I have a 6.5 creedmoor rifle that I've been using for deer and antelop hunting and hoping to make my all-around rifle. I'm hoping to draw an elk tag next year and use the same rifle for that as well. The only other centerfire bolt rifles I own are a 223 and a 243 that has a compact stock and is used by my wife. I like keeping my number of rifles relatively small and am not interested in getting many more.
Ammo availability has been a major issue lately for me, as it has been for most folks. I was fortunate enough to grab two boxes of ammo for deer season this year, which will last me a long time if I never practice with the thing.
Every time I go to Scheels or Cabelas I notice that there is usually a variety of 308 offerings. I know that this ammo shortage will eventually come to an end, but what about the next one, and the one after that? I suppose the answer could be to just hoard all the 6.5 CM ammo I can when it becomes affordable, but it seems like this shortage has shown the priorities of the ammo industry, and that priority is to manufacture lots of 308.
I'm considering selling the 6.5 and picking up a 308. The 308 would give me a little more recoil and a little less BC, but it would give me cheaper ammo and more trigger time.
Is there any real downside to going to the 308?
Antero, the downside is you will be culling out a great round (6.5CM) for another great round (.308 Win.) but in the process you will be missing out on options each has to offer. As for availability, Norma now has their 6.5 Whitetail 140gr. on sale for $32.99 for a box of 20. About six weeks ago it was $29.99 - no tax and no S/H - right from Norma - no middleman. That is about what you might pay for just Norma brass - $1.50 each. It was very accurate in my Kimber Montana and I wasn't afraid of the softpoint bullet design for my NM bull hunt. I've seen too many elk killed with middle of the road cartridges using core and bullets. Brad has also said the same many times throughout these discussions.
So I took the Norma ammo to NM in early Oct.'21 and on the second day still hunted up to two bulls feeding in green grass. I threaded the shot through the aspens and the 5x5 went down in about 40 feet. I posted that on the "elk hunt" page with photos of the bull and recovered bullet. The 140gr had a recovery weight of 105gr..
Back in 2019 I used a 143gr ELD-X to notch my caribou tag in Alaska at a lazered 375 yards. It dropped at the shot. Later that season I took a cow elk with the same bullet at 110 yards on a 0* snowshoe evening hunt. The cow slid way down the hill on the snow making recovered simple with the ranchers truck. That doesn't happen too often!
I've taken four cows with the .308 Win. with no rodeos to report. Plus others with a .270Win, 30-06, 300WM, 300WSM, 325WSM and the 338WM. As others have said, it's not the name on the headstamp but the placement with an adequately constructed bullet.
So you are not giving up anything staying with the 6.5CM for your elk hunt. I'd be vigilant with searching online and in your area. The season is coming to an end so it may free up more availability. Don't forget Fleet Farm if they are in your area. I'd stay in the 140 - 143gr sweet spot.
The money you save from buying a .308 Win (I know - I feel the daggers) could allow you to upgrade boots or a binocular.
Good luck.
