6.5 Creedmoor vs 6.5 PRC: Battle of the 6.5s

In this article, we’re going to look at a topic causing a bit of a buzz in the world of Rifle Ammo: 6.5 Creedmoor vs 6.5 PRC. We’ll talk a bit about 6.5 Creedmoor vs 6.5 Grendel, too. We’re not going to cover 6.5 Creedmoor vs 6.5 PRC vs 6.5 Grendel because there’s just too big a gap between the PRC and Grendel and it becomes apples ‘n’ oranges. You’ll see the differences, just not head-to-head on those two.

6.5mm calibers are nothing new, they go all the way back to 1890. The 6.5×52mm Carcano was the first 6.5 Ammo to be put into military service (by the Italians in 1891). Over the last 130-odd years, there have been a ton of different 6.5 calibers, but they were only really popular in Europe.

That all changed when the 6.5 Creedmoor (affectionately known as the “6.5 Creed”) from Hornady blasted into the US market in 2007. It almost immediately took off for target shooting and long-range hunting.

Then came the 6.5 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) in 2018. It was designed with Precision Rifle Series competition (PRS) shooters in mind, with big game hunting coming in at a close second.

Is 6.5 Creedmoor or 6.5 PRC Better?

When it comes to ballistics, you can see by the graphs below that the 6.5 PRC performs better than the 6.5 Creedmoor and has a flatter trajectory. However, if you’re not into reloading, finding 6.5 PRC Ammo in stock can be an issue, and there is less variety to choose from. Since it’s been on the market longer and is wildly popular, 6.5 Creedmoor Ammo is much easier to find and is available in factory loads for long-range shooting, varmint hunting cartridges, and big game hunting cartridges.

I put these charts together using Hornady’s own ballistic charts, using the 143-grain ELD-X bullet in Precision Hunter factory loads as the control for ballistic coefficients. They used a 24-inch barrel (Bbl) and zeroed at 200 yards.

6.5 Creedmoor vs 6.5 Grendel for Velocity in Feet Per Second (fps): Creedmoor Takes the Win (used a stacked step chart instead of a boring old line graph)

6.5 Creedmoor vs 6.5 PRC for Energy in Foot-Pounds (ft-lbs): PRC Takes the Win

6.5 Creedmoor vs 6.5 PRC for Bullet Drop in Inches: PRC Takes the Win

6.5 Creedmoor vs 6.5 PRC for Wind Drift in Inches: PRC Takes the Win

6.5 Creedmoor vs 6.5 PRC for Recoil in ft-lbs: Creed Takes the Win (using average bullet weights instead of ELD-X, had to find a win somewhere in here)

Which is Bigger, 6.5 Creedmoor or 6.5 PRC?

6.5 PRC has a larger case capacity, and in many ways, it could be seen as a 6.5 Creedmoor “magnum” since it has a higher SAAMI maximum pressure. The bullet diameter of 0.264” (6.71mm) is the same for both. As seen in the table below, the 6.5 PRC cartridge is larger than the 6.5 Creedmoor in every other dimension.

6.5 PRC can be a short-action with factory loads, but if you plan on handloading with larger bullets, you may want to consider going with a long-action. The PRC actually falls into a bit of a gray space of “medium-action”.

Is 6.5 Creedmoor or 6.5 Grendel Better?

6.5 Creedmoor vs 6.5 Grendel are difficult to definitively compare since the chart I was using as a reference doesn’t have any factory loads with the same grain bullet weight. I had to settle for 120gr ELD Match for 6.5 Creedmoor and 123gr ELD Match for Grendel.

It’s important to note that the Grendel was designed as a medium-range round primarily for semi-automatic rifles on an AR platform, putting it in a sweet spot between 5.56x45mm NATO and .308 Winchester. Like the PRC, 6.5 Grendel Ammo is limited in availability and variety when compared to the Creed. Since the design and intent are different between the two, I’m not going to declare a winner. I’ll just let the numbers speak for themselves.

Conclusions:

Although they’re all short-action rifles, these three calibers all have their own niches to fill. If you’re curious about all of the different 6.5 calibers that are currently offered in factory loads, check out this filtered search, you might be surprised! You’ll find top brands like Nosler, Norma, and all of the other usual suspects. Check out the rest of our Ammo Guides to learn more, and Shop at OpticsPlanet for all of your Shooting and Hunting needs!