6.5cm barrel length, suppressed, factory ammo

[Jelliott4444]

Been sesrching this form and i have found a lot of very similar but not quite the same threads that fit my question.

Getting my tiika t3x cut down and i am debating between 18" or 20". This is mainly a deer rifle and where i hunt most shots are under 200 yard but i do like to stretch it out at the range. It will basically always be supressed and i am shooting factory ammo, so far my rifle seems to like gmx the best.

Anyone have experience shooting these barrel lengths with factory ammo?

 

[z987k]

MY 18.5" 6.5 CM with factory eld-x loads shoots 2525fps.

 

[jhm2023]

I noticed about 100fps difference between 18" and 22" suppressed 6.5 Creedmoors. Same ammo and same brand and model of rifle, just two different ones with different barrel lengths. Using handloads with 127gr LRX and RL16, I got about 2,800 from the 18" and 2,900 from the 22". I'd personally go with a 20" if I was going to cut a barrel.

 

[InkedElkSlayer]

Ultimately a personal choice of the trade off between FPS vs. a shorter, more compact rifle. jhm2023 above wants to keep 100 fps, where z987k is shooting 2525 with probably the most popular factory ammo for a 6.5 out there. Neither are right or wrong. Both guys are gonna knock down animals with either set up.
I went with an 18in. For me… the shortest, lightest, quickest, most accurate little gun was the goal. I was NOT chasing ballistics. My rifle will be used by myself, my wife and both kids.
Another question that might help you decide is which suppressor? Maybe one way to decide is pick your suppressor, pick a max overall finished barrel length you want, then cut the barrel accordingly. Whatever fps you end up with is what it is. You’re gonna like the suppressor set up. It’s awesome

 

[ElPollo]

Been sesrching this form and i have found a lot of very similar but not quite the same threads that fit my question.

Getting my tiika t3x cut down and i am debating between 18" or 20". This is mainly a deer rifle and where i hunt most shots are under 200 yard but i do like to stretch it out at the range. It will basically always be supressed and i am shooting factory ammo, so far my rifle seems to like gmx the best.

Anyone have experience shooting these barrel lengths with factory ammo?

You may or may not have seen this:

6.5 Creedmoor- Effects of Barrel Length on Velocity 2019

“We do it right because we do it twice!”Greg Wagner, Wildlife Photographer Background The 6.5 Creedmoor has become one of the most popular center-fire cartridges in the precision rifle …

rifleshooter.com

Keep in mind that barrels vary. Some are fast and some are slow, but this and the other estimates you are getting here will give you a ballpark figure to start. Honestly, the bullet you choose is probably just as important as barrel length. Use these estimates to run your ballistics. Find a bullet that will reliably expand at the velocity the bullet is going at your max range. Look up SimpleMindedFella on YouTube. He does low velocity gel tests and has quite a bit of stuff on 6.5 projectiles. There are others who do gel tests but few who do them at low velocity on 10% gel. The clear ballistics gel is not the same stuff.

Once you get your plan all figured out and implemented, don’t just trust this information. Borrow or buy a chrono (you can get very functional ones for $100 or less) or use your ballistic app to true up the velocity based on actual drop data. Test your specific gun and load to figure out your actual velocity and your max range for expansion.

Hope that helps.

 

[Jelliott4444]

You may or may not have seen this:

6.5 Creedmoor- Effects of Barrel Length on Velocity 2019

“We do it right because we do it twice!”Greg Wagner, Wildlife Photographer Background The 6.5 Creedmoor has become one of the most popular center-fire cartridges in the precision rifle …

rifleshooter.com

Keep in mind that barrels vary. Some are fast and some are slow, but this and the other estimates you are getting here will give you a ballpark figure to start. Honestly, the bullet you choose is probably just as important as barrel length. Use these estimates to run your ballistics. Find a bullet that will reliably expand at the velocity the bullet is going at your max range. Look up SimpleMindedFella on YouTube. He does low velocity gel tests and has quite a bit of stuff on 6.5 projectiles. There are others who do gel tests but few who do them at low velocity on 10% gel. The clear ballistics gel is not the same stuff.

Once you get your plan all figured out and implemented, don’t just trust this information. Borrow or buy a chrono (you can get very functional ones for $100 or less) or use your ballistic app to true up the velocity based on actual drop data. Test your specific gun and load to figure out your actual velocity and your max range for expansion.

Hope that helps.

This helps a lot. I wasnt really considering proper expansion at lower speeds so i will have to look into that as well.

 

[Jelliott4444]

Ultimately a personal choice of the trade off between FPS vs. a shorter, more compact rifle. jhm2023 above wants to keep 100 fps, where z987k is shooting 2525 with probably the most popular factory ammo for a 6.5 out there. Neither are right or wrong. Both guys are gonna knock down animals with either set up.
I went with an 18in. For me… the shortest, lightest, quickest, most accurate little gun was the goal. I was NOT chasing ballistics. My rifle will be used by myself, my wife and both kids.
Another question that might help you decide is which suppressor? Maybe one way to decide is pick your suppressor, pick a max overall finished barrel length you want, then cut the barrel accordingly. Whatever fps you end up with is what it is. You’re gonna like the suppressor set up. It’s awesome

Im running a silencerco omega 36m so its can be 7.6" or 5.75". Considering that the 18" is sounding pretty nice.
Part of my consern with 18" was hearing from some people the sig cross is very picky with factory ammo. With how hard ammo can be to find at times i dont want something that only shoots 1 round well.

 

[hereinaz]

Make it 18” and kill deer, that’s it’s job. Barrel length has nothing to do with precision or accuracy as you cut it shorter.

 

[Nomosendero]

ElPollo, thanks for posting that link.

 

[Jelliott4444]

I

Make it 18” and kill deer, that’s it’s job. Barrel length has nothing to do with precision or accuracy as you cut it shorter.

Its looking like im going that way. Hornady says eldx will reliably expand as low as 1600fps so i should have plenty of velocity.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

My Kimber Adirondack 6.5 with an 18” barrel worked really well for me. I took a Bull Caribou at 350 yards with it just fine. It did not like the faster loads. I’m not sure if it was just this particular rifle or a function of the short bbl. Barnes LRX 127 grouped the best, better than any of the Hornady ammo.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ElPollo]

This helps a lot. I wasnt really considering proper expansion at lower speeds so i will have to look into that as well.

I have one that I am planning to cut to 18” and use Lapua Scenars in it. Initial numbers suggest I should be able to get 1800 fps out to 600 yards. If it comes out slower than expected, I may switch to Sierra TMKs. Either way, I’m pretty unlikely to shoot at game that far with it. But if I need to for some reason, the bullet should expand and do its job.

 

[ElPollo]

I

Its looking like im going that way. Hornady says eldx will reliably expand as low as 1600fps so i should have plenty of velocity.

I would be cautious about that figure for the ELDX.

 

[Jelliott4444]

I would be cautious about that figure for the ELDX.

Oh i wouldnt shoot an animal with it going at that velocity. Just from data given to me here and the Hornaday vallistic calculator that would be like a 600 or 700 yard shot and im just not shooting animals at that distance out here.

 

[hereinaz]

I have my smith cutting down a 6.5 PRC barrel to 18” to run 130 or maybe 140s at “normal” creedmoor speeds.

If it were me running an 18” creed, I would run a 130 or 123 grain “match” bullet because velocity is more important than BC in the distances a short barrel rifle is going to be used. Gonna buck wind better. Time of flight matters more inside 500ish, BC starts to matter more later.

The 6.5 Grendel is capable inside 400 with a 123. Rather than thinking of it ballistically as a neutered creed, think of it as a magnum Grendel running it faster.

 

[Formidilosus]

If it were me running an 18” creed, I would run a 130 or 123 grain “match” bullet because velocity is more important than BC in the distances a short barrel rifle is going to be used. Gonna buck wind better. Time of flight matters more inside 500ish, BC starts to matter more later.

Where are you getting that lighter/faster has less wind drift than heavier/higher BC inside of 500 yards?

 

[hereinaz]

I was vague and confusing… Meant [high bc bullets gonna] buck wind better but time of flight matters more than BC for drop inside 500 as far as drop. Wind difference is negligible IMO.

 

[roosiebull]

Rather than thinking of it ballistically as a neutered creed, think of it as a magnum Grendel running it faster.

so, if it was a horse, you'd have to shoot it?

i do like where your head's at, you make some good points..... an 18" creed would do anything i need a rifle to do... i'm kinda pre planning an even shorter one (still not sure on 7-08 vs 6.5cm) for certain hunts... xlr mag atom, 14" barrel and probably a 5" can

my vote for the OP with his criteria is the 18".... easy to get caught up crunching numbers that don't really apply practically to us, i have been guilty of it a lot, and likely will be again

 

[cmush]

I have my smith cutting down a 6.5 PRC barrel to 18” to run 130 or maybe 140s at “normal” creedmoor speeds.

If it were me running an 18” creed, I would run a 130 or 123 grain “match” bullet because velocity is more important than BC in the distances a short barrel rifle is going to be used. Gonna buck wind better. Time of flight matters more inside 500ish, BC starts to matter more later.

The 6.5 Grendel is capable inside 400 with a 123. Rather than thinking of it ballistically as a neutered creed, think of it as a magnum Grendel running it faster.

I have an 18" creed and 20" prc. I'm using PVA Cayuga 122grs for this reason. Can still push them pretty hard for the short barrel with 2850 fps for the creed, well over 3000 for the prc (haven't fine tuned it yet but pressure tested up to 3200) and they still have a solid BC. They cost more but that was part of the trade off for me of going with a short barrel and a suppressor and still trying to eek out as much performance as possible.

 

[JGRaider]

My suppressed 20" CTR seems about perfect to me. 147 ELDM's at 2700 is a real performer on deer sized game an hogs.