6.5 CM as a hunting cartridge... why?

[EKYHunter]

Logan on the left, and John with their first bucks. This candid shot is one of my favorite field pictures. They shot simultaneously and brought both of them down at once. I’d watched these bucks during August and September, up until the youth season opener in October. They were always together.View attachment 357366

I’d rather see kids killing stuff than any adult. Awesome pic.

 

[Potsie]

With the smallest cartridge and bullet possible. Seems like a contest over there. mtmuley

Just gotta hit them right here.

 

[DFS]

Just gotta hit them right here.

View attachment 357452

Don’t favor that shoulder

 

[Richard22]

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?

I'm sure the hype will continue to decline as new marketing efforts bring forth new examples of the latest and greatest.

 

[Deleted member 53219]

Saw a license plate today that said “6-5Creed” or something like that. Big jacked up black truck. Nodded at each other as we passed, real recognize real when it comes to killin stuff

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

I'm sure the hype will continue to decline as new marketing efforts bring forth new examples of the latest and greatest.

I actually think at this point the 6.5 CM will overtake the .243 in popularity, if it hasn't already. A new generation will choose it as the low recoil option just like the .243 was for so long. Nothing wrong with that. Of all the 'new' highly marketed rounds, I don't think the 6.5 CM is going anywhere. It's pushing out a lot of older ammo on the shelves.

 

[Islander]

.223/5.56 is the new do-all cartridge for around 400 yards or less. Black Hills TMK is good to about 450 yards in my 16" LWRC. State laws apply.

 

[Slam]

Hmm

 

[cgasner1]

Saw a license plate today that said “6-5Creed” or something like that. Big jacked up black truck. Nodded at each other as we passed, real recognize real when it comes to killin stuff

Should of hit me in the pm we could of had coffee

 

[pawhitetail]

We got my son a 6.5cm for christmas the other year. Ammo availability is way better for it than the 260 or 7mm08 around here. I also reload too so it's a wash for me there but the gun was cheap enough I'd have bought it if it was a 7mm08 too which i do like better and my wife shoots one. He's killed his first buck with it along with several does and he really likes it so that's why it's a good hunting round for us.

 

[MTTW]

A couple of years ago my brother sold a few rifles through a local store on consignment. One was a .243 win.

The dealer told him that he could sell 50 6.5 Creedmoor rifles to every .243 he could sell. Here is some food for thought from a 1973 Hornady reloading manual. The punch line is in the middle of the second paragraph.

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

A couple of years ago my brother sold a few rifles through a local store on consignment. One was a .243 win.

The dealer told him that he could sell 50 6.5 Creedmoor rifles to every .243 he could sell. Here is some food for thought from a 1973 Hornady reloading manual. The punch line is in the middle of the second paragraph.


View attachment 358182

He didn't count on more wars where service men and women would come home and want to build their own AR. Absent those, he might have been correct.

 

[Forkyfinder]

He didn't count on more wars where service men and women would come home and want to build their own AR. Absent those, he might have been correct.

Jmho but it has a lot more with mil surp ammo like xm193 being CHEAP than it does AR15s.

Building ar15s has been in for like 20 years at most.

 

[Potsie]

.223/5.56 is the new do-all cartridge for around 400 yards or less. Black Hills TMK is good to about 450 yards in my 16" LWRC. State laws apply.

or *gasp* a .22 Creedmoor.

 

[mtmuley]

Nothing to add. Just want to perpetuate the thread. mtmuley

 

[ismith]

Amazing this 220 Swift thread is still going.

 

[MTTW]

Amazing this 220 Swift thread is still going.

This thread got me wishing for a Swift too. It has been quite a few years since I owned one but it won't be much longer.

 

[ismith]

This thread got me wishing for a Swift too. It has been quite a few years since I owned one but it won't be much longer.

View attachment 358220

I have one that needs rebarreled and a AI version I need loading dies for.

 

[Hem]

There was an estate auction for my old time rancher friend who passed away.
He might have had one 300 win mag. All of the rest were 22.250/ 220 swift.
Now I know why.
At the time I was thinking I never knew how much he liked to kill varmits.
Didn't bid on any of them.
Dumb.

 

[mtmuley]

Got some new RUM stuff to load. mtmuley