Most Accurate 6.5 Creedmoor Ammo, Tested

Our many years of rifle testing have shown the 6.5 Creedmoor to be one of the most precise cartridges to choose when using factory ammo, but what is the most accurate 6.5 Creedmoor ammo? Because each rifle is different, we can’t claim any single load to be universally most accurate, but our testing has given us some valuable insight. Shooting Editor John B. Snow, and I fire tens of thousands of shots for accuracy testing each year between the two of us. We are constantly evaluating rifles across a spectrum of price points and applications, and accuracy evaluation is a big part of that.

Two things we’ve developed through all that testing are a reasonable expectation for what good accuracy is and which ammo frequently meets or exceeds that level of performance. Part of the testing process is shooting each type of ammunition we get through control rifles to attain top-end expectations for the performance of that ammo. If ammo shoots poorly in these rifles, it’s almost always worse in a factory hunting rifle. This allows us to single out and use the highest quality ammunition. In this case, it has helped us determine some of the most accurate 6.5 Creedmoor ammo that you can buy today.

Testing the Most Accurate 6.5 Creedmoor Ammo: Accuracy Protocol

At Outdoor Life, we strive to always improve our testing quality and present the most relevant information. That has caused our accuracy testing and, more importantly, the type of data we look at to evolve. A few years back, we relied on five-shot group size as a primary metric for evaluating and comparing accuracy. Then we moved to averages of many five-shot group sizes. We have learned that even that metric isn’t very reliable or useful. Five-shot group sizes simply vary too much and even averages of large numbers of groups don’t offer us useful predictive data about how a gun or ammo will shoot.

Hornady has led the charge on educating folks about sample sizes and data interpretation, and we highly recommend watching their podcast episodes on the subject beginning with episode 50, Your Groups are too Small. After doing our own testing, we’ve found their information and perspective to be spot on. Simply using valid sample sizes has answered many of the questions and mysteries of both rifle accuracy and load development.

Though we still present five-shot group size as a reference, we put our weight on 20-shot samples. No, we don’t shoot 20 shots in a row. Rather, we shoot five-shot groups, then combine them into a 20-shot composite group by syncing up points of aim as detailed in this story. Using 20 shots reduces the variability of group size from around 50 percent to about 20 percent. More importantly, it gives us enough data for a valid mean radius calculation — the average distance each shot lands from the true group zero. You can read more about what mean radius is here, but a key point is that it accounts for every shot fired, not just the spread of the two worst shots. For comparative data, mean radius tells you which load is shooting more accurately much better than group size.

Control Rifles

To find the most accurate 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, we need to test it in a meaningful way. That means shooting it through rifles that we know are consistently precise. Every rifle is different, and some rifles prefer one type of ammo, the next might shoot better with another. Our most accurate ammo might not be the best in your rifle, but it’s a safe bet that if it doesn’t shoot any of these well, it’s not going to be very accurate with anything you feed it. Here’s a look at the rifles we’ve used to test.

Zermatt TL3 Custom

• Action: Zermatt Arms TL3 SA
• Barrel: 24-inch Proof Research carbon-fiber pre-fit
• Stock/Chassis: MDT XRS chassis
• Optic: Nightforce ATACR 7-35

Ruger Precision Rifle

• Action: Ruger Precision Rifle
• Barrel: 24-inch Proof Research steel pre-fit
• Stock/Chassis: RPR with Magpul PRS Lite and Catalyst Arms ARCA handguard
• Optic: Nightforce ATACR 7-35

Most Accurate 6.5 Creedmoor Ammo: Reviews and Recommendations

Here’s a look at the most accurate 6.5 Creedmoor ammo that we’ve tested. Each load has been accurate in a variety of rifles and we will include data from one or more control rifles as well as a factory hunting rifle or two for a realistic perspective and expectation for those platforms.

Most Accurate 6.5 Creedmoor Match Ammo: Sako TRG 136-grain Scenar

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Pros

• Very accurate
• Great for precision match shooting
• Good quality brass

Cons

• Expensive
• Can be tough to find

Key Features

• Bullet: 136-grain Lapua Scenar
• G1 BC: .526
• Brass: Sako
• Box Velocity: 2,820 fps
• Price: $45 per box

100-Yard Accuracy

Sako TRG is some of the most accurate 6.5 Creedmoor ammo that you’ll be able to find. It fires the 136-grain Lapua Scenar, and uses high-quality Sako brass. These Finnish cartridges bring the same quality we see and expect from Sako rifles, and they shoot well in a variety of rifles. From my Proof-barreled RPR, the .86-inch 20-shot spread was impressive, but looking at mean radius tells an even more informative story. A mean radius of .21 inches means that the average shot from that sample missed the center of the group by less than a quarter inch. If we consider the .86-inch overall group size, that tells us that nearly all the shots were clustered tightly together and it was likely one or two errant shots that caused that large of a group. That’s why group size alone doesn’t give us the best information.

The downside to Sako TRG ammo is that it’s as expensive as a lot of hunting ammo, and it can be tough to find.

Most Accurate 6.5 Creedmoor Hunting Ammo: Federal 143-grain ELD-X

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Pros

• Extremely accurate
• Nickel-plated cases feed smoothly
• Great all-around 6.5 CM hunting bullet

Key Features

• Bullet: 143-grain Hornady ELD-X
• G1 BC: .623
• Brass: Federal, nickel-plated
• Box Velocity: 2,700 fps
• Price: $54 per box

100-Yard Accuracy

I believe the Hornady 143-grain ELD-X to be one of the best hunting bullets ever fielded in the 6.5 Creedmoor — and one of the most accurate too. Over the years, I’ve taken sheep, caribou, deer, moose, and bears with it, and have no plans on slowing down. Federal also began loading the projectile in their premium line, and it’s damn accurate ammo. The 143 ELD-X is built for accuracy and efficiency in flight, with a very high B.C. and heat shield tip that includes Hornady’s patented DVRT meplat for consistent downrange ballistics.

Federal’s premium hunting load comes in nickel-plated brass cases and spits bullets out at 2,700 fps from a 24-inch barrel. It’s good to keep in mind that shorter barrels are most common, and you must keep you impact velocity in mind when hunting at longer distances. If you’ve got the velocity to do the job, however, this ammo will be plenty accurate enough. Hell, it would compete in any NRL Hunter match when fired from a good barrel.

Best Value 6.5 Creedmoor Match Ammo: AAC 140-grain BTHP

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Pros

• Very affordable
• Good accuracy
• Great for precision practice or NRL Hunter

Cons

• Not quite as consistently accurate as most premium match ammo
• Crimped primers

Key Features

• Bullet: 140-grain Hornady BTHP
• G1 BC: .580
• Brass: AAC
• Box Velocity: 2,700 fps
• Price: $20 per box

100-Yard Accuracy

We always like finding good-shooting ammo. We like it even better when that ammo is cheap. You generally get what you pay for when it comes to ammo, but we have found a few gems over the years, over which shooters can rejoice. When it comes to the most accurate 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, the best value going is AAC’s 140-grain BTHP load, which rings up at $20 per box. That’s less than half what the premium stuff will cost you. There’s nothing flashy about this load. It uses a basic BTHP bullet that Hornady developed for AAC, and it’s potential punches way above it’s weight class.

Limited testing has shown that this stuff isn’t the most accurate through the average hunting rifle, but who cares? Through a premium-barreled rifle it shoots accurately enough, with mid-teen velocity SD’s, to compete in NRL Hunter. One of the most useful applications for this ammo is to use in your competition or hunting rifle for positional practice — something we can all use more of.

Best Value 6.5 Creedmoor Hunting Ammo: Nosler Whitetail Country

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Pros

• Great accuracy
• Good all-around hunting ammo
• Great value

Cons

• Not great for longer distances

Key Features

• Bullet: 140-grain solid base lead-tipped bullet
• G1 BC: .495
• Brass: Nosler
• Box Velocity: 2,650 fps
• Price: $32 per box

100-Yard Accuracy

In 2024, Nosler introduced a line of ammo focused on whitetail hunters, but it’s far more useful than that. This affordable, simplified load uses Nosler’s premium components and a lead-tipped cup-and-core bullet that has a thickened jacket and solid base. It’s very similar to their ballistic tip design, just with a lead core. Their aim is to provide great medium-sized game ammo at a great price. They’ve done it.

This ammo was very accurate in my Ruger Precision Rifle, and shot quite well in the Remington 700 Alpha 1 too. Despite not having a great B.C., this is an excellent option for just about any deer or black bear hunting under 400 yards. It’s a hard value to beat.

Federal 140-grain Fusion Tipped

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Pros

• Great accuracy in a lot of rifles
• More affordable that a lot of premium hunting ammo
• Bonded for high weight retention

Cons

• Skiving on jackets and tips don’t always look clean and consistent

Key Features

• Bullet: 140-grain Fusion Tipped
• G1 BC: .529
• Brass: Federal
• Box Velocity: 2,715 fps
• Price: $44 per box

100-Yard Accuracy

Federal’s Fusion Tipped — like their lead-tipped Fusion — is one of the most underrated types of 6.5 Creedmoor ammo on the market. It’s marketed toward the deer hunter as a more affordable bonded-bullet ammunition, but it’s capable of much more. In my experience, it’s been more accurate than the more expensive Terminal Ascent premium ammo in a variety of cartridge offerings. This tipped version is more recent and elevates the ballistic performance of the bullet, which still has a copper jacket bonded to a lead core.

The orange tips on some of this ammo look dirty, and the skiving on the jackets looks a bit inconsistent in some boxes. It doesn’t seem to affect accuracy though. This is some of the most accurate hunting ammunition we have tested in 6.5 Creedmoor. In premium rifles we saw it print 20-shot group sizes under an inch — which is fantastic for a hunting rifle — and sub-quarter-inch mean radiuses. From more standard hunting rifles like the Tikka T3X, it still shoots well, and is perfectly adequate for most hunting scenarios.

Hornady Precision Hunter 143-grain ELD-X

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Pros

• Great accuracy
• Excellent hunting bullet
• Best-in-class B.C. for hunting

Key Features

• Bullet: 143-grain Hornady ELD-X
• G1 BC: .623
• Brass: Hornady
• Box Velocity: 2,700 fps
• Price: $47 per box

100-Yard Accuracy

Hornady’s Precision Hunter has been my go-to for 6.5 Creedmoor hunting ammo for many years. They had a winner when they introduced the 143-grain ELD-X, a slippery, efficient hunting bullet. Generally, Precision Hunter has been one of the most accurate 6.5 Creemoor loads on the market. We have seen some fluctuation in that, especially during covid, but it seems to be shooting as good as ever now. The ELD-X bullet isn’t bonded, but has a tapered jacket and a core that’s mechanically fastened to the jacket via an interlock ring. If they expand enough, you’ll sometimes see jackets and cores separate, but I’ve never seen it be an issue on an animal. In my experience, these bullets have been devastating from point blank to 500 yards.

Precision Hunter is premium ammo, but not the most expensive. If you shoot it through a premium barrel, expect tight groups. Once you start getting down around quarter-inch mean radiuses at 100 yards, you’ve got some really good-shooting ammo. Even out of a hunting rifle at a .3- to .4-inch mean radius, you’ll never miss an animal because your ammo wasn’t accurate enough.

Hornady Match 140-grain ELD-M

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Pros

• Good accuracy
• Consistent B.C.
• Widely available

Cons

• Shoots well in everything, not exceptionally in anything

Key Features

• Bullet: 140-grain Hornady ELD-M
• G1 BC: .646
• Brass: Hornady
• Box Velocity: 2,710 fps
• Price: $41 per box

100-Yard Accuracy

Hornady’s staple 6.5 Creedmoor match load, using the 140-grain ELD-M bullet is one that we’ve had mixed results with over the years. Some lots we have shot were so reliably accurate that you’d might as well pitch your barrel if it doesn’t shoot it well. Others, like this test lot had more middling precision. The 140-grain ELD-M bullet is a wonderfully accurate slug, with consistent jacket thickness, an excellent drag profile, but it hasn’t blown us out of the water in our recent testing.

A positive on this load is that it’s generally available anywhere that sells ammo. Though it might not be the most accurate option for your rifle, we still see accuracy that is plenty capable for most plate matches, and ballistic apps like Hornady’s 4DOF already have hyper accurate drag models for the bullet. You just need a good zero and accurate velocity data.

Federal Premium Gold Medal 140-grain Center Strike

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Pros

• Great accuracy in most rifles
• Premium components
• Good B.C.

Key Features

• Bullet: 140-grain OTM
• G1 BC: .552
• Brass: Federal
• Box Velocity: 2,650 fps
• Price: $52 per box

100-Yard Accuracy

Federal Premium Gold Medal match has been a standard in our accuracy testing for years, and their relatively new Center Strike lineup is continuing to impress us in a variety of cartridges. This premium-quality match ammunition uses a 140-grain OTM bullet loaded with Gold Medal brass and primers. It’s got a good B.C. and, if your rifle loves it, will be hard to beat for factory match ammo.

Like most loads, we’ve seen some rifles shoot this one extremely well and others are just OK. Overall though, it’s one of the more reliable and most accurate 6.5 Creedmoor ammo offerings available. If you’re shopping for match ammo, Center Strike is one you definitely want to try. It’s not cheap but, unlike some smaller boutique match ammo, Federal has the muscle to crank out a lot of this stuff — so availability shouldn’t be a problem.

Nosler 140-grain RDF

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Pros

• Ammo is clean and consistent
• Great B.C.
• Good trajectory

Cons

• Expensive
• Not great velocity SD

Key Features

• Bullet: 140-grain RDF BTHP
• G1 BC: .658
• Brass: Nosler
• Box Velocity: 2,675 fps
• Price: $58 per box

100-Yard Accuracy

Nosler’s 140-grain RDF competition load features the reduced drag factor bullet — an ultra-high-B.C. boattailed hollowpoint. Like some other factory loads, we’ve seen the RDF match ammo shoot very well at times, and not quite as accurate at others. Accuracy in my test rifles was fairly erratic, but it did quite well in the two hunting rifles shown above. At close to $60 per box, this ammo is pretty expensive, even for premium competition ammo. If it shoots well in your rifle, it will be worth it, but I would buy a couple boxes and get good data before committing to a bulk order.

FAQ

What is the most accurate bullet for a 6.5 Creedmoor?

That will depend on your rifle, but usually a BTHP or tipped match bullet in the 140- to 150-grain range will be most accurate.

What is the most accurate barrel length for a 6.5 Creedmoor?

For long-distance shooting, you’ll want a 24-inch barrel to get the extra velocity, but for hunting a 20-inch or 22-inch barrel is fine. Barrel length isn’t a big factor in accuracy.

What is the most accurate 6.5 Creedmoor ammo?

That will depend on your rifle, but we have found Federal Fusion Tipped and Sako TRG to be some of the most accurate 6.5 Creedmoor ammo.

Final Thoughts

Ammo accuracy is a function of many different variables, so it’s important to see what shoots best for you. However, you can reasonably expect your results with this ammo to mirror what we’ve seen. There are always exceptions, but in our experience, the most accurate 6.5 Creedmoor ammo generally shoots well in most guns, and exceptionally in some. Ammo that generally shoots poorly almost never becomes a ringer in the right rifle. We all dream of finding the magic combo of rifle and ammo, but the data doesn’t really support that wallet-draining mentality. To find the best ammo for you, try a box, compile your data using a valid sample size, and you’ll learn more about the ammo and your rifle each time you do it. Best of all, you’ll be equipped to recognize great-shooting ammo when you do come across it.