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Help me pick my next caliber

6br or 6.5 creedmoor?

  • 6BR

    Votes: 7 38.9%
  • 6.5 Creedmoor

    Votes: 11 61.1%

  • Total voters
    18

03machstock

Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
Oct 16, 2021
171
91
Pennsylvania
Hey guys, I’m looking for help on choosing my next barrel. I currently shoot a .223 with 77gr bullets going ~ 2850 out of an origin action. Iv narrowed it down to either a 6br or a 6.5 creedmoor. My .223 barrel still has plenty of life on it, Iv just got the itch. Here’s my logic and list of pros/cons for each.

6br pro’s

Still kind of cheep to shoot once up and running

low powder consumption, and I have similar powders on hand for the .223 I currently have

Stupid accurate with minimal load development

Low recoil

Excellent brass life

6br cons

Possible feeding issues

No off the shelf ammo, but that’s kind of a null point bc I’ll reload for either

Not much performance gained over the .223 , about 30 grain heavier bullet going about the same speed.

Not much more range potential than my current set up

Still may be hard to spot misses at distance

6.5 creedmoor pros

Components are prevalent and everywhere

Great bc bullets

More knock down power in a hunting scenario

Extended range by a long shot (pun intended) to my current set up

Can see splash better on misses

Everyone has one

6.5 creedmoor cons

More expensive to shoot

More recoil

Can be harder to develop a load vs 6br


I’d like to shoot atleast 1 PRS match a year, and 1 f class match a year, both strictly for fun and for the ability to shoot longer ranges, as my ranges aren’t long. I know, I could do this with my current set up, and that’s what I’ll do in the mean time. If I had closer access to a long range I probably wouldnt go shoot matches at all. My ranges are 100 and 150 yards. There’s a range 30 min away that is 700 yards, but it’s hard to get into and I’m not a member. There’s another range 2.5 hours away that’s 1000 yards that I might join, but realistically I’ll go there maby twice a year. At my hunting camp, 5 hours away, we have 280 yards, and there’s a range near by to that that goes out to a mile, again that would be a once or twice a year thing. I’ll be shooting suppressed, and whichever I choose now, I’ll likely get the other one in 2 or 3 years anyway. I live in the north east, so nothing is wide open ranges up here like out west.
So, what do you think?
 
Sounds like you already have the perfect setup for you……. If you are just wanting something new, go 6.5 creed. The 223 and 6br are too close performance and range wise. For what you are going to be doing it would be silly to spend all that money on 6br components, gun, new scope etc when you already have a 223. I have a 223 and a 6br and am selling my 6br because I didn’t see the gain and I stepped up to a 6 dasher for my match rifle.

The 6.5 creed could help you learn to manage recoil would be the only real advantage to adding it to your stable that I see.

Obviously, just wanting a new toy, go with what the heart wants. No one can tell you that.
 
Sounds like you already have the perfect setup for you……. If you are just wanting something new, go 6.5 creed. The 223 and 6br are too close performance and range wise. For what you are going to be doing it would be silly to spend all that money on 6br components, gun, new scope etc when you already have a 223. I have a 223 and a 6br and am selling my 6br because I didn’t see the gain and I stepped up to a 6 dasher for my match rifle.

The 6.5 creed could help you learn to manage recoil would be the only real advantage to adding it to your stable that I see.

Obviously, just wanting a new toy, go with what the heart wants. No one can tell you that.
I would just be picking up a new barrel and swapping barrels back and forth on my current set up, but thanks for the reply! I did think about how more recoil would help me get better, because recoil on my current set up is literally non existent.
 
Currently, I shoot 308win (175gr match grade, including Lapua Secnar 175) for PRS in a Ruger Precision Rifle. If I were going to "upgrade" at this point, I'd go with an RPR .338 LAP.

Might that be a consideration?
 
Hey guys, I’m looking for help on choosing my next barrel. I currently shoot a .223 with 77gr bullets going ~ 2850 out of an origin action. Iv narrowed it down to either a 6br or a 6.5 creedmoor. My .223 barrel still has plenty of life on it, Iv just got the itch. Here’s my logic and list of pros/cons for each.
I would do nether and would go to 6GT. 6MM Creedmoor is like shooting 6.5 PRC with 108's and 6BR is the opposite. The other things with 6GT are, you can use the same mags as 308/Creedmoor, same powder and primers as 223. You can also get factory ammo for 6GT as well, which is another plus, and it has less recoil then 6MM Creedmoor.
 
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I have a 6BRA, and it's the fun little cartridge to shoot.

So I vote 6BR (or BRA).

Low recoil, low powder consumption, excellent ballistics, excellent precision, suppresses well (low powder volume).

And the MDT 6BR mags work great for feeding.
 
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What is your current set up?
The br and creed have a different sized bolt face (.380 vs .473) so you’ll either have to swap bolts or bolt heads to make them work.
 
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What is your current set up?
The br and creed have a different sized bolt face (.380 vs .473) so you’ll either have to swap bolts or bolt heads to make them work.
They’re the same. 6BR is a shortened 308 case.

OP: 6.5 creed probably makes the most sense. 41.5 H4350 and 140 ELDMs at 2.8” COAL will almost certainly shoot well. If not, then your load will be pretty close
 
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They’re the same. 6BR is a shortened 308 case.

OP: 6.5 creed probably makes the most sense. 41.5 H4350 and 140 ELDMs at 2.8” COAL will almost certainly shoot well. If not, then your load will be pretty close
A 6br/6.5creed is not the fucking same bolt face diameter as his current 223.
 
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What is your current set up?
The br and creed have a different sized bolt face (.380 vs .473) so you’ll either have to swap bolts or bolt heads to make them work.
Current set up is .223 in a Zermatt origin action, so yes, I’ll need a new bolt head either way.

Zermatt origin
Pva .223 barrel
Mark 5hd
Tt diamond
McMillan a3-5
Etc.
 
A 6br/6.5creed is not the fucking same bolt face diameter as his current 223.
I love the internet. You said “the br and creed have a different sized bolt face”. I misunderstood you were comparing to 223. I figured it was obvious 6.5 creed and BR are bigger than 223
 
Hey guys, I’m looking for help on choosing my next barrel. I currently shoot a .223 with 77gr bullets going ~ 2850 out of an origin action. Iv narrowed it down to either a 6br or a 6.5 creedmoor. My .223 barrel still has plenty of life on it, Iv just got the itch. Here’s my logic and list of pros/cons for each.

6br pro’s

Still kind of cheep to shoot once up and running

low powder consumption, and I have similar powders on hand for the .223 I currently have

Stupid accurate with minimal load development

Low recoil

Excellent brass life

6br cons

Possible feeding issues

No off the shelf ammo, but that’s kind of a null point bc I’ll reload for either

Not much performance gained over the .223 , about 30 grain heavier bullet going about the same speed.

Not much more range potential than my current set up

Still may be hard to spot misses at distance

6.5 creedmoor pros

Components are prevalent and everywhere

Great bc bullets

More knock down power in a hunting scenario

Extended range by a long shot (pun intended) to my current set up

Can see splash better on misses

Everyone has one

6.5 creedmoor cons

More expensive to shoot

More recoil

Can be harder to develop a load vs 6br


I’d like to shoot atleast 1 PRS match a year, and 1 f class match a year, both strictly for fun and for the ability to shoot longer ranges, as my ranges aren’t long. I know, I could do this with my current set up, and that’s what I’ll do in the mean time. If I had closer access to a long range I probably wouldnt go shoot matches at all. My ranges are 100 and 150 yards. There’s a range 30 min away that is 700 yards, but it’s hard to get into and I’m not a member. There’s another range 2.5 hours away that’s 1000 yards that I might join, but realistically I’ll go there maby twice a year. At my hunting camp, 5 hours away, we have 280 yards, and there’s a range near by to that that goes out to a mile, again that would be a once or twice a year thing. I’ll be shooting suppressed, and whichever I choose now, I’ll likely get the other one in 2 or 3 years anyway. I live in the north east, so nothing is wide open ranges up here like out west.
So, what do you think?

Consider a 6 BRA. That's my "stupid" rifle because it just hits everything. It's slightly faster than a 6 BR, which increases flexibility. Last trip out before my rebarrel, I had a 50% hit rate on a 24" target at 1700 yards. Of course, spotting the hits was not the easiest - it didn't move the target and barely made a mark :)

If you don't want to go that route, the 6 BR is pretty darned close to being just as "stupid" - just not quite as speedy.

Of the cons you list:

Possible feeding issues
I have zero feeding issues with my 6 BRA using the mags with spacers (MDT).

No off the shelf ammo, but that’s kind of a null point bc I’ll reload for either

As you mention, not an issue.

Not much performance gained over the .223 , about 30 grain heavier bullet going about the same speed.

The consistency is much better, and that 30 grains is more appropriately called out as a ~35% weight increase, which is sizable.

Not much more range potential than my current set up

I beg to differ :)

Still may be hard to spot misses at distance

This is the only real con on this list for what you'll be shooting vs a 6.5.

As for the 6.5 CM,

This is on your pros, but should be moved to cons:

Everyone has one

At the end of the day, you need to decide what is more important to you. The BR (or BRA) will be far more accurate and consistent with a lot less recoil. The 6.5 will be better at longer ranges due to being able to spot better and its ability to battle the wind better.

My BRA, by far, is my most accurate and "stupid" rifle.
 
I would do nether and would go to 6GT. 6MM Creedmoor is like shooting 6.5 PRC with 108's and 6BR is the opposite. The other things with 6GT are, you can use the same mags as 308/Creedmoor, same powder and primers as 223. You can also get factory ammo for 6GT as well, which is another plus, and it has less recoil then 6MM Creedmoor.
I agree, go 6GT. That is going to be my next step, as I have a 6BR and 223.
 
6GT

If it were me and I build a 6Br I’d just want another in 6creed or 6.5creed later anyway.
 
In my limited abilities, I found that the 6.5 Creedmoor was easy to load for, and really accurate. Unlike most, I had a harder time finding that perfect load for the 6GT, but it is more than good enough and it is much easier to stay on target with some of the barricades and props used in PRS.