Now I went out a few years ago and bought a nice old benchrest rifle. That someone had made up but in 8mm Mauser. Why I do not know but it is an excellent rifle.
Having heard and seen a bit about the 6.5 Creedmoor round. I decided to have it rebarreled in this new wonder round. All I can say is that I am very happy that I did so.
As it has been a real eye opener for me. In that it actually shoots even better than my 6mm Remington Benchrest Rifle. It also has given all of my rifles in 308 a big run for its money.
But enough of me bragging! I found this much better written article on the net. So I am going to let them tell this tory.
Thanks for sharing your time with me
Grumpy!
 

The 6.5 Creedmoor isn’t a new round, it was introduced in 2007 by Hornady. But this will be remembered as the year it began its dominance in the marketplace. In reference to .308, I think the words of Winston Churchill say it best. “This is not the end, this is not even the beginning of the end, this is just perhaps the end of the beginning.”

First Impressions

I remember the first time I shot a rifle in 6.5, five years ago at Woody’s Hunting and Rifle Club, back in North Carolina. I was with my friend Damon Woodall, shooting my 18-inch LaRue in .308 preparing for a match. Damon had the first rifle I had ever seen in the new caliber, and let me try it on the same target that I had just engaged. I don’t remember exactly the distance or conditions, but I do remember: the Creedmor required a full 2 mils less in elevation and about ½ the wind hold. I had no desire to make a switch, especially given the price of factory ammo at the time. But it stuck with me, performance wise.

The 147-grain Hornady Match ammo in 6.5 Creedmoor produced roughly .75 and 1-inch groups at 100 yards.

Fast forward a few years, and here we are. In the time since, I spent a lot of hours using up my old stock, or training military guys, which is still a .308 affair. Being a retired Soldier doesn’t lend itself to a lot of frivolous purchases, and my wife is not what I would call keen on new firearms. At SHOT show last January, it seemed like every conceivable platform was chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, from hunting rifles to ARs. My interest peaked. My first rifle review of a 6.5 was the Tikka T3 TAC A1, which performed so well, I had to buy it. At the time, I intended to at some point borrow another in .308, for a proper 6.5 Creedmoor versus .308 Win. shootout. Over the months though, I have come to realize that would be a waste of time. 6.5 Creedmoor is the winner in almost every conceivable way.

Hornady’s Development of the 6.5

Hornady’s line of American Gunner in 6.5 Creedmoor is a 140-grain boattail hollowpoint that produced .5-inch groups at 100 yards.

Hornady really crushed this one out of the park in the development of the 6.5 Creedmoor. It was designed from the ground up to be an accurate rifle round first, not a marketing gimmick. It unquestionably helps that the engineering team involved were also competitive shooters. I will leave it to the 40-pound foreheads to explain why the sectional density and shape give it a better ballistic coefficient (BC). I am content to be told it is made of magic beans. The point is, if you plug it into a ballistic calculator or use it in the real world, two things become apparent. It will out fly .308 in trajectory, and stomp it into a mud hole against the wind. That alone, however, isn’t enough. A lot of wildcat cartridges will do the same. And if I think that, why not 6mm Creedmoor, 260 Remington or 6.5x 47 Lapua instead? There are a lot of things going for those calibers too. But the decision will be made on a number of factors, most of which point to 6.5 CM.

Ballistics— American Gunner 140-grain BTHP out of a 24-in. barrel

According to their ballistic data, the Hornady 140-grain BTHP American Gunner out of a 24-inch test barrel reports these velocities. Photo Courtesy: Hornady

Ballistics— Hornady Match 147-grain ELD out of a 24-in. barrel

According to their ballistic data, the Hornady 147-grain ELD Match ammo out of a 24-inch test barrel reports these velocities. Photo Courtesy: Hornady

Benefits of the 6.5

First is price and availability. I knew 308 was finished the day I logged onto the Hornady website, and 6.5 CM was cheaper. This is usually true now across the major manufacturers if we are talking about premium ammo. You can find Winchester White box or surplus ammo cheaper by a margin, but for any precision work, it is useless. Apples to apples, match grade or hunting, 6.5 costs less nowadays. And popularity is exploding. Not only are rifles chambered in 6.5 across the board, but every brand makes ammo. If you are making a decision today, 6.5 Creedmoor is cheaper to feed than .308, and almost as available.
Second, the 6.5 Creedmoor has shown to feed as reliably from semiauto magazines as the .308. AR-10-style rifles are still not common, but they are coming. The second someone produces a semiauto that consistently shoots 1 MOA or less, .308 is finished. It recoils less, the bullet flies better, and the ammo is lighter.
The only question left, how does Creedmor do with shortened barrels? The .308 isn’t optimal out of an 18-inch barrel either, but it does work. Barrel shortening doesn’t affect all calibers equally, but it’s time to find out. If 6.5 works out of an 18-inch or a 16-inch — it’s game over. As long as it retains enough velocity to match .308, why wouldn’t you?
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Third, 6.5 Creedmoor is well suited for military applications. We still don’t know the terminal effect on human beings, and that is a big question. Only combat testing will give us the answer on that. The 6.5 caliber is not without precedent in military history. The 6.5×55 Swedish is almost ballistically identical to 6.5, and was used up to World War II. It is still used to hunt reindeer and moose in Scandinavia, which means it probably packs enough wallop for bipeds. Hornady just released a 147 grain ELD round, which matches the weight of M80 ball. M80 ball is one of the most prolific .308 machine gun rounds. That means the potential exists for a 240G in the new round, something that would have to be done to phase out .308 completely. All that remains is proof of concept in tracer and armor piercing rounds.
During testing, I used my Tikka T3 TAC A1 with a Nightforce ATACR 7-35x50mm. I shot it out to 500 meters, which it produced roughly 3.5-inch groups on a target. As we all know the shooter is the weak link in any accuracy test, but I was pleased with how consistent — all it all they’re pretty impressive. Later we’re going to test the 140-grain American Gunner loads in a rifle that has a little bit fast twist rate to see if that helps stabilize them better.

Parting Shots

 
The 6.5 Creedmoor represents one of the greatest leaps forward in ballistics I have seen in my lifetime. It is a night and day difference from the .308. The 7.62x51mm won’t go extinct tomorrow, that is certain. You can buy a new rifle today in 45-70, and that has been obsolete for most applications for 100 years. But 6.5 Creedmoor is the way forward. And if you haven’t gotten on the train, it should be on your list of things to do soon.
For more information about Hornday’s 6.5 Creedmoor, click here.
To purchase a rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor on GunsAmerica, click here.

What do you need to do a Glock to make it an awesome combat gun? Well, if you ordered it with tritium factory sights, take it out of the box and put bullets in it.
But sometimes we want something else. A gun is a very personal item to some of us, and we grow fond attachments to our favorites.
At some point in your life, you are going to want to customize one. Not because it necessarily makes it better, but because it makes it yours.
I finally cobbled together the appropriate coins earlier this year for a custom job and chose to do it to one of my Glock’s. Why my Glock? Because if the world ever turns into Mad Max land, I want my pretty gun to still be apocalypse worthy.

Ops Armory

 
 
 
 
 
 
In building a custom gun, I turned to my old friend Aaron Reed, owner of Ops Armory.
Reed, still a reserve SEAL, spent a very long time on active duty and is also a professional 3 Gun shooter on Team Bushmaster. Normally I only consult SEALs about which tanning lotion works best in the southern hemisphere, or how to maintain highlights in your hair in field conditions.
But there are exceptions. Needless to say, his gunfighter creds are legit. Unlike some custom shops, I know Reed isn’t just going for pretty aesthetics. So, I sent off my Glock 22 and gave him a blank slate. The results are spectacular.
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Captain America

Ops Armory went with the Captain America theme for my Glock, fitting considering our cumulative time spent in the Department of the Defense (DOD). The finish is beautiful, a distressed American flag finish from bow to stern. Pictures do not do justice to the level of detail in the Cerakote. Reed has been in the Cerakote business for several years and has truly mastered his craft.
From top to bottom, this feels like a whole new gun. Gone are the finger grooves, cut down to a slimmer grip. The frame has been textured, all the way to forward the slide takedown lever. The trigger guard features a double undercut, both to reduce weight and give you a higher grip.
The magazine release frame area has been reduced to make it easier to reload. The frame has even been reduced around the slide takedown, making for some very good looking lines while again cutting weight. The trigger is an Ops Armory special, and easily one of the best three Glock triggers I have shot.

Check the full review of the NEW Glock Gen 5.

Up top, there is again no shortage of new. First of all, the slide was cut for an RMR, complete with a cover plate. I actually prefer the Ops Armory cut to the factory MOS. Aaron uses thicker screws, that are less likely to break, and the cut is deeper, making the sight closer to the bore line. The factory slide serrations in the rear are deepened and widened, ensuring a positive grip. Front slide serrations are also added, cut at an angle. Instead of the factory Glock roundness to the slide, it is now tri-cut. This is both an aesthetic choice and reduces weight.

Lightening The Load

On the subject of slide weight, the next part is a bit controversial. Ops Armory cuts lightening windows on top of the slide, further cutting down on weight. Is this a good idea, or simply a cool looking must have in the modern world? The answer is, I am not actually sure. I have had professional shooters I know and respect tell me they would make the slide heavier if they had a choice.
And others absolutely believe in the lightened slide school of thought. The theory is this. A lightened slide has less reciprocating mass, therefore less recoil impulse is felt. Less weight moving backward returns to target faster. The heavy slide guys say more mass absorbs more energy during the movement, results in less recoil. Which one do I believe? No idea. This is my first slide cut gun, I’ll let you know. But I do know this. If you plan to shoot one a lot that has been lightened, increase your recoil spring weight. Otherwise, over enough time, you are risking frame damage from the faster acceleration of the slide moving back. The only slide Glock ever added a lightening window too was the 34, to make the slide weight the same as a Glock 17. Probably some smarts in that somewhere. Either way, the Ops Armory one looks totally badass, and style points do count.

Lasting Impressions

All in all, I am very happy with how my Ops Armory Glock turned out. It is a beautiful gun, a conversation starter, and a tactical wonder. Why consider customization? Well, to start a better trigger can help improve accuracy. Also, as many have removed with a mere belt sander— the finger grooves on the Glock 22 Gen 3 don’t fit everyone’s hands. If you’re looking for a shop to update your current Glock and improve it, consider checking out Ops Armory. This customization project cost about $1,200, and it was worth every penny.
For more information about Glock’s lineup, click here.
For more information about Ops Armory, click here.
To purchase a Glock 22 Gen 3 on GunsAmerica, click here.