Creedmoor is the new black when it comes to hunting, long-distance target shooting, more or less everything to be honest. So 6.5 Creedmoor rifles are big business right now.
6.5 Creedmoor – A Lightweight Long Distance Round
It’s a narrow, long, lightweight cartridge. That means you can do everything from target rabbits, wild boar, deer hunting or even Elk. 6.5 Creedmoor rifles have even taken over the sniper rifles business, largely.
That’s a pretty broad range. I have to be honest, the rabbits will be instant sausage meat if they’re anything less than a speck on the horizon when you squeeze the trigger, but you can still do it.
The New Round Has Made An Impression
This relatively new caliber, which was thought of as a long range target shooting novelty not so very long ago, is now firmly esconced in the hunting community.
It is giving hunter’s clean kills with Elk, Caribou, deer, just about anything, and it’s providing epic control over your shot.
These are 1000m range guns, let loose in the field. There is also a little military hardware in this list, too. So put a great scope, aim for the heart and let this magnificent round do its stuff.
Some of these rifles are slightly heavier than you might be used to in a hunting rifle
Lightweight Semi-Auto Creedmoor Rifles are Rare
6.5 Creedmoor AR rifles are based on an AR-10 platform and that
If you’re a bit behind the times, don’t worry. We’re here to help with the best Creedmoor hunting,
The Best 6.5 Creedmoor Rifles For Sale in 2019
1. Wilson Combat AR-10 Tactical Recon
- Price: $2,799.99
- Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
- Barrel Length: 16 inch
- Total Length: 33.5-37.75 inch
- Capacity: 20+1 rounds
- Weight: 7.1lb
This, right here, is the W
You will have to wait 5-8 weeks for your Wilson Combat rifle when you buy your gun online today. But it’s worth it.
The Best Semi-Auto 6.5 Creedmoor Rifle
The S&W
7.1lb is more than respectable for an AR-style 6.5 Creedmoor rifle. In fact it’s about the same weight as a decent AR-15.
All the Parts Are Match Grade
The fluted stainless steel barrel is match-grade, natch, the gas system is full length and low profile. There’s a threaded muzzle with a Wilson Combat QComp flash hider. BCM supplied the pistol grip with the classic Wilson Combat starburst design and there is a proprietary Tactical Trigger Unit too.
You get an Armor-Tuff finish and an all-round
Wilson Combat can sell you a version with a longer barrel, but this AR-10 Tactical just makes sense. It’s a cohesive package that could cover all your hunting needs from 100-1000 yards.
It could also be your first port of call in a self defense situation, as the 6.5 Creedmoor definitely packs more of a punch than an AR-15.
The All-Purpose Rifle, Home Defense to Hunting
Keep this rifle loaded with some seriously unpleasant ammunition and you’d be amazed how effective it is as a home-defense tool. Change the mag and a hunting you will go. That makes this one of the few rifles that can do anything, anywhere, at any range.
Wilson Combat can sell you longer barrel sniper rifle versions of the AR-10 platform for long range shooting, but we think this is the ultimate incarnation and the volume seller.
It’s a lightweight semi-auto Creedmoor with match-grade accuracy and the Wilson Combat name. That’s really all it takes to declare this the new 6.5 Creedmoor champion of the world.
2. Tikka T3x Superlite
- Price: $749.99
- Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
- Barrel Length: 24.33 inch
- Total length: 44.5 inch
- Weight: 5.9lb
- Capacity: 3+1 Rounds
Not everybody is a Special Forces operative. Some of you are just simple hunters and target shooters that want the lightest Creedmoor rifle on your shoulder.
The Tikka Superlite is arguably the best lightweight hunting rifle on this list.
If you want a lightweight Creedmoor rifle for sale, then this 6.5 Creedmoor bolt-action rifle is just about perfect. It might be the lightest Creedmoor on the market that you would want to shoot.
Sako 24 Inch Barrel Among the Best For 6.5 Creedmoor Rifles For Sale
You get a
The Tikka rifle comes with a single-stage trigger that you can adjust from 2-4lb. A new steel recoil lug helps prevent deformation and keeps the 6.5 Creedmoor bolt-action
Stock Tuned For Noise Reduction
The Polymer stock is as basic, although it has been tuned for noise reduction, and yet it is designed to handle savage winters and desert storms alike. This is a go-anywhere hunting rifle that pretty much everybody can afford and everybody can handle.
It’s a basic gun, but it’s a great hunting gun at the right price and the right weight. Get yours now…
Guaranteed Sub-MOA Rifle From Tikka
This is a sub-MOA rifle, and that’s a guarantee. At this
This is the budget choice, the
3. Daniel Defense DD5V4
- Price: $2,374
- Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
- Barrel: 18 inch
- Total: 35.3-35.5 inch
- Weight: 8.6lb
- Capacity: 20+1
New for 2019, the Daniel Defense DD5V4, which is also a smash hit on the 308 Winchester circuit, brings all the convenience of an AR-15 to the bigger 6.5 Creedmoor round.
If it hadn’t run into the
AR-10 Platform Shrunk to AR-15 Size
Daniel Defense has done an awesome job to shrink the basic 6.5 Creedmoor rifle’s AR-10 platform down to 8.6lb. There’s room to go further with a
That rifle could be a
In short, nobody will be unhappy with their DD5 V4. It’s a safe option, backed by a reputable company who keep producing outstanding firearms that are greater than the sum of their parts.
This semi auto rifle comes with an adjustable gas block so you can run a suppressor, which is especially handy when you’re hunting or in, ummm, tactical situations.
Creedmoor Kill Shot Range is 1000m+
When you are, this Daniel Defense Designated Marksman Rifle is good for a killshot at 1000 meters.
That’s more range than most of us will actually ever use, but if you want to go all special forces sniper then you can strap a serious scope up top, smear shit on your face and hide in a ditch for four days while you wait for a deer to take a drink in a distant river. It’s all good man.
You can also rely on your Daniel Defense 6.5 Creedmoor Rifle for more or less everything else, from Whitetail hunting through to big game. The fact you can do all that with the convenience of a semi-automatic patrol rifle is very cool indeed.
You get receivers machined from billet 7075 Aluminum, a
This is a near perfect AR style 6.5 Creedmoor rifle. At this price, it might be the best value rifle on the market and it is certainly one of the best 6.5 Creedmoor rifles.
4. Savage Axis II XP
- Price: $409.99
- Barrel Length: 20 inch
- Total length: 39.5 inch
- Capacity: 6.5lb
This is a light, cheap rifle that is just about the best 6.5 Creedmoor starter rifle you’re likely to find. It’s a
Don’t expect it to be a rifle for life, but it is low price point and it comes with a Savage barrel. So it’s fine for hunting at anything like sane distances and you can shoulder it all day too. This is one of the lightest Creedmoor 6.5 rifles for sale, at any price.
One thing this post has highlighted is the need for a lightweight hunting rifle, and I’ll be doing a separate post on lightweight 6.5 Creedmoor hunting rifles for sale very soon. The Savage Axis II is going to be right near the top of that list.
A Simple, Basic Hunting Rifle
As you would expect for a 6.5lb 6.5 Creedmoor hunting rifle, there really isn’t much in the way of creature comforts. The barrel is carbon steel, the stock is
For this money, what more do you want?
Online Gun Reviews Love Savage Axis II
Check out the gun reviews online, too, and you will see this is a five-star gun just about everywhere. All the online gunbroker sites love this gun, but it’s fair to say it isn’t actually better than the high end rifles we have here. It is much better value though.
Expectations are a strange thing and because of the price you pick up your Savage Axis II 6.5 Creedmoor with low expectations. It’s a cheap hunting rifle or sport shooting rifle, surely not one of the best 6.5 Creedmoor rifles.
A Gun For Every Range
This Savage bolt action rifle blows those expectations out the water. It’s all the rifle you will ever need up to about 800 yards. Most hunters are happy with 400, so this is really overkill for the vast majority of us.
At 800 yards plus, you might feel the effects of the best rifles for sale here, but if you’re just starting out or you don’t need to push the range of your rifle to the limit when you’re out hunting, then this is one of the best cheap and best light 6.5 Creedmoor rifles for sale right now.
5. Smith & Wesson M&P 10 6.5 Creedmoor
- Price: $1,839.99
- Capacity: 10+1 Rounds
- Barrel: 20 Inches
- Total length: 39.5 inches
- Total Weight: 9.05lb
The Smith & Wesson M&P 10 is the ultimate package of heritage, precision, price, weight, just about everything. For me, this is the ultimate 6.5 Creedmoor AR rifle without spending crazy money.
It has been deposed by the new leaders, but the Smith & Wesson M&P10 6.5 Creedmoor was the best of our best 6.5 Creedmoor rifles for more than a year.
The Perfect All-Round 6.5 Creedmoor Rifle
This is the second generation, with the first generations tiny faults ironed out. So yeah that makes this rifle nigh-on perfect.
The Smith & Wesson is 95% of the best rifles here for a lot less money and 9lb is just light enough.
A Lightweight Creedmoor Rifle? Kind of…
This is a rifle you can manage, 9.5lb is really pushing it, and a lightweight collapsible stock might get the Smith and Wesson under the psychological barrier that is the 9lb mark.
This is a rifle from Smith & Wesson’s famed Performance Center, firing a cartridge that has consistently amazed the firearms world with its accuracy. Creedmoor has grown from a target shooting bullet into a hunting round that has slowly taken over.
What Rifle can Hunt Game at 1000 Yards?
You can take down Elk at 800 yards with any of these 6.5 Creedmoor rifles. With the Smith & Wesson MP10, you could take aim at 1000 yards and well beyond.
You get receivers machined from 7075-T6 Aluminum and it fits together perfectly. There isn’t any play in this gun at all. The 20 inches barrel is lightweight and made from carbon-steel and comes with 5R rifling that S&W is convinced is the most accurate solution as there is less deformation of the bullet pre-impact.
The Long Range Champion? For The Money, Yes…
Considering you can group shots within a handspan at 1000 yards, or within an inch at 200 yards, it’s hard to argue with the logic. This is a real long range champion. It’s a modern day sniper rifle and it will make you a better hunter.
It weighs in at 9lb, plus a bit, but then it’s a proper semi-auto gun that’s built for accuracy and durability.
Other highlights include the two-stage match trigger and the knowledge that the best Smith & Wesson engineers and technology went in to this rifle.
The AR-platform makes sense for these long-range sniper rifles. It gives you the stability and the mounting points for a bipod or just about any other mount.
How to be a Sniper? Buy 6.5 Creedmoor Rifles
The Creedmoor is a narrow, light, high velocity round that is capable of taking down large game if your shot placement is on point. It will change the way you hunt, if you go with the flow, and it will turn you into a sniper.
So the AR-style of gun is pretty much the only way to go in the end.
Take the easy way out, get yours now. Your long-range shooting will thank you in the end.
6. Patriot Ordnance Factory P6.5 Edge
- Price: $2,349.99
- Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
- Capacity: 20+1 Rounds
- Barrel: 20 Inches
- Total length: 39 inches
- Total Weight: 9.5lb
We did name the POF Edge 6.5 Creedmoor as the winner, but you weren’t having that. Reader feedback pushed this Designated Marksman Rifle down the order. The reason? It’s awesome, but it’s on the heavy side for a hunter.
This is everything the military could ask for in a mid-range sniper rifle that doubles as a patrol weapon. It’s a specific tool, but it’s everything the Colt M4 and current crop of 308s aren’t when it comes to long-distance accuracy from 500-1000 yards.
This is a sub-MOA AR-platform, what’s not to love? It’s just a touch heavy for a complete service rifle, but it’s close…
Special Forces Snipers Use 6.5 Creedmoor
I could easily see a Special Forces soldier, or even the rank and file, using a Creedmoor for longer distance firefights and sniper-type operations, while a 300 Blackout pistol takes care of the close up work.
Now it’s a lot more expensive than some of the options here, but quality costs and you won’t hear many people talking shit about POF build quality. If anybody does, it’s safe to assume they’ve never touched one.
POF bills this as the 6.5 Creedmoor meets the legendary POF gas piston, which is kind of the USP in a nutshell. Well that and the top class AR platform mated to this absolute sniper of a round.
The Nitride-lined 20 inch barrel gets a 1:8 twist and is match grade all the way, as is the 4lb POF EFP Drop-In trigger. POF sells that as a drop-in for serious money as a standalone rifle upgrade.
Luth AR-Style Stock is Adjustable
A Luth-AR stock gives you the last word in adjustability for target shooting. In the field, though, you can leave the pop up cheekrest in place and work around the solid stock to keep things simple.
You can easily spend more on a Creedmoor rifle with the Noveskes of this world, but this Patriot Ordnance Factory 6.5 Creedmoor rifle for sale is actually a bit of a bargain in comparison. It’s every bit as good as any of them, and it’s every bit the designer rifle.
Just look at the triple port muzzle brake, the Mil-spec and beyond billet lower receiver and attention to detail that includes special KNS Anti-Walk push pins to hold the gun together.
That’s why this rifle is a guaranteed MOA firearm and it’s easily one of the best 6.5 Creedmoor rifles for sale in 2018. In our opinion, it’s arguably the World Champion. If you can handle the heavier weight, it’s awesome.
Where to buy 6.5 Creedmoor rifles online
It’s getting easier to shop for 6.5 Creedmoor rifles, but not every online gunbroker has a good selection of rifles for sale. Here are our top tips and direct links to the Creedmoor rifles in stock that you can buy right now.
- Great deals on Creedmoor rifles on sale at Brownells.
- Rainier Arms – Elite 6.5 Creedmoor Modern Sporting Rifles.
- Specialist 6.5 Creedmoor rifles at Euro Optic.
- Consumer 6.5 Creedmoor rifles at a lower price at Sportsman’s Guide.
7. Bergara Woodsman B14 Timber
- Price: $849.99
- Weight: 7.1lb
- Barrel Length: 22 inch
- Total Length: 42 inch
- Capacity: 3+1 Rounds
This is another rifle that has scorched through the ranks thanks to its lightweight natural wood chassis that means this is a hunting rifle you could shoulder all day without any pain.
The natural walnut stock gives this rifle a real olde world feel, too, and some people love an old-school hunting rifle.
A Traditional Hunting Rifle With 1000 Yard Range
The barrel is 4140 Chrome Moly Steel and it received a simple blued finish. It looks like a traditional bolt-action rifle that is an absolute tack driver out to 1000 yards. Some people will just dig that.
The 22 inch barrel features in Bergara’s heavier chassis as a target shooter, so it goes without saying it’s got the goods as a lightweight hunting rifle. It’s a 1:10 twist and the trigger pull is a simple, clean breaking single-stage trigger that breaks at 3lb.
It is a simple rifle, that unleashes the power of this throughly modern round. It’s pretty awesome, and it’s a lightweight 6.5 Creedmoor hunting rifle that ticks all the boxes.
8. Sig Sauer SIG716G2 DMR
- Price: $2,749
- Barrel Length: 16 inch
- Total length: 37 inch
- Weight: 8.5lb
Is the Sig Sauer 716G2 the next best AR-15? It kind of looks like it could be. I mean the Wilson Combat is the civilian version, but this is the military grade firearm, to borrow a Leftist term and actually use it right.
This is a service rifle, with AR-15 dimensions, including the 16 inch barrel that helps keep the weight down to a manageable 8.5lb.
The effective range, though, blows an AR-15 out the water and this is pure military hardware that has simply been made available to the likes of you and me.
DMR stands for Designated Marksman Rifle and the idea is that in every platoon, one or two soldiers would be equipped with these precision rifles and they would be the first port of call in a long-distance firefight. In the heat of battle, the DMR should be good for a
Navy SEALs Take Sig Sauer Creedmoor into Battle
The Sig Sauer has gone into war with the likes of the Navy SEALs, and the rank and file soldiers out there on the ground. If it can handle the worst that the Middle East can throw at it, this rifle can probably handle a hog hunt.
Yes it’s expensive, but this is a badass gun that is worth every cent. It’s one of Sig Sauer’s finest recent efforts in a pretty solid year. If you love Creedmoor and want an AR platform you’ll struggle to find a better all-round Creedmoor hunting rifle than the SIG 716G2.
9. Daniel Defense Delta 5
- Price: $2219.99
- Barrel Length: 24 inch
- Total Length: 44 inch
- Weight: 9.5lb
- Capacity: 10+1
At first glance the Daniel Defense Delta 5 rifle looks like a horrible swing and a miss. It’s a heavy bolt action rifle with a middling capacity, but then you realise that Daniel Defense doesn’t really get things wrong.
The company’s AR-15 has pretty much taken over the world in the last 12 months, and this is a target shooting specialist, a precision rifle, as well as a special forces sniper rifle.
That’s pretty much the target market, but then the modular aspect of the Daniel Defense Delta 5 means it is turning into a viable alternative for people that want a Sako TRG-42, but can’t quite afford one.
AR Technology on Bolt Action Creedmoor Rifle
The Daniel Defense bolt action Creedmoor rifle is much more than that, though. The company behind the legendary AR-15s has brought a good deal of the Modern Sporting Rifle’s modular thought process to the traditional target shooting and sniper platform.
The end result is a gun with a lot of neat touches that you normally only see on more expensive custom platforms.
The
They all come with a muzzle thread for a suppressor or a serious flash hider. It’s a mechanically-bedded stainless steel action, a three-lug bolt with a 60-degree throw and rotating bolt head.
Single Stage Timney Trigger is Top Class
The trigger is a single stage, adjustable Timney Elite that you can set for 1.5-4lb. The composite stock on this 6.5 Creedmoor bolt-action is carbon-reinforced polymer, the butt stock is fully adjustable and the Picatinny scope base offers 20 MOA elevation.
Military specialists almost certainly ordered this weapon, which now means that you can buy one off the shelf. SO if you want a sniper rifle for target shooting, or you are, you know, an actual sniper, this could be your new rifle.
10. Ruger American Predator 6.5 Creedmoor
- Price: $449.99
- Capacity: 3+1 rounds
- Barrel Length (Inches): 22
- Total Length (Inches): 42
- Weight: 6.6lb
The Ruger American Predator 6.5 Creedmoor is an intriguing example of the economies of scale in action. It’s pretty much 90% of the rifle of the most expensive offerings, but it’s less than half the money thanks to the beauty of mass manufacturing.
The Ruger American Predator 6.5 Creedmoor is also a lightweight Creedmoor rifle and that’s a bigger deal than I first realised.
I got carried away with AR-platforms and military
Ruger Knows Hunting Rifles
Ruger knows all about precision hunting rifles and has simply provided a basic hunting rifle that is really all about that
A 70 degree bolt plays nice with your optic, the composite stock is molded for a positive grip and everything on this 6.5 Creedmoor bolt-action rifle just works.
The trigger is an adjustable Marksman Adjustable Trigger, so you can set it up for a hair trigger or a long pull.
Another Lightweight Creedmoor Rifle
It’s a light gun, too, at 6.6lb, which means you can sling it on your shoulder and take it out for the day, before setting up and taking a 1000-yard White Tail or something bigger.
The stock is
That’s enough to put it on a lot of people’s shopping lists. If you want a cheap bolt action Creedmoor rifle under $500, then the American Predator 6.5 Creedmoor might be the best Creedmoor rifle for you.
11. NEMO Arms XO Steel 6.5 Creedmoor
- Price: $4,085
- Capacity: 20+1 Rounds
- Barrel Length (Inches): 20
- Total Weight: 8.2lb
NEMO Arms makes seriously expensive guns for the best fighting forces around the world. And you can buy one too.
There is a 22 inch barrel option that turns this is Designated Marksman Rifle into a borderline sniper rifle. That weighs in at 9.5lb, though, while this is still a hella accurate Creedmoor rifle that could take an eye out at 1000 yards. We know because it does.
Your urban warfare needs are hopefully pretty thin on the ground, but you could still us a crossover rifle that is devastating in the field, and on a hog hunt. A bolt action rifle is cheaper and arguably more accurate at full range, but this
This is a great gun that will last a lifetime of precision shooting and it is in fact on sale right now at Rainier Arms.
The Ultimate Designated Marksman Rifle?
This is one of the best Creedmoor patrol rifles, if you have the money for this beast.
The upper receiver and lower receiver pairing are machined from billet 7075-T6 aluminum. The barrel is probably the clearest example of the obsessive attention to detail here, as it is a Proof Research slender barrel that is reinforced with a carbon-fiber sleeve.
The company then adds its own Titanium twin-ported muzzle brake.
An adjustable gas block allows you to switch to suppressed settings, just in case you want to run with a silencer for any reason in particular…
Geissele Competition Trigger Among Premium Touches
The NEMO Arms XO Steel 6.5 Creedmoor comes with a Geissele Super Dynamic Enhanced two-stage trigger kit and Magpul furniture. It’s all top class components and material science.
You also get a Picatinny Rail and all the AR goodness, but it comes at a price. Some people simply won’t shoot anything else, though, and the price tag simply does not matter.
Nemo Arms has some seriously good rifles out there right now and you can see just a few of them here.
12. Mossberg MVP LC 20in
- Price: $899.38
- Capacity: 10+1 Rounds
- Barrel Length (Inches): 20
- Total Length (Inches): 37.75
- Total Length: 7.75lb
It might just be the novelty factor, or the colorscheme, but the Mossberg MVP looks like something an Eastern European super spy would pull out to dispatch an American enemy, which is weird because this gun is about as American as Apple Pie.
Mossberg is better known for its shotguns, but it does a mean line in rifles too and we do really like this one.
Box Mag Fed Bolt Action Creedmoor
The Mossberg Varmint and Predator Light Chassis rifle
You might notice the difference hitting paper or ringing steel at long distances, but for hunting we think the benefits of the semi-automatic override the slight and potentially theoretical loss in accuracy.
In the old
13. Remington Model 783 Synthetic Heavy Barrel
- Price: $379.99
- Barrel Length: 16.5 inch
- Total Length: 36.1 inch
- Weight: 8lb
At first glance, the Remington Model 783 Synthetic Heavy Barrel looks like a winning recipe. Hunters don’t need 1000 yard sport shooting rifles. Quite often a rifle that shoots straight and true to around 500 yards is a perfect option.
You can go to the .308 Win Mag if that’s your range, of course, but some people want a mid-range 6.5 Creedmoor rifle, both in terms of price and range.
This light, high-velocity hunting round has won a lot of fans and now we’re starting to move away from the long-range target shooters to tailor-made hunting rifles like the new Remington 783 Synthetic HB.
Remington has 50 years of experience with bolt-action rifles and the new Creedmoor firearm is just an extension of the classic Remington 700 family.
Button Rifled Barrel With a Suppressor
You get a button-rifled barrel with 5/8×24 threads for a suppressor and you get an adjustable Crossfire trigger system set with a pull weight of 4.2lb from the factory.
A SuperCell recoil pad helps soak up the recoil, which is minimal thanks to the lightweight round and the polymer frame that absorbs some of the impact by design.
Considering how short that barrel is, the final weight on this F
14. Accuracy International AXSA 6.5
- Price: $7, 535
- Action: Bolt Action Rifle
- Barrel Length: 24 inches
- Total Length: 49.2 inches
- Weight: 15lb
The price is insane and this is way too heavy to be an all-purpose firearm, but this Creedmoor bolt action rifle could just be the ultimate modern sniper rifle.
The fact that it exists at all, and we can buy it, is a clear indication to me that special forces teams and Law Enforcement around the world are already using 6.5 Creedmoor. Accuracy International makes rifles for the very best, after all…
So I would bet a
Specialist Creedmoor Sniper Rifle
Think about it, a 24 inch 6.5 Creedmoor bolt action rifle from a company that is famed for pinpoint
We actually like all-rounders for the most part and the ultimate sniper rifle would actually be a PITA if you had to hike with it. But if you want the absolute best of long-distance Creedmoor accuracy and you’re prepared to pay, then this would be a great place to start.
Long-Range Target Shooting Specialist
You would still want an all-round rifle for general hunting, but if you just want to sit and pick things off through enhanced magnification and superior firepower, with a suppressor on that threaded barrel, the Accuracy International AXSA 6.5 Creedmoor bolt action is one of the best long-distance rifles for sale.
In the field, it has no equal. In competition, it would certainly make things interesting. Just in general life, this rifle will take a giant dump over almost anything your friends can bring to the party.
That’s worth something. Don’t say it isn’t…
You can get a cheaper, even
Accuracy International is the best, the sniper rifle that the special forces prefer. That means it’s pretty much the best rifle in the world and if you can handle the price and have a support team to carry it, you will feel like a military sniper every time you line up a shot.
15. Savage MSR 10 Hunter
- Price: $1,299
- Barrel Length: 18 inch
- Total Length: 41 inch
- Weight: 8lb
- Capacity: 20+1
One thing this list of great 6.5 Creedmoor rifles for sale has driven home is how weight sensitive people are. 9lb is just too much for a casual hunter, but 8lb seems to slip under the bar.
If weight is a real issue for you, then the 8lb Savage MSR 10 Hunter 6.5 Creedmoor might just be the AR platform you have been searching for.
Personally I would prefer to shoulder another 1lb for the privilege of shooting a military Designated Marksman Rifle, or the Smith & Wesson Performance Center AR-10 based creation. They’re just better, but the Savage MSR 10 Hunter 6.5 Creedmoor rifle is good enough.
The receivers are hard coat anodized, the M-LOK free floating handguard is all good and this is a solid patrol rifle with a shorter, 18 inch barrel. I would still rather have the Smith & Wesson, but it’s your shoulder on the line here…
16. Ruger Precision Rifle 6.5 Creedmoor
- Price: $1,199.97
- Capacity: 10+1
- Barrel (Inches): Up to 24 inches
- Total Length (Inches): 42
- Total Weight: 10.6lb
This is a range gun, rather than a sniper rifle. That’s down to the weight on this bolt action rifle really, which is going to stop all but the most determined hunter running
As an actual effective hunting tool, stay within
It’s a beautifully simple bolt-action gun that was, essentially, modelled on the AR platform. So the end result is an absolute sniper rifle, that can fell most American game with the cleanest kill you’ve seen if you have the skills to go for the exact entry points.
Suddenly you have to do your rifle and ammunition justice and go for the right spot. It brings skill, rather than just horsepower, back into big game hunting.
And it is an absolute bargain. The gun itself is cheap technology that shouldn’t be overstretched by sub 200gr ammo. This round is all about speed, not weight, which has turned it into a natural hunter.
It’s 10.7lb, but that barrel means this thing should be able to nail saucer-size targets at 1200 yards plus and it’s the gun that keeps on giving. As you get better, you’ll find the range just keeps growing.
As you grow, the modular nature of this rifle means you can fit basic AR-10 furniture and strip the weight a little.
There’s almost no take-up on the trigger, less than 1mm anyway. It has a thick barrel, with a KeyMod compatible rail and the only issue is that the bottom isn’t absolutely flat.
A Bi-Pod Transforms Your Rifle
So unless you mount it on a bipod, you might have to do a little with this gun in terms of keeping it balanced for long-range shooting consistency.
You can fit it with a muzzle brake, or a suppressor if you want to go that way. The Ruger Precision Rifle has a threaded barrel,
Now the supremely adjustable buttstock is a little much for a hunting rifle and you might want to switch that out.
The Ruger Precision Rifle, though, is a great entry-level
It might not be quite the best on this list, but for this money it’s an absolute stunner. It’s reliable, it’s an accurate rifle and if you cannot group the shots then it’s down to you.
17. Tikka T3X TAC A1 24-inch
- Price: $1,748
- Capacity: 11 Rounds
- Barrel Length (Inches): 24
- Total Length: 43.5
- Weight: 11.25lb
The Tikka fixes all of the small issues that the Ruger brings to the table, like the dainty stock, and gives you a sturdier precision rifle that you can trust out in the field.
It is more expensive, but owners reckon it is worth it and this Creedmoor bolt action rifle is a total match for weapons that cost several orders of magnitude more.
It’s a fully adjustable, fully customisable weapon. I mean it’s heavy and it’s really first and foremost a target rifle, but it is magnificent.
This is a precision rifle. This is too much gun for running along trails. It’s a stakeout kind of weapon, though, where you set up a hide and shoot like a hitman with Creedmoor.
That can be fun too. So get one of these for your surgical, watch-tower hog hunts.
18. Christensen Arms CA-10 G2 Carbon
- Price: $2,739
- Barrel Length: 20 inch
- Total Length: 35.5 inch
- Weight: 7.2lb
Christensen Arms are a designer handgun and rifle company with some real substance in the material science department.
Extensive use of carbon fiber has helped them solve a pretty major handicap with the weight of the basic AR-10 and the end result is a dark horse that you might now have considered in this class.
You still have to get spending more money on this rifle than you have to shell out for the legendary Sig that follows it past your inner common sense detector.
That’s a tough one, but there’s no getting round the fact that the Christen Arms CA-10 G2 is an engineering masterclass.
Carbon Fiber Barrel for 6.5 Creedmoor Rifles
That 20 inch barrel is a thinner wall of 416R Steel reinforced with a carbon-fiber sleeve. The button-rifled barrel alone is more than $600 and it literally explains where the extra money goes compared to other rifles here.
Some Christensen Arms rifles are ornate for its own sake and the money does sometimes go on frivolous window dressing. Not here.
The upper and lower receivers are machined from billet 7075 Aluminum, again to cut the final weight. A match-grade trigger adjusts from 3.5-4.5lb, you get a flared magwell, an M-LOK Handguard and a BCM Gunfighter stock.
This lightweight rifle is precision engineering the whole way. It’s also a 7.2lb rifle and that makes it one of the lightest 6.5 Creedmoor rifles for sale.
It’s a powerful USP, together with the Sub-MOA accuracy, that we think is going to turn this gun into a halo weapon for Christensen Arms.
They smashed it out the park with this one, and it’s a serious contender for the best Creedmoor rifle for sale in 2019.
19. LSI Howa Hogue Lightweight Bolt Action
- Price: $619.99
- Barrel Length: 26 inch
- Total Length: 44.25 inch
- Weight: 9lb
- Capacity: 4+1
People want choices for lightweight hunting rifles, as well as badass designated marksmen rifles. So here is Howa’s simple effort that Americans have been taking into the woods for some fun for decades.
The 6.5 Creedmoor isn’t the same as things were back in your dad’s day. But this basic recipe bolt-action hunting rifle has been served in American gun stores since the Pioneer days.
The free-floating barrel has a solid reputation for accuracy, it’s almost 1lb heavier than the Tikka and costs about the same though. If you want to keep it simple, though, this one might be for you.
20. Springfield Armory M1A Precision
- Price: $1,299
- Capacity: 10+1 Rounds
- Barrel Length (Inches): 22
- Total Length: 44.3
- Weight: 11.4lb
The Springfield Armory M1A is certainly reminiscent of the M14 military rifle that replaced the M1 Garand in the hands of the American military, if only for a brief time from 1959 to 1964.
The gun didn’t really work as a full automatic machine gun and was difficult to control. Variants were kept, however, as the M14 proved an exceptional sniper rifle.
That was long before the days of 6.5 Creedmoor, but the round has taken an exceptional one-shot, one kill military sniper rifle to a whole new level.
Iron Sights on a Creedmoor Rifle. Good Luck.
You get the iron sights as standard and those rears are adjustable match-grade irons, but let’s be honest most of us couldn’t hit a barn door at 1000 yards with iron sights. Some people can, and good luck to them, but I am not one of you.
So it’s good to know that among all this old-school nostalgia you can fold the iron sights away and attach a proper scope to your rifle. It comes drilled and tapped ready for your preferred scope.
Check out some of the best $1000 rifle scopes for sale in 2018 here.
Modern Take on Vintage Rifle
It’s a bewitching blend of vintage rifle and modern material science. The stainless steel barrel has four grooves and a 1:8 twist, the ported muzzle brake is a work of art and it’s almost infinitely adjustable.
There are elements of Sako TRG-42 about this gun, although obviously it’s a budget option, and you could still easily take aim at 1000 yards with this bad boy.
The Creedmoor bolt action rifle is heavy, so lugging it
Since 1974, Springfield Armory has built civilian versions of military hardware, initially building them up from military surplus before perfecting their art with their own firearms.
Now it makes some of the best 1911s in the business, is right up there with the best concealed carry handguns in the world and yet this remains one of its signature weapons.
This, is a modern, super slick version of a historic firearm gun that remains a piece of American history, if not quite folklore.
You get a match-grade barrel, tuned trigger for a crisp and even response and just about everything else you’d want from a hunting rifle. It’s mag-fed, and 11 rounds is generally plenty if you’re long-distance hunting with Creedmoor.
Be at one with the animal, find the place you want to take them and nail the shot. Creedmoor turns hunting into a more spiritual experience, especially if you start taking cleaner kills.
21. Mossberg Patriot Predator 65
- Price: $323.64
- Capacity: 3+1 rounds
- Barrel Length: 22 inches
- Total Length (inches): 42
- Weight: 6.5lb
It’s the best cheap Creedmoor rifle you are going to find and it basically does everything right for a few hundred dollars.
This is basically the ‘I hunt with Creedmoor 6.5 Starter Pack’ and the Mossberg Patriot Predator is another multi-caliber rifle that has good chemistry with the 6.5 Creedmoor round. It’s also a lightweight gun that you can take into the field and not feel weighed down.
It’s a basic Mossberg bolt action rifle that has served plenty of people well, chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor.
Predator a Great Starter 6.5 Creedmoor Rifle for sale
The Creedmoor bolt action Mossberg Patriot Predator has a 22-inch fluted barrel and you get a synthetic stock. It’s really basic hunting rifle, but it comes at a basic price and it should be good enough for you to get your eye in.
The Mossberg Patriot is not the best rifle here and the synthetic stock is not as solid as the AR-based platforms here. But then the Mossberg Patriot is a much cheaper Creedmoor rifle. So there’s that…
I would spend a few dollars more and get the Save Axis, which is a better all-round Creedmoor bolt action. But this is a cheap Creedmoor bolt action and a lightweight hunting rifle. At this price, that’s a solid start.
22. Bergara LRP Premier 6.5
- Price: $1,999
- Capacity: 5+1 rounds
- Barrel Length (Inches): 24
- Total Length (Inches): 43.5
- Weight: 10.95lb
This chassis has been widely hailed as the best of the ‘off-brand’ rifles in the precision shooting community.
Bergara has its own button rifling process that has elevated the barrels of its rifles to the top tier. Their barrels featured regularly in custom guns and now Bergara wants to build on its success with its own proprietary guns.
It is a fiercely accurate gun with an adjustable trigger, as well as everything else. Bergara claims
The gun is based on the footprint of the Remington 700 and you can order a Bergara in a range of calibers and you can opt for a simpler synthetic stock platform.
The Creedmoor might be the best of the lot, because you can drop mid-big game from 50 yards through to 1000. It barely deviates from its path and drop-off is less of an issue thanks the high-velocity and light weight.
Bergara Offers Range of 6.5 Creedmoor Rifles
Bergara offers the HMP, which is a lot simpler and almost as capable, and the Bergara B-14 HMR, the Bergara B-14 Hunter 6.5 Creedmoor and more. Incidentally, the Bergara B-14 Hunter 6.5 Creedmoor is a 7lb Creedmoor bolt action rifle you might just love. Check it and the Bergara B-14 HMR out here.
You give up the rigidity of the AR-style chassis and you get a cheaper synthetic stock with less adjustability and almost certainly more movement during the shot. If you’re punching paper at long distances, you definitely want the more expensive rifle.
The cheaper gun costs $699.99 and you get the same barrel technology, so it might be a better option for you if money is
Could this be one of the best 6.5 Creedmoor hunting rifles for sale in 2019? It just might be you know…
23. Weatherby Vanguard Weatherguard Tactical
- Price: $589.99
- Capacity: 5+1 rounds
- Barrel Length: 24 inch
- Overall Length: 44 inches
- Weight: 7.75lb
This is a more traditional hunting rifle that offers a 5+1 capacity and isn’t really a tactical rifle at all.
The rest of the name is useful, though, as it is totally weatherguarded, with a fully-enclosed bolt sleeve. It is guaranteed in all conditions. To be honest, though, most rifles should be these days.
You get a 24-inch barrel and a polymer stock for a decent price, which could make this an ideal starter rifle for Creedmoor novice shooters that want a rifle they can grow into.
Cheap Sub-MOA Rifle
It’s a guaranteed Sub-MOA rifle, too, so it’s not just a cheap starter rifle. It’s a two-stage match-grade trigger. It comes with a fluted bolt, an integral recoil lug and a hinged floorplate. Add that long cold hammer forged barrel to the mix and you have got a very convincing firearm for a bargain price.
It’s a good rifle, it’s an accurate rifle and you should be able to shoulder it for a whole day of hiking to find the best spots. It weighs in at just 7.75lb, despite that monumental barrel, and that’s one of its major strengths.
Fit a supreme optic to this weapon and there’s no reason why it cannot take small animals at 1200 yards and bigger ones much closer. A firearm like this could change the way you hunt and give you more options than you ever imagined.
24. Savage Arms 10BA
- Price: $1014.99
- Capacity: 10+1 Rounds.
- Barrel Length (Inches): 24
- Total Length (Inches): 38.5
- Weight: 9.2lb
With a 24-inch barrel and basic AR-style furniture, this gun has real potential for ridiculous accuracy and an overall cost-effective hunting package.
Get a great optic and you can throw your 308 and 338 away, or sell them. The Savage Model 10BA is all the hunting rifle you need.
This gun weighs in at 9.2lb, so it’s much heavier than some. But that extra accuracy could make it worth hauling round the extra few pounds. With the right optic, this is absolutely a sniper rifle on a budget.
It also has that custom sniper rifle look about it. That’s worth something, we think…
25. Savage Arms 12 Long Range Precision
- Price: $1,054.99
- Capacity: 4+1 Rounds
- Barrel: 26 Inches
- Total length: 46.25 inches
- Total Weight: 11lb
Sometimes you don’t want an AR platform you can shoulder for the day. Sometimes you just want a really accurate barrel strapped to a stock. That’s what the Save Arms 12 Long Range Precision was built for.
In truth it’s more of a long distance target rifle than a hunter. But you could set yourself up in a hide and take pot shots at things that could be animals on the horizon. I mean who is going to stop you?
With a 6.5 Creedmoor bolt action and a seriously accurate
Long Barrel Increases Accuracy
26 inches of supremely accurate carbon steel barrel makes up for an awful lot of tech, so Savage Arms really could keep it simple while building an absolute tack driver of a rifle that is a legend with long distance shooters and even the sniper style of hunters.
Yes it weighs in at 11lb and that’s a lot, but this is an old school long rifle that you set up with and slowly push yourself to 1250+ yards.
It’s so basic that it’s a favorite in long-distance shooting competitions. It really is a HS Precision fiberglass stock, a free-floating barrel and Target AccuTrigger technology that means you can set the trigger pull from 6oz to 2.5lb.
There isn’t much else, which means its eligible for more competition shooting classes.
26. ZEV Technologies Small Frame Billet Rifle
- Price: $2,839.55
- Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
- Barrel Length: 20 inch
- Total Length: 38.75 inch
- Weight: 8.7lb
The only reason it’s all the way down here is that the ZEV Tech Small Frame rifle is sold out now, even on its own site. We need a rifle you can actually buy, but we hope ZEV Technologies is about to launch a replacement as this rifle kicked a solid amount of ass.
You could seriously make a case for this ZEV winning the whole damn shooting
ZEV focused on bringing the larger caliber rifles to a platform that looks and feels like an AR-15 style rifle. Mission accomplished.
The end result isn’t just a familiar looking rifle, it is also a halfway house weight wise, between the super lightweight Creedmoor ARs and the full-on Mil-spec Designated Marksman Rifles from POF et al.
There are lighter 6.5 Creedmoor rifles, that’s just a fact. But the ZEV weighs in at just 8.7lb, and it gives you the 20 inch barrel that the Heckler & Koch is missing.
The ZEV Technologies Creedmoor rifle comes with billet aluminum receivers that get a Type II Class III Hard Anodized finish. It isn’t quite DLC, but it gets the job done.
As for the M-LOK handguard, it installs directly on the rail base of the upper receiver. That streamlines the weapon, saves weight and makes the handguard a load-bearing structure in its own right. That means the gun as a whole is more rigid and you might just feel that competitive advantage at 1200 yards or more.
ZEV Tech is Famous For Drop-in Glock Triggers
ZEV Technologies made its name with trigger sets and barrels for the custom Glock world. Now it has evolved as a company and makes a range of precision firearms, from the ZEV Tech OZ9, an all-metal Glock 19 evolution, right through to these precision firearms and AR pistols.
The rifles are the result of a takeover of MEGA ARMS that has put ZEV right into battle with the likes of Patriot Ordnance Factory and Daniel Defense. The ZEV Core AR-15 and even the plain Jane forged AR-15 pistol, in 5.56x45mm NATO and 300 AAC Blackout spec, have worked their way steadily up our top 10 lists.
ZEV has grown as a company and now makes serious precision firearms that can mix it with the best of them. The interesting thing here is that the company has turned to outside suppliers, including Noveske Rifleworks for the sub-MOA barrel produced from fluted 416R steel. ATC produced a bespoke AR Gold trigger set with a ‘sniper flat face’.
This is ZEV Tech’s bread and butter in the custom Glock world and competition shooters take its parts into battle every day. The company’s trigger set is widely considered the best in the business, so you would think they would have simply made their own kit for this semi auto Creedmoor rifle. Not so…
27. The Fix by Q
- Price: $3028.99
- Capacity: 10+1 Rounds
- Barrel Length (Inches): 22
- Total Length (Inches): 41.25
- Total Length: 7.6lb
Update: It’s on sale, but it’s never in stock and we have our doubts. This could turn out to be vaporware, a rifle that doesn’t quite make the mass market. We’d love Q to prove us
It’s maybe no coincidence that the press shots of The Fix by Q largely feature suppressors. We’re not saying this is the long-distance Creedmoor that a Hitman might opt for, but…
You don’t have to shoot people, though. You can shoot big game, targets, or whatever you choose that day, with one of the finest guns on the market. The detail engineering is exquisite, it’s all Cerakote finished and it’s a gun that’s a cut above.
It’s also a gun that is set to be multi-caliber, which suddenly makes it decent value. There is enough mention of a .308 Win version to know it’s on the way and Q has told us that The Fix was designed from the outset to allow for switching calibers.
The Best Hunting Rifle in the World?
Is it one of the best hunting rifles in the world? If it wants to be yes, but you do get the feeling that The Fix by Q is a touch more sinister and wants to drop heads of state from the top of a neighboring skyscraper, not Bull Elk and American Whitetail in the great outdoors.
When you buy your gun online, though, the rest is down to you…
It’s expensive, as 6.5 Creedmoor rifles go, you need to know that first off. And despite creating the Honeybadger blackout pistol for the Special Forces, it took years and several redesigns to get this Creedmoor rifle and the AAC 300 Blackout rifle that completes the line-up.
But at 7.6lb, this is a finely balanced gun you could carry round forever. It also breaks down into conveniently sized parts and can be packed away with ease.
Designer Rifle, But is it a Winner?
Right now, it’s a designer rifle without the instant credibility. It will have to prove itself with accuracy, repeatability and usability. If it becomes a willing hunter’s rifle, then it could be a truly unique piece of kit.
It’s also modular to the point you can fit standard AR-15 grips without beavertails and a lot of your existing gear will work with this futuristic looking rifle.
When you need it to, it’s a bolt action rifle that is capable of ringing a bell at 1200 yards. and it will take down even the biggest American game if you get just slightly closer.
It’s a 22-inch barrel for maximum accuracy. So you’d want a bi-pod, a spotter and a serious target for this weapon. Select the right ammunition, and it could probably take out a live target at 1000 yards and that will turn out to be part of hunting with Creedmoor.
The long distance accuracy has to be seen to be believed and you can pick your shots at 800 meters and a lot further, down to the heart or head. This gun, it’s the racing car of the 6.5 Creedmoor rifles world and it’s probably the only hunting rifle you’ll ever need.
That’s lucky, because you won’t be able to afford any more.
You will add to the package, that’s the idea, and a bigger stock, longer rail and even a 24 inch or longer barrel could all prove useful if, well, you really are a hit-man.
Reinventing the Rifle for the Modern Age
The aluminum stock is almost infinitely adjustable, and there are some other high-tech treats in this new rifle for sale too. Q is a company that grew out of making silencers and decided to put all its R&D expertise into reinventing the rifle, and the AR pistol, for the masses.
The Honey Badger has the bigger name, in part due to the video games industry. But this gun is actually more exciting in its own way. It is the ultimate sniper rifle for the modern age. It isn’t a classic hunter, but then that could be part of the appeal.
It’s a one-piece receiver with a 45 degree short-throw bolt handle. Everything is competition level, match grade and Mil-spec. The stainless steel barrel joins forces with aircraft-grade aluminum stock and the near full-length Picatinny rail invites you to put a proper scope on it. Then go to town with the long-range shooting.
It’s also an awesome lightweight sniper rifle, if you need one of those for any reason…
What Scope Should You Buy For 6.5 Creedmoor Hunting?
The scope is actually more important than the gun and will certainly outlive it. But I have done a separate post for $1000 scopes that you can read here and most of them went to 25x magnification. Because why not?
3-9×40 Scopes seem to be the most
Amazon has some great options and thousands of user reviews that highlight these scopes times and again.
It’s better to take your 6.5 Creedmoor rifles right to the outer limits with a 20-25X magnification for the real long range shots. You need to guide the bullet, rather than force it.
Most of rifles listed are too heavy for hunting
There’s a mix in there and people do use them. A lot of .308s are heavy, too, and that doesn’t stop people taking them out. I can understand wanting a lightweight gun, but not everybody does.
i agree with first comment. Too many rifles over 8lds on this list. I own a Tikka T3X TAC A1 in 6.5CM. It’s an awesome rifle but it’s not a hunting rifle, too heavy. I’m now shopping for a 6.5CM hunting rifle that’s under 8lbs. I’m leaning towards the Tikka T3X Stainless Laminated.
You might be right. I add to the lists all the time and the balance got out. I got a new partner, Euro Optic, with some incredible guns on there. I got a bit excited. But yep, I’m going to go back and add some more lightweight options. So point taken!
What is the most reliable and most accurate (perhaps just well build) Precision Rifle in your opinion? I narrowed down to Tikka T3X TAC A1, Savage Model 10 BA Stealth, Ruger Precision Rifle Gen 3, Springfield M1A, and the Bergara B14 BMP. Trying to decide between them by looking at the best deals. Any recommendations or something else I should look at?
People love the Tikka and it seems to be getting a lot more love than the Ruger. It also comes in a few flavors, but you know the one you’re after. The TAC A1 is meant to be fantastic, the Springfield is a retro and different kind of experience. The Savage is OK, but out the lot of them I think I would go with your first option. I think if it’s a target/long distance shooter, you’re basically right on the money.