When it comes to long-range shooting, two cartridges that cannot be ignored are the 6.5 Creedmoor and the venerable 308 Winchester.
Although the 308 Winchester (the commercial variant of the military’s 7.62 NATO) has been a staple in the long-range target shooting community since its inception over 70 years ago, the 6.5 Creedmoor simply outperforms it in almost every category when shooting past 500 yards.
In this article I will compare 308 vs. 6.5 Creedmoor in detail, explaining the pros and cons of both cartridges and discussing their respective ballistics data in depth.
Break out your sandbags, bipods, and spotting scopes. We’re going to squeeze the trigger and let it fly on long-range shooting!
308 vs. 6.5 Creedmoor: Which Is Better?
Now it’s time we take an objective look at both of these long-range target shooting titans and see which comes out on top!
| Category | 6.5 Creedmoor | 308 Winchester | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recoil | Generates about 12 foot-pounds of recoil energy | Generates about 18 foot-pounds of recoil energy | 6.5 Creedmoor |
| Long-Range Performance | Excellent long-range (500+ yards) capabilities and approximately 50% more kinetic energy delivery to target | Decent long-range capabilities, but outmatched by the 6.5 Creedmoor | 6.5 Creedmoor |
| Short-Range Performance | Higher velocities, higher striking energy, and slightly flatter trajectory | Lower velocities, higher striking energy, and more arching trajectory | 6.5 Creedmoor |
| Wind Drift | Aerodynamic bullets are less (~40%) susceptible to wind drift | Bulkier bullets are more vulnerable to wind drift | 6.5 Creedmoor |
| Barrel Life | ~2,000 rounds | ~5,000 rounds | 308 Winchester |
| Rifle Options | Many rifle options available due to cartridge’s enormous popularity | Ditto | Tie |
| Ammo Availability & Cost | High availability, but slightly more costly | Excellent availability, and slightly less expensive | 308 Winchester |
| Hunting Versatility | Capable of taking whitetail and elk with less recoil | Capable of harvesting whitetail and elk with more recoil | 6.5 Creedmoor |
Recoil
When it comes to recoil, less is better. The less recoil you have, the more accurately you will shoot.
When you’re shooting long-range matches or just out on the range for an extended period of time, shoulder wear becomes a real problem. Also, the less your rifle pounds your shoulder, the less you will jerk the trigger during firing (so-called “recoil anticipation").
In terms of these two rounds’ recoil, there is no contest. The 6.5 Creedmoor has about 30% less free recoil than the 308 Winchester. After firing both on various occasions, I’ve found the 6.5 Creedmoor to have less recoil as well.
Winner: 6.5 Creedmoor by a country mile.
Barrel Life
If you are only a hunter and casual target shooter, then you’re unlikely to ever “shoot out” a barrel to the point where its accuracy suffers. However, for competitive and long-range target shooters who fire high-precision rifles, barrel wear (which typically first manifests at the throat of the chamber where the bullet enters) is a real problem.
This is one of the 6.5 Creedmoor’s few shortfalls. A match-grade 6.5 Creedmoor barrel will typically only last about 2,000 rounds, whereas a 308 match barrel will hold true for around 5,000 rounds.
This disparity is primarily due to the cartridges’ similar case capacities. Case capacities for the 6.5 Creedmoor and 308 Winchester are specified at 52.5 grains and 56.0 grains H₂O, respectively. This means that powder charge sizes for both cartridges are also similar. Its larger propellant charge relative to its bore diameter caused the 6.5 Creedmoor’s barrel to wear out considerably faster.
Winner: 308 Winchester, hands down.
Hunting
On paper, you would think that the 308 Winchester would be the clear winner in terms of hunting efficacy.
The 308’s wider, heavier .30 caliber bullet should inflict a broader wound channel, cause more blood loss, and penetrate deeper – right?.
Not necessarily. In the field, this is not always the case.
Wound Channel Diameter
You will not see any appreciable difference in wound channels between the 6.5 Creedmoor and the 308 Winchester. Both the 308 and the 6.5 have enough kinetic energy to take down large game from whitetail deer all the way to bull elk without issue.
Variety
The 308 Winchester is available in more varieties, including offerings with heavier bullets up to 180 grains that take down dangerous game, such as black bear, without difficulty. At ranges below 500 yards, the 308 Winchester has higher striking energy than the 6.5 Creedmoor. However, I’m pretty sure the deer in your crosshairs is not going to be able to tell the sub-10% difference between the two rifle cartridges.
Hunting Ammo Availability
One important thing to consider for both the 308 and 6.5 Creedmoor is hunting ammo availability. Although originally developed for competitive shooting, hunting loads like Federal Premium 6.5 Creedmoor have become commonplace on gun store shelves and in sporting goods stores across the nation. The 308 will generally have more hunting ammo varieties available, but 6.5 Creedmoor is getting more popular by the day and is catching up at an alarming rate.
Continue reading 6.5 Creedmoor vs. 308 Winchester: Battling Long-Range Bullets on Ammo.com