Category: Ammo

Introduced by Hornady in 2007, the centerfire 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge quickly became popular due to its effectiveness at long range for marksman sports, ability to handle medium size game including deer, and its decreased recoil compared to the popular .308 Winchester.  Aside from being easier to handle when fired than the .308, the 6.5 Creedmoor at 140 grain has a strong velocity at 2,700 helping to keep it accurate.

If you’re a hunter and need protection, this may be a good choice.  The lighter recoil aids in getting the next shot off in the case of predators, and the 6.5 can do well against wolves or coyotes if you’re on a ranch or in the woods up to 1,000 yards.  For deer including buck, you’ll find conflicting information, but the consensus across the forums is 500 to 800 yards for effective range.  It will depend on the firearm you use, grain weight, and your skill level.

Fun fact: The 6.5 Creedmoor is accurate enough at long distances that the U.S. Special Operations Command switched from the 308 Winchester to the 6.5 Creedmoor for sniper rifles.

In addition to being cost effective, and ideal for hunting and sports, there’s no shortage of rifles that can handle the Creedmoor 6.5.  Some notable ones include:

• Browning X Bolt
• Sig Sauer Cross
• Ruger Precision
• Mossberg 500 Patriot Predator
• Winchester XPR (oddly enough since this is a direct competitor to the 308)
• Sako S20
• Remington 700

The Top Uses

There’s some situations where the 6.5 Creedmoor is going to be your cartridge of choice.  This includes:

• Long range target practice
• Distance hunting
• Medium size game in a 200 to 500 yard range
• Shooting competitions instead of a .308
• Anything that requires velocity and distance

When to Choose a Different Cartridge

But the 6.5 Creedmoor isn’t always a good choice.  For close range hunting, choose the .308 as the power and ballistics can neutralize the target which is especially important for predator hunting in 300 yard ranges.  You’ll also want to avoid the 6.5 Creedmoor for game like elk at close range, and instead choose the .30-06, 300 win mag, or .270.

For long distance, 6.5 is great, but in ultra long range distance competitions a .300 win mag or .338 Lapua will serve you better as the bullet drop will work to your advantage.  You should also avoid using 6.5 in extremely windy conditions and choose the .338 Lapua with more powder and weight will help keep the bullet on track to the target.

The 6.5 Creedmoor is a great cartridge for long range hunting and sports, and incredibly affordable.  That’s why it became popular and fast.

The difference between a centerfire and rimfire cartridge is that centerfire cartridges have the primer in the center of the bullet’s base giving it higher velocity, more accuracy, and produces more recoil, and rimfire uses the outer ring of the base reducing recoil making it better for new shooters. 

Centerfire cartridges were invented before rimfire around 1808 by Jean Samuel Pauly with his design of a self contained design, and rimfire was invented in 1855 by Louis-Nicolas Flobert with his breech-loading pistol.  Something interesting to think about is that no new standard cartridge designs have become mainstream in close to 200 years.  This means there is still room for innovation in our industry.

Knowing the above, it sounds like centerfire cartridges are going to be the winner when choosing between them and rimfire.  But centerfire cartridges are more expensive than rimfire on average, and sometimes you don’t want that massive kick, like if you’re shooting for fun or practice.  There’s pros and cons for both cartridge types, and this guide will help you choose which one meets your needs.

When to Choose Centerfire Over Rimfire

When accuracy matters, centerfire is better than rimfire as it can travel at higher velocities with a flat trajectory, and has a more condensed ballistic entry into the target.  This gives centerfire an advantage for hunting, long distance target shooting, and you can choose from multiple primer sizes letting you adjust the propellant and power of each shot.

It is easier and quicker to reload with centerfire than rimfire cartridges, so if you need to get more rounds off for personal defense, centerfire is what you want.  The accuracy and ease of loading the next rounds can make a huge difference when seconds matter. 

Although centerfire cartridges are more expensive than rimfire, they can be reused through a process called reloading where rimfire cannot, and this may save you some money.  But this is a skill that you need to develop over time, and reloading centerfire takes a long time.

When to Use Rimfire Instead of Centerfire

Newer hunters and people to shooting sports will want to choose rimfire cartridges over centerfire as the recoil is lighter so they can get used to shooting and adapt their way in.   Rimfire is also cheaper so the person can get more practice in while spending less. 

Reloading the centerfire ammo is an advanced technique, tricky, and time consuming, so the money being saved by shooting rimfire is better for people who just want to shoot and get on with their day.

For young hunters on a camping trip with their family, rimfire weighs less than centerfire and the cartridges are smaller.  Because you have to carry everything you use on the trip, each ounce and centimeter matters making rimfire a better choice in these situations.

No firearm is quiet, unless it has silencers, but rimfire cartridges tend to be quieter than centerfire so they are better for beginners that have not adjusted to the noise levels or situations where louder noises should be avoided.

Both centerfire and rimfire cartridges have a time and place, and we hope this helps you know when to choose one over the other based on your needs.

Outside of the 10mm bullet being 1mm larger than a 9mm, the two have substantial differences in their effectiveness including their lethal ranges, case capacity, and uses like hunting.  10mm and 9mm cartridges also have similarities in that they’re both flat shooting and able to be used for self defense. 

Fun fact: The FBI has used both 9mm and 10mm ammo as standards, but switched back to 9mm exclusively as it has less kick, can load faster, and the handguns tend to be easier to shoot.  This makes 9mm cartridges more ideal for self-defense and direct threat situations when compared to a 10mm, although the 10mm which became of interest after the 1986 shootout in Miami to the FBI is still authorized for use by the Special Weapons & Tactics and the Hostage Rescue Teams.

Both ammo types come in center and rimfire options, but 9mm handguns have less recoil than 10mm guns making them better for beginners and self defense situations, where 10mm can come in handy when you’re hunting or need protection against large or aggressive predators like a bear or wild boar if you’re camping or hiking. 

Here’s a quick comparison table to help you choose between the two based on your needs.

When to Choose 9mm over 10mm

9mm is better than a 10mm when you need a firearm for self protection and are not used to heavy firepower as the recoil is lighter and it has plenty of lethal range.  9mm has been the choice for most law enforcement officers and the military for decades which in turn makes it the most popular choice for concealed carry. 

9mm ammo is also much less expensive than 10mm so you can practice shooting at a range without having to break the bank.  And if you’re hunting small game, the 9mm is a better choice than 10mm since it’ll leave less of an entry would and potential damage to the trophy or meat.

When a 10mm is better than a 9mm

If you’re going hunting or camping and there are large predators nearby, a 10mm ammo will be the better choice than 9mm as the bullet penetrates deeper and can be more effective at deterring the threat situation. If you live in a rural area and are defending your home from an intruder or animal at a distance, 10mm bullets will do better than 9mm as the effective range is greater and you’ll have more time to recover from the recoil.

Both the 9mm and 10mm are great options for self defense, but they don’t compare when it comes to effective range, price, and uses.  It all comes down to your experience with the firearm, the distance between you and the target, and your budget.  If you found this guide helpful, join our newsletter list for more like it by entering your email below.