6.5 Creedmoor - Best off the shelf ammo for bolt guns?

[egarabedian]

Hi, I'll be new to 6.5 creedmoor (whenever I actually finish the rifle) and am looking for the best off the shelf ammo for precision shooting (out to ~1000 yards, maybe ~1,200) before I start reloading.

Been reading and have noticed that the following ammo is highly regarded but wanted to poll the forums and see what you all think from your experiences...

- PRIME ammo (not sure the specs because they're out of stock on the website currently)
- Black Hills 147-grain Hornady ELD-Match
- Federal Gold Medal Match 130-grain (Berger AR Hybrid OTM)
- Federal Gold Medal Match 140-grain (Sierra Match King BTHP)
- Federal Gold Medal Match 140-grain (Berger Hybrid)

Anything to stay away from in this list?
Anything I missed in this list for off-the-shelf ammo?
Anything you recommend using in this list?

Thanks ahead of time everyone.

 

[SD Carpenter]

Berger is my go to 6.5, problem is nobody can find it

 

[egarabedian]

Berger is my go to 6.5, problem is nobody can find it

The "Berger AR Hybrid OTM" or the "Berger Hybrid? I'm not entirely sure the difference other than the weight. I'm assuming "AR" indicates for an "AR" platform rifle but not sure.

 

[Newbie2020]

I took Frank’s advice and moved down to the 130 Bergers. They’re fast and the recoil impulse is practically like a 6.

 

[sheepdog697]

I really loved the 130gr prime. Outstanding in my tikka ctr 24”.

 

[acudaowner]

I loved the hornady American gunner 140gr when I could get it 53 to 63 cents per round 106.00 shipped for 200 rounds was just a nice deal for the money . but Its hard to beat prime ammo for consistency and having really nice brass gave me the best numbers I had for a factory ammo and wonderfully consistent between batches unlike the hornady which fluctuated wildly between batches . the price kept me using American gunner prime was 1.60 or so per round could have been 1.56 per shot not positive . but finding any of that anymore is like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow .though I do with I had peterson brass rather than the hornady now darn too late to change that .

 

[mrtoyz]

Berger 140 Hybrid

 

[rustyinbend]

Off the shelf I've shot the Hornady 147 ELDM's with great accuracy, but surprisingly, Hornady's 140gr American Gunners bought in the 200-round ammo box bulk packs are remarkably solid and a great price ... back when they were available. I've probably fired 500 of both out to over 1,000 yards, and they're equally accurate. So impressed with price and performance of the 140's in pre-pandemic days, that I stocked up and have 7 of the 200-round cans in my ammo safe. Just in case the whole "Zombie Apocalypse" thing happens. I'm also handloading the 147gr ELDM's and getting nice accuracy there too. Finding the bullets is WAY easier than finding the factory cartridges.

 

[ditter]

Hornady 140 ELDM or the Berger 140 and you're set.

Finding them is another issue.

 

[jg6.5]

+1 for 130 Bergers or 130 Prime. The Hornady 140's aren't bad either in my experience, but I've switched to Berger or Prime if I'm buying factory anymore.

 

[egarabedian]

Appreciate everyone's help on this! Now just to finish the rifle and find the ammo.

 

[Punkur67]

140 Bergers and 130 Prime are my favorite. Also got good results out of the Sig Elite Match 140s. I believe they use SMKs in that ammo

 

[Aussieusa]

As others have said, American Gunner 140 also ran great in mine, positive was they were cheap. Any of the Hornady match offerings, Prime, or anything with Berger’s in them also great. All of that doesn’t matter though, because you won’t be able to find any of it anywhere, so you’ll have to reload.

 

[TxWelder35]

Another vote for Berger. Shot the best out of all the factory ammo I’ve tried

plus you get Lapua brass after

 

[FuhQ]

I don't know about the new stuff because I haven't shot factory centerfire rifle ammo in nearly 15 years... But back in the day (15 to 20+ years ago), the best factory ammo I ever used was Hornady Match or Custom. Their old red box (law enforcement version) TAP .308 Win 168 BTHP ammo was the most consistent factory ammo I have ever shot. Between the rifle and the ammo, it would put 3 in the same ragged hole every time. It loved that stuff! Still have a few boxes stuffed away in the safe.

Unfortunately that rifle got stolen in 2008, and I haven't seen it since...Probably never will. It was built by a gunsmith friend of mine who has long-since retired, and if I could ever get it back, regardless of condition, it would mean the absolute world to me.

I wish there was a way to get something like that out there to the public, so they could all see it, and if they had the correct gun (serial # proven) they could return it to the rightful owner without legal repercussions. They already caught the asshole that stole it years ago, so now whoever has it, probably thought they bought a legit rifle, so it wouldn't be their fault. I just want my damn gun back. If anyone out there could possibly help at all this with, shoot me a PM.

 

[XTREM HTR16]

Another vote for the Berger factory ammo. All of these shot great in my creed:
130 hybrid OTM tactical p/n 65-31021 (LRP)
135 classic hunter p/n 65-31030 (SRP)
156 EOL p/n 65-31070 (LRP)

 

[Punkur67]

Pretty happy with the Prime today. Groups good and single digit SDs

 

[WeiserBucks]

Nothing like discussing factory ammo in the reloading forum!

 

[stello1001]

No offense, but wtf does it matter what "the best factory ammo" is? Its not like you can go to any ammo store (online or in person) and shop around for whatever ammo you decide you want to try. At this point, if you're not setup to reload (with components in hand already), or with quality match ammo already in your posession, it's not going to be as easy as before to actually pick and choose ammo.