Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting 6.5 vs 7 rsaum

I have rifles in both cartridges.

The 7mm SAUM with a 162/168gn bullet and a 26in barrel is good for just a touch over 3000fps (mine gets 3040fps).
The 6.5 SAUM with a 140gn bullet and a 24in barrel is good for just under 3100fps (I use 130gn Berger VLDs at 3250fps).

The 143gn 6.5mm ELD-X has a G7 BC of 315.
The 162gn 7mm ELD-X has a G7 BC of 315.

At any given range the 6.5mm bullet will shoot slightly flatter, the 7mm bullet will carry more energy at any useful distance. Heavier 7mm bullets start slower and the BC does not make up for the lower velocity within useful ranges.

In a lightweight rifle, the recoil from the heavier bullet is noticeably more.

For most hunting the 6.5mm would be the choice in a lighter rifle without resorting to a brake. For Moose at ranges past 400m I would be going larger than the 7mm, but the 7mm would certainly be my choice over the 6.5mm for the reasons you have stated - more bullet weight (and more importantly, stiffer construction).

To me bore life is about equal - somewhere around 1500 rounds the barrel will start to lose accuracy.