Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 7-08 or 6.5 CM?

Either is great. I think I lean towards the Creedmoor... great factory loads, and more plentiful, twisted correctly in factory rifles, makes better use of a 2.820” magazine box, and for those of us that like lead C&C bullets, has the availability of light recoiling 140 gr bullets with stellar SD for great penetration.

I chose the 6.5 to split the difference between my 223 and 308. Would highly recommend the round. It lives up to the hype.

I honestly think, other than being a great cartridge for reasons mentioned by Brad, the real cool thing about the 6.5 Creed is showing yahoos that are able to be marketed to, that shoot a box a year, that you don't need a loudenboomer to kill stuff. Yahoos think the Creed is magic and spout off ballistic BS but I just smile and nod laughing to myself that the general public has kinda figured out what it actually takes or doesn't take to kill stuff that most of us looneys who actually do kill stuff have known forever....

I'd put the 7-08 in the same category....

I went with 7mm-08 and .260, but only because the 6.5 CM wasn't really a thing at the time....its absolutely crazy to see how well the 6.5 has taken off over the last few years.



This is an important point, especially those of us using AICS style mags. One of my 7mm-08's is in an AICS 1.5 stock, so I am limited to around 2.840" OAL...that sounds like a lot, until you see how long some of the 162-168gr match bullets are. Staying under 2.85" really cuts into case capacity, but its still relatively easy to get 2650fps out of a 22" barrel with the 168s. I know some guys are getting 2800fps with longer barrels, giving you 8.5 mils to 1k yards and supersonic to over 1400 yards.

I’m a long time 7-08 owner. Nearly 35 years, to be exact.

I’ve been a 6.5 Creedmoor owner for one year and have already decided it is the way to go between these two.

The 6.5 Creedmoor seems to shoot everything well .... pretty much all factory ammo and any halfway-thoughtful handload gives somewhere between good and downright amazing accuracy. And while neither are objectionable, the Creed is more pleasant to shoot.

Given that it is easier (and cheaper) to find factory ammo for the 6.5 Creedmoor than it ever has been for the 7-08 (and with more CM ammo on the way) and it is basically a wash performance-wise, the choice of 6.5 Creedmoor is easy for this 7-08 fan.

That is a very clear, concise response based on actual experience . I’d follow this directive.

I just went through a similar process when deciding what to do with a project rifle I picked up this spring. I am a hand loader who likes off-beat cartridges (though I own a 308, 30-06 and 270 also) so I ended up picking the 260 Rem in AI. I also have a 7x57 and agree with a previous post that performance wise 7mm-08 would be about the same but in a SA.

We have both in our house and they are both excellent. I agree with Brad’s points and would lean Creedmoor.

If you intend to reload, there's no clear cut winner...I have 260 Rem, 708, 6.5,,,all have their rightful place based on my mood

I’d take a .308 over either one.

A Weatherby Weatherguard in 6.5 CM would run you around $550 from Bud's and that would leave you big chunk of your budget to fill out the package.

LMAO

Wow! Fantastic shooting there.

Going to disagree here.

If you're planning on hand loading, the Barrett FC in 7mm-08 is the clear winner here.

David

Although my Fieldcraft is in 6.5 Creedmoor, I’d have to agree with this statement. Fast twist with a long box plays well for the 7mm-08 Fieldcraft.

I prefer the 7-08 because I have owned and used both the 6.5X55 Swede and the 7X57 for hunting in years past, and for my uses I like the bullets available for the 7MM more-so then I like those available for the 6.5 MM.

The 6.5 Swede is practically the same as the 6.5 CM and the 7-08 is practically the same as the 7X57. So even though I have not hunted with either the 7-08 or the 6.5 CM I am 100% certain I can tell you how well they will do. A 6.5MM bullet or a 7MM bullet going the exact same speed from 2 different guns is going to behave exactly the same way when it hits an animal. If they are both the same bullets at the same speeds the shell shape is not important.

I live in Wyoming and the "common game" is elk. If the common game was deer I may choose the 6.5 CM over the 7-08.
Both cartridges will do OK for both animals, but the larger heavier 7MM Bullets are more my preference.

Got’em both and a Swede. Don’t see much difference.

DF

This is solid gold advice.

Owned many 7/08s, before going to Swede, 6.5-308, 260, Creedmoor, and 47 in that order.

Nothing wrong with any, place a good bullet thru vitals, they all will do fine. Ammo and rifle offerings from factory? That's clear, though doubt anyone would have any trouble ordering 7/08 ammo if they don't reload.

To me, the 6.5s have a tad less recoil, but I was running 140s at 2960 in the 7s, in a 6.5 you are going to be slower MV, and that stands to reason.

There are subtle pros/cons of each, especially on pure ballistics to most sane distances. None will disappoint, just look back at all the fans of the 7/08, 260, and Swede here in past threads....now the Creed is in.....the new kid on the block. It would be interesting, but not sure it would ever come to pass, if the 6.5-06 would ever hit the shelves....if it would gain a following.

Mild, accurate, affordable shooting with ballistics on par with many other proven rounds, has gone a long ways to making the CM, what Rem wish they had done with the 260.

Lest one not be fair, compare a 150 ELD-X and 162 in the 7/08, against the 6.5, if you want to poke far.

🤣😎