6.5 Creedmoor vs 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser Ammo Guide ballistics

[Gert Odendaal]

I am uploading some data about a comparison between the new 6.5 Creedmoor and the old vintage 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser.

[Gert Odendaal]

Here is a better view/pfd file
Comparison 6.5 Creedmoore, 6,5 x 55 Swede AmmoGuide Ballistic Comparison Tool.pdf
Keep in mind , these are USA based powders...

[Gert Odendaal]

Something interesting : when shooting the 160 gn bullet , the 6.5 x55 Swede is running ahead??? Would like some opinions in this regards?? Is the Swede the rifle to go to if you want to shoot a heavy bullet..making it a better hunting cartridge and the Creedmoor a better target cartridge>????

[pre 64]

Gert...I have both. The first couple of years that i used my old Swede was with Hornady 160gr round nose bullets.Many years ago i changed to 140gr Nosler Partitions and have never looked back.The 160gr's give no hunting advantage at all over the 140gr's.
A 140gr conventional bullet or a 120gr mono is what you need in the 6.5.
Makes no difference if it is launched from a Swede or a Creed.

[Gert Odendaal]

Gert...I have both. The first couple of years that i used my old Swede was with Hornady 160gr round nose bullets.Many years ago i changed to 140gr Nosler Partitions and have never looked back.The 160gr's give no hunting advantage at all over the 140gr's.
A 140gr conventional bullet or a 120gr mono is what you need in the 6.5.
Makes no difference if it is launched from a Swede or a Creed.

Pre64, at what distances do you hunt with your 6.5 x 55 Swede??

[Messor]

Gert, I am slightly confused as to the meaning of the post, because for that you need to state the goal of the comparison.

One was designed as a service rifle that found favor among hunters for it's high SD bullets, one is designed purely for target shooting in relation to it's high BC bullets.

NEITHER is a perfect hunting cartridge.

In this day and age people blur the lines between hunting and target shooting, that is BS, hunting will never be long range shooting.
A modern 6.5 sweed does not shoot 160gr bullets, and a modern creed does not shoot heavy projectiles designed to penetrate heavy bone.
Even our most experienced hunter states the 6.5 creed or modern sweed is marginal for blue-beast.

You will find, everybody today advocates what they use instead of what physically makes sense. There is a good reason why some game-farms state 30 cal minimum, because even if the user screws up the bullet choice that bullet is still heavy. For example if you think the 143gr ELD-x is the bomb in your 6.5, which in actual fact is a poor choice for heavy game, if you make that same mistake in 308 you sit with a 178gr bullet.

Remember what your real gunsmith said, people and their ego's.

[gary-t]

Gert, I am slightly confused as to the meaning of the post, because for that you need to state the goal of the comparison.

One was designed as a service rifle that found favor among hunters for it's high SD bullets, one is designed purely for target shooting in relation to it's high BC bullets.

NEITHER is a perfect hunting cartridge.

In this day and age people blur the lines between hunting and target shooting, that is BS, hunting will never be long range shooting.
A modern 6.5 sweed does not shoot 160gr bullets, and a modern creed does not shoot heavy projectiles designed to penetrate heavy bone.
Even our most experienced hunter states the 6.5 creed or modern sweed is marginal for blue-beast.

You will find, everybody today advocates what they use instead of what physically makes sense. There is a good reason why some game-farms state 30 cal minimum, because even if the user screws up the bullet choice that bullet is still heavy. For example if you think the 143gr ELD-x is the bomb in your 6.5, which in actual fact is a poor choice for heavy game, if you make that same mistake in 308 you sit with a 178gr bullet.

Remember what your real gunsmith said, people and their ego's.

You make a strong case for the 30-06!!!!

[Gert Odendaal]

A great, great discussion all around..I like this a lot...also great to move away from the 30-06/.308 discussion...since we all know the 8 x 57 JS Mauser is the best of the three...

[Gert Odendaal]

Pre64/Messor, always great to get input from you members..what I noticed on the Lapua web page in regards to the 6.5 x 55 Swede , it is a medium range cartridge, shooting a hunting bullet out to 300 meters tops...coming from Lapua with their quality bullets really makes a statement...Messor, I posted the ballistic comparison to give members a chance to make some conclusion of their own ..if we are looking only at these graphs it seems the 6.5 x 55 Swede is stronger at shooting the heavier bullet...while the Creedmoor is doing better with lighter bullets usually using in target shooting..this is according to the graphs comparison...
I believe this data is valid since the program is a great source about all relevant ballistic data of about any caliber/cartridge known to man..
At least the numbers is making easy to crunch on...

[Messor]

The numbers are rather easy to go on.

You shoot the same bullet.
The accuracy at hunting distances is irrelevant.
The sweed has the larger case capacity and can shoot the same bullet faster.
At the same MV the sweed will with suitable powders run at lower pressure.
The creed can be more economical with powder, but not in a way to make it more beneficial in hunting.
The sweed is going to last longer, lower pressure.
Cases in the sweed will experience less stress.

Gert, the thing is people tend to focus only on the numbers they compute in ballistic programs, but what does those numbers mean in a REAL hunting scenario? If you shoot 2000 animals, what is the cost of those animals compared to the rifle?

If you are a hunter, that only use the rifle for hunting, you might as well buy a 26 Nosler.
It's also a 6.5 cartridge, but for men.