howa 1500 barreled action from Brownells. He then mounts the barreled action to the KRG Bravo stock, checking the torque levels. Next Gavin borescopes the hammer-forged barrel (5:55) noting: “What I saw I liked — there are practically no tooling marks. The finish on the lands and grooves looks really good”. Lastly, Gavin tested the trigger with his TriggerScan TS-11 (6:24), confirming a two-stage pull weight of about 2.25 pounds out of the box.

BONUS: PRB 6mm Creedmoor and 6.5 Creedmoor Load Survey

The Precision Rifle Blog (PRB) has compiled Load Data from PRS Competitors, for both 6mm Creedmoor and 6.5 Creedmoor. For new 6mm Creedmoor shooters, this PRB study is a good place to start. PRB surveyed the match loads for “173 of the top-ranked precision rifle shooters in the country”. One cautionary note: These PRS guys may be loading fairly hot, so work up gradually, 0.3 grains at a time. CLICK HERE.

6mm Creedmoor LOAD DATA from Sierra Bullets

Sierra Bullets has published load data for the 6mm Creedmoor cartridge. Sierra has released very comprehensive 6mm Creedmoor load data, covering fifteen (15) different bullets from 55 to 110 grains. NOTE: The 6mm Creedmoor now does have an official SAAMI specification.

CLICK HERE for Sierra Bullets 6mm Creedmoor LOAD DATA PDF »

Sierra Bullets has published load data for the 6mm Creedmoor cartridge. Sierra has released very comprehensive 6mm Creedmoor load data in printable PDF format, covering fifteen (15) different bullets from 55 to 110 grains. NOTE: Hornady brass was used for Sierra’s 6mm Creedmoor load tests, not the superior, stronger Lapua 6mm Creedmoor brass with small primer pockets. Hand-loaders using Lapua brass may have to adjust their loads.

Here are Sierra’s 6mm Creedmoor Load Data Charts for 90-95 grain bullets plus the 107gr MK. There are six more tables for other bullet types on Sierra’s 6mm Creedmoor Load Data Page.