under the sometimes-harsh conditions of varmint shooting. A FEW LAST WORDS
Varmint hunters generally shoot
more and rely more heavily on the ac- curacy of their rifl es than most other types of shooters. Because of this, I be- lieve that they were the fi rst shooters to fully recognize the advances that Savage has achieved. Bill Dermody, Savage’s marketing manager, shares that view and expressed his appreciation for the support that varmint hunters have given Savage in recent years. To me, the 6.5 Creedmoor has a
This particular Savage Model 12 LRP was never intended as a walkabout style rifl e. With its heavy barrel and target style stock, it serves very nicely as a benchrest or stationary type varmint shooting rifl e.
look to 3,000 fps muzzle velocity as a standard to judge against. As long as the ballistic coeffi cient of the bullet is reasonably high, 3,000 fps usually gives me a trajectory that I can effectively work with at long range. Higher ve- locities will often result in heavier recoil and shorter barrel life. In the case of the 6.5 Creedmoor, it fi t nicely within that velocity category. The velocities that I was actually measuring in the Savage with my handloads typically were ex- ceeding those listed in the manuals. A careful and deliberate handloader pos- sibly could squeeze maybe an additional hundred fps out of the cartridge, but I saw no benefi t in doing so. With both the handloaded am- munition and the factory-loaded ammo,
the recoil was very manageable. I used a Caldwell Lead Sled (without any ad- ditional weight added for the range testing) simply because of the steadi- ness that this rest provided. During the prairie dog trip we used primarily either shooting sticks or basic sandbags. In all cases I found the recoil to not be of any concern even after many rounds had been fi red. One of the real advantages of the
6.5mm caliber is the very high ballistic coeffi cient of the bullets. The loads shot in this case carried B.C. values ranging from .450 with the 120-grain GMX, all the way up to a whopping .510 in the case of the 123-grain A-Max. Such val- ues can account for fl atter trajectories and better wind busting capabilities
tremendous amount of potential going for it. As mentioned earlier, because of the high ballistic coeffi cient of the 6.5mm bullets and the respectable muz- zle velocities, a shooter can expect very good trajectories and good long-range performance. In Neil Davies’ case, that amounted to trajectories fl at enough to smoke a prairie dog at the impressive range of 785 yards. Some of the other advantages of this Savage/Hornady combination include its very good ac- curacy; the cartridge being short enough to be used in a short action designed rifl e; and the fairly good selection of available bullet weights that range from those desirable for varmints all the way up to acceptable weights for the hunting of medium sized game. The 6.5 Creed- moor nicely bridges the gap between these species, and while very effective on prairie dogs it has the potential to be a very suitable round for deer-sized game … even up to and including a big western muley. In my mind this versatil- ity adds even more benefi t to owning a rifl e in this very fi ne cartridge.
Savage Model 12 6.5 Creedmoor Accuracy Testing 100-yard 3-shot groups
Handloads Ammo
A-Max 120 gr.
Hornady A-Max 123 gr. Hornady A-Max 123 gr.
Powder
Varget 39.0 gr. Varget 38.0 gr.
Hornady Superformance Factory Loads Bullet
Factory Loads with 120-gr. GMX® Factory Loads with 129-gr. SST®
Best Group ⅝ " ⅜ "
8208 XBR 34.0 gr. ½ "
Best Group 1⅞ " ¾ "
Worst Group 1⁵⁄₁₆" 1³⁄₁₆" 1⅜ "
Worst Group 2⅜ " 2"
Average Group Average M/V 1"
1¹⁄₁₆" 1³⁄₁₆"
3,034 fps 2,935 fps 2,747 fps
Average Group Average M/V 2¹⁄₁₆" 1⁵⁄₁₆"
3,050 fps 2,950 fps
Note: All groups were shot off the bench at 100 yards and were comprised of three shots each. The average group sizes were the result of four three-shot groups. These load data are presented merely as an illustration. They are not intended or recommended for use. Neither the author nor The Varmint Hunter Magazine® assumes any liability or responsibility for such use. For load data, you should consult the guides published by the component manufacturers and never exceed those listed as maximum.
Page 76 Spring 2012
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