25 Creedmoor vs 6mm creed vs 22 Creedmoor

[KYwhitetail606]

Looking at swapping barrels on a tikka and trying to pick between 22 Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor, and 25 Creedmoor.

Primary use will be eastern hunting (deer and coyotes, maybe some predators/varmints mixed in), shots mostly 50-500 yards, some longer pokes possible. Plan is a lightweight hunting rig (probably 17”-19” suppressed), handloading, decent recoil tolerance but still want it pleasant to shoot a lot, as well as child friendly. My buddies tell me I need something with “knock” down power due to the thick vegetation of where I live and how easy it is to lose deer.



Priorities:

- Good wind performance and energy on game at distance

- Decent barrel life (not planning to shoot thousands of rounds a year)

- Factory ammo availability as a backup (ik none of these are crazy available)

- Versatility for different game sizes



Questions:

1. For my use, which of these three would you pick and why?

2. Why has 25 Creedmoor blown up so much faster than the others lately? Is it really that much better for hunting, or is it mostly hype/competition influence? Why have gun companies adopted it so much faster than the other options? (Howa, browning, savage)

3. Any major downsides I’m missing (e.g., brass availability, powder burn rate, bullet selection, recoil differences in practice)?



Thanks for any real-world experience or ballistic comparisons, trying to avoid buyer’s remorse on this one.

 

[Bluumoon]

6CM.

More avail factory ammo.
Wider bullet selection (TMKs!!)
More barrel life than 22CM
Less picky w bullets than 22CM
800 yards to 1800fps w 18”barrel
I don’t see a niche/need for 25CM
6CM w correct bullet is gtg for anything in North America, and meets min cal requirements

 

[Tahoe1305]

6C out of those.

22 Creed is a bit overbore and will likely eat a barrel.

25 is probably the most efficient long range but ammo will be tougher to find.

6C is the happy medium and it easy to shoot.

 

[Grizzle]

Id suggest 22cm especially if you Hand load. There's nothing your looking to do that the 22 doesn't do well with less recoil than the other two options. It's kind of splitting hairs between it and 6cm, if the 6 gives you more confidence or less hassle explaining to people that don't understand terminal ballistics then it's definitely not the wrong choice. Nothing wrong with a 25 either but you are a little more limited on bullet choice and gain a little recoil. I went through this a year ago and have been very happy with my 22cm last fall on northern BC mule deer and moose.

 

[MuleyFever]

You may just need to go on your own journey. I started with a 6 and now have a 25. I know I'll never do the 22 unless its a 223 or maybe an ARC as a practice gun.

 

[Tahoe1305]

To answer the question”why” on 25 Creed, it may be because

A) the newer bullet options are as sleek as some 6.5 and 7mm offerings. (Companies are actually investing in the .25 lines)

B) it’s the minimum cartridge to meet PF for NRL Hunter as well. 6C only works in factory class….most use a 6.5C but the 25C bests it with less recoil.