6.5 creedmore?

[Foggy47]

I love it @Foggy47!

Creating stuff that truly has become standard equipment for reloaders and shooters.

And Hornady was smart enough to buy it!

Yep.....it didn't start out that way. Before Jason Hornady went back to work at the family biz.....he was my (independent) Sales Rep with a firm called Duncan Lewis. Jason was the best Rep in the biz.....bar none.....and he was instrumental in selling many of our products to the biggest in the biz. There were a series of companies gobbling up other companies at that time......and Jason had just gone back to the family business......and my product were now owned by Bushnell after they bought Uncle Mikes.....whom had bought Stoney. Hornady Came for a meeting with Bushnell at my old building in MN. I was there as a consultant as they negotiated the purchase of some of my old product line. I had already been paid a few years earlier....but those companies did not belong with this product line and they new it.

Previously, Jason and I had made several sales calls together and had been on a few hunting trips too (elk and antelope). We knew each other quite well....and spent some time at industry shows and events. Good people.

Hornady made a low offer.....and it was all I could do to not increase the offer and buy it back. But I did not want to go back to work......and resisted in order to stay retired. I am glad Hornady owns the product line and they were a good fit for it. Jason remains a good friend.....but we have not spoke in many years.

The first 1000 tools I made had to be replaced.....as the wall thickness at the threaded juncture as too thin.....and became too weak with some use. I think we replaced about 900 of the first 1000 we sold. That could have ruined the product had we not taken hold quickly.....found a remedy.......and made a needed design change.

Proud to say that design has now lasted over 30+ years and is still the standard.....these years later.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

 

[bigboreblr]

Any update for new shooters of this cartridge? Went buying ammo in NC when I was there last month. Seems 6.5 creedmore is significantly cheaper than shooting .308 or similar. Kinda perked my ears buying a good basic rifle for creedmore. Was realt tempted to get one in 2022. Tons of guns, no ammo. Tons of 308 ammo, but no guns. Bumped into a 308 over that summer. Been the last gun I bought.

Tempted ot get a .223 bolt gun, but a creedmore isnt much more to shoot basic ammo out of it. Alot more ethical on deer than a 223 too.

 

[Gravel Road]

Any update for new shooters of this cartridge? Went buying ammo in NC when I was there last month. Seems 6.5 creedmore is significantly cheaper than shooting .308 or similar. Kinda perked my ears buying a good basic rifle for creedmore. Was realt tempted to get one in 2022. Tons of guns, no ammo. Tons of 308 ammo, but no guns. Bumped into a 308 over that summer. Been the last gun I bought.

Tempted ot get a .223 bolt gun, but a creedmore isnt much more to shoot basic ammo out of it. Alot more ethical on deer than a 223 too.

You might want to take a look at this thread about the documented success of the 223 on game. It's an eye opener.

.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.

DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ 176 PAGES? HERE'S THE CHEAT SHEET. “Bullets matter more than headstamps.” “Spent primers offer the supreme tutorial”. I’ve read it here and elsewhere online. It got my attention. I started digging and asking questions and listened. The 77gr TMK delivered by a .223...

rokslide.com

 

[omicron1792]

Any update for new shooters of this cartridge? Went buying ammo in NC when I was there last month. Seems 6.5 creedmore is significantly cheaper than shooting .308 or similar. Kinda perked my ears buying a good basic rifle for creedmore. Was realt tempted to get one in 2022. Tons of guns, no ammo. Tons of 308 ammo, but no guns. Bumped into a 308 over that summer. Been the last gun I bought.

Tempted ot get a .223 bolt gun, but a creedmore isnt much more to shoot basic ammo out of it. Alot more ethical on deer than a 223 too.

223 about as ethical as it gets for deer

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Any update for new shooters of this cartridge? Went buying ammo in NC when I was there last month. Seems 6.5 creedmore is significantly cheaper than shooting .308 or similar. Kinda perked my ears buying a good basic rifle for creedmore. Was realt tempted to get one in 2022. Tons of guns, no ammo. Tons of 308 ammo, but no guns. Bumped into a 308 over that summer. Been the last gun I bought.

Tempted ot get a .223 bolt gun, but a creedmore isnt much more to shoot basic ammo out of it. Alot more ethical on deer than a 223 too.

I wouldn’t say a creedmoor being cheaper/more available than 308 is a normal thing and wouldn’t get one for that reason. You can get good 223 ammo (not necessarily ammo I’d use for deer hunting) for a fair bit cheaper than 6.5 still.

 

[356]

This has been an informative thread that I have enjoyed from the beginning. Hearing from industry insiders makes it all the more informative. While I enjoy bow hunting, rifles are still the focus of my deer season. Most likely that is due to the camaraderie of deer camp and a growing interest in hunting with my children and grandkids. For the last several years I have focused my rifle season on a particular rifle. Last year I harvested three deer with my dad’s old .243. The year before was exclusively used my old 30-06, and the year before that a 30-30 that I harvested my first rifle deer (my first deer was harvested with a bow).

I am at an age where memories like this make the hunt even sweeter. With that realization, I purchased—and will be hunting with—a Howa 1500 in 6.5 Creedmoor with a walnut stock simply because I like wood. The rifle is topped with a CDS Leopold scope matched to Hornady American Whitetail ammo. While I look forward to hunting with this rifle—and based on pictures in velvet I have a target buck in mind—my ultimate desires is that one day once of my grandchild will be in the woods with this rifle reflecting on the deer it harvested, the stories told around the fire and the memory of a mount or two that used to hang on grandpa’s wall.

BTW, special thanks to HOWA and Hornady for working with me on the ballistics for this rifle, which has a 20” barrel rather than the typical 22” or 24”. Both companies exceeded my expectations when seeking advice on setting up this rifle. Based on their insights, it was determined that the Hornady American Whitetail 129gr was the right cartridge for this setup, and should be a great 50-350 yard round (although I doubt if I’ll ever take a shot over 250 yards).

 

[West_Fork]

I switched to expanding mandrels for dealing with necks, and reduced my expanding buttons on my sizing dies. My reasoning is reduced stress on the neck, maybe reduces some stretching, maybe reduces any influence from the doughnut. From what I have learned and observed, the only way to deal with the doughnut is to not seat the base of the bullet in to the doughnut. With all the talk about brass flow and thickening, there is still a mechanical reality that cannot be avoided; where the shoulder and neck meet there is going to be increased neck tension regardless of what you do to the brass.