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6.5 Creedmoor vs .308 Winchester

by Norman Turner - Last updated June 25, 2019

When you are looking for a long range rifle caliber, 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Winchester are both very popular options. Almost every shooter can agree on the quality of both rounds.

However, what are the key differences between the two?

6.5 Creedmoor vs .308 Winchester
Source: huntinggearguy.com

In this article, we will compare the two rounds in terms of ballistics, terminal performance, and cost. Then, we will make some recommendations dependent on what kind of shooting you prefer to do.

A Brief History

Before we get into the comparisons, we will talk about the history of both rounds. As you will see, one of these rounds is new on the scene, while the other is one of the most popular rifle rounds of all time.

.308 Winchester was first developed over 50 years ago. 7.62x51mm NATO, which the military uses in its machine guns, was based off of .308 Winchester. The .308 Winchester round is also used in military and police sniper rifles.

The round is used for way more than just the military though. It is the most widely used big game hunting cartridge all over the world, due to its deadly performance. More on that later.

It also gets a good bit of use in tactical rifles, such as the AR-10. These rifles are commonly used for hunting, home defense, and other tactical uses.

6.5 Creedmoor was introduced just over a decade ago. Hornady created the round for long distance target shooting, but it is getting more and more popular in the hunting and home defense scenes.

In all honesty, the rounds are very similar. 6.5 Creedmoor is extremely similar in size, and is sort of the grandchild of .308 Winchester. The parent cartridge is .30 TC, which was based off of .308 Winchester.

But, what are the differences between the two? Let’s get into it.

Overview: Ballistics, Performance, and Price

.308 Winchester cartridges are 2.8 inches long. The bullets are 7.8 millimeters in diameter, and they weigh around 150 grains. Dependent on the exact cartridge, these projectiles are fired at 3000 feet per second.

308-winchester

6.5 Creedmoor cartridges are 2.825 inches long. The bullets are 6.72 millimeters in diameter, and they weigh in the ballpark of 120 grains. Once again, it is dependent on the exact round, but they are fired around 3010 feet per second.

6.5 Creedmoor

So, what does all of this mean?

The case of a 6.5 Creedmoor is significantly shorter, which means that this round has a longer bullet. This explains why this cartridge has a greater overall length than .308 Winchester. However, these 6.5 Creedmoor bullet are also around 30 grains lighter, despite the fact that they are longer. Putting these two facts together gives you a longer, thinner bullet.

This bullet shape is more aerodynamic, which allows for the bullet to maintain its velocity over a longer distance. At 500 yards, 6.5 Creedmoor is moving around 2078 feet per second, while .308 Winchester has slowed down to 1963 feet per second. For long distance shooting, this is excellent.

6.5-Creedmoor-vs-308-vs-30-06
Source: huntinggearguy.com

But, remember that .308 Winchester deadliness we talked about before? .308 Winchester is one of the most effective big game rifle cartridges in the world. This deadliness comes from the larger bullet diameter and the greater initial energy produced.

The larger bullet diameter allows the round to damage more tissue in the animal. The greater initial energy is a result of the fact that the case is longer in .308 Winchester, meaning that there is more room for propellant.

However, both rounds are excellent choices for hunting, as long as you are using the right ammunition.

Speaking of ammunition, let’s talk about the price of ammunition for both rounds. First things first, keep in mind that Hornady introduced 6.5 Creedmoor. As a result, they are able to produce the ammunition much cheaper than the competition.

When looking at Hornady ammunition, the difference in price between .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor is practically nonexistent. However, with other brands, .308 Winchester is commonly 10 cents cheaper per round.

Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that .308 Winchester is much older. As a result, there is a much wider selection of ammunition available. Similarly, there are plenty of options for reloading.

Comparison: Pros and Cons

The pros of 6.5 Creedmoor are the increased effective range and accuracy. As we already talked about, 6.5 Creedmoor can travel further due to the shape of the projectile. However, another added pro of this bullet shape is that it isn’t affected much by wind.

Additionally, the weapons that shoot 6.5 Creedmoor are very often precision rifles, since it was originally designed as a long range target round.

The cons of 6.5 Creedmoor are the added cost, and slightly less deadly performance. Both the weapons and the ammunition available in 6.5 Creedmoor are expensive, when compared to similar products in .308 Winchester.

Remember that skinnier projectile like we talked about? This doesn’t perform quite as well within a living target. However, there are hunting rounds available, such as Federal Fusion.

The pros of .308 Winchester are the performance and price. The added bullet diameter damages more tissue, and there is an absolutely huge selection of ammunition available. Most of the ammunition, and the weapons that fire it, are affordably priced.

The cons of .308 Winchester are limited to mostly the range. Don’t get me wrong, .308 Winchester is an excellent cartridge, and it performs well at longer range. But, for the sake of this comparison, it is outperformed by 6.5 Creedmoor.

Recommendations

As tough as it is to do, we give the overall edge to 6.5 Creedmoor. Rest assured that both of these cartridges are really great choices. However, we will make some more specific recommendations.

If you are looking for a precision rifle to shoot competitively with, 6.5 Creedmoor is the best choice for you. Any application that requires high levels of accuracy will call for 6.5 Creedmoor.

If you are hunting within 500 yards, .308 Winchester is a good choice for you. Up to this range, both weapons perform very close to one another. The added deadliness of .308 Winchester make it a slightly better cartridge within this range.

However, once you are shooting out past 500 yards, 6.5 Creedmoor becomes the better option. It drops less, isn’t affected as much by wind, and remains more accurate.

Conclusion

As you can see, both of these short action rifle cartridges are excellent choices. In terms of performance, these are two of the best cartridges out there. When it comes to choosing between them, it can be very difficult.

While we do give a slight edge to 6.5 Creedmoor, we want to reiterate how great .308 Winchester is. Both of these cartridges are truly excellent.

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