~16.5" 6.5 creedmoor?

[Rockpicker]

My 20” Howa Alpine is getting chopped and threaded next week to 16.5”. I’ll be using 120 NBTs or 129 SSTs in it. 120s should be 2800.

 

[VuduDoc]

I was getting ~2510 out of my 16.1” 6.5CM with factory 140gr ELDM. Barrel wasn’t broke in yet. Sold to fund a different project.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

2750 with a suppressed 16” using 130 TMK’s on top of max load of Staball 6.5.

 

[Deerfield]

Has anybody used the 107 TMK in a short barrel 6.5 creed? Thinking of cutting one of my spare 6.5’s to 16” and trying those light bullets. It’s the rifle that my wife usually uses and with the 140-147 class of bullets it’s plenty snappy for her. Ideally she’d have a 6 creed, so the thought would be to mimic 6mm loads out of a 6.5mm. It will be a sub 400 yard gun.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

Has anybody used the 107 TMK in a short barrel 6.5 creed? Thinking of cutting one of my spare 6.5’s to 16” and trying those light bullets. It’s the rifle that my wife usually uses and with the 140-147 class of bullets it’s plenty snappy for her. Ideally she’d have a 6 creed, so the thought would be to mimic 6mm loads out of a 6.5mm. It will be a sub 400 yard gun.

Thread 'Lighter bullets for less recoil in 6.5CM'

Apr 24, 2025

I’m all in on smaller calibers for shooting and hunting and like many, my two go to rifles are a Tikka RSS in 223 for practice and a Tikka 6.5CM for hunting. I live in Wyoming so must have at least 6mm for elk and would prefer to have one go-to hunting rifle and load that I use for all big game. I set my 6.5CM up to shoot the 130TMK so I had one rifle I could carry for deer and elk.

A few friends have downsized to 6mm and after shooting our nearly identical Tikkas in 6.5CM with 130’s vs their 243 and 6CM with 108’s, I find the reduced recoil of he 6mm is even better. It was significant...

• ztc92
• Replies: 97
• Forum: Firearms

• 

 

[ACHILLES]

X bolt 18” 6.5creed
2600fps 140berger vld-h w h4350

 

[gulfofmexicoflyfishing]

I cut my 20” 6.5 CTR down to 16.5” about a year and a half ago and have been extremely happy with that decision. 41.5gr of h4350 is pushing the 147 eld-m at 2505fps down here at sea level. It shoots as good as it did as a new stock 20” CTR which is all I could hope for!

 

[JPro]

My 18" factory barrel gets about 2,640 with my 143ELDX load and RL26. A previous 21" rifle got 2,730 or so with the same load. Dropping down to a 16.5" length certainly wouldn't scare me. I'd probably still be hovering around 2600.

 

[Tanner]

16” 6.5 Creed Kimber Montana is running 140 ELDMs at 2620 over a book load of H4350. Shoots very nice too. That load goes a long ways at 10,000 feet…

 

[thinhorn_AK]

16” 6.5 Creed Kimber Montana is running 140 ELDMs at 2620 over a book load of H4350. Shoots very nice too. That load goes a long ways at 10,000 feet…

Crazy, my 18” tikka is only getting like 2550fps with a max book load of h4350 and the 140g ELDM.

 

[Tanner]

Crazy, my 18” tikka is only getting like 2550fps with a max book load of h4350 and the 140g ELDM.

If I recall correctly, my 19” T3x shot this same handload about 2650 as well.

 

[andrew_hood27]

Tikka T3X in 6.5 creed cut to 18” shooting factory 147 ELDMs at 2475.

 

[gwh97]

I was getting about 2450 out of factory 140 ELD Ms out of my 16.25” 6.5 CM. I’ve started playing with hand loads with 100 eld vts, getting about 3100 so far. Should be a great coyote setup.


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[BradArnett]

Good thread. I've been looking at chopping my seekins element 6.5cm down to 16-18" and shooting 130tmk's to line up with quick drop. If i can get them to 2750 qd lines up great out to 600. Thats about where it hits 1800 at my avg altitude and is farther than I will shoot on game.

 

[43.6N]

Good thread. I've been looking at chopping my seekins element 6.5cm down to 16-18" and shooting 130tmk's to line up with quick drop. If i can get them to 2750 qd lines up great out to 600, which is about where it hits 1800 and is farther than I will shoot on game.

My 18” tikka just trued out at 2730 with a fresh batch of 130tmk over 43.0gr H4350.

 

[grfox92]

Crazy, my 18” tikka is only getting like 2550fps with a max book load of h4350 and the 140g ELDM.

My 20" factory CTR barrel got 2640 fps with the same powder and bullet combo with winchester WLR primers.

With cheap Fiocci primers it was 2600 fps. I think primers play a huge part. My X Bolt was also 40 to 50 fps slower with Fiochi primers VS Winchester.

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