Originally Posted by
curioushooter
I just bought a 6.5 Creed Hawkeye left handed. Wish I did it a LONG TIME AGO.
6.5mm, especially in the Creed, is perhaps the most versatile bottle neck cartridge there is with jacketed bullets.
There are good varmint offerings (<100 grains), medium game offerings (110-140 grains), and even big game bullets (>140). I haven't messed with varmint stuff yet, but the 129 grain Hornady Interlock is a solid deer bullet and not crazy expensive. The 140 speer hot cor is great too. Scary accurate. Should I ever want to go after Elk (like in that magical future where I have the money and retain basic liberties) I will get some big game bullets.
6mm and .257 have no popular big game bullets. These are varmint and deer cartridges. For just a little more caliber and cost you can make weight for big game with the 6.5, which does have big game bullets, and always has. It is truly a varmint/deer/elk caliber and has less recoil and cost compared to larger calibers. I think 6.5 has a bright future. I think 6mm, .257, 7mm, and .338 don't. In the end I think a consolidation into .233, 6.5, .308, 358 is going to happen. Just look at how 300 Blackout has basically smashed 6.8 SPC. I have no doubt 6.5 Creede is not only smashing all the other 6.5s except maybe the venerable Swede and the Grendel, it is smashing 6mm and .257.
The 155 grain Lapua Mega, the 160 grain Hornady Interlock, are all old and well known proven bullets. The 143 grain Hornady VLD-X bullet is rated for big game (300 lbs +). And these smaller 6.5 bullets are usually less expensive than 30 caliber or even 7mm.
Dwell on the fact that 6.5 mm can deliver a lot of energy at distance despite relatively modest muzzle data. 6.5 has the sleekest bullets of all the calibers it seems.
The 6.5x55 Swede has a long and storied history. The Creed equals or exceeds its performance with lighter charge weights in a short action cartridge with standard head size.
The 1:8 twist standard in Creeds is perfect.
No bottle neck cartridge I've ever worked with has gone as far without needing neck sizing.
I say if you think you want a DO it all rifle using J-words you can't go wrong. Sort of like .30-'06, only smaller, more efficient, and with cheaper bullets.