There has obviously been an incredible rise in popularity of the 6.5mm Creedmoor the past few years. That also coincided with the wildcatting trend during the same period. This leaves us little wonder that the cartridge has been tried in multiple variants in caliber from the .22 Creedmoor all the way up to the 8.6 Creedmoor.
There are however a few cartridges left that have not been done yet (with this latest .308 Creedmoor being one of them). Until now.
Multiple hunting and rifle shooting groups on Facebook have been-a-buzz the past few weeks about this new .30 caliber variant of the Creedmoor parent case.
I decided to find out what the fuss was about by getting in touch with the person creating all this buzz and the cartridge as well, Michael White. He was kind enough to give me an interview and shed more light on the specifics surrounding this new cartridge.
308 Creedmoor Info and Interview
Can you tell me a bit about your business?
“I am the CEO of Back Country Bullets. We specialize in cutting edge ballistic technology and advanced ballistic projectiles.”
What is the 308 Creedmoor?
“The .308 Creedmoor is an evolution following the the Creedmoor pedigree of utilizing long modern high BC bullets seated long in the case for more powder capacity and efficiency.”
Were you the first person to think of and create the 308 Creedmoor?
“Yes I wildcatted the .308 Creedmoor. I saw it hadn’t been done before and seized the opportunity to create something that I thought was truly remarkable.”
How do you create 308 Creedmoor brass?
“.308 Creedmoor brass is easily made utilizing 6.5 Creedmoor cases, annealing and then using a full length 30 TC sizing die set. A slight trim to 1.895 afterwards is desirable for proper function and feeding.”
Why or how did you decide on necking up a 6.5 Creedmoor to 308 caliber and trying it?
“I decided on taking the 6.5 Creedmoor brass and using it as the parent case because it’s so plentiful and available in the US. Several manufacturers make it and it’s easily had almost anywhere. I decided to try it after running different powder types and pressure simulations on a program. I needed Proof of concept At that point so I decided to make it happen.”
What other interesting cartridges have you created in the past?
“I’ve created a few like the .458 Thor Hammer(45-70 trimmed to 1.8” uses CFE BLk powder to make almost 3800 ft pounds of energy in a Ruger #1 or single shot and 3200 ft pounds or so in a Marlin Lever with an extra round in the tube) also a .338 Drt which is a 7mm Prc necked up to .338 caliber.”
What loads have you tested on the 308 Creedmoor and which did you find performed well? (Please specify bullets, powders and charge weights)
“I have tested several loads in the .308 Creedmoor and found a medium/slower speed powder works good on it 46 grains Lever Evolution powder for a 200 grain Hornady Eld-X seated to 2.950 approx (2650 fps) Starting load was 43 grains and worked up from there. The 178 grain Eld-x worked out to be 48 in a Remington case.”
What barrel twist rate do you recommend on a .308 Creedmoor rifle?
“1:10 same as the 06 unless you want to run subs or run super heavies.”
How does the recoil of the 308 Creedmoor compare to the 6.5mm Creedmoor and the 308 Winchester?
“The recoil sits in between a 30-06 and .308 Winchester which makes it still bearable for most shooters and doesn’t pound your shoulder so bad the average shooter can’t use it comfortably for a few shots or hunting purposes. Youth shooters or women would also find it not to much to handle as with other larger or magnum calibers that might make people flinch or twitch with recoil anticipation.”
What would the typical uses be for the 308 Creedmoor?
“Typical uses for the .308 Creedmoor would be hunting Whitetail or Mule deer but the cartridge would equally be at home in the woods on Elk,Moose and even Large Coastal Bears at reasonable distances and on African plains game still maintaining over 1500 ft pounds of energy past the 500 yard mark.”
Do you have reamer or chamber drawings and specifications for the 308 Creedmoor?
“We took a Ruger American in .308 Winchester and set the barrel back a few threads then utilized a 6.5 Creedmoor chamber reamer to rechamber then too a .308 throater to finish it up. We used a mock-up and modified case for head space setting and to check work progress while machining. A reamer will be available eventually.”
Where can people interested in getting their own rifle in 308 Creedmoor get in touch with you?
“If anyone would like one they can reach out to me at BackCountryCartridge@gmail.com“
Whether you think this will be a mainstream success or not, I personally like the wildcatting, creation and testing of new cartridges, as you never know what can be achieved and which will become the next successful mainstream cartridge.
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