There was a time when I figured I didn't need a reason or excuse to buy a gun, but as I've gotten older, I'm coming to a few conclusions. Chances are, a whitetail deer is the biggest game animal I'm ever going to hunt, unless I draw a Kentucky elk tag, decide to go to Eastern Kentucky and hunt black bear, or got out west to hunt elk and mule deer. So, I don't need a rifle that will kick like a mule, because I'm not hunting anything right now that will eat me, gore me, or trample me if it get's mad enough. I've got a 270 and a 7X57 if I ever hunt elk, so I'm figured I'm good in that department.
That leaves deer as what I'm hunting, and that's where a 6.5 CM fills the bill perfectly. Arthritis, bad rotator cuffs, and a pinched nerve in my elbow tends to make me recoil sensitive, and I've learned that one does not need to be punished in order to shoot a rifle. I had pretty much settled on the 243 as my go-to deer cartridge until I bought a 6.5 CM and started shooting it. Simply put, it's as easy on the shoulder as a 243, and a better deer round to boot.
I cannot see what all the fuss is about. If you don't like it, move on and use something else. I'm usually very nostalgic about cartridges and have never seen the need for 75% of the new stuff that's came out in the past 50 years or so. If recoil is of no concern, and admittedly it's not a cartridge known for it's recoil, my 270 would work for anything I ever plan to hunt, or would even contemplate hunting. But, in a lightweight rifle, with a full dose of H-4831 and a 130 grain bullet, it sometimes bothers my shoulder. Same way with my 7X57, and I'm sure both Karamojo Bell and Elanor O'Connor would both laugh at me.
I shot several deer with a 6.5X55, and it worked fine, no felt recoil, and a deer that died quickly. A 260 Remington was in my plans, but a less than $300 Howa 6.5 Creedmoor tempted me too much. It's a very good cartridge, with lot's of good reloading components available, and one that performs as advertised, something that is sometimes not the case. I don't normally jump on the bandwagon of something until I've had tons of experience with it, and despite now having my third rifle for the Creed, I'm still new to it. However, I've seen enough to know that I like it.
