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Thoughts on an 18" barrel for a 6.5mm creedmoor? Need input.

courtier

Full Member
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 28, 2013
180
0
Boston, MA -- yeah, THAT Boston
Hi. I'm putting together a custom build based on the 6.5mm creedmoor caliber. The stated (and only) objective is for target shooting, and long range at that. I've done the research on barrel length for this caliber and the consensus on the Hide seems to be 24" to 26". Up until yesterday I was planning to go with the latter length with either a Bartlein or Obermyer barrel. But I got a lead on a barrel from a European barrel maker that is only 18" but is being purposely built (or at least marketed) as a 1000m rifle barrel. I don't want to go down the rathole of what the optimal barrel length for a 6.5mm *should* be -- as I said, I've already done the research. My question is more simple: Of the owners of rifles in this caliber, do any of you have a barrel 20" or shorter? And if so, what are your impressions? If you had to do it all over again, would you go shorter, longer, or remain the same? Thanks in advance.
 
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18" 6.5 Creedmoor. I went 18" because I am running a suppressor. If I wasn't going to go suppressed I would do 21" or 22".

At 18" I get the 130berger to 2810 with 44.5g H4350; the 100 amax gets 3056 with 42.7gr Varget.

Hope that helps you.
 
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Not a Creedmoor but a 260. I am getting 2725fps with 140amax over 43.5gr H4350. groups shot at 300yds off bipod and bag. 19" Barrel.

I went with a 19" because I already have a 28" 260 also and I think it looks cool. I don't care about functionality... :)

Oh ya and I already have another barrel for when this one is all done that will be cut @ 19" again, and hopefully again after that. This one already has 2000rds down the tube
 
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Why not get someone to run QuickLoad to estimate your MV with your load and an 18" barrel, then run JBM ballistics to find out what range you can get to with supersonic bullets? There are a number of excellent barrel makers in the US, you never explained why you don't use one and get a standard 24"-26" barrel? I can't imagine why a long range paper puncher would go for an 18" barrel (I'm one too and my last 260Rem barrel was 26").
 
18" 6.5 Creedmoor. I went 18" because I am running a suppressor. If I wasn't going to go suppressed I would do 21" or 22".

At 18" I get the 130berger to 2810 with 44.5g H4350; the 100 amax gets 3056 with 42.7gr Varget.

Hope that helps you.
With the 130gr Berger VLD at 2,810fps, the bullet goes subsonic at about 1250 yards at sea level -- is that long enough for you? If you want to go really long, you'll need a longer barrel.
 
Why not get someone to run QuickLoad to estimate your MV with your load and an 18" barrel, then run JBM ballistics to find out what range you can get to with supersonic bullets? There are a number of excellent barrel makers in the US, you never explained why you don't use one and get a standard 24"-26" barrel? I can't imagine why a long range paper puncher would go for an 18" barrel (I'm one too and my last 260Rem barrel was 26").
[MENTION=4014]One-Eyed Jack[/MENTION]: To be honest I really had been planning to go with a US barrel maker (Bartlein, Obermyer, Krieger, etc.) in a 26" length as suggested by my research on the Hide. I only found out about the 18" European barrel through the company I bought my custom stock through who suggested it. He indicated they built this exact setup of chassis + barrel for another customer who was very happy with it and was suggesting if they did the build -- as opposed to me taking the parts elsewhere for such services -- it might be faster/cheaper in the long run. So obviously there is a "bias" on his part and hence my question to the forum about whether this setup really makes sense. Given that I'm really only looking to target shoot and don't need this for tactical, i.e., LE or military sniper purposes, longer barrel length is really not a detractor for me and if it helps with range and/or accuracy really isn't a "sacrifice" at all. So with all due respect to JCH and RugerSlinger whose shorter setups work for them, I think I'm still leaning towards a 26" barrel for my specific application. Thanks for all of the replies so far.

P.S.: And since I live in the great state of Massachusetts, suppressors are not an option for me. They're illegal even to own so I can't even store one away for out of state use. Hence my concern about going down to 18".
 
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With the 130gr Berger VLD at 2,810fps, the bullet goes subsonic at about 1250 yards at sea level -- is that long enough for you? If you want to go really long, you'll need a longer barrel.

Plenty long. That rifle isn't a competition gun. It's mainly for hunting. I chose the 100 amax for killing stuff with.