History
The 6mm Creedmoor started as a 2007 wildcat. Outdoor Life writer John Snow wanted to build a cartridge for a magazine story, so he necked the 6.5 Creedmoor case down to 6mm to throw a high-BC bullet flatter and with less recoil, and called it the 6mm HOLE.1
Precision Rifle Series competitors did the rest. The light recoil let shooters spot their own impacts and stay on target through a stage, and the cartridge spread through the match circuit on its own merits. Demand grew until Hornady adopted it as a standard factory cartridge in 2017, with SAAMI standardization following shortly after.1
Lineage
The 6mm Creedmoor is simply the 6.5 Creedmoor necked down to 6mm,1 firing a .243 inch bullet. It shares the same case head and body as its parent and competes in the same role as the 6XC, the 6mm GT, and the 6mm Dasher, trading a little barrel life for flat, low-recoil hits on target.
Specifications
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Case type | Rimless, bottlenecked |
| Bullet diameter | 6.17 mm (.243 in) |
| Neck diameter | 6.91 mm (.272 in) |
| Base diameter | 11.96 mm (.4709 in) |
| Rim diameter | 11.99 mm (.4720 in) |
| Case length | 48.77 mm (1.920 in) |
| Overall length | 71.12 mm (2.800 in) |
| Case capacity | ~51 gr H2O (nominal; varies by brand) |
| Primer size | Large rifle |
| Belted | No |
| Rifling twist | 1 in 7.5 in (191 mm, C.I.P. standard)2 |
| Max pressure | 62,000 psi (SAAMI); 4,350 bar / 435 MPa (C.I.P.)2 |
| Recommended barrel | 26 in, 1:7.5 twist |
Barrel Design
The 6mm Creedmoor runs fast twist and long barrels because it lives on high-BC 105 to 115 grain bullets. The C.I.P. reference twist is one turn in 7.5 inches, and that is what serious shooters run; a 1:8 is marginal at the heavy end. PRS rifles commonly wear 26 inch barrels to burn the powder fully and hold velocity.
The trade is barrel life. The 6mm Creedmoor erodes throats faster than the 6.5, so competitors treat barrels as consumables. For the long-range mission here the baseline is 26 inches at 1:7.5, and the tables below are computed there.
Range Ammo Performance
Sellier & Bellot · 100 gr Soft Point $0.95/rd
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Elevation (mil) | Energy (ft-lb) | Windage (mil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3105 | -0.4 | 2141 | 0.5 |
| 100 | 2818 | 0.0 | 1763 | 0.3 |
| 200 | 2545 | -0.4 | 1438 | 0.5 |
| 300 | 2287 | -1.0 | 1162 | 0.8 |
| 400 | 2046 | -1.8 | 929 | 1.2 |
| 500 | 1818 | -2.7 | 734 | 1.6 |
| 600 | 1602 | -3.8 | 570 | 2.0 |
| 700 | 1399 | -5.2 | 434 | 2.5 |
| 800 | 1210 | -6.8 | 325 | 3.1 |
| 900 | 1074 | -8.9 | 256 | 3.8 |
| 1000 | 1013 | -11.4 | 228 | 4.4 |
| 1100 | 964 | -14.2 | 207 | 5.0 |
| 1200 | 921 | -17.5 | 188 | 5.6 |
| 1300 | 881 | -21.2 | 172 | 6.2 |
| 1400 | 843 | -25.3 | 158 | 6.8 |
| 1500 | 807 | -29.7 | 145 | 7.4 |
| 1600 | 773 | -34.6 | 133 | 7.9 |
Muzzle velocity 3105 fps is estimated at 26 in from the 21.75 in factory figure of 2986 fps at about 28 fps per inch. Expect your own barrel to read a little differently. Velocity is color coded green supersonic, yellow transonic, red subsonic; treat transonic and subsonic rows as approximate.
Match Ammo Performance
Barnes Precision Match · 112 gr OTM Boat Tail $1.89/rd
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Elevation (mil) | Energy (ft-lb) | Windage (mil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3016 | -0.3 | 2262 | 0.3 |
| 100 | 2874 | 0.0 | 2054 | 0.1 |
| 200 | 2736 | -0.3 | 1861 | 0.3 |
| 300 | 2601 | -0.9 | 1682 | 0.4 |
| 400 | 2469 | -1.5 | 1516 | 0.6 |
| 500 | 2342 | -2.2 | 1364 | 0.7 |
| 600 | 2218 | -3.0 | 1224 | 0.9 |
| 700 | 2099 | -3.8 | 1096 | 1.1 |
| 800 | 1983 | -4.7 | 978 | 1.3 |
| 900 | 1871 | -5.7 | 870 | 1.5 |
| 1000 | 1761 | -6.8 | 771 | 1.7 |
| 1100 | 1654 | -7.9 | 680 | 1.9 |
| 1200 | 1550 | -9.2 | 598 | 2.2 |
| 1300 | 1449 | -10.6 | 522 | 2.5 |
| 1400 | 1352 | -12.1 | 454 | 2.7 |
| 1500 | 1258 | -13.8 | 393 | 3.1 |
| 1600 | 1169 | -15.7 | 340 | 3.4 |
| 1700 | 1098 | -17.7 | 300 | 3.8 |
| 1800 | 1059 | -20.0 | 279 | 4.1 |
| 1900 | 1029 | -22.5 | 263 | 4.5 |
| 2000 | 1003 | -25.3 | 250 | 4.8 |
Muzzle velocity 3016 fps is estimated at 26 in from the 24 in factory figure of 2960 fps at about 28 fps per inch. Expect your own barrel to read a little differently. Velocity is color coded green supersonic, yellow transonic, red subsonic; treat transonic and subsonic rows as approximate.
Trajectory
FAQ
Is the 6mm Creedmoor just a 6.5 Creedmoor necked down?
Yes. It is the 6.5 Creedmoor case necked to 6mm,1 keeping the same head and body and trading bullet weight for less recoil and a flatter trajectory.
What twist rate does it need?
One turn in 7.5 inches is the practical standard and the C.I.P. reference,2 because the high-BC 105 to 115 grain match bullets are long and need the faster twist to stabilize.
Why choose 6mm over 6.5 Creedmoor for PRS?
Less recoil and a flatter trajectory make impacts easier to spot and follow, which matters on a clock. The tradeoff is faster throat erosion, so you replace barrels sooner.
What does it give up to the 6.5 Creedmoor?
Bullet weight and barrel life. The 6.5 carries more energy downrange and lasts longer, while the 6mm wins on recoil and how flat it shoots inside its window.
Citations
- (2021). 6mm Creedmoor: The Cartridge Born From a Magazine Story. The Armory Life. accessed 2026-05-30.
- (2021). C.I.P. TDCC Datasheet — 6 mm Creedmoor. Commission Internationale Permanente (C.I.P.). accessed 2026-05-30.