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Rifle Ammo

6.5 Creedmoor Ammo

In stock from $1.24 / round · 9 of 14 products available now

Long, high-BC bullets from a short action: less wind drift and less recoil than a .308 doing the same job, which is why it took over precision rifle shooting.

In stock today

Cost per round
$1.24 to $2.33
5 Brands
Barnes, Federal, Hornady, Norma, Sellier & Bellot
Bullet weights
95, 100, 130, 131, 140, 143, 147 grain
Pack sizes
20, 250 rounds

Order before 4:00 PM ET on a business day and it ships the same day, then 1 to 5 business days in transit depending on how far it travels. You will see the arrival date before you pay.

Learn more about 6.5 Creedmoor

At a glance

Also known as
6.5 CM, 6.5 Creed
Common bullet weights
120, 140 and 147 grain
Typical use
Precision rifle competition, long-range practice, deer and antelope
Before you buy
Barrel life is shorter than a .308's, and a match bullet is not a hunting bullet
Age to purchase
18+ (long-gun ammunition, attested at checkout)

6.5 Creedmoor was designed from a blank sheet to do one thing well: fire long, high-ballistic-coefficient 6.5mm bullets from a short action, seated out to their proper length and still fitting a standard detachable magazine. That constraint is the whole cartridge. The result drifts less in wind and drops less at distance than a .308 firing a bullet of similar weight, and does it with noticeably less recoil, which is why it took over precision rifle competition in about a decade. It is also a fine deer and antelope cartridge, provided you buy a hunting bullet rather than a match one.

What to know before buyingCommon questions

Before you buy

What to know about 6.5 Creedmoor

What people buy it for

  • Precision Rifle Series and long-range competition
  • Steel shooting from 500 to 1200 yards
  • Deer, antelope and open-country hunting
  • Gas-gun precision on an AR-10 pattern rifle

Buy match bullets for paper and steel, hunting bullets for game

The hollow point on a 6.5mm match bullet is a by-product of how a very consistent boat-tail is made, not an expansion feature. Those bullets are engineered to fly, and their terminal behaviour on an animal is not designed or guaranteed. For hunting, buy a bullet explicitly built for controlled expansion: bonded, monolithic or a purpose-made hunting design. The accuracy difference in the field is irrelevant next to what the bullet does when it arrives.

1:8 twist is the standard, and it matters

6.5 Creedmoor barrels are almost universally cut 1:8, which stabilises the 140 to 147gr high-BC bullets the cartridge exists to shoot. If you have an unusual rifle with a slower twist, the heavy bullets that make the cartridge worth owning may not stabilise. Check the barrel before buying match ammunition at the heavy end.

Barrel life is shorter than .308

The Creedmoor pushes a smaller-diameter bullet with a similar powder charge, which means more heat and erosion per shot through a narrower throat. Practical accuracy life is meaningfully shorter than a .308's. That is a real cost of ownership for a high-volume competitor and largely irrelevant for a hunter who fires a box a year, but it is worth knowing before you buy a rifle to shoot ten thousand rounds through.

It shines past 500 yards, not before

Inside a few hundred yards, .308 and 6.5 Creedmoor do much the same job and .308 ammunition is cheaper and more widely stocked. The Creedmoor's advantage (flatter trajectory, less wind deflection, more retained energy) compounds with distance. Buy it because of where you shoot, not because of what the internet says about it.

Questions

Common questions

Is 6.5 Creedmoor actually better than .308?

At distance, on the specific measures of drop and wind drift, yes. That is what it was designed for, and 6.5mm bullets of the same weight carry a much better ballistic coefficient. Inside 500 yards the practical difference is small. .308 remains cheaper, more widely available, offered in far more hunting bullet designs, and easier on barrels. Pick the one that matches how you actually shoot.

Can I hunt with match ammunition?

You can, but you should not. Match hollow-point bullets are made for consistency in flight; expansion on game is neither designed nor guaranteed, and results range from spectacular to a pencil-through hole. Buy a bullet built for hunting and zero it separately; it will not land in the same place as your match load.

What twist rate does 6.5 Creedmoor need?

1:8, which is what essentially every factory barrel uses. It stabilises the 140 to 147gr bullets that give the cartridge its ballistic advantage, and it handles the lighter hunting weights without complaint. There is very little reason to look for anything else.

How long does a 6.5 Creedmoor barrel last?

Less than a .308 barrel, because the same volume of powder is pushed through a narrower throat. Exactly how much less depends on how hot you load it, how fast you shoot strings and what you consider acceptable accuracy. Competitors replace barrels far sooner than hunters ever will. If you shoot a box or two a year, it is not a consideration.

How much does 6.5 Creedmoor cost per round?

6.5 Creedmoor runs from $1.24 to $2.33 per round in stock right now. Every price on the page carries its cost per round beside it, so the comparison is one glance rather than arithmetic.

Which brands of 6.5 Creedmoor do you stock?

Barnes, Federal, Hornady, Norma and Sellier & Bellot are in stock in 6.5 Creedmoor today. Stock changes as the feed runs, so the list on the page is the current one.

What bullet weights does 6.5 Creedmoor come in?

The 6.5 Creedmoor in stock runs 95, 100, 130, 131, 140, 143, 147 grain. Weight changes how the round feels and where it prints more than most shooters expect, so it is worth matching what you already shoot.

Is 6.5 Creedmoor in stock?

9 of the 14 6.5 Creedmoor products we list are in stock right now. Out of stock items stay on the page rather than disappearing, so a link you saved still works and you can see what normally sits here.

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