Berger 6.5 Creedmoor – 156gr Elite Hunter Factory Ammo

I recently had the chance to run a full box of Berger’s 156gr Elite Hunter factory ammo through one of my 6.5 Creedmoor rifles, and I couldn’t be more impressed with the results.

The rifle is a trued Remington 700 with a 25” Bartlein barrel (8-twist) that has seen north of 2,000 rounds. Optics are a Nightforce 7-35 ATACR mounted in Hawkins rings. Conditions were ideal—38° with zero wind.

I sent the first round at 100 yards to confirm impact, then made a 1" up and 1" right adjustment. A five-shot group followed, landing slightly high. After coming down half a minute, I fired another five-shot group that centered perfectly. Both groups measured well under an inch, which is outstanding performance for factory ammunition—especially with a heavy-for-caliber projectile.

I ran the first 11 shots over an Athlon Rangecraft chronograph and recorded an average muzzle velocity of 2658 fps with an SD of 11.1. Those are excellent numbers for a 156gr bullet out of a Creedmoor.

Using JBM Ballistics, I built a dope chart and finished the box by engaging small rocks at 200 and 300 yards with ease. The bullet’s G1 BC of 0.679 really shows its strength downrange. At 500 yards, it’s still carrying approximately 2115 fps and 1549 ft-lbs of energy, delivering serious performance for both hunting and long-range shooting.

As an added bonus, this ammo is loaded in Lapua large rifle primer brass, which is extremely durable and reloadable.

Hunters looking for heavy-for-caliber performance and precision shooters wanting truly exceptional factory ammo should absolutely consider this load—I think it’s one of the best available in 6.5 Creedmoor.

Available at Kent’s Optics, where you’ll find top-tier gear, great value, and the best customer service in the industry.