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Choosing the right ammunition is as equally important as choosing good guns. Thus, hunters and gun writers argue about which is the better choice between 6.5 Creedmoor and 7mm-08 Remington.
Both earned a place as one of the best cartridges ever developed. But what could give you the best deer hunting experience?
Let’s look at their fundamental differences, similarities, and best features to settle this debate.
Table of Contents
What’s the Difference Between 6.5 Creedmoor & 7mm-08 Remington?
The main difference between 6.5 and 7mm-08 ammunition revolves around velocity, penetration power, and target type. The 6.5 Creedmoor is built for long-range shooting and is compatible with short-action firearms. In comparison, the 7mm-08 Remington gives an impressive advantage during big-game hunting.
However, our research suggests that Remington would be the better choice if you are after the bigger ones: moose, elk, and black bears alike. It will also give you higher velocity, although Creedmoor will have a more significant edge regarding penetrating capabilities.
7mm-08 Remington
- Higher velocity
- Offers more versatility
- Has minimal meat damage
- Resists wind drift deflection
- A greater advantage for bigger game-hunting
6.5 Creedmoor
- Better penetration power
- Shorter case length
- Excellent rifling twist of 1:8
- Better built for long-range shooting
- Compatibility with various short-action firearms
Any Key Similarities?
If you dive into the historical developments of the 6.5 Creedmoor round vs the 7mm-08, you will notice how the cartridges are somehow related to .308 Winchester. Remington’s parent case is actually .308 Winchester and its closely related .260 Remington is also based on a 308 cartridge.
In the same way, Hornady designed 6.5, which is a modified version of 3.0 Thompson Center, based on the length of .308 Winchester.
Thus, you could name a lot of similar characteristics between them indicated as follows:
- Traceable roots to .308 Winchester
- Ability to fit smoothly to short action rifles
- Recognized for accuracy and precision
- Has rimless, bottleneck case type
- Budget-friendly
7mm-08 Remington & 6.5 Creedmoor Side by Side
Pricing
The 7mm-08 cartridge is usually a little more expensive than the Hornady round, so obviously, we give this one to Creedmoor.
But this does not mean, however, that the Remington cartridge is not budget-priced. Both offer affordable, high-quality ammunition without sacrificing excellent function and accuracy, especially for deer hunting.
According to customer reviews, the accuracy would not fall short even with the low costs. As a tip, you might want to buy in bulk to save a lot more bucks.
Design
As we mentioned earlier, both have rimless, bottleneck bullet case types. But if you’ll give outright judgment based on their appearance, the 6.5 round is designed with a shorter case type. Still, these two similarly have a slim cartridge body that would allow them to fit easily in a rifle.
The 6.5 round also has less body taper, high energy and power retention, and flat trajectory. While it is engineered specifically for deep penetration, Remington’s design is to make the fastest kills possible using your rifles.
For a similar design we recommend you check out 224 Valkyrie compared to 6.5 Grendel.
Ballistic Performance
Ballistically speaking, if you will try running a 140-grain to both cartridges, the 7mm-08 Remington might give you a little more muzzle velocity than the other. Yet, in terms of the ballistic coefficient (BC), our research shows that the wind causes less effect on the 6.5. You could, however, place bullets of higher BC to the Remington cartridge.
Additionally, if you will compare the same bullet weight, the Hornady round would give you a higher sectional density (SD) compared to any 7mm. For instance, given 140 grain bullets, Remington could only offer 0.248 SD while 6.5 has 0.287 SD. Thus, the Creedmoor round could provide you with greater deer killing power.
Also Read: Disassembling a Remington 870
Accuracy
People recognize both cartridges when it comes to long shooting range accuracy. For the 7mm-08 bolt gun cartridge, its manufacturers boast a lot about the excellent balance in its bullet, case capacity, propellant charge, and precision. When in the hands of trained hunters, Remington won’t find any problem hitting the targets with the use of factory loads.
As for the other cartridge, you can see how it becomes increasingly popular among several deer hunters. A part of that is because of its 1:8 rifle ratio that performs well primarily with heavy bullet weights. You may find it reasonably easy to take down a deer at 400 yards as well.
Choosing between the two would be a tough decision, but as far as our research is concerned, we’ll give this one to Remington.
To enhance your shooting accuracy, you can check our list of the best 6.5 Creedmoor scopes here.
Recoil
One of the things that makes the 6.5 and the 7mm-08 popular is their low recoil. When compared with most hunting cartridges in the market today, these cartridges would land among the top.
But 6.5 for a deer rifle would retake the lead on this one because it offers slightly less recoil than the 7mm-08.
But for some people, there is very little difference that it might not even be perceivable.
Plus, current deer hunters are saying that you might be surprised about how the 7mm-08 Remington remains comfortable for shooting despite being at the heavier side.
Range
If you particularly desire an exceptionally longer range shooting like a long range of about 1,400 yards, Creedmoor might be the one for you. Although it is possible for the two, Remington excels better within a much shorter range.
For example, if you are a deer hunter eyeing for a 400-500 yards distance, both could quickly fulfill that. It just depends on how long you are considering. Find out the best places to hit a deer here.
Size & Weight
With Remington’s case length of 51.7mm compared to the 48.8mm case length of the other rifle ammunition, it would be easy to decide who the winner is regarding the size: Creedmoor.
Hornady designed it to be slightly smaller so it can function best in the AR-10 magazine. But if you would compare their overall length, Remington is slightly shorter.
Regardless of the size, Remington provides a wide selection of bullets from 100 to a max of 175 grain bullets.
Although, most users would say that in terms of compatibility, the heavier side of at least 140 grain bullets would be the better weight bullet option. You could also handle a moose or an elk better using Remington than Creedmoor.
Recommended post: What’s the Difference Between 6.5 Grendel & 6.8 SPC?
Creedmoor 6.5 vs Remington Rounds
Since Remington has been around since the 1980s, while Hornady just introduced 6.5 almost three decades later, a Remington round is readily available in the market. You don’t need to worry about running out of ammunition supply regardless of your location.
Besides, other professional hunters believe that some of the best-developed rifles are designed based on the 7mm-08 Remington. So, without much debate, let’s give this one to Remington. Find out the difference between short-action and long-action rifles here.
Shooting Capacity
A 7mm-08 has an advantage in providing a higher velocity of up to 2800 ft/s given a 140-grain bullet. Its high-quality construction would allow you to have a clean shot, with less possible meat damage.
6.5 Creedmoor, on the other hand, has a better penetration advantage. According to various customer reviews, gravity, wind, or other obstacles are less likely to affect the trajectory of your bullets if you are using Creedmoor.
Creedmoor 6.5 Pros & Cons
PROS
- Better maximum average pressure
- Lesser recoil
- Superb penetration
- Longer shooting range
- Ideal for small-framed shooters
CONS
- May fall short on a big hunting
- Lower velocity
Remington 7MM-08 Pros & Cons
PROS
- Clean shot
- More powder capacity
- Excellent bullet choice selection
- Better for bigger game
- Accessible and readily available cartridges
CONS
- A little more expensive
- Slightly heavier and larger cartridge
6.5 Creedmoor or 7mm-08 Remington? The Winner is…
Between 6.5 Creedmoor vs 7mm-08, our winner is Creedmoor, based on the results of our in-depth analysis. Although Remington could have a greater advantage for accuracy, bullet selection, accessible ammunition, and big game hunting, we could also name Creedmoor’s exceptional benefits.
It has a shorter case type, less body taper, and lower recoil. Besides this, if you are looking for a longer-range experience with greater killing power, Creedmoor offers just that, with more than 2,000 ft lbs muzzle energy per 9gram bullet mass.
Still, the choice is yours to make, depending on your shooting habits and hunting game preferences.
Our #1 Recommendation
6.5 Creedmor
- 6.5 has greater killing power
- 7mm-08 for big game hunting
- Recoil difference is almost negligible
- The cartridges are known for accuracy
I’m a 7mm-08 guy myself. I am looking into buying a 6.5 Creedmor youth model for my grandson for the lighter recoil. I was born into a family of big hunters. I do use bigger calibers for bear and elk. I love the 7mm-08 for whitetail.