+Peak Creedmoor Barrel

[KeepHammering]

I’ve been wanting to get an 18” barrel specifically for elk hunting. With all of the small cartridge advice I’ve gotten here, I’ve slowly worked my way from a 300 PRC, to a 7 PRC, to a 6.5 PRC the past few years.

I was planning on taking my 6 Creed this year tipped with a 116 TMK. My current 6CM barrel is a 24”.

However, with this new +Peak case coming out, I can get the speeds I’m looking for out of an 18” barrel even if I’m sizing up to the 6.5 153gr TMK.

Here’s my question: If I’m ordering an 18” barrel specifically for Elk, which Creedmoor do you think I should get now that this +Peak (and likely other brands) cases are changing the game? I’m not going all the way down to a 22 CM, but I’m considering 6CM, 25CM, and 6.5CM. Assume I’m going to run the TMK in whichever cartridge I pick.

 

[nm.otter]

6mm Creedmoor is already in the moderately overbore club.

+Peak will push it pretty hard.

 

[Huntnpack 2]

If you want one now, it’s the 6.5 + Peak

I hope they +Peak the entire creedmoor family.

Especially the 22CM !!

 

[KeepHammering]

6mm Creedmoor is already in the moderately overbore club.

+Peak will push it pretty hard.

I don’t disagree. So would that push you all the way up to 6.5 in your opinion, or consider the 25 as a happy medium?

If you want one now, it’s the 6.5 + Peak

I hope they +Peak the entire creedmoor family.

Especially the 22CM !!

I’ll be loading my own with the +Peak cases, so I don’t want the factory loadings to sway me too much one way or the other.

 

[nm.otter]

If I already owned a 6.5mm that shot well (which I do), I'd try factory +Peak in it -- and then chop/thread my barrel.

Homebrew neck-downs I'd want some time to play with before I took them on a hunt.

 

[KeepHammering]

Does anyone else have any thoughts on my question? It seems the general consensus from @Formidilosus and others is that 6mm is the way to go for a "do all" gun. Do these new high pressure cases change any thoughts on this since in theory you can push bigger pills with the same volume of powder at still reduced recoil?

 

[Azhunter10]

I’m going to try them. If they work in my 6.5 Creedmoor my 300wm will up for sale!!! Everything I’ve read says they won’t be available until August.

 

[Speaks]

Does anyone else have any thoughts on my question? It seems the general consensus from @Formidilosus and others is that 6mm is the way to go for a "do all" gun. Do these new high pressure cases change any thoughts on this since in theory you can push bigger pills with the same volume of powder at still reduced recoil?

Here is my current moderately informed thinking.

First my 6 creed is my "do all gun" and I really cant shoot at ranges where it runs out of juice and becomes a limitation.

But I had a 6.5 PRC for the theoretical situation where maybe I want to and am able to shoot further. I also had a 6.5cm that was not really filling a slot other than I have an abudnace of ammo and I use it for longer range stuff. With this I can just keep the 6.5cm and rebarrel my 6.5 prc into something more interesting...

 

[KeepHammering]

Here is my current moderately informed thinking.

First my 6 creed is my "do all gun" and I really cant shoot at ranges where it runs out of juice and becomes a limitation.

But I had a 6.5 PRC for the theoretical situation where maybe I want to and am able to shoot further. I also had a 6.5cm that was not really filling a slot other than I have an abudnace of ammo and I use it for longer range stuff. With this I can just keep the 6.5cm and rebarrel my 6.5 prc into something more interesting...

I'm in a similar situation as you with the 6CM and the 6.5 PRC, but I don't currently have a 6.5CM. Also, all of the barrels I have are 24" carbon fiber, so I assume I can't get them cut down. So, if I'm buying a new barrel for a very specific purpose, I'm having a hard time deciding which Creedmoor to go with now that we're able to safely run 80,000 PSI.

 

[MoeFaux]

I think you've got two options:

1) The Easy Button - buy the 6.5 CM and use it this season. It's the only one you can use this season, so this is your answer if you want it this year.

2) The Waiting Game - hunt with the 6mm this year and enjoy it. Wait to see what else comes out in +Peak before committing to the new barrel.

This is kind of like the famous marshmallow experiment. . . do you demand the immediate gratification, or are you willing to wait for a potentially more satisfying future reward?

 

[Chris in TN]

I think a 16" 6CM shooting standard pressure loads is all the power 99% of us need and that other 1% isn't here asking questions.

 

[Speaks]

I'm in a similar situation as you with the 6CM and the 6.5 PRC, but I don't currently have a 6.5CM. Also, all of the barrels I have are 24" carbon fiber, so I assume I can't get them cut down. So, if I'm buying a new barrel for a very specific purpose, I'm having a hard time deciding which Creedmoor to go with now that we're able to safely run 80,000 PSI.

Yea I had kind of looked at the 6.5 cm as really an unnecessary place holder between the 6 creed and the 6.5 prc and that I would rebarrel it after shooting it out. Now with peak+ I figure I would rather keep it and get rid of the PRC.

 

[KeepHammering]

I think a 16" 6CM shooting standard pressure loads is all the power 99% of us need and that other 1% isn't here asking questions.

I'm definitely part of the 99%, but I still like to ask questions and learn. Whenever there's new information and the rules of the game are changed, then I'm certainly going to reconsider things. I'm interested in how this "new" approach to case design might factor into the equation. The whole small caliber debate is primarily based around lighter recoil. These higher pressures allow you to push the larger caliber bullets to higher speeds without the recoil penalty (or at least that's what they're saying), so why not factor this new variable into the equation?

Yea I had kind of looked at the 6.5 cm as really an unnecessary place holder between the 6 creed and the 6.5 prc and that I would rebarrel it after shooting it out. Now with peak+ I figure I would rather keep it and get rid of the PRC.

I agree. Definitely a paradigm shifter!