In 2006, it is said the 6.5 Creedmoor was conceived out of frustration. It seemed that Dennis DeMille, a champion precision shooting competitor also sold amazing PRS rifles. The problem with the rifles often became DeMille’s problems, as there were no commercially manufactured, standardized rounds made for it. This meant that if shooters were not experienced reloaders they would make the kind of mistakes hand-loading rounds that might cause casings to blow up or primers to blow out. Since few of his fellow competitors blamed themselves and their limited experience with reloading, or would even consider the fact that the recipes that might as well have been scrawled on a cocktail napkin and handed down from one newbee to another, they blamed the rifle. Any competitor knows that this is not the kind of distraction you need at a match.

As might be expected, DeMille probably tanked his PRS match that day, but fortunately DeMille just happened to vent at someone with the power to rescue DeMille from his dilemma. Legend has it that DeMille gave Emary a list of attributes that would make up DeMille’s dream cartridge. And he wanted it to be commercially manufactured and easily recreated by people who were often better shooters than reloaders. Imagine DeMille’s surprise at the 2007 SHOT show when Emary showed DeMille the new round he’d made for him. Not surprisingly, after what DeMille had been through, the last thing he wanted was a rifle round to be named DeMille. So instead, the rifle round was called, “Creedmoor” for the company DeMille operated.

At the time, no rifle had been designed to shoot the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridges.

Hornady took a chance in manufacturing the 6.5 Creedmoor –considering there was no rifle that shot it yet. But the coolest part was that Hornady also put the specifications or the recipe so that competitors could safely and consistently recreate the factory load in their own reloading rooms. In a relatively few “firearms history” years or just a decade, the creedmoor rifle is taking over PRS shooting. It whips the .308 on almost all fronts, distance at sub-sonic speed, less drop and less wind effect. The only thing a .308 might have on a 6.5 is barrel life. A 6.5 Creedmoor barrel can lose some degree of accuracy after only 1000 rounds. Some people say the barrels must be replaced at 2000 rounds. Others have found that barrel life is extended by a few hundred rounds by polishing the throat. But if one considers how few 6.5 rounds are usually shot in the typical rifle outing or competition, the concern over barrel life should be reduced. It could take two years to effectively trash a 6.5 Creedmoor barrel and even if you do, barrels are easy to replace.

But don’t lock your .308 in the safe. The. 308 still reigns supreme as the primary choice for hunters and it is also making resurgence as a competition rifle in the heavy division of 3-Gun Nation. And there is no doubt that the ammunition is less expensive than the 6.5 and once fired-brass is more plentiful, making it easier for the reloaders who wants to save money on match-grade .308 cartridges. Many reloaders complain that they have a problem finding 6.5 brass and that is a consideration. Although some more experienced reloaders the proper tools have had luck resizing .243 cartridges to make affordable Creedmoor rounds.

Capital Cartridge has both quality .308 cartridges as well as .243 if you want to try your hand to make your own comparisons.