Last updated on September 16th, 2025
The Hornady 25 Creedmoor is a new centrefire rifle cartridge designed to offer a balanced middle ground between the 6mm and 6.5 Creedmoor. It’s essentially a 6.5 Creedmoor case necked down to take a 0.257-inch (.25-calibre) bullet. After years as a wildcat, it’s now SAAMI-approved, with Hornady producing factory ammunition. The goal of the cartridge is simple: combine the flat trajectory of the 6mm with better wind resistance than the 6.5, all in a short action platform.
Hornady @PrecisionRifle
- Hornady Introduces a High Speed 3-in-1 Power Case Trimmer
- Hornady HIT Target Impact Indicator – Feedback for Long Range
- Hornady CX Bullet – The Next Generation in Hunting Projectiles
- Hornady AeroMatch Bullets for Precision Shooters
The 25 Creedmoor shares the same 71 mm (2.8 inch) overall length as its Creedmoor siblings, meaning it fits standard short action rifles. Hornady’s current factory loads include a 128 grain ELD-X for hunting and a 134 grain ELD Match for long range target shooting. The 128 grain reaches around 2850 fps, while the 134 grain runs slightly slower at 2800 fps. Both offer impressive ballistic coefficients in the 0.63 range (G1), meaning high retained velocity and excellent wind resistance.
Handloaders will be able to push lighter .25 cal projectiles even faster, with 100 grain bullets reaching 3200+ fps, while lighter varmint loads can exceed 3500 fps. Fast twist barrels (typically 1:7.5” or 1:8”) allow for stabilisation of the new high BC .25 bullets in the 130+ grain range. This gives the 25 Creedmoor its blend of velocity, stability, and energy, all with low recoil.
As a target round, the 25 Creedmoor offers flatter trajectory than its big brother the 6.5 Creedmoor and better wind resistance than the 6mm Creedmoor. At 1000 yards, it bridges the gap with projectiles lighter than 6.5, so it shoots flatter, but heavier than 6mm bullets, so it drifts less. This makes it especially appealing for Precision Rifle competitors and other long range competitions. It doesn’t eliminate recoil, but it’s light enough for shooters to stay on target and spot their own hits, similar in my experience to 6mm Creedmoor.
The 128 grain ELD-X load is ideal for medium size game. It delivers over 1000 ft lb of energy out to several hundred meters and shoots flat enough that you can zero at 200 meters and stay on target without much holdover out to 300. Compared to the 6mm Creedmoor, the 25 delivers more energy and penetrates better. Compared to the 6.5, it shoots flatter with a bit less recoil. The barrel life is expected to be better than 6mm Creedmoor but slightly less than 6.5.
It’s still early days for Hornady’s new factory loads. Here in Aus, the 25 Creedmoor will likely take time to reach the gun shop shelves.
PRECISIONRIFLE