A good bit of the conversation has focused on the 6 Creed. Just as the 6.5 Creed is a a few minor improvements on the 260 Remington, so too is the 6 Creed over the 243. The 6 Creed hasn't really taken off though. When the 6.5 Creed came out, mainstream manufacturers soon followed with a lot of traditional hunting rifle offerings. I just checked Sportsman's Warehouse website. They catalog 67 6 Creed offerings, 204 243 offerings and a staggering 603 6.5 Creed rifles. When you look at the 6 Creed Rifles, fully 3/4 of them are of a "tactical" appearance. Of those that aren't tactical looking, most are over $1500. Only two, a Ruger American and a Howa are in the $600 range. Compare that to the .243 and 6.5 Creed offerings, and you come to understand why the 6 Creed has languished somewhat.6
Truth there, but I differ in my belief of what will happen with the 6 creed and how to look at the 6 creed as a slice of the market.
Comparing the 260 Rem/6.5 creed isn't like the .243/6 creed. The 260 rem was released in 1997 and never grew out of its niche with SAAMI specs between the .243 (1955) and .308 (1952). . The .260 rem didn't really offer anything different except splitting the difference.
The 6.5 creed was different because it opened the long range market. When the 6.5 cm was released 10 years after the .260, Hornady standardized the first SAAMI spec cartridge that took advantage of the newer high BC bullets and modern case design with less taper and sharper shoulders.
Before that, it was wildcatters who were shooting cases like that with Ackley Improved cases and faster twist bullets for what high BC bullets were out there. And, the Hornady case is very similar to the 6XC case that Tubb had created and shown to win in competitions. It is arguable to say that the 6.5 creedmoor was influenced by the 6XC. There are many reasons why it had to be 6.5 caliber to really take off.
The .243 win was released decades before the .260 in 1955, and there were really no other 6 mm cartridges for it to compete with. Remington released the 6 rem about the same time, but they made a fatal flaw because they created the SAAMI specs with slower barrel twists and light 6 mm bullets to make the 6 rem more like a varmint cartridge. The .243 and .308 were newer cartridges designed to operate at higher pressure than similar existing cases like the .257 Roberts and 300 Savage, and take advantage of technological advances in powder and case design.
The .243 became popular as it did because it had a faster SAMMI twist so hunters could have one rifle to shoot heavier 100 grain bullets for deer and lighter 60 grain bullets for varmints. It became the choice if you wanted something less than a .308 with the "modern" designs, and the reduced recoil made it a rifle for kids and women. It is no surprise that there are hundreds of .243 rifles still available because it is like the .308 and 30-06, tradition and popularity is enough.
The 6.5 creedmoor also was the first in a fundamental change in cartridge design because of modern advancements, just like the .243 and .308 did in their time. And, proof look at the PRC and ARC cartridges by Hornady, and the less known like the 6.8 Western and new Weatherby offerings. They are gaining popularity over the venerable magnums of the day like 300 WM because they include the modern advancements of case design and high bc bullets.
With the 6.5 creed as the big brother, and the use of the 6 creed by the "tactical" crowd there will always be match ammo available for it from Hornady and others. Comparing the number of rifles available is a pretty good indicator of some things. I think that the availability of 6 creed ammo is a better indicator.
In ammo choices, Hornady, Nosler, Sierra, Barnes, Federal, Berger, and HSM all have more than one offering on Sportsman's website. None are in the cheap category of Winchester White Box or Hornady American Hunter, consistent with the fact that there are basically no budget rifles offered in 6 creedmoor as was pointed out.
I think as the cult of small caliber match bullets keeps growing (it isn't limited to .223 77 grain TMK), so will the 6 creed hunting rifles and ammo. 6 creed will be the logical choice for the crowd that just can't themselves going to .223 for any number of reasons.
The idea of using small caliber rifles with match bullets is growing here on Rokslide, and many more hunters are being convinced faster than the general public. It was already become a thing for years with the tactical/precision rifle shooters, and I'd bet that was some of the reason the epic .223 thread started. That thread then took it to the next level.
There is also the crossover of the .223 enthusiasts that want all the things of the .223 PLUS longer range effectiveness. The next logical step is the 6 creed for typical bolt guns (though the 22 ARC and 6 ARC will pick up some of the "I want something a little faster/bigger than a .223" crowd.)
All that to support my hypothesis that a shooter can feel safe finding ammo on the shelf for the 6 creed for hunting purposes.
