6mm Creedmoor Bolt-Actions: Barrett, Browning, and Howa

In the January 2016 issue of Gun Tests, we tested the Ruger Precision Rifle chambered for 6.5mm Creedmoor (6.5 CM). The RPR made long-distance shooting easy but was it the rifle or was it the caliber? Just about every 6.5 CM rifle we tested thereafter, no matter how traditional or space age the design, outshot what has long been the benchmark of accuracy — sub-minute-of-angle groups, or 1-inch-wide groups fired from the 100-yard line — with room to spare. In this evaluation we compared three bolt-action rifles chambered for the slightly smaller, slightly faster 6mm Creedmoor round, launching bullets measuring 0.243 inches in diameter versus 6.5mm bullets that are 0.264 inches in diameter. The rifles were the $1929 Barrett Fieldcraft, Browning’s $2400 X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Long Range McMillan, and the $1220 Howa H-S Precision stocked rifle. We wondered how much difference 0.021mm in bullet diameter would make and why the sudden interest in 6mm Creedmoor.

The evolution of rifle cartridges often comes about behind the scenes, in the loading rooms of competitive shooters or in debriefs after a big match. As Dave Emary (retired chief ballistician for Hornady manufacturing) tells the story, what became the 6.5 Creedmoor began in a discussion after the 2006 CMP Service Rifle Championship with Joe Thielen (head engineer for cartridge case engineering at Hornady) and Dennis DeMille, a national-championship-level competitor. Envisioning a more competitive chambering, the wish list included moderate recoil with enough energy to make 1000-yard shots possible without using a high-pressure cartridge. Furthermore, the new round needed to fit into a short action and be easily mass-produced for commercial sale.

DeMille went on to champion the 6mm HAGAR, which was better suited for the AR-15 in High Power Rifle competition. The 6.5 Creedmoor became the most popular factory round used in long-range rifle competition, such as those sanctioned by the Precision Rifle Series (PRS) and the National Rifle League. Indeed, the Ruger Precision Rifle and the availability of economically priced 6.5 CM did much to bring attention to the sport and grow participation.

So, why the move to calibers such as 6mm Creedmoor and what does it have to do with the hunting rifles in this test? The answer is recoil. The less recoil, the more ability to stay on the scope after the shot, determine point of impact, and make corrections without the benefit of a spotter. What’s more, competitors rely on heavily built rifles to protect their bodies over the course of a long season, including thousands of practice rounds. For example, Gun Tests Contributor Joe Woolley’s 6.5 CM Masterpiece Arms rifle with 26-inch barrel weighs about 16 pounds without a scope. Roger Eckstine’s 6.5 CM Accuracy International build with Surgeon action and 26-inch barrel weighs about 18 pounds including a 5-27x56mm scope. These heavy rifles transmit less recoil to the shooter, but many top competitors have gone a step further, choosing to shoot lower-recoil ammunition, including 6mm Creedmoor, to save wear and tear on their bodies. Given the rifles in this test are scaled back to the size and weight of hunting rifles, we wanted to see if what has been learned in the world of competitive precision rifle competition would also benefit the hunter.

One popular misconception as to the origin of the 6.5mm/6mm Creedmoor cartridges is that they were born of the 308 Winchester case. But if we were to start from scratch and make “wildcat” casings for either the 6.5 or 6mm Creedmoor rounds, we’d begin with a batch of 30 T/C (Thompson Center) brass. As stated in The Shooter’s Bible Guide to Cartridges by Gun Tests Editor Todd Woodard, the 30 T/C cartridge offers less case volume than the 308 Winchester but typically produces higher velocities than 308 Win., particularly when loaded with 150-grain bullets. In forming the Creedmoor rounds, the empty case length remains the same as 30 T/C, 1.920 inches in length, but the angles at the shoulder (where the case mouth is “necked down” to hold the bullet) became critical. The object was to pack more powder behind smaller bullets that offered higher Ballistic Coefficients (BC), a rating of aerodynamics and inertia, allowing rounds to better fight off wind drift and resist the pull of gravity. Typical 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition features bullets ranging in weight from 120 grains to 147 grains. Our 6mm test rounds were Hornady’s 87-grain V-Max Varmint Express and 103-grain ELD-X Precision Hunter ammunition. We also fired Black Hills Ammunition’s loading of Hornady’s 108-grain ELD-M bullet. The lighter-weight bullets common to 6mm Creedmoor generate less recoil, which is one reason why 6mm CM is more comfortable to shoot than its larger brother.

Like our choice of cartridge, our riflescope reflected what is being used in competition. The $899 Bushnell Forge 3-18x50mm first-focal-plane riflescope complete with locking turrets and zero stop offered a sophisticated Deploy MIL grid very similar to the Horus H59. The Forge scope was a bargain, in our view, not only for its visual clarity but also the fact that just a few short years ago an H59 reticle was a $500 upgrade on most optics. Another item that helped us with our testing was a pair of Strong Suit Precision gloves, $17 from TopBrassMilitary.com. The increase in grip provided by the gloves made by Intekmfg.com reduced our shooter’s physical effort without limiting dexterity. The exposed thumb, index, and forefingers were fully tailored, allowing us to work normally without having to cut away the fingertips and leave frayed edges. We toted our gear to the range including ammo, tools, bags, bipods, etc. in a Highland Tactical “Task” Extreme Tool Backpack ($75 from HLTactical.com). We chose the Task because it was designed to comfortably carry heavy tools, and it had a molded plastic protective bottom that kept it upright, creating a workstation that behaved more like a cabinet than a backpack. Accuracy data was collected by shooting multiple 5-shot groups from the 100-yard benches at Houston’s American Shooting Centers (AMShootCenters.com). Would the enthusiasm shared by competitive rifle shooters carry over once 6mm Creedmoor was packaged in our three different hunting rifles? Let’s find out.

Browning X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon Long RangeMcMillan Burnt Bronze 035395291 6mm Creedmoor, $2400

GUN TESTS GRADE: A

Our Browning test rifle had a long name that did offer an accurate description. Hell’s Canyon is a 10-mile-wide canyon located along the Eastern borders of Oregon and Washington and the western border of Idaho, signaling the Browning was designed to shoot over long distances. The McMillan Game Scout carbon-fiber stock featured a steep pistol grip with a mild palm swell on each side, toned down from the maker’s Scout-sniper profile, which is popular with precision rifle competitors as well as with the military. McMillan of Phoenix, Arizona has been supplying stocks and complete rifles to military snipers since the 1970s. The exteriors of the action, fluted barrel, muzzle brake, floor plate, and removable flush fit four-round rotary magazine were each treated to a Cerakote finish of burnt bronze. The X-bolt face offers three equally spaced lugs. The action was seated via aluminum pillar bedding, and the buttstock was finished with a Pachmayr Decelerator buttpad. Length of pull measured about 13.75 inches.

Our X-Bolt Hell’s Canyon was the longest rifle in the test, complete with a threaded 26-inch-long barrel that was extended about 1.6 inches thanks to a 2-inch-long muzzle brake. A muzzle cap was supplied. The sliding two-position safety switch was located on the tang directly behind the bolt, making it equally available to the right-handed and left-handed shooter. The bolt and the trigger were locked down with the safety switch rearward, which was the Safe setting. Weighing in at little more than 8 pounds unloaded (without scope), the rifle’s point of balance was located directly below the middle of the rifle chamber. We didn’t feel the rifle was overbuilt, but the 6.1-inch-long 20-moa Picatinny scope mount was connected using a total of eight bolts, two groups of four forward and aft of the ejection port. We used a set of TPS brand TSR Super Low Picatinny style aluminum rings ($105, from MidwayUSA.com) to position the Bushnell Forge 3-18x50mm scope.

Aside from the McMillan stock, we took note of one additional feature that we think signaled that the Hell’s Canyon Long Range begged to be shot from the prone position. The underside of the stock offered but one sling stud; also, it provided two “flush cups” designed to accept pushbutton-style quick-detachable sling loops. In fact, two such sling loops were supplied. The bare stud was in place ready for mounting a Harris-style bipod.

This supplants the common practice of mounting dual studs beneath the forend, one for the bipod and the other for the sling loop. The Hell’s Canyon might be a tad long to maneuver into a deer blind, but overland carry was certainly a welcome option.

At the range we discovered the bolt action was as brief as it was efficient. Moving the bolt from approximately 5 o’clock to 3 o’clock and back, we saw the Browning feed flawlessly from the magazine or when individual rounds were hand-fed over the follower. As delivered, the trigger-pull weight averaged 3 pounds 9 ounces with an action that was clean, precise, and free of any pre-travel. Designed to function over a range of 3 to 5 pounds, pull weight was user adjustable. Access to the adjustment screw was by removing the trigger guard/bottom metal. The trigger itself sat well back inside the trigger guard, and its face was wide and slightly convex.

When firing the Browning, we experienced very little recoil. In removing the muzzle brake, we learned two things. First, the muzzle brake was not making the report inordinately loud. Second, recoil without the brake was still noticeably less than when firing the other rifles. In our opinion, this can be traced back to the geometry of the McMillan stock, including the additional mass ahead of the pistol grip to make room for the tang-mounted safety.

Naturally, the Browning’s longer barrel helped it produce the most velocity and muzzle energy. What we thought was interesting was that its most accurate performance was achieved firing both the lightest-weight bullets and the heaviest bullets from our choice of test ammunition. While our five-shot groups firing the Hornady 103-grain ELD-X rounds averaged about 1 minute of angle, both our 87-grain Hornady and 108-grain Black Hills rounds produced groups measuring about 0.70 inch across at 100 yards.

Our Team Said: When we think of a competition bolt-action rifle adapted to hunting purposes, it might be difficult to come up with a better result than the Hell’s Canyon Long Range. Whereas the contrast in recoil with the braked barrel was stark when compared to the other rifles, credit must also be given to the stock. The McMillan Game Scout made it easy to get the shooter’s eye directly behind the scope, and its length took any cramp out of the position. Whereas its length (and price) may limit its appeal for some hunters, this is a super varmint rifle that could easily double as a part-time competition rifle.

Barrett Fieldcraft Lightweight Rifle Threaded 6mm Creedmoor, $1929

GUN TESTS GRADE: A-

We think the Barrett Fieldcraft is so named because it was designed for the trekking outdoors person. The word bushcraft comes to mind. Bushcraft is a term synonymous with thriving in the natural environment using wilderness survival skills. Common tools include a small ax, knife, and saw. Adding a firearm would require that it was compact and lightweight, while being formidable enough to justify the extra baggage. The Fieldcraft Threaded is just such a rifle.

The Fieldcraft rifle series from Barrett of Murfreesboro, Tennessee is the antithesis of Ronnie Barrett’s legendary 25-pound Model 82 50-caliber bolt-action rifle. Actually there are four different models in the Fieldcraft lineup available in 10 different chamberings. Each rifle features an AGI composite stock with blind magazine, offering top loading only. The actions and barrels are finished in satin stainless and the bolts are spiral fluted. The bolt handles are relieved to save weight, and even the Standard model with 21-inch-long barrel is listed as weighing less than 5.5 pounds unloaded. Our Fieldcraft Threaded Lightweight Rifle was the most compact of all currently available models featuring an 18.5-inch-long threaded barrel. Nevertheless, its full 14.0-inch length of pull meant it wasn’t limited to shooters of smaller stature. Measuring less than 38 inches in overall length, our scales said it weighed 5 pounds 5 ounces.

If any first impression trumped our surprise of how light the Fieldcraft was, it would be the quality of machining, fit, and finish. The stock had a very solid “extruded” feel to it, with minimal fit gaps everywhere. The inletting at the trigger guard was remarkably even, as was the seating of the action inside the stock. Adding to the singular feel of the rifle was the fact that the action and barrel was fully bedded all the way to through to the tip of the forend. The barrel was threaded, and a rather hardy knurled cap was supplied. The barrel had a Sporter profile, but there was a flange machined as one with the barrel, so the cap (or muzzle brake or suppressor) offered a natural stop, adding support and preventing overtightening.

The Fieldcraft arrived with a set of scope rings made by Talley Manufacturing bolted directly to the receiver. These rings ($52) were made specifically for the Fieldcraft as the bolt pattern and the contour of the receiver was unique. The two-lug bolt rode smoothly and evenly, locking up with the handle positioned directly above the center of the trigger guard. The bolt release was a compression lever located just left of the rear of the bolt. The two-position safety located on the right side did not lock down the bolt, allowing the magazine to be unloaded by cycling the action. Overall, the Fieldcraft favored the right-handed shooter with additional features, such as a support contour on the left side of the buttstock.

The Fieldcraft operated using a Timney-brand trigger that was adjustable to as light as 2 pounds. This required removing the action from the stock. Instructions, including the proper torque ratings on the action screws, were provided inside the owner’s manual. As delivered, the trigger offered 2 pounds 14 ounces of resistance on average. The face of the trigger was wide and flat with fine serrations. The trigger broke cleanly and predictably without take up. Firing the Fieldcraft immediately after shooting the Browning was quite a change in terms of recoil. Yet, overall, we would rate the felt recoil somewhere around that developed by a 30-30 Win. lever action.

Settling in to collect accuracy data, we did notice a shift in point of impact as the barrel heated up. Our best efforts were achieved firing the Hornady 87-grain V-Max Varmint Express ammunition with our first two shots from a cold bore producing one elongated hole. Thereafter, the point of impact shifted about 1.1 inches toward 7 o’clock. Our next five shots formed a group measuring about 0.5 inch across. Given the ambient temperature of about 90 degrees Fahrenheit, it was impossible to completely cool the barrel. Our next two shots were about 0.6 inch apart, followed by a five-shot group that migrated once again toward 7 o’clock. However, the shift was much less pronounced, leaving about a 0.75-inch-wide five-shot group about one-half inch from the first two. By managing barrel heat for consistency throughout the remainder of our tests, we were able to produce groups measuring between 0.8 inch and 1.3 inches across, on average.

Our Team Said: The Fieldcraft Lightweight Rifle fills a very specific niche. This is not a high-capacity rifle that’s quickly reloaded, but we could carry it all day even if the heat-related shift in point of impact meant we couldn’t shoot it all day. Pricey, but well made, its portability is inviting.

Howa 1500 H-S Precision HHS62203 6mm Creedmoor, $1220

GUN TESTS GRADE: A

First imported in 1979, the Howa 1500 series action has a long been a consistent performer thanks to its simplicity and versatility. Made in Japan, the Howa is brought to the American market by Legacy Sports International of Reno, Nevada in an impressive variety of calibers and configurations, including chassis systems as well as traditional design stocks. Our Howa benefitted from being mounted in an H-S Precision PSS139 rifle stock. H-S Precision of Rapid City, South Dakota is well known for its HTR (Heavy Tactical Rifle) developed for the FBI. The PS series stocks were designed as true drop-on components for barreled actions, featuring a full-length aluminum bedding block as well as the H-S patent-pending barrel-channel centering screws. Barely noticeable from the sides, the small Allen screws allow for centering regardless of the tolerances of the action. The body of the stock was hand laminated using Kevlar, fiberglass, and carbon fiber followed by an injection of dense polyurethane foam. The exterior finish was very distinctive, offering a decorative grip texture H-S refers to as “spider web.” The official listing for this color combination is green/black.

Our 6mm Creedmoor Howa featured a 22-inch-long Sporter-profile barrel with recessed crown. The receiver offered a press-down release for the two-lug bolt on the left side and a three-position safety to the right of the bolt. The safety lever was shifted fully rearward to lock both the bolt and the action, forward to 12 o’clock for manipulation of the bolt with the trigger on Safe, then fully forward to Fire. The internal magazine with hinged floorplate held five rounds. The bolt action was smooth, but cycling required a definitive full-length stroke forward and back to ensure consistent feeding. The trigger broke cleanly after a short free swing of take up. We measured an average resistance of 2 pounds 13 ounces. We loved the texture of the stock and its solid feel. There was a very subtle relief atop the very front of the comb to make the bolt easier to remove. Otherwise, clearance would have been close but not actually impeded, in our view. There were standard sling studs front and rear and a small gap at the forend where the barrel floated freely above the stock. We used a pair of medium-height Nikko Stirling Integrated ring/base Zero-Lok mounts ($24) from LegacySports.com to mount our Bushnell Forge scope.

At the range the Howa delivered the best accuracy of our tests, shooting the 108-grain Black Hills ammunition into groups slightly smaller than 0.4 inch. The largest group measured about 0.90 inch after the heat finally took hold of the tapered barrel. The 87-grain and 103-grain rounds broke the 1-moa barrier with groups measuring 0.9 inch and 0.95 inch, respectively.

Our Team Said: If we had expected our rifles to be equal based on caliber and action, we learned that the Browning and the Barrett were better suited for specific purposes. But it’s hard to imagine a rifle scenario outside of the competition world wherein the Howa wouldn’t fit. It wasn’t too long or too heavy to go just about anywhere. Matched with 6mm Creedmoor, the variety of game available to its level of power makes it extremely versatile. This is a great all-around rifle at a very reasonable price.

Written and photographed byRoger Eckstine and Joe Woolley.