Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting WHY AREN'T THE 6.5s MORE POPULAR ??

Your sure not going to here the horror stories of missing/wounding or lost game past 300 due to the unseen and unreadable winds across a canyon.

Only one shot 1 kill Berger VLD stories.

Jayco

You're absolutely right. I don't need a .270 for my elk hunting. I've used muzzleloaders, and a 30-30 in the past.

I always wanted a Remington 700. When one was offered to me in left hand. I couldn't pass it up. It was a .270. Not my first choice, but I knew I could make it work. I'll use a 150gr core-lokt for my elk. Plenty of bullet for my ranges.

I clean up coyotes for a rancher in exchange for permission to hunt his property in elk season. So, I do take long shots with the .270 too. Even then I can call them in to less than 150yds.

I have for the better part of 60 years. I want to try something different.

Mauser Hunter - We don't differ in hunting philosophy, but where I've hunted pronghorns and mule deer, there is no timber. The pronghorn I bagged a few years ago was somewhere around 25 to 30 yards away - I believe in getting as close as I can. The closest I could get for my mule deer last year was a little under 300 yards, so I had to take the shot where I got it, and I had prepared for that shot with sufficient practice to be sure I was going to nail the shot. BTW - That almost 300 yard shot was taken with a .243 Winchester with a 100 grain bullet that had a BC somewhere under 0.4 - not the optimal long-range deer combination, but I wanted to take a deer with a .243.

While I believe in getting as close as I can, if I can only close the distance to 350 or 400 yards, I want to be prepared to take the shot, and I want to reduce the uncertainty about the wind as much as possible. I don't know about you, but for a lengthy range session when I put a lot of lead downrange, I had rather shoot a .243 than a .30-06 (to just give an example of the two centerfire cartridges I've shot the most besides a .223). That means that if I am preparing for the possibility of shooting at 400 yards and I'm practicing a lot, I would rather shoot a .260 Rem than a .270 Win. Personal preference, but the personal preference is also backed up by technical data on performance, particularly with wind a consideration.

I agree with you about BC not mattering if you're hunting in the woods. If you're hunting in the woods, though, a 30-30 would probably be plenty of cartridge. It boils down to personal preference on a .270 Win (a good all-around cartridge) for your application.

Well according to the Mayan calendar it should happen right before the end of the world.



That�s just like him to use BC to gain advantage. Hardly seems fair.

Maybe you should limit yourself to archery or hand guns because limiting yourself seems to be your sport. Nothing wrong with challenging yourself.

People have varying methods of hunting that they find productive and/or fun. The 6.5s offer a measuable advantage to those who like to offer themselves more opportunity in the field rather than limit that opportunity. For most, the headstamp of a cartridge makes little difference, but for some it does.

Oddly enough, those that do gain an actual advantage from a proper headstamp, probbably need that advantage less than most others.

Nothing wrong with long shots if you're prepared for them. Like you seem to be, but I see too many who aren't.

As an example. I always hunt alone, but after I get my animal i'll go with friends to help out. They all like to spot a stalk, but there's never a stalk. I've been with these guys at the range, and I know how they shoot.
So, we spot an elk or muley 400yds away. I see then setting up for the shot. I say... we can get a lot closer than this. They never try, and 8 out of 10 times they fail at the shot. I always hope after so many failures they would listen to me, but it doesn't happen. It's very frustrating.

I'm a 6.5 slut to the max and hope it never becomes popular.

The 6.5's avoid boring people.

FWIW, I know how to get close.....But I use high BC arrows.....laffin'

There is a lot of truth in what you wrote. Using a Berger VLD with a high BC is going to reduce the likelihood of missing/wounding game past 300 yards due to the unseen and unreadable winds across the canyon when compared to using a bullet with a lower BC. That's one reason people use Berger VLDs - not to take irresponsible shots, but to be more responsible by reducing the uncertainty with wind drift.

Now that's funny......a little harsh, but funny!

The only thing that keeps me from hunting the archery season is the time of year. I hate to hunt in the heat. If it's not cold. It's not hunting season for me. It's why I don't use a muzzleloader anymore too. Sweat is too hard to cover up.

An added perk to cold weather is the meat is easier to keep fresh, and no flys.

I was impressed until you mentioned the high BC arrows.

Laffin'....those two were taken with ancient equipment(early 90's)compared to whats out there now. I still bowhunt, but haven't killed a critter with a bow in a few years. I just love being out there that time of year. Good scouting for rifle season.

That's true. I'm out scouting too. Ducking arrows.

Geez, I love all these "GUN EXPERTS" they proclaim that their latest whiz bang cartridge is the greatest thing since sliced bread and anything greater or less is totally inadiquate in the pursuit of their favorite game. When it comes to "GUN EXPERTS", "HUNTING EXPERTS", "TRUCK EXPERTS", or any other so called "EXPERT" I take their advice with a grain of salt as they think they know everything on any given subject.

I learned years ago that if you listen to one of these "EXPERTS" you can get yourself either killed or seriously injured and that if I ever became an "EXPERT" it was time to change my way of thinking.

Will a 6.5 round kill an Elk any better than a 270, 30/06, 300 Win Mag or any other round "NO" the Elk will be just as dead with 6.5 round as with any other round. Myself I hunt Elk with a 300 Weatherby or 30/06 is Weatherby a better round than the '06 no, is 6.5 any less of an Elk Round no, it's killed an awful lot of Elk, Moose and other game over the years.

It's just another grand old cartridge that has been around as long as the '06, 7x57 and 30/30 just to name a few. They all work they've been been around for over a hundred years and they will be around doing the job long after we are all gone.

What are you, some kind of EXPERT?.....grin!

Wow, I love 6.5's too, but to argue they are better than simular calibers with simular powder capacities is funny. The OP's question was answered over a dozen times. The 6.5's are not as popular, not due to on game performance, but due to poor advertising and lack of marketing hype. That also coupled with staunch competition from other calibers/cartriges with good marketing leaves us lonely 6.5 shooters with the pride of shooting a not so common cartridge that works just as well as the popular ones. Keep going though because you guys kill me!

Laffin... You are on a roll today.

That is a problem, but it has nothing to do with different calibers and the pros/cons thereof. I think you need new hunting buddies.