CMMG's new 6.5 Creedmoor Model Mk3 DTR2 has a 24-inch, heavy taper, stainless-steel barrel with 1:8 twist; a two-stage Geissele trigger; a 20-round Magpul magazine; and a fully adjustable Magpul PRS buttstock.
February 27, 2018
By Jake Edmondson
CMMG's new 6.5 Creedmoor Mk3 DTR2 AR is built on a lower receiver of billet 7075 T6 aluminum and uses a rifle-length direct-impingement gas system. It has a two-stage Geissele SSA trigger, a fully adjustable Magpul PRS buttstock, and a Magpul MOE pistol grip. The rifle also has CMMG's own 15-inch, free-float, 6061 T6 aluminum RML15 M-LOK handguard.
The 6.5 Creedmoor Mk3 DTR2 has a 416 stainless-steel, 24-inch, heavy taper barrel with 1:8 twist and CMMG SV muzzle brake. The muzzle brake is removable, and the muzzle is threaded 5/8-24.
The Mk3 DTR2 has a shell deflector but no forward assist. My sample rifle's upper and lower receivers and the handguard are finished in Titanium Cerakote, and the safety lever, bolt catch, magazine release, charging handle, and muzzle brake are matte black. The rifle weighs 11.3 pounds unloaded and comes with an integral Picatinny rail on top of the upper. There are no sights.
The handguard is attached to the upper with two Torx screws, and it has a full-length Picatinny rail. Like I said earlier, the handguard is CMMG's RML15 M-LOK, so it accepts M-LOK-compatible accessories.
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The MOE pistol grip has a removable bottom cap, which when removed gives you access to a small storage compartment. The fixed PRS buttstock is fully adjustable for length of pull and cheekpiece height via aluminum detent knobs. It also has a cant-/height-adjustable rubber buttpad and M-LOK slots on the bottom for rear monopod mounting. Length of pull on this rifle ranges from 15 to 16.4 inches.
The rifle comes with two Magpul PMAG Gen3 magazines, and each holds 20 rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition.
To put the new rifle through some shooting, I installed a Bushnell 3.5-21X 50mm DMRII-i tactical scope with illuminated G3-i reticle. Shooting Times has reported on this scope before, and it has become one of my favorites for reviewing ARs as well as bolt actions.
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I got down to business and fired three, five-shot groups with each of five 6.5 Creedmoor factory loads at a distance of 100 yards. As you can see in the accompanying chart, the rifle's best average accuracy came with the HSM 140-grain GameKing ammunition. That load averaged 0.73 inch at 100 yards. (That load and the 140-grain Berger VLD Hunting load from HSM were just introduced and are the newest 6.5 Creedmoor factory loads that I've fired. For more details on both loads, check out the "Quick Shot" on page 78.) All the other factory loads I fired in the Mk3 DTR2 averaged less than an inch, with the largest average accuracy being 0.98 inch. Overall average accuracy at 100 yards for all five loads was 0.84 inch.
Throughout my shooting, the rifle digested all ammo without a hiccup. The trigger pull was consistent, measuring 4 pounds, 12 ounces on my RCBS trigger pull scale.
CMMG has jumped on board the 6.5 Creedmoor train in a pretty big way by offering the Mk3 DTR2 and three other models. Those three include the Mk3 (20-inch, medium taper barrel; MSRP: $1,799.95), the Mk3 P (24-inch, heavy taper barrel; MSRP: $1,899.95), and the Mk3 DTR (24-inch, heavy taper barrel; MSRP: $2,099.95). The Mk3 DTR2 that I fired for this report is the top-of-the-line model, and in my opinion it provided top-drawer performance.
MSRP: $2,274.95 (black); $2,424.95 (Titanium Cerakote) cmmginc.com
