The 6.5 Creedmoor is a .264 in (6.5 mm) centerfire rifle cartridge introduced by Hornady in 2007 — developed by Hornady senior ballistics scientist Dave Emary with Dennis DeMille of Creedmoor Sports after a conversation at the 2005 National Matches at Camp Perry — standardized by SAAMI on 17 June 2009 at a maximum average pressure of 62,000 psi, and used today for match and target shooting and for deer-sized and larger game.
This page carries the 6.5 Creedmoor loads Hilltop Armory LLC sells whose ballistics the maker itself publishes. Every velocity, energy and drop figure below was read from the manufacturer’s own page for that item number, then recomputed against E = grains × fps² ÷ 450437 and checked for velocity and energy that fall at every range the maker publishes. Nothing here is our measurement: we are a licensed FFL dealer, not a ballistics laboratory, and we have tested none of it.
6.5 Creedmoor ballistics chart
SAAMI’s centerfire rifle standard requires that exterior ballistic data be based on a 24 in (610 mm) test barrel, and the 6.5 Creedmoor is not one of the listed exceptions. The five loads in the three tables below are all quoted on that 24 in basis. Nosler prints the 24 in barrel on its own item pages; Federal and Remington publish their figures without naming a barrel length anywhere on the item pages used, so for those rows the 24 in basis is the industry standard their data is built to rather than a statement those two makers print.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load | Maker’s item no. | Bullet weight | Bullet, as the maker names it | Muzzle velocity | Muzzle energy | Ballistic coefficient, as published | Test barrel stated by the maker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Varmint & Predator | V65CRDVM95 | 95 gr | Hornady V-Max | 3300 fps | 2297 ft-lb | .365, drag model not stated | not stated |
| Federal Power-Shok | 65CRDB | 140 gr | Jacketed Soft Point | 2725 fps | 2308 ft-lb | .439, drag model not stated | not stated |
| Remington Core-Lokt | 27657 | 140 gr | Pointed Soft Point Core Lokt | 2700 fps | 2266 ft-lb | .410, drag model not stated | not stated |
| Nosler Ballistic Tip Hunting | 40064 | 140 gr | Ballistic Tip Hunting | 2650 fps | 2183 ft-lb | not published on the ammunition page | 24 in |
| Nosler Partition Trophy Grade | 61016 | 140 gr | Partition | 2650 fps | 2183 ft-lb | not published on the ammunition page | 24 in |
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load | Muzzle | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Varmint & Predator, 95 gr | 3300 fps / 2297 ft-lb | 3023 fps / 1928 ft-lb | 2763 fps / 1610 ft-lb | 2518 fps / 1337 ft-lb | 2285 fps / 1101 ft-lb | 2065 fps / 900 ft-lb |
| Federal Power-Shok, 140 gr | 2725 fps / 2308 ft-lb | 2522 fps / 1977 ft-lb | 2327 fps / 1683 ft-lb | 2142 fps / 1426 ft-lb | 1964 fps / 1199 ft-lb | 1796 fps / 1003 ft-lb |
| Remington Core-Lokt, 140 gr | 2700 fps / 2266 ft-lb | 2484 fps / 1918 ft-lb | 2278 fps / 1613 ft-lb | 2082 fps / 1347 ft-lb | 1895 fps / 1116 ft-lb | 1721 fps / 921 ft-lb |
| Nosler Ballistic Tip Hunting, 140 gr | 2650 fps / 2183 ft-lb | 2477 fps / 1907 ft-lb | 2310 fps / 1659 ft-lb | 2150 fps / 1437 ft-lb | 1997 fps / 1240 ft-lb | 1851 fps / 1065 ft-lb |
| Nosler Partition Trophy Grade, 140 gr | 2650 fps / 2183 ft-lb | 2468 fps / 1892 ft-lb | 2292 fps / 1633 ft-lb | 2124 fps / 1403 ft-lb | 1963 fps / 1198 ft-lb | 1810 fps / 1019 ft-lb |
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load | 100 yd | 200 yd (zero) | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Varmint & Predator, 95 gr | +1.2 in | 0 in | -5.7 in | -16.9 in | -34.9 in |
| Federal Power-Shok, 140 gr | +2.0 in | 0 in | -8.5 in | -24.4 in | -49.4 in |
| Remington Core-Lokt, 140 gr | +2.1 in | 0 in | -8.8 in | -25.5 in | -52.2 in |
| Nosler Ballistic Tip Hunting, 140 gr | +2.1 in | 0 in | -8.6 in | -24.8 in | -49.6 in |
| Nosler Partition Trophy Grade, 140 gr | +2.1 in | 0 in | -8.7 in | -25.2 in | -50.7 in |
Brands we carry that publish no ballistics for these loads
Hilltop Armory LLC also carries Winchester, Berger and Norma in 6.5 Creedmoor, and none of those loads appears in the tables above. The reason is the same in each case: the figures could not be read from the maker’s own current product page for that item number, and several Winchester pages for this cartridge state that there is no ballistics data available at this time. Rather than print a number we cannot point at, this page gives none for those loads. Ask us for the item number and take it to the maker.
What these numbers mean for a shot
The first thing the tables say is that muzzle energy barely moves across the weight range. The Federal Varmint & Predator 95 grain leaves at 2297 ft-lb and the Federal Power-Shok 140 grain at 2308 ft-lb — eleven foot-pounds apart across a 45 grain spread. The cartridge is not picking your bullet weight for you on power. What changes is how long that energy lasts.
At 500 yards those two read 900 ft-lb and 1003 ft-lb. The Nosler 140 grain Ballistic Tip has the lowest published muzzle velocity of the five, 2650 fps, and the most energy left at 500 yards, 1065 ft-lb. The Remington Core-Lokt 140 grain starts 50 fps faster and is down to 1721 fps and 921 ft-lb there. That reversal is the whole argument for a long, high-coefficient bullet in this cartridge, and it opens up past roughly 300 yards rather than before.
The drop table says the same thing in inches. Zeroed at 200 yards, the five loads sit within 0.9 in of each other at 100 yards and 3.1 in at 300 — close enough that inside 300 yards the choice between them is a terminal-performance question, not a trajectory question. By 500 yards the same set runs from 34.9 in to 52.2 in below line of sight, and even among the four 140 grain loads the spread at 500 is 2.8 in. A shooter who zeroes at 200 and works from a card built for one of these loads cannot use that card for another of them past 300 yards.
Federal publishes a terminal performance minimum velocity of 1600 fps for its 95 grain V-Max load, and that load is still at 2065 fps at 500 yards on Federal’s own table. That is Federal’s statement about its own bullet’s working envelope, not ours.
On the hunting side, each maker’s own use classification is the ceiling on what this page will say. Nosler classifies both the 140 grain Ballistic Tip Hunting and the 140 grain Partition Trophy Grade for deer-sized game; they leave the muzzle at identical published figures, 2650 fps and 2183 ft-lb, then part company downrange, the Ballistic Tip holding 1851 fps at 500 yards against the Partition’s 1810 fps. Federal classifies the Power-Shok 140 grain for big game and long range and the 95 grain V-Max for varmint, predator and long range, and Remington classifies the Core-Lokt 140 grain for big game and long range. Minimum caliber, minimum energy and non-toxic projectile rules vary by state and by species, and your state wildlife agency, not a retailer, is the authority on which of these you may legally use.
Twist rate, chamber and pressure
SAAMI’s 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge and chamber drawing, issued 17 June 2009 and revised 16 November 2021, specifies a bore diameter of .256 in, a groove diameter of .264 in, six grooves, and a right-hand twist of one turn in 8.00 in (203.2 mm), marked optional on the drawing. Case length is 1.920 in, and cartridge overall length runs from 2.700 in minimum to 2.825 in maximum — a round loaded to the standard’s limit needs a magazine that will take it. Nosler publishes a 1-8 in test barrel twist for its 140 grain loads. A barrel slower than 1:8 falls outside what that statement covers, and an under-stabilized bullet is a safety problem as well as an accuracy one, particularly through a suppressor.
Maximum average pressure for the 6.5 Creedmoor is 62,000 psi by transducer, with a maximum probable lot mean of 63,600 psi and a maximum probable sample mean of 66,000 psi. SAAMI establishes no crusher pressure figures for this cartridge, and there is no +P standard for it: anything marked above the standard is the loader’s own step up, valid only in the specific actions that loader names, and not an industry ceiling. SAAMI’s nominal instrumental velocity at 15 ft from the 24 in test barrel is 3,300 fps for a 95 grain bullet and 2,690 fps for a 140 grain one.
6.5 Creedmoor +Peak is a separate matter and is not covered by the standard above. In a statement dated 17 June 2026, SAAMI said that the pressures generated by the 6.5 Creedmoor +Peak cartridge case technology fall outside the existing SAAMI standards applicable to 6.5 Creedmoor, and that SAAMI takes no position at this time on the interchangeability, compatibility or safety of 6.5 Creedmoor +Peak in firearms chambered for 6.5 Creedmoor, or on its acceptability with legacy suppressors. SAAMI also states its understanding that +Peak cases will carry the same 6.5 CM headstamp as conventional 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition, with the addition of two Peak logos, so the headstamp alone will not separate the two at a glance. SAAMI directs consumers to the firearm and suppressor makers for guidance on what their products will accept. No figure on this page is a 6.5 Creedmoor +Peak figure.
The designation matters as much as the numbers. 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 6.5 Grendel, 6.5-284 Norma and 6.5×55 Swedish all use .264 in bullets and none of them chamber in one another, and more than one maker sells the same line name in two of those cartridges. Read the box, and read the barrel stamp.
6.5 Creedmoor vs 308 Winchester: same pressure, different bullet
This is the most-asked comparison in American centerfire shooting, and most of the answers to it compare a 6.5 Creedmoor load from one maker with a 308 load from another. That comparison is not valid: the two figures come from different barrels on different days. ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4 measures both in a 24.000-inch standard test barrel, so the rows below are the two cartridges on one basis.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 6.5 Creedmoor | 308 Winchester |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum average pressure | 62,000 psi | 62,000 psi |
| Standard test barrel length | 24.000 in | 24.000 in |
| Test barrel twist rate | 1 turn in 8.00 in | 1 turn in 12.00 in |
| Test barrel groove diameter | .264 in | .308 in |
| Lightest reference load | 95 gr — 3,300 fps / 2,297 ft-lb | 110 gr — 3,150 fps / 2,423 ft-lb |
| The one weight both are listed at | 120 gr — 2,900 fps / 2,240 ft-lb | 120 gr — 3,100 fps / 2,560 ft-lb |
| Standard hunting weight | 140 gr — 2,690 fps / 2,249 ft-lb | 150 gr — 2,800–2,980 fps / 2,611–2,957 ft-lb |
| Heaviest reference load | 140 gr — 2,690 fps / 2,249 ft-lb | 200 gr — 2,440 fps / 2,643 ft-lb |
The pressure ceiling is the same, 62,000 psi. SAAMI lists exactly one bullet weight in common, 120 grains, and there the 308 Winchester is 200 fps faster: 3,100 against 2,900. It also lists heavier bullets — nothing in the 6.5 Creedmoor table goes past 140 grains, where the 308 reaches 200. On muzzle energy the 308 wins this comparison and it is not close.
What the SAAMI table cannot show is the reason anyone chose the 6.5 Creedmoor anyway, which is bullet shape. SAAMI publishes one muzzle velocity and no ballistic coefficients at all, and a 140-grain 6.5 mm bullet is longer and narrower for its weight than a 150-grain .308. The coefficients that make that argument are published by the makers, and they are in the first table on this page — Federal states .439 for its 140-grain Power-Shok and Remington .410 for its 140-grain Core-Lokt, neither naming a drag model. Downrange the difference shows up as retained energy and drop, and the only honest way to compare those two cartridges there is to put two loads from the same maker side by side.
A one-turn-in-8-inch standard twist against the 308’s one turn in 12 is the same point in the barrel: the 6.5 Creedmoor was standardised around long bullets.
We stock the other side of this comparison too: 308 ammo.
6.5 Creedmoor ballistics questions
How much does a 6.5 Creedmoor bullet drop at 300 yards?
With a 200-yard zero, the four 140-grain loads charted above fall between −8.5 and −8.8 inches at 300 yards: Federal Power-Shok −8.5, Nosler Ballistic Tip Hunting −8.6, Nosler Partition −8.7, Remington Core-Lokt −8.8. Federal’s 95-grain Varmint & Predator drops −5.7 inches over the same distance. All are published with the sights 1.5 inches above the bore line.
Is 6.5 Creedmoor good for 1,000 yards?
Nothing on this page can answer that, and it is worth saying why rather than guessing. Federal and Remington stop publishing at 500 yards. Nosler publishes its 140-grain tables to 800. Not one of the three publishes a figure at 1,000 yards for these item numbers, so a 1,000-yard claim here would be extrapolation dressed as data. At 500 yards, the last range every maker covers, the 140-grain loads are carrying 921–1,065 ft-lb and are 49.4 to 52.2 inches below a 200-yard zero.
What is more powerful, 30-06 or 6.5 Creedmoor?
The 30-06 Springfield, on every comparable published figure. SAAMI standardises the 30-06 at 60,000 psi with 150-grain reference loads at 2,740–3,080 fps (2,500–3,159 ft-lb computed) and 220-grain loads still at 2,400 fps. The 6.5 Creedmoor is standardised at 62,000 psi but tops out at 140 grains and 2,690 fps, which computes to 2,249 ft-lb. The 6.5 Creedmoor trades muzzle energy for a longer bullet.
What ballistic coefficient do these 6.5 Creedmoor loads have?
Only two of the five makers publish one for these item numbers. Federal states .365 for the 95-grain V-Max and .439 for the 140-grain Power-Shok; Remington states .410 for the 140-grain Core-Lokt. None of the three names the drag model, so none is shown here as G1 or G7. Nosler publishes no coefficient on its ammunition pages for items 40064 and 61016, and no figure has been supplied in its place — a ballistic coefficient is measured, not derived from weight and velocity.
What twist rate does the 6.5 Creedmoor need?
The SAAMI standard velocity-and-pressure test barrel for the 6.5 Creedmoor is rifled one turn in 8.00 inches, six grooves, .256-inch bore and .264-inch groove. That is the barrel every reference velocity above was measured in. A production rifle may differ, and a twist slower than the standard is the usual reason a long, heavy 6.5 mm bullet will not stabilise.
Where to buy these loads
Every load in the tables above is stocked at Hilltop Armory. Browse the full 6.5 Creedmoor ammo range, which carries makers beyond the ones charted here — the tables are limited to loads whose manufacturer publishes figures that could be verified, not to everything on the shelf.
