In Europe, 6.5mm (.264 caliber) cartridges are very popular and many African, Australian, North and South American hunters have also discovered the low recoil and good killing power of 6.5mm rifles. Common 6.5mm cartridges range in size and killing power from the 6.5x50 Arisaka to the powerful 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum. About in the middle, and probably the most useful and versatile of the entire 6.5mm family, are the 6.5mm Creedmoor, .260 Remington and 6.5x55mm SE (Swedish Mauser).

Among the readers of Guns and Shooting Online, articles about the 6.5mm cartridges get a lot of page views every month. Frankly, more than I had expected. There is substantial interest in these cartridges, which are staff favorites, and we have done our part to educate the shooting public about them.

The .260 is basically a short action version of the 6.5x55, based on a necked-down .308 Winchester case. It can be thought of as the American equivalent of the 6.5x55, as the ballistic capabilities of the two cartridges are nearly identical, although the 6.5x55 has a bit more powder capacity. The 6.5mm Creedmoor is based on a necked-down .30 T/C case, which has slightly less powder capacity than the .260. However, as factory loaded, all three cartridges have reasonably similar ballistics.

Like all .26 caliber/6.5mm cartridges, the 6.5mm Creedmoor, .260 Remington and 6.5x55mm SE achieve their excellent killing power primarily due to the excellent sectional density (SD) of their hunting weight bullets. Standard .264" (6.5mm) diameter bullets have outstanding SD compared to bullets of similar weight, type and purpose in the popular .270, 7mm, and .30 calibers, which gives them the potential for superior penetration.

For those who are curious, here are the SD's of some common .264" bullet weights: 120 grain, SD = .246; 125 grain, SD = .256; 129 grain, SD = .264; 140 grain, SD = .287; 160 grain, SD = .328. Sectional density is probably the most valid way to compare bullets of different caliber.

Perhaps it would be useful to also include the SD's of some popular bullet weights in other calibers for comparison: 100 grain .243, SD = .242; 117 grain .257, SD = .253; 130 grain .270, SD = .242; 150 grain .270, SD = .279; 140 grain 7mm, SD = .248; 160 grain 7mm, SD = .283; 175 grain 7mm, SD = .310; 165 grain .308, SD = .248; 180 grain .308, SD = .271; 200 grain .308, SD = .301.

Perhaps these numbers help to explain how the 6.5mm cartridges can challenge the larger .270, 7mm and .30 calibers as big game cartridges. As these numbers show, the 120 grain .264" bullet is equivalent to a 100 grain .243, 130 grain .270, 140 grain 7mm, or 165 grain .30 caliber bullet. These are all excellent Class 2 class game bullets.

The popular 140 grain .264" bullet is more than equal to the 150 grain .270, 160 grain 7mm and 180 grain .30 caliber bullets. These are good all-around bullet weights in their respective calibers..

The SD of the 160 grain .264" bullet is superior to the SD of the 175 grain 7mm and 200 grain .30 caliber bullets, which are normally reserved for the largest Class 3 game. This helps explain why the 6.5x55 is so successful on Scandinavian moose, which are about the size of North American elk.

The 6.5mm Creedmoor

This is the most recently introduced of our three cartridges. It was designed by Hornady's Dave Emory and Dennis DeMille in 2007 and introduced by Hornady in 2008. It was specifically designed as a match cartridge to use long ogive, high ballistic coefficient match bullets, such as the Hornady 140 and 147 grain ELD Match, in a short action magazine rifle.

Hornady literature claims, "One of the biggest advantages the 6.5mm Creedmoor has over cartridges like the .260 Remington and the 6.5-284 is the fact that it was designed (from the) ground up as a short action cartridge." This is pure hokum, as both the .260 and 6.5-284 were also designed from the outset as short action cartridges.

To accommodate bullets with a very long, tapered ogive in a short (.308 length) action rifle, the 6.5mm Creedmoor case was based on a necked-down .30 T/C case (another Hornady creation), which was itself based on a shortened .308 Winchester case. The rationale behind shortening the case (and thus reducing the powder capacity compared to the .260 Rem.) was to allow a longer neck and more room forward of the shoulder for the long match bullets to protrude, while still fitting in short action target rifle magazines.

This is the reverse of modern hunting cartridge design, which generally strives to maximize case capacity in order to maximize ballistic performance. However, as previously stated, the 6.5mm Creedmoor was designed as a match cartridge, not a hunting cartridge. Competition target shooters and hunters have different requirements for both rifles and cartridges.

The cartridge specifications call for a rim diameter of .473", rim thickness of .054", head diameter of .470", 30 degree shoulder angle and 1.920" maximum case length. The case measures 1.490" from the back of the rim to the shoulder and the neck is 0.285" long. The maximum cartridge overall length is 2.80", which is the same as the .260 Remington and 0.35" shorter than the 6.5x55. The SAAMI maximum average pressure (MAP) limit is 62,000 psi.

Unlike Remington with the .260, Hornady has heavily promoted their 6.5mm Creedmoor and they support it by offering no less than 10 factory loads, using bullets weighing 120, 129, 140, 143 and 147 grains (the latter is an ELD Match bullet). As with any 6.5mm cartridge, for hunters the money load is a 140 grain bullet and the Hornady factory loads with 140-143 grain hunting bullets are rated for a muzzle velocity (MV) of 2690-2700 fps.

Unlike the .260 and 6.5x55, the 6.5mm Creedmoor's smaller case is really at its best with hunting bullets lighter than 140 grains. Hornady Superformance factory loads with their 129 grain hunting bullets claim a MV of 2950 fps. Hornady Superformance loads use special powders and you can be sure they are loading that round to the max to achieve 30 fps higher MV than their equivalent .260 Remington load.

In addition to Hornady, Winchester (140 grains at 2710 fps) and Nosler (129 grains at 2850 fps and 140 grains at 2650 fps) also offer 6.5mm Creedmoor factory loads. As this is written, Browning, Nosler, Ruger, Savage and T/C offer rifles in 6.5mm Creedmoor, so the cartridge appears to be catching on.

The .260 Remington

Remington introduced their .260 in 1997. A-Square had earlier applied to SAAMI to standardize the then wildcat 6.5mm-08, but in a blatant act of favoritism it was Remington's application that was accepted. The 6.5mm-08 wildcat had come to the attention of both A-Square and Remington due to its success in the sports of metallic silhouette and NRA High Power competition.

The .260 is based on a .308 Winchester case necked down to accept .264" bullets. Like the .308, its rim diameter is the standard .473" and rim thickness is .054"; its shoulder angle is 20 degrees. The .260's neck is .2595" long, or slightly less than one caliber (which would be .264") and this is the main criticism leveled at the cartridge. The case length is 2.035" and the maximum cartridge overall length (COL) is 2.8". The SAAMI MAP is specified as 60,000 psi.

The .260 was designed for use in modern short action rifles, just like other members of the .308 family. The .308 family of cartridges are what modern short rifle actions were designed around and the .260 gets the maximum performance available from a standard diameter (.470" head), short action cartridge.

Federal, Hornady, Nolser and Remington offer .260 factory loads. Among the major US ammo companies, only Winchester does not support the .260.

The .260 is at its best with bullets weighing 140 grains or less. The most common .260 hunting loads drive 140 grain bullets at muzzle velocities of 2700-2750 fps. In addition, factory hunting loads are available with 120 grain bullets at MVs of 2750-2950 fps, a 125 grain bullet at 2950 fps and 129-130 grain bullets at a MVs of 2700-2930 fps. (Velocities vary between brands.) Finally, Remington offers a reduced power Managed Recoil load using a 140 grain bullet at a MV of 2360 fps.

Reloaders can safely achieve velocities similar to any of these factory loads using canister powders. In addition, the heavy 156-160 grain bullets can be launched at up to about 2600 fps, although they intrude rather deeply into the powder space.

Among the major rifle makers in the U.S. market, Remington, Nosler, Ruger, Kimber, Browning, Nosler, Sako, Tikka and Cooper have offered or currently offer .260 rifles. These days, cartridges seem to appear and disappear from the various rifle models almost randomly and on an annual basis. This makes no sense to me, but the bottom line is you have to check to see what is available when you're ready to buy.

The 6.5x55 SE

The 6.5x55 was adopted as the service cartridge of Sweden and Norway in 1894. It subsequently become a very popular sporting cartridge in Scandinavia and eventually caught on in the rest of Europe and around the world. It also became popular in Europe for centerfire rifle target shooting at the highest levels. In the U.S. it is generally known as the "6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser."

Military loads initially came with a heavy, round nose bullet weighing around 156 grains. Later, a 140 grain spitzer bullet replaced the old projectile and kept the 6.5x55 competitive with the 7x57mm Mauser, 7.62mm NATO, .30-06 Springfield, .303 British and 8x57 JS Mauser until the infantry rifles for all of these cartridges were retired from use by their various governments.

Despite its age, the 6.5x55 is a modern looking rimless cartridge with a sharp 25 degree shoulder angle. Its rim diameter is slightly oversize at .4803" and slightly thicker than usual at .0591". Fortunately, this minor deviation from what later became the norm does not prevent its use in most modern bolt action rifles. Neck length is .3079", well in excess of one caliber in length and ideal for holding long bullets. The case is 2.1654" long and the maximum COL is 3.15", so the 6.5x55 cartridge is too long for most short action rifles.

Today the 6.5x55 is typically offered in standard (.30-06) length actions, which at least means there is plenty of action length and magazine space for the longest bullets. The SAAMI MAP is specified at a low 51,000 psi, apparently out of concern for the weakness of long obsolete Norwegian Krag service rifles.

The 1906 Swedish Mauser service rifle that made the cartridge's reputation and all modern rifles can take much higher pressure than the Krag action. I would suggest that anyone with a Krag rifle use only moderate pressure loads. (Actually, if I owned a Krag I would retire it and get a modern hunting rifle.)

Beginning in the 1950's, after they were retired from active duty use, thousands of old Norwegian and Swedish military rifles in 6.5x55 were made available to the civilian market. Most common among these are the Swedish Mauser Models 1896 (29" barrel) and 1938 (24" barrel). These Swedish Mausers are very well made and maintained bolt action rifles with dual front locking lugs in the usual Mauser pattern and they can handle full power factory loads (Norma and others).

Most ammunition manufacturers around the world load for the 6.5x55. Typical factory loads for the 6.5x55 from Federal, Nosler, PMC, Remington, Sellier & Bellot, and Winchester drive 139-140 grain bullets at a muzzle velocity of 2550-2650 fps. A Higher performance load is available from Hornady Superformance, a 140 grain SST bullet at a MV of 2735 fps.

Norma of Sweden offers a 139 grain bullet at a MV of 2854 fps, a 140 grain bullet at a MV of 2789 fps and several different 156 grain bullets at MV's ranging from 2526 fps to 2644 fps. The latter are widely used for moose hunting in Scandinavia. RWS of Germany offers several 6.5x55 loads including a 127 grain bullet at a MV of 2850 fps and a 154 grain bullet at a MV of 2670 fps. These are typical of European CIP spec 6.5x55 loads, which on average are loaded to higher pressure than U.S. SAAMI spec factory loads.

In the U.S., rifles in 6.5x55 are available from more manufacturers and seemingly more consistently than in .260 Rem. and 6.5mm Creedmoor. CZ, Cooper, Krieghoff, Dakota, Mauser, Ruger, Merkel, Blaser, Howa, Sako, J.P. Sauer and Tikka offer 6.5x55 rifles for sale in the U.S. market on a reasonably regular basis. These and other makes are available in Europe.

Reloaders with old military rifles can safely achieve velocities similar to the standard U.S. factory loads at about 51,000 psi, or 46,000 CUP. Reloads for modern hunting rifles can safely be taken to 60,000 psi.

As can be seen from the above summary of common factory loads for these three cartridges, their practical ballistic potential is similar. If any cartridge has a ballistic advantage when loaded to what is generally considered full power for standard cartridges (52,000 CUP or 60,000 psi), it would be the 6.5x55, especially with heavy bullets (in excess of 140 grains).

This is because the 6.5x55 has the biggest case and the greatest powder capacity. In the end, as they say, there is no substitute for cubic inches. As a practical matter, for hunting Class 2 game with 120-140 grain bullets, there is little to choose between the three calibers.

The SAAMI maximum average pressure for the 6.5mm Creedmoor was standardized at a very high 62,000 psi, compared to 60,000 psi for the .260 Remington and 51,000 psi for the 6.5x55 SE. (European CPI pressure standards for the 6.5x55 are higher than SAAMI and more realistic.) This was done intentionally to make the 6.5mm Creedmoor perform comparably to the other cartridges. If all three cartridges are loaded to the same MAP, the only way to fairly compare modern rifle cartridges, the 6.5mm Creedmoor will be the poorest performer and the 6.5x55 the best performer, with the .260 somewhere in the middle. However, the differences between any of them will not be dramatic.

From the reloader's perspective, the 6.5mm Creedmoor generally burns a bit less powder and delivers about 100 fps less velocity than the .260 Remington or the 6.5x55mm SE with the same hunting bullets. Depending on whose reloading data you use, in either the .260 or 6.5x55, reloaders can drive 120 grain bullets to maximum MV's of around 2900-3000 fps. 125-129 grain bullets can be driven to maximum MV's of about 2800-2900 fps. 140 grain bullets can be driven to a maximum velocity of about 2700-2800 fps. The heavy 156-160 grain bullets can be launched at MV's in the 2500-2600 fps range.

The Sierra Edition V reloading manual, for example, shows maximum loads for a top MV of 3500 fps for their 85 grain bullet, 3200 fps for their 100 grain bullet, 3000 fps for 120 grain bullets and 2700 fps with 140 grain bullets for both calibers. For their 160 grain semi-spitzer bullet they show a maximum MV of 2450 fps in the .260 and 2500 fps in the 6.5x55.

As you can see, all of these loads are so similar that no clear ballistic advantage exists between the .260 and 6.5x55. The trajectory and killing power of the two cartridges is essentially identical, while the 6.5mm Creedmoor trails slightly behind. However, no Class 2 animal could live on the difference. All three cartridges have successfully made their mark in centerfire rifle target shooting competition, so there is also no significant difference in terms of intrinsic accuracy, despite advertising claims for the Creedmoor to the contrary.

Since all three cartridges can drive the same bullets to nearly same velocity, it stands to reason that their recoil is also similar. Since the 6.5mm Creedmoor (within its limits) can deliver a given velocity with a bullet of the same weight using a bit less powder than the .260 or 6.5x55, it kicks slightly less. However, all three are mild and pleasant cartridges to shoot in rifles of normal weight and most shooters will be hard pressed to tell the difference between them. The lightest recoiling of all the factory loads for the three cartridges is the Remington Managed Recoil load in .260 Remington.

6.5mm Creedmoor Advantages

For the competition shooter, the Creedmoor was designed for long ogive match bullets and it arguably handles these somewhat better than the .260, although no better than the 6.5x55. It burns slightly less powder for a given velocity than the .260 or 6.5x55 and therefore kicks slightly less, which can be an advantage in a long match. (Although all three are mild cartridges, recoil is cumulative and even small differences can take a toll over a great many rounds.)

For the hunter, the 6.5mm Creedmoor, like the .260, is available in short action rifles, while the 6.5x55 usually comes in rifles with standard length actions. The difference here is about 1/2" in action length and a couple of ounces in weight.

Ballistically, the 6.5mm Creedmoor has no advantages with normal spitzer, boat-tail spitzer, semi-spitzer and round nose hunting bullets. With full power loads it falls slightly short of the performance possible with the .260 and 6.5x55, especially with 140 grain and heavier bullets.

.260 Advantages

The advantages of the .260 Remington cartridge, compared to the 6.5x55, would include its standard rim diameter and thickness (of no practical value to shooters, but possibly an advantage to rifle makers) and its shorter COL. The latter allows all short action (.308 length) rifles to be chambered for the .260 cartridge and this is the .260's principle advantage over the 6.5x55.

Compared to the 6.5mm Creedmoor, as a hunting cartridge the .260 is slightly superior. Its somewhat greater case capacity translates to somewhat better performance when both cartridges are loaded to the same MAP.

For beginning shooters, or those who (for one reason or another) must minimize recoil, the .260 has the advantage of being offered with a Remington Managed Recoil factory load using a 140 grain Core-Lokt PSP bullet. Despite its modest 2360 fps MV, this load provides adequate killing power for Class 2 game out to 200 yards. Zeroed at 200 yards, the 140 grain Core-Lokt PSP bullet hits only 2.9" high at 100 yards and 2.5" high at 150 yards.

I do not understand why all short action rifles are not offered in .260. The .260 combines the best features of the small bore (under .33 caliber) short action cartridges in a very neat package. Perhaps most of the blame can be laid to Remington's almost non-existent attempt to promote the cartridge.

Customers for very light hunting rifles ("mountain rifles") are likely to favor the .260. A short action saves a couple of ounces in weight and about 1/2" in length. The short action Kimber 84M (5 pounds 10 ounces), Remington Model 700 Titanium (5-1/4 pounds) and Remington Model 700 Mountain Rifle (6-1/2 pounds) illustrate the point. For comparison, the long action version of the Remington Mountain Rifle weighs 6-5/8 pounds, or two ounces more than the short action version.

6.5x55 Advantages

The 6.5x55mm SE can be used successfully on game from the smallest antelope and deer to elk and Scandinavian moose with appropriate bullets. It is too long for most short action rifles, but that is not entirely a disadvantage. The extra action and magazine length, coupled with its long neck, allows the 6.5x55 to more efficiently handle heavy bullets, as they do not intrude as far into the powder space of its longer case. The cartridge's long neck helps to keep very long bullets, like the 160 grain Sierra semi-spitzer, precisely aligned with the axis of the bore.

Reloaders have considerable latitude regarding the style and length of the bullets they select and the depth to which they are seated, so they can maximize powder capacity and efficiency. This gives the 6.5x55 a clear advantage over the short action cartridges.

For those who do not reload, Norma factory loads using 156 grain bullets make the 6.5x55 a better choice than the Creedmoor and .260 for hunting the largest game, since the latter cartridges are only available with hunting bullets weighing around 140 grains. These are the 6.5x55's main technical advantages over the .260 Remington and 6.5mm Creedmoor.

Less esoteric is the fact that the 6.5x55 has been around longer and is better known. 6.5x55mm rifles and ammunition are offered world-wide, wherever hunting is allowed. There is a bigger choice of rifles and factory loaded ammunition in 6.5x55 than in .260 or 6.5mm Creedmoor, which is always an important advantage for any cartridge. RCBS, the big reloading die manufacturer, reports that the 6.5x55 has been among their top 30 calibers in die sales for many years.

Conclusion

The 6.5mm Creedmoor, .260 Remington and 6.5x55 SE are all effective hunting cartridges and no Class 2 game animal can live on the difference between them. If you also intend to hunt Class 3 game with your 6.5mm rifle, the 6.5x55 is the best choice.

For most prospective purchasers, the choice between the 6.5mm Creedmoor, .260 Remington and 6.5x55 SE cartridges is likely to come down to which brand and model of rifle he or she prefers. For while there is considerable overlap in the capabilities of the three cartridges, there seems to be rather little overlap in rifles.