I cannot help but commenting on some of the comments. Yes, the 6.5/.284 is the darling of real rifle loonies, the kind of shooters who simply cannot stand using a boring old .270, so use something "different."
However, so many of my friends and acquaintances have a 6.5/.284 that it has become the boring old .270 of the not-sot-secret Society of Rifle Loonies. It just might be time to come up with something different from the boring old 6.5/.284....
I have been shooting my 6.5-'06 for 25 years, and I killed my first deer with a M94 Swede 6.5X55 in 19(mumble). I think the Swede introduced me to the short, handy rifles for hunting, and the Ruger Hawkeye .300 RCM I got last year reminded me again.
I have only owned a .270 Win for about 15 minutes once even though I know it is a great hunting cartridge. I think those 6.5s biased me. I didn't jump on the 6.5/.284 train because I already had a rifle that did the same things.
If Ruger doesn't introduce a 6.5 RCM Real Soon Now I will be making up a 6.5 Rem Mag carbine to go hunting in 2010 or 2011, Lord Harry willing and the creek don't rise.
jim
