I was shooting my 6.5 Creedmoor rifle at the range today, and I wondered what is the effective range of this cartridge for hunting and target shooting?
The 6.5 Creedmoor has a max effective range of 800 yards for deer hunting, 1,000 yards for coyote hunting, and 1,300 yards for target shooting. Past 800 yards, hunting bullets will no longer have the velocity and energy needed for deer-sized game. Past 1,300 yards, the bullet goes subsonic and begins losing stability.
History of the 6.5 Creedmoor
Before we get into the specifics of the rifle, let me share some quick history of the 6.5 Creedmoor. Hornady designed it in 2007 as light recoiling round with long bullets and high ballistic coefficients to appeal to precision shooters. It quickly showed its stuff by outpacing the venerable .308 in accuracy and wind resistance at extended ranges of 1,000 yards and beyond. That coupled with the lighter recoil has made it a winning choice for competitive shooters.
I’ve been a fan of the .260 Remington cartridge for similar reasons stated above, but factory ammo selection was often limited as its popularity never really took off. You were almost forced to handload ammunition to shoot long range. With the success and adoption of the 6.5 Creedmoor, there is a vast array of factory ammunition choices available to the average hunter. If you’re not a handloader, the Creedmoor is definitely the better choice of these two calibers.
Effective range for deer hunting
An 6.5 Creedmoor in a bolt action rifle is one of my favorite choices for hunting whitetails. The chamber design of the 6.5 Creed helps even budget rifles shoot surprisingly accurately. Low recoil also enhances accuracy and makes shooting more enjoyable. Make no mistake, 6.5 Creed packs a wallop on deer. At 300 yards it has more than double the kinetic energy of a .30-30 cartridge, and almost 4x the energy of a 75 grain .223 Remington hunting load. Because the bullet weighs so much more, the 6.5 Creed doesn’t rely on velocity for its terminal effect on animals, so you don’t lose much effectiveness by choosing an 18- or 20-inch barrel. These shorter barrel lengths are perfect for using suppressors.
Effective range for coyote hunting
The 6.5 Creed’s flat trajectory and retained energy at longer ranges makes it ideal for hunting coyote too. The effective range for coyotes is up to 1,000 yards. Less penetration and expansion is needed to put down yotes’ than deer-sized game, which allows you to increase the effective hunting range of this caliber. The increased range capabilities is also a distinct advantage over a .223 for hunting.
Effective Range for Target Shooting
The 6.5 Creedmoor is a long-range capable cartridge out to 1,000+ yards. At 600 yards, tennis ball size targets are no match for this flat-shooting round. The advantages of low recoil and faster shooting apply to long-range precision shooting or competition as well. Some people do handle recoil better than others, but all other things being equal, most will absolutely shoot more accurately with a milder recoiling cartridge. Faster follow up shots from the low recoil provide a significant speed advantage, especially in competitions.
Compared to the .308 Win 178 grain BTHP with a G1 BC of .53 and muzzle velocity of 2600 FPS (from the Hornady box) the 6.5 Creedmoor 140 grain A-MAX load has 110 inches or 9 feet less drop at 1,000 yards. The 6.5 CM would also experience roughly 13 inches less wind drift at 1,000 yards in a 10 MPH crosswind. So not only does the new 6.5 Creed perform better than the .308, it also has less kick, making it much more enjoyable to shoot.
Ideal Bullet Weights for 6.5 Creed
The 6.5 Creedmoor gives hunters the ability to successfully hunt varmints and deer due to the wide variety of 6.5mm bullet options. The ideal long-range bullet weights for the 6.5 Creed is 140-147 grains, according to all the testing Hornady conducted when perfecting factory loads. Hornady offers many 6.5 Creed loads, with the 143-grain ELDX and a 147-grain ELD Match being the most popular. The Hornady 143-grain ELDX is the recommended long-range hunting load, while the 147-grain ELD Match is a dandy long-range shooting load. Many shooters are using the 6.5 Creed past 1,000 yards with this ammo, especially with bolt action rifles. The ballistic chart below is from Hornady.com for the 147-grain ELD Match.
6.5 Creedmoor Ballistics
| Velocity (FPS) | Energy (FT/LB) | Trajectory (Inches) | |
| Muzzle | 2695 | 2370 | -1.5 |
| 100 Yards | 2567 | 2151 | 1.9 |
| 200 Yards | 2443 | 1948 | 0 |
| 300 Yards | 2323 | 1761 | 7.7 |
| 400 Yards | 2206 | 1587 | 21.9 |
| 500 Yards | 2092 | 1428 | 43.2 |
Wrap-Up
The 6.5 Creedmoor provides impressive long-range capability for hunting, target and competitive applications. While originally developed for precision shooting and long-range competition, the 6.5 Creedmoor has also found a following in hunting. Its combination of manageable recoil, accuracy, and sufficient energy make it effective for a wide range of game, from deer to larger animals. The 6.5 Creed has the flexibility to move from lightweight varmint bullets in the 100-120 grain class to mid-weight, 140-147-grain competition and hunting bullets that are ideal for longer range target shooting. If you’re looking for a hunting and target rifle that is pleasant to shoot and won’t break the bank, check out the 6.5 Creedmoor and find out what all the rage is about.
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