Here is the thing most old farts on a hunting forum don't understand about the 6.5 CM. Hunters are a dying breed. But target shooters are increasing in numbers and the trend in rifles, optics, and cartridges is geared toward where the future sales are going to be. The younger guys who do hunt still spend more time at the range shooting than hunting. And it is perfectly natural for them to use the rifles, cartridges, and other gear for hunting that they are comfortable with at the range.
There are lots of choices better suited for purely hunting than the 6.5 CM, at least on paper. In the real world there isn't a single animal I'd hunt with a 270, 308, or 7-08, where I'd feel the least bit handicapped if I had a 6.5 CM in my hands. With modern optics no one gives a crap that a 270 shoots flatter than a 6.5 CM. With modern optics the trajectory is easily accounted for. Or if it has 200 ft lbs more energy at the muzzle. At the muzzle all of them have more than enough energy and the better 6.5 bullets really close the gap by about 200 yards. No animal will ever know the difference between any of the 3 above. Nor most any other cartridge.
But as a dual purpose target/hunting round the 6.5 is by far the better option, especially if buying off the shelf ammo and rifles. With custom loads and rifles you can do pretty much the same thing with any of them. If you have a rifle in just about any cartridge that you like, then keep using it. That's what I'm doing. I'm heavily invested in 308 and really like several rifles I own. The 6.5 is the better cartridge, but at this point in my life I'm not going to sell what I have and start over. But I'd tell any younger shooter to go 6.5 CM and not look back.
