Is a 25 Creed dumb??

[camelcluch]

Not talking crap but really interested. I like the idea of the 25 Creed especially here in Commyrado. A 6 Creed is the easy answer but why not a 25?

 

[hereinaz]

Not talking crap but really interested. I like the idea of the 25 Creed especially here in Commyrado. A 6 Creed is the easy answer but why not a 25?

.25 cal is awesome. The 133 Berger shoot great out of my 25 SST. Because you get a very high BC 133 it is nearly indistinguishable from a 6.5 Creedmoor with 140 in recoil but has much better ballistics out of a shorter barrel.

Other than recoil. The 6mm has higher velocity, which translates to a little bit better ballistics for the 6 creed IF you match BC of the bullets and barrel length. Inside 500 yards it’s not going to be significant. You can run a shorter 6 creed barrel and match velocity of the 25.

Given the extensive information about effectiveness of smaller bullets, there seems to be no practical difference in terminal performance if you use a “match type” bullet. My 25 SST with 133 Berger has been as effective as my 7SS with 180 Berger—dead. A little bit bigger hole didn’t mean more dead.

In a “deep penetrating hunting bullet” the additional weight will help, but I am not aware of any other bullets than the Berger 133…

If you feel like you want to go “smaller”, but the 6mm is “too small”, then the heavy for caliber .257 bullets make the 25 creed a sweet spot. Not too big and not too small. All that is what you want.

Problem historically for the .257 caliber has been bullets. The 6mm and 6.5 were more popular, so you didn’t get new 25 caliber cartridges.

Before the availability of the Berger 133 and the Hornady 134 (before that the less available ACE 131) the heaviest bullets were the Berger 115 VLD, which had a lower BC than the 6mm bullets weighing 105-115.

A Rokslide trend is shootability based on recoil. It’s a real thing… so the 6mm wins there. But, the difference isn’t huge, IMO. It’s certainly much better than any other long action cartridges and especially magnums.

You can think of the 133 25sst as nearly a 1 to 1 match for a .270 Win with a 140 grain in ballistics and “wallop.” With less recoil from less powder.

That puts the 25 creed as the “smallest” modern caliber that “matches” the “smallest acceptable elk cartridge.”

If you want something bigger than the 6 creed, but stay real close to it in recoil and ballistics, the 25 creed is the best choice as the next closest step up.

 

[sierracharlie338]

I built one while hating the 6.5cm and it’s infamy. I love my 25 it is pleasant shooting and it freaking hammers deer. My wife took this doe, her first deer, with it. Mine is very accurate and would definitely do it again.

I will also add I’ve been shooting a 25 long before it was cool. My first rifle was a 257roberts so I’m no stranger to the 25 cal and have seen how effective it really is. I would have no problem taking an elk with a 25 caliber cartridge. Know your limits and the limits of your equipment and put the bullet where it’s supposed to go. It will keeeeeellll!!!

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

It obviously splits the difference between the 6 and 6.5, so from a performance standpoint you know it will do the deed. The question would be why choose it over one of the others? There is no practical reason for it. Once you arrive at that fundamental truth, you get to say "practical smactical, I am a rifle loony."

 

[BigGameJames87]

25 Creed and 25 cal in general is definitely becoming more popular in PRS circles. Options for match bullets are improving but for hunting, bullet options are still very limited. I hope that will improve too. Hornady adding a 130ish gr ELDX soon to go with the 134 ELDM and 138 A tip would make sense.

 

[dirtytough]

I like the idea of the 25 Creed. The differences between the 6 creed/25 creed or the 25 creed/6.5 creed are tiny though.

There are less good bullet options. But since a 25 creed would be a custom it should shoot one of the 3-4 good bullets accurately enough.