It is amazing how the "butt-hurt" runs strong in the shooting community when it comes to rifle calibers. It's like people might take offense if someone else has a different favorite color. As I've said previously, on the continuum of cartridges, the differences between each and the ones directly above and below it on said continuum in so miniscule as to be almost completely un-determinable by most mere mortals.
Having said all of that, if some newcomer to shooting were to approach me and ask for my recommendation for a on-rifle-do-all for the average hunter, based on all we know about ammo cost, inherent accuracy, ballistic capabilities, etc., I would be hard-pressed to suggest something other than the 6.5 Creedmoor as the "best" option. I do, however, acknowledge that anything ranging from the 243 through the 30-06 would not be leading said individual astray.
While "butt-hurt" certainly exists regarding cartridges, the opposite end of the spectrum exists. That is, unfailing admiration of cartridges; the thinking that one round is somehow far superior to another, when in reality most will do exactly the same thing.
With the 6.5 Creedmoor, this unfailing admiration is often exhibited in places like a bar during hunting season. If there's a group of flat bills drinking cheap beer in said bar, at some point one will pull out his I-phone and start forcing everyone around him to look at pictures of dead things which he "smacked" or "laid the hammer down on" at ridiculous ranges. This fellow will then proclaim how the cartridge he was using was by far the best choice for said "harvest". In 2018, there's a good chance that cartridge is one of the big Noslers, or a 6.5 Creedmoor. After a few more drinks, said hero will mumble something about the extra rounds it took to bring dead animals to bear for pictures, as some of the rounds fired went into the hillside or blew off a leg.
Cartridge selection is as much an emotional choice as it is practical, and when emotions are involved they will run the gamut from love to hate. When exposed to experiences such as those described in the above paragraph, it's easier for an observer to slide more towards the negative, lest one be lumped in with said flat bill brigade for using the same round.
