The 6.5 Creedmoor had been introduced earlier that year and it seemed like a good candidate for a parent cartridge.

I spoke with my friends at Hornady and they agreed to help out. Necking the 6.5 down for 6mm bullets was simple and straightforward, and the round seemed like it would meet my criteria.

Thus the 6mm Creedmoor was born. But here’s a bit of trivia you won’t read anywhere else:

Its original name was the 6mm HOLE, for Hornady–Outdoor Life Express, a clever moniker I was fond of but that was soon rejected by my pals at Hornady as too cute.

It pains me to admit it, but they were right.

A cartridge is only as good as the rifle that sends it downrange, so I needed to find someone to build a gun that would do it justice.

I knew George Gardner, owner of GA Precision, by reputation, but I had never spoken with him before.

Friends of mine who own GA rifles boasted about their ruggedness and accuracy. (GA stands for “Gnat’s Ass,” a reference to the tight groups his rifles make.) I called George up and explained the project.

After quizzing me about the details, he agreed to pitch in.

I sent him a Sako 85 action and a McMillan stock. Hornady helped George procure a reamer and made custom reloading dies for the two of us.

I got a barrel from Bartlein, and I ordered a Surefire muzzle brake and sound suppressor.

Warne built a custom one-piece 20-MOA Picatinny rail for the dovetails on the Sako receiver, and I topped it with a Leupold M5 scope.

Once George finished the rifle, I sent it to Jeremy Holmes, a talented artist who adorned it with Mongolian nomads on horseback using eagles to hunt wolves.