It seems that 2017 may be the real breakout year for the 6.5 Creedmoor. I don’t think I’ve seen as many new ammo loads and rifles being introduced in this caliber before now. Thompson/Center just happens to be the latest company to throw in with its Compass rifle.

The Compass is designed as a value priced rifle with a MSRP of $399. For that money, you get a bolt gun with a detachable 5-round magazine, adjustable trigger and synthetic stock. The rotary magazine fits flush to the stock and the 5R rifled barrel is threaded for the addition of a brake or suppressor. On this rifle, the barrel length is 24″. Although some promotional photos of this gun show a mounted scope, Thompson/Center does not include one at the $399 price.

As I mentioned, I’ve seen a lot of 6.5 Creedmoor products rolling out ahead of the SHOT Show. Smith & Wesson, a sister company of Thompson/Center, also announced a new AR-style rifle chambered in the 6.5 Creedmoor. Several other rifle companies, including Mossberg, Fierce Arms, Savage, Weatherby, Christensen Arms, Bergara, 2A Armament and Browning, are also introducing rifles in the caliber. There are also a number of new ammo loads coming from the major companies like Hornady and Federal.

The 6.5 Creedmoor offers a lot of advantages for long range shooters, so it should not be any surprise the cartridge has caught on. Do you shoot a 6.5 Creedmoor rifle? Thinking about it?