Quote:
Originally Posted by Tactical Lever
Just picking on a couple points here, but there is no way that that the Creedmore gets 3 times the barrel length over a 6.5x284. Barrel life is direct function of pressure and inversely proportional to how much powder is going down the bore as well as how small the bullet is. No free lunches there.
The legitimate reason for the Creedmore's existence is the AR-15. Not to take away from it, but it is not an improvement on the .260. And if you are running a standard length action like the Tikka will have, the Swede leaves both in the dust.
Good advertising, but it's a little bit like reintroducing the .30 WCF as replacing the antiquated 30-06 and .308 because it uses less powder and happens to suit a certain platform...
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Only going by what I've read (I did do a pile of reading on 6.5's recently), the competition shooters are saying 1000-1500 rounds before they have to set back the barrel and the Creedmoor is in the 3500-4000 range.
Where the Creedmoor outshines the 260 is in twist rate and room in the mag box, granted today I imagine a lot of manufacturers are using a 1:8 twist on their 260 barrels. The one area the swede can't compete is in a short action. If I were to get a 6.5 in a long action I would opt for a 6.5x284 or 6.5-06 and get a real jump in performance, the gain the swede has over the creed is minimal and in my eyes not worth stepping up to a long action to attain.
Of course none of this matters if you don't want or need a short action, or if you don't care about recoil, or if you don't care about ammo availability because there's always a better cartridge depending on you requirements. I'm having a rifle built right now with these requirements in mind:
-Ultralight
-Short action
-Long barrel life
-0-600yd hunting range
-low recoil
After a lot of research I came up with the Creedmoor, although the 260ai and the 6.5x284 were real close, the fact that I could easily fit 143-147gr bullets in the mag box with a full dose of powder is what tipped the scale in the end.
Different criteria would possibly result in a different choice, this is just one case and my reason for choosing a Creedmoor. Plus with all the hype and popularity I think in the future when I hand my gun down to my boys, if they don't reload there'll still be a pile of ammo on the shelves to choose from.