6.5 PRC vs 6.5 Creedmoor: Battle of the Six-Fives

Think of the 6.5 PRC as a magnum version of the wildly popular Creedmoor. The question is, do you need the extra oomph?

By Richard Mann – Field & Stream

When it comes to cartridge comparisons, the 6.5 PRC vs 6.5 Creedmoor is both a hot topic and a closely contested matchup. Both cartridges are relatively new, both shoot the same bullet, and both are very popular with hunters and long-range shooters. There are three primary reasons for their immense appeal. First, they shoot bullets with very high ballistic coefficients; second, they have very fast rifling twist rates; and third, neither cartridge has offensive recoil. The 6.5 PRC does shoot a bit faster and so kicks a little harder in the same rifle. So, the question comes down to whether you need that extra speed or not.

Interestingly, 6.5mm rifle cartridges have only very recently found a lot of interest in America. The 6.5 Swede (1894) never did great here. The 264 Winchester Magnum (1959) was killed off by a 7mm magnum. Nobody ever really cared about the 6.5 Remington Magnum (1966). And the 260 Remington (1997) has just done its best to hang around. Also interesting is the fact that the bullets all these 6.5mm rifle cartridges shoot are actually 6.7mm/0.264-inch in diameter. A true 6.5mm bullet is much closer in diameter to a 0.257-caliber rifle bullet. This caliber thing can get confusing. None of that, however, helps answer the 6.5 PRC vs 6.5 Creedmoor question, so let’s get down to it, starting with a quick look at each cartridge individually. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL STORY