Hi guys, I am planning on building an ultimate 6.5 CreedMoor off of a Tikka T3X SuperLite. What is the best length of barrel to hunt with to allow for deep woods back country mountain hunting and also still allow for long distance shooting with a suppressor on it?
Questions:
- What are you are for?
- What distance will you typically be hunting at?
Those are great questions. I would like a max effectiveness hunting range of probably ~500 yds. I do not know if I trust myself to take longer shots on a deer in good conscience. Honestly, 500 might be a stretch. I would say 500 yds. Unless it was the biggest dear I have ever seen and I could not get any closer. I plan on spending the time with the rifle and being dialed in to 600 yds for hunting. I plan on using it for Mule Deer, Coyotes, possibly wolves, mtn lions and long distance target shooting. I have my trusty Ruger .270 to take care of the Elk and bigger game 
I would say I wouldn’t go over 24". I’m short so a 24" barrel is a long barrel when I’m carrying it. I’d don’t like going over 22", but I don’t hunt with anything as small as a 6.5 Creed. With what have specified I think a 24" barrel would be good, so long as you are tall enough to manage that while hiking around. Double check the ammo(s) you plan to shoot and just make sure you have enough killing energy at those terminal distances. Box numbers should be on a 24" barrel, though if they’re really good, thay might be on a 26".
Look at what Jim said about 6.5prc vs CM. Do a 22 “ 6.5 PRC and have 24-26 “ CM velocities and not carrying such a long stick in the woods. Could even go with a 6 or 7 “ can to be shorter. One thing frustrating with a long barrel with a long can is the balance change of the rifle. When carrying on a sling the rifle wants tip backwards which I find uncomfortable. Shorter is better for that.
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I see. So you are suggesting to build a 6.5 PRC Tikka in a shorter barrel. Then a 6.5 CM that would take a longer barrel? And the barrel length is what helps with the velocity. Is that correct? Sorry guys, I am just getting back into all of this. I have recently rediscovered how much I love guns and hunting. I am really trying to make an effort to get it more involved into my life.
Ditto on the video that covers both 6.5s, though. Worth a watch. Putting a 6.5PRC in a shorter barrel isn’t a good option over a 6.5 Creed in a longer barrel. if you’re looking for more punch,
If it were me, I would think 7mm Backcountry build, or a 7PRC stock/build. That 7mm Backcountry in a 20" barrel would take care of all the game you listed, even the elk. If those aren’t good option due to price, I would go 300WSM. Recoil doesn’t bother me too much, but all these have a lot more recoil that the 6.5 Creed. Which for a range gun is something to consider.
I kind of disagree. My charts show about 35 fps loss per inch for 6.5 prc. From a factory PRC 143 eldx load of 2960 fps with 24” barrel would have 2890 for 22” barrel.
Factory 6.5cm with same bullet is 2700 for 24” barrel. These are hornady bullets so same - same. So with 24 “ CM you still give up 190 fps to 22” PRC. Unless I am missing something?
I was going off of Jim’s video and his data. My point being more that going shorter on the PRC bring it back towards the Creed when comparing it to a longer barrel on the Creed. They may not be equal, but you’re losing punch on the PRC. Now, I really like the 6.5 PRC because it can barrel swap to a 300WSM pretty easily (if rifle allows for it) becuase it is just the barrel swap.
There’s a good video on the Hornady podcast, part of their rifle build series where one of their employees created a 18 in 6.5 PRC. He says he knows he’s not getting 6.5 PRC velocities out of it, he’s getting Creedmoor velocities out of it. But it’s in an 18 inch form factor which is what was important for him. In fact that was the most important thing for him.
And personally, the only interest I have in a 7mm Backcountry is similar, would love to get long barrel Magnum performance out of a very very short barrel rifle. Heck, I’d actually be happy getting 26 in 280AI performance from a 16 inch barrel
Oh, 6.5 PRC can also be swapped to 7mm RSAUM with a barrel change. It’s a neat little cartridge
I do agree you are giving up something but that is always the case for 22” vs 24. I have 22 on my 7prc and won’t get to 3000 even with 160 cx. But if you want something to carry with can that is reasonable in a CM class cartridge - I would take shorter PRC over longer CM.
Just my 2 cents to muddy the waters. I personally would not want to own a barrel over 20” if shooting suppressed and would go shorter if possible.
I would pick the bullet you want to shoot first and learn the lowest velocity needed to make that bullet perform (usually around 1,800 unless it’s a monolithic). Most ballistics found on boxes are shot with 24” barrels. I’d subtract 30 FPS per inch (or 120 FPS) from the muzzle velocity on the box and use that in a ballistics calculator. If the adjusted muzzle velocity gets you to 500 yards with 1,800 FPS for reliable bullet expansion, you’re golden. If there’s a FPS cushion, you could keep playing with the ballistics calculator until you find the ideal FPS balance with the shortest barrel possible.
If your bullet doesn’t have 1,800 FPS at 500 yards with the CM using a 20” barrel OR you just want like a 16” barrel so it’s easier to handle in the mountains, then I would move up to the PRC. The recoil isn’t terrible on a 6.5 PRC but you will always shoot less recoil better.
6.5 prc recoil with a can is going to be very manageable. It may be hard to find powder loads where all the powder is burned in a 16 in barrel. Again most published loads are reference to 24”. You could figure out something with work with hand loads. With factory kind of SOL. Not sure how that works in a can with the unburnt powder exiting.
Fair point on being more restricted on powder choices, especially for factory offerings with the shorter barrel. I’ve wondered if unburned powder is what has caused so many people to have carbon problems lately.
Tim at Crow Works says exiting powder particles hit the back of the bullet and can affect accuracy. He builds loads that burn 100% in the barrel and he uses GRT to figure that out. I also have XXL reloading and can set load parameters for length of barrel, fill ratio and powder burn percentage. and get velocity for this.
Screen shot for 6.5 prc velocity variation chart from xxl reloading.
So the Hornady 143-grain eld-x Round. Had this for 20" Barrel
18" Barrel
So if I am understanding correctly. If I used this round and had an 18" 6.5 CreedMoor Barrel with a surpressor. I could get about ~2000 FPS at 500 yds?
For wanting to shoot at longer ranges like 500 yards, I would look at either a 20” 6.5PRC or a 24” 6.5 Creedmoor.
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I agree. We never talk about how much wind effects velocity at distance and extreme distance, you don’t want to hunt with a barely viable round. The 6.5 Creed is great for the range, but it’s named Needsmore by hunters for a reason. 20" 6.5 PRC is a much better choice and, if you want to hunt elk with this rifle as well you could also look at the 7mm-08. It beats the 6.5 Creed apples to apples in most specs and is very close in wind drift and recoil.
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You know, reading through how you’ll be actually using the gun, have you considered a 22 CM?
-Extremely Light Recoil
-Flat shooting and good on wind drift
-Can go shorter barrel to add that suppressor easily and still be 3,000+ FPS MV
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Mule deer - in some states 22 cal not legal for big game.