Rifle Firepower Custom 6.5 Creedmoor Hunting Rifle article

CUSTOM SPOTLIGHT
X-TREMELY
ACCURATE
◆
6.5 Creedmoor
During a recent media
event, a conversation
arose concerning the
6.5mm Creedmoor. It’s a
round that over the last several months
has occupied a great deal of my time, most
of which was spent testing the Creedmoor
as a tactical round. While nothing is likely
to soon supplant the .308 Winchester, the
Creedmoor has great promise. With a
trajectory that closely resembles the .300
Winchester Magnum, little felt recoil and
incredible accuracy, the Creedmoor certainly deserves a hard look. It is doing well
in precision rifle competitions at some
pretty impressive distances, and with
bullet weights as heavy as 140 grains, it is
not lacking in energy on target either. It is
growing in popularity with good reason.
Accurate Ordnance’s
lightweight custom
is nothing short of a
hunter’s dream rifle!
• S TO RY & P H OTO S •
By Dave Bahde
some serious game, including a Cape
Buffalo, an animal normally taken with
bruising magnums. Given the round’s
success afield, it is no wonder the Creedmoor is being used by many for smaller
North American game.
◆
Just as importantly, the Creedmoor’s
lack of recoil means that you can get all
of the round’s advantages when using a
lightweight rifle. Fired out of a heavy precision rifle, recoil is almost non-existent.
A lighter rifle will certainly provide some
felt recoil, but with the Creedmoor it
would likely be less than with a typical
.308 Win. or even .30-06. All agreed, pairing the round and a light rifle is a great
idea—and my friend and colleague Jason
Teague was about to make it a reality. He
had already ordered just such a rifle from
Accurate Ordnance, due to be completed
in a couple of months. Jason asked me if I
would be willing to test it out. Never one
to turn down such a fine offer, I immediately said yes. When it arrived, I put the
new rifle through its paces.
6.5 Creedmoor Hunter
With many of the attendees being
both tactical operators and hunters, the
conversation moved towards its
application as a hunting round.
The very same characteristics
that make the Creedmoor great
for tactical operations make
it even better for the hunter.
As a flat-shooting round with
solid energy on target, it may be
just about perfect. With several factory
loads from Hornady exhibiting superb
accuracy, it provides the avid hunter with
several choices. As a quick search online
shows, this cartridge, travelling at speeds
close to 3,000 feet per second, has taken
Accurate Ordnance’s custom
rifle is perfect for stalking
any game. Compact size and
all-day-carry weight allow
for comfortable hunting.
Chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor,
it is suitable for most any
game in North America.
84 RIFLE FIREPOWER ✦ May 2013
riflefirepower.com
riflefirepower.com
The Monte Designs tripod
was perfect for shooting
the Accurate Ordnance
rifle from prone over
debris in the field. It is
incredibly light, rocksteady and portable.
May 2013 ✦ RIFLE FIREPOWER 85
CUSTOM SPOTLIGHT
Letting Her Loose
Mated to the Holland Hunter stock, this rifle was remarkably handy. Using a
23-inch barrel keeps things usable in the field under most any condition.
Behind AO Rifles
Accurate Ordnance, located in Winder,
Georgia, was founded in 2009 by Jason
Nixon, a one-time autoworker who, after
graduating with a degree in CNC machining, decided to build rifles. He has been
crafting some of the finest rifles available
ever since. David Walker assists, bringing
law enforcement experience to the table.
They make an excellent team, building not
only hunting rifles, but also some fabulous
tactical rifles. Mark Kuczka rounds out
the crew, making sure that everything runs
smoothly. Along with precision rifles, they
also sell suppressors and other weapons
accessories. As true gun lovers, outdoor
enthusiasts and avid hunters, they tackle all
kinds of projects. Above all, they work to
make sure the customer gets exactly what
he or she wants.
Behind The Build
Teague’s rifle started with an Extreme
Shooting Products titanium receiver. These
actions are manufactured in the United
States out of high-grade Titanium. Built
to the same specifications as a standard
Remington 700 receiver, they weigh in at
a mere 9.25 ounces minus the bolt, shaving 5 ounces from a standard action. The
bolt is heat-treated tool steel and perfectly
matched to the receiver to the highest tolerances. Jeweled with a straight one-piece
bolt handle, fast and positive reloading is
the norm. A Jewell trigger has a pull weight
of about 2.5 pounds—a bit light for some,
but, given Teague’s extensive precision rifle
experience, perfect for him. A two-piece
scope mount is custom-fit to the action.
A 23-inch Rock Creek cut-rifled 5C
barrel was expertly mated to the action
and an oversized Titanium lug. It is a fivegroove 1:8-inch twist barrel, with a nicely
finished crown that provides the protection
a hunter needs. The action is bedded into a
McMillan-made Holland Signature Series
stock. The stock is gray, with some black
dots to break things up. It is lightweight
and features an adjustable comb. Standard
sling swivels were placed front and rear,
with matching flush cup sling mounts. A
thinner-than-usual pad was mated for a
86 RIFLE FIREPOWER ✦ May 2013
The jeweled bolt and simple, easy-to-find
bolt knob each do their part to achieve fast
repeat shots and smooth operation.
solid fit without added weight or length.
An all-steel floorplate finishes out the rifle.
Mounted in a pair of Nightforce lightweight rings is a Zeiss Victory Diavari
2.5-10X scope. Made in Germany, the Zeiss
Victory—a Varipoint with the T* designation—contains incredibly clear glass. The
“reticle 60” Varipoint reticle provides stadia
at 9, 3 and 6 o’clock. A dot sits at the center
and is illuminated with a pull of the focus
knob. The target-style elevation knob is
graduated in .10 mils. The windage knob
uses the same measurement and is covered,
>>> S PEC I FICATION S
Simple cheekweld adjustments allow the
stock can fit most shooters. Its smooth
stock makes it easy to carry through brush.
preventing any accidental movement during a stalk. With a 30mm tube, it will take
the Creedmoor cartridge to its limits. A
40mm objective keeps it mounted close
to the bore for comfortable shouldering in
any position.
The rifle arrived in a very nice and
secure hard case. The only addition to the
package for testing was an AR-Rest made
by Monte Designs. This is a nice little
stand made of aluminum. Designed for an
AR-15, it is a bit higher than most, but it
is lightweight, easy to assemble and would
work well over debris in the field.
CUSTOM ACCURATE ORDNANCE
Caliber:
BARREL:
OA LENGTH:
WEIGHT:
SIGHTS:
STOCK:
ACTION:
FINISH:
CAPACITY:
MSRP:
6.5 Creedmoor
23 inches
43 inches
8 pounds Drilled and tapped
McMillan’s Holland Hunter
X-Treme Titanium
Gray with Black Speckling
4+1
$4,000
>>> PE RFORMANC E
Load
Hornady 140 AMAX
Hornady 129 Interbond Super
Hornady 140 SST (handload)
Hornady 129 SST
VelocityAccuracy
2,768
.50
2,900
.70
2,748
.62
2,855
.55
Note: Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in feet per second (fps)
using an Oehler 35P chronograph, and accuracy in inches for three-shot groups fired
from 100 yards using a benchrest.
riflefirepower.com
Shouldering this rifle is easy and incredibly comfortable. It just seems to melt into
your shoulder. The ergonomics of the stock
are really nice. It is well balanced and very
light and simple. Cheek height is adjusted
with a bolt that is countersunk at the top.
The cut of the gun is extremely smooth,
with nothing protruding to snag on clothing, ghillie material or brush. Holding the
rifle in an unsupported position during a
hunt would be a breeze. It points fast, and
the scope comes up quickly. The reticle is
perfect for hunting, providing a precise
aiming point with the dot and a truly
uncluttered background. Dry firing, the
trigger is very crisp, although a bit light to
suit me. My triggers are normally about a
pound heavier, so it took me several dry
passes to get the timing. Even so, this was
going to be a joy to test.
FOR THE X-MAN IN YOU
X
-Treme Shooting Products is owned by
Tom Meyers, a mechanical engineer
and award-winning High Power shooter.
As a master in several categories, Meyers
is accustomed to shooting at the extremes
of accuracy. His products are an indication
of not only his engineering background,
but also his competitive need for accuracy
at any range.
RECEIVERS: X-Treme receivers are made
from Grade 5 titanium and are available
in short, long, and .338 lengths. They are
not only very lightweight, but also incredibly strong. A tool steel bolt is mated to
AO Accuracy
Just to keep it real, I undertook
the accuracy testing using the Monte ARRest from prone and over a railroad tie
located at the range. Given my previous
experience with the Creedmoor, I expected
excellent accuracy. I wasn’t disappointed.
The best group, using factory Hornady
140-grain AMAX measured exactly .5 inch.
Some vertical stringing due to breathing was
present. All the loads performed roughly
the same, with the largest group measuring
.70 inches. Both Superformance loads shot
accurately, with just a tad more recoil.
After completing the accuracy testing
from prone, I shot a few rounds downrange from kneeling. For me, kneeling is
the position I’m most likely to fire from in
a hunt, especially if the target animal is on
the move. With Jason’s rifle, shooting from
kneeling was pure joy. Firing the 129-grain
SST at 100 yards, I was able to keep five
rounds inside 3 inches with ease. I felt like I
could hold the position all day long and hit
any object at which I was aiming.
As expected, recoil was minimal. It was
clearly more evident than it would be using
a heavy precision rifle, but shooting was
very comfortable all the same. My closest comparison would be a .308 out of a
heavy barreled precision rifle. Muzzle rise
is minimal, and the recoil impulse is completed quickly. It’s kind of like shooting a
magnum, minus the recoil.
The Zeiss glass is crystal clear, colors
are vibrant and the reticle is crisp. As a first
focal plane scope, the centered dot and
reticle appear to change size with increased
power. This allows for a very uncluttered
field of view up close and precise aiming at
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the action, providing for smooth and reliable action. The bolt is jeweled and uses
an oversized extractor. Built to standard
Remington dimensions, it is perfect for
any hunting or precision rifle build.
TRIGGERS: They also make true twostage triggers for both Remington 700
and Winchester model 70 actions. These
triggers are crisp, predictable and user
adjustable. They use standard pins and
will work on most standard Winchester
and Remington Actions.
X-Treme Shooting Products also makes
AR-15 triggers for use in high-power
competitions. Dedicated to providing
triggers and actions built to the highest
standards, X-Treme shooting has just
what you need to get the best possible
accuracy out of your competition or hunting rifle.
(x-tremeshooting.com;
513-313-3464)
Crystal clear lenses,
rugged construction and practical
reticles make Zeiss
scopes an ideal
choice for big-game
hunting enthusiasts.
range. At the lowest setting, the field of view
was nice and wide, facilitating the search
for game. At the other extreme, the 10X is
all you should ever realistically need when
hunting with this kind of rifle. The overall
package keeps things light and quick.
Running the bolt was easy and smooth,
with no failures to feed. The magazine held
four rounds securely and loaded easily. The
steel floorplate kept things nicely square
and positive. The large external extractor
ejected rounds smoothly and without a
hitch. A push of the release button on the
floorplate presses the spring down with
just the right amount of force. Everything
about the rifle is simply first rate.
No Flash, Lots Of Substance
If this rifle is any indication, the 6.5
Creedmoor has a very bright future as
a hunting cartridge. And Accurate Ordnance has built a truly fine rifle. It is not
flashy—more like a functional work of art.
The workmanship is excellent, with superb
fit and finish. The components are all top
notch and perfectly suited to just about any
hunt. Whether carried using a sling or in a
pack, the rifle is comfortable and could be
carried for days on end with ease. Its accuracy borders on that of a precision rifle and
was very consistent. It cleaned up with no
brushes and just a few patches.
It was a pleasure to shoot, and doing
so only strengthened my affinity for the
little 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge. If you are
in need of an expertly built custom rifle,
give Accuracy Ordinance a call. You will
certainly not be disappointed. For more
information, visit accurateordnance.com
or call 678-219-0096.
May 2013 ✦ RIFLE FIREPOWER 87