Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters So JB, why does the 6.5 CM get more attention than the 7mm-08?

The Cred gets more attention simply because it was introduced in the age of the internet,

Those who liked it talked about it,

Those who are stubborn or dislike change or who already had a favorite also kept talking about it,

This thread is proof of that.

I'd rather discuss the rifle itself.

Crazy how something simple as a cartridge can get peoples emotions so worked up. For the most part there’s 100’s, including the 6.5C and 7-08 that will send a similarly performing bullet between 125-165 gr down range between 2650-2850 fps with similar accuracy. Anyone hunting under 450 yds (95% of us) could flip a coin to decide which one and never know the difference.
These days, my biggest concern would be ammo or component availability over on paper performance numbers. Practice is the biggest factor in shooting accurately and you can’t practice without ammo.

And Blackheart has to be the angriest person on the internet.

Nicely said JM

I never contemplated owning anything .264 diameter but plenty others did for their own reasons. I saw an article in my NRA magazine going through the history and purpose of the cartridge. Ballisticians Emary and DeVille made a compelling argument for their new round modifying the 30TC case. It is interesting to note that their conversation on the idea started in 2005 at Camp Perry - but it is called the Creedmoor. Other articles ensued and I eventually bought my first - a Tikka T3 Lite in stainless. The accuracy of handloads and factory ammo was excellent. Since then other Kimber have found their way into the safe. I brought the Tikka to Alaska in 2018 and it was well worn after numerous climbs through willows, Devils Club, rocks and back pack wear. The caribou was tagged at 375 yards with a 147gr. ELD-X. Subsequently a cow elk came next later that year and this year a 5x5 bull elk dropped at the shot from a cup and core Norma 140 gr. bullet. I am not a bear hunter, so for me, within reasonable ranges, the CM can do it all. At my advanced age the recoil is negligible which makes for great accuracy too. Good luck to you!

I may be typical of one segment of the CM market.

I started my 6.5 journey with a CZ Swede. Handloaded from day 1 for it using the 140 gr. Partition. Kept the freezer full for many years with that combination.

Then gave the rifle setup to my nephew for completing putting himself through college. That along with 200 rounds of handloads. There have been times in that last 2 years I wished I had some of those bullets...

A few years later I got the itch for another 6.5. I went online, looked around, and counted the number of factory ammo offerings for the CM. Well over 100. What's up with that???

So, I bought one. I knew I'd eventually get around to handloading for it, but the first 5 boxes of factory ammo from 5 different manufactures were simply amazing. Getting at least 1 inch groups from factory ammo? Unreal.

So for the first 2 years I simply hunted and shot using factory ammo. Then got around to handloading for it. But I never needed to.

I'm spoiled. Today, if a box of CM factory ammo doesn't give me at least 4, 1" groups off the bench then I never look at the offering again.

Except that those who haven't actually owned/used one shouldn't even have a comment or be taken seriously on the subject. Leave that to those who have.

Black heart is the perfect name for guys like him.

One thing I have learned is this. If you are prejudice against folks who wear flat brimmed hats, have man buns and maybe even beards of a certain length AND they shoot Creeds, you will dislike Creeds too! LOL.

Puddles' experience regarding the 6.5 Creedmoor is similar to mine. About 3 years ago I had gone through a downsizing of my hunting rifle assortment. I had a 280AI , a 7 Mag and a 35 Whelen remaining and wanted something a bit smaller than the the 280AI and it could not be a 243. Had lots of those. The 270 is too close to the 280AI so that left the 25's and 6.5's. I had seen the Creedmoor online and thought I would check one out so I picked up a new 700 SPS. Stuck a Timney trigger in it that I had in the cabinet and put it in a B&C stock I had. Mounted up a Leupy 4.5-14 from the pile and proceeded to put the first 2 rounds of Federal 120 gr Trophy Tips touching at 100M. I thought it was a fluke until the 3rd round opened the group to .520". These were the first 3 rounds through the barrel post factory. Let it cool and shot 3 or 4 more groups of about 3/4" with this ammo. Every Creedmoor I've had has been very accurate. A Sako A7 Roughtech Long Range fired 4 consecutive 3 shot groups of a 139 Scenar and Rel 17, the largest of the 4 groups being exactly .50". No "tuning", first load tried. Currently have a Christensen Mesa I've shot only twice and it's averaging under 3/4" with a couple loads with the 127 LRX. It just works.

There are more than a few here who have shot enough different calibers more than a little....who wouldn't have had to own or use a variety of calibers to have a valid opinion.
Like saying a shooter that has extensive experience with a .30-06 wouldn't have a clue about what a .308 can do.

On Wed. of this week, right at dark, in Texas, a large ( black as a crow ) sow and 2 small shoats were just in the edge of a small opening. The ranch hand looked at me and said, " that's a baby factory. Please shoot her ". Got the range at 169 yds and the Tikka T3X spoke. A Hornady 143 gr ELDX with 40.5 grains of H4350 went in on a hard quartering away shot. The sow jumped and went about 7' in pure Texas heck. Cactus and thorns solid. Made a small entrance hole following blood into the thicket, saw a black object, put a rope on a back foot and drug her out. Left some blood of my own in there and I'm still picking out cactus spines. Guessed her weight at 190ish and I've killed and weighed lots of swine. I know I didn't shoot through the shield of a big boar but the ELDX lived up to it's reputation penetrating deeply on a large hog. I'm sold on a factory Tikka, shooting a real good round that shoots outstanding in handloads or any factory rounds that I've tried.

There is what seems to be the accepted reason...shoots well, in a factory rifle with either handloads or factory...

However, none of that has to do with hitting a game animal using x powder, xy bullet or how far it went. Thus someone who can do the same with another 6.5 offering has a valid opinion of the others capabilities.

I musta really hurt your little feelers at some point for you to follow me around sniping like you do. Rent free in your head. LMAO


PS

You and Rost 495 would make a good couple. You should hook up and help each other fill out a hurt feelers report. LOL

I got into the 6.5 CM game because shortactionsmoker, the member here who runs Whittakers, posted that they were closing out some Howa Lightning rifles. I drove the hour and a few minutes north the next morning and picked one up for around $300. Drove 30 minutes south the next day to Midsouth, picked up a set of dies, some brass, a pound of H4350, and a couple of boxes of bullets, some 120 Sierra MK's, and some 140 Nosler BT's. Loaded up a few rounds of each, put a scope on the rifle, went out and shot some of the smallest groups I've ever fired on a rifle right out of the box. Took it deer hunting and killed a nice buck, with the Nosler doing it's job just as it was supposed to.

I buy, sell, and trade a lot, and am now on my fourth and fifth rifles chambered for the 6.5 CM. I do not shoot factory ammo in my rifles, everything I shoot are my reloads. With other cartridges and rifles, it is usually an experimentation in different powders, primers, bullets, and other things, in order to come up with a load that I like. I have found with the 6.5 CM it is a very simple process to come up with an accurate load. That's what I like about it the most, and it's pretty much what it was designed for. It's almost boring sometimes, because it's ridiculously easy when it comes to coming up with accurate loads that my rifles like.

I’m a Creedmoor owner - got one in Bergara chassis with a Zeiss V4 6-24x50 to fool around and see if I want to shoot PRS. We have access to a long range and with cheap factory ammo Sig 127 grain & Zeiss phone app I’m hitting targets at 1100 yards. Like many on here I think I’m Gods gift to marksmanship but that is still impressive for an under $2,000 rifle & scope combo & the cheapest ammo in the store.

Just got a New Years Eve granddaughter, the first for our youngest like every gun nut grandfather I’m planning 22, shotgun, deer rifle for a young woman & it’s between 7-08 & 6.5 CM. Her mother has a 243 her father 300 Weatherby. So I have dies for 6.5 & 243 but this one might hunt elk so I’m leaning 7-08. I think of the Creedmoor as a target round still. I think big game rifles start at 30-06 & who knows she might want a 300 Bee as an adult but at 12 years 7-08 down loaded for practice seems about right.

Funny that yours are easy to reload for because that is my biggest problem. Everything shoots about an inch group but I haven’t found anything really accurate. My 7mm RM shoots under. Dime sized groups every year, the 300 Weatherby about 3/4” but the 6.5 is just under an inch with 7 or 8 combinations so far. Factory loads the same 7 out of 10 1” groups & the other 3 bigger.

Well since you like the 6.5 Creedmoor more than the 6.5x55, by your own logic you are a 6.5x55 hater.

That isn't it. I don't believe anybody said your liking of the 6.5x55, in and of itself, makes you a 6.5 Creedmoor hater.

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