Justabirdwatcher
Well-known member
There are a number of arguments in favor of the 6.5 CM. The ones I accept have to do with OAL as it relates to high BC bullets in traditional short actions, availability for the MSR crowd, better shoulder angle for reloaders and greater inherent accuracy.
But for a hunting round, I have to say (after owning and loading for several 6.5 CM's) - I fail to see the point of this cartridge.
Now, please don't take me for an old curmudgeon or worse yet, respond with "okay boomer" (being a proud Gen-X), but why on God's green earth would any hunter choose a 6.5 CM over a .308 or 7mm-08, or even a .260 or .243? When you compare the 6.5 CM to the .308 and 7mm-08 in practical hunting applications, it fails to measure up in almost any way.
Okay, sure, some might argue recoil. But is there really any noticeable difference between the recoil of a common 143-grain 6.5 CM and an also common 139-grain 7mm-08 round? Not only is there NOT, but the 7mm-08 bullet is always going to be traveling 100-200 fps. faster AND create a bigger hole.
The argument so many of us 7mm-08 fans have used to answer the .308 crowd for so long now, is lower recoil and higher BC (resulting in similar downrange ballistics beyond 300 yards) but let's face it, most folks will never in their lives shoot at a game animal beyond 200 yards.
Is this just a fascination with something "new?" Is it a marketing thing? What gives? Why on earth has the 6.5 CM taken up so much shelf space, seemingly overnight, when so many more effective hunting cartridges already exist?
But for a hunting round, I have to say (after owning and loading for several 6.5 CM's) - I fail to see the point of this cartridge.
Now, please don't take me for an old curmudgeon or worse yet, respond with "okay boomer" (being a proud Gen-X), but why on God's green earth would any hunter choose a 6.5 CM over a .308 or 7mm-08, or even a .260 or .243? When you compare the 6.5 CM to the .308 and 7mm-08 in practical hunting applications, it fails to measure up in almost any way.
Okay, sure, some might argue recoil. But is there really any noticeable difference between the recoil of a common 143-grain 6.5 CM and an also common 139-grain 7mm-08 round? Not only is there NOT, but the 7mm-08 bullet is always going to be traveling 100-200 fps. faster AND create a bigger hole.
The argument so many of us 7mm-08 fans have used to answer the .308 crowd for so long now, is lower recoil and higher BC (resulting in similar downrange ballistics beyond 300 yards) but let's face it, most folks will never in their lives shoot at a game animal beyond 200 yards.
Is this just a fascination with something "new?" Is it a marketing thing? What gives? Why on earth has the 6.5 CM taken up so much shelf space, seemingly overnight, when so many more effective hunting cartridges already exist?
