Western Hunting Journal, Premiere Issue whj001_premiere | Page 41
6.5
CREEDMOOR
Does the cartridge live up to the
hype? By Kevin Madison, WHJ SHOOTING EDITOR
T
HE RELOADING COMMUNITY IS NOTO-
RIOUS for constantly tinkering with
existing cartridges and creating
new wildcats. Rarely do any of these
become mainstream and develop a
strong following, much less ever see the light of
day on your average sporting goods store shelves.
Despite what we have come to expect with a new
cartridge, the 6.5 Creedmoor is one that has
bucked the trend. Over the past decade, it has
developed a strong following among competitive
shooters, and more recently it has become a car-
tridge of choice for big game hunters. Whether
it’s the relatively light recoil, the cartridge’s long-
range capabilities with high ballistic coefficient
bullets, the ability to be fed through a magazine,
or its stopping power, there is no denying the
popularity of the 6.5 Creedmoor.
Introduced and perfected in 2007 by Horna-
dy Manufacturing, the 6.5 Creedmoor was the
brainchild of a handful of shooting experts. Most
notably, high power shooting champion Den-
nis Demille, senior Hornady ballistician Dave
Emary, Hornady engineer Joe Thielen and Neil
Davies, Hornaday’s marketing manager. Each
one had a hand in the cartridge’s development,
and its rise in popularity.
It was a case of revisiting existing rounds
to meet their needs, and in this situation, it
spawned a movement in the hunting industry
that would have a far-reaching ripple effect.
When Steve Hornady, CEO of Hornady Manufac-
turing, gave his team the blessing to develop the
6.5 Creedmoor in 2007, the pebble dropped into
the pond reverberated throughout the shooting
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