6.5 C or 308?

[BCD]

The rifle will be used primarily for Antelope, Whitetails in WI, and Mule Deer out west. I'm guessing shots would be 5-600 at the absolute max. I can't decide between the 308 or the 6.5. I like the 308 for a little extra punch with heavy bullets as I could use it for Elk hunting as a backup as well, but I also like less recoil with the 6.5. Thoughts here?

Thank You!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

6.5

 

[PredatorSlayer]

6.5 is a great elk gun.

 

[hereinaz]

The idea of extra punch is in your head, you don’t need it. Go read the 77 grain TMK .223 thread.

I would choose a 6 creedmoor in your shoes.

 

[Marbles]

6.5, lower recoil, will work fine for anything you will hunt in North America.

It eats barrels faster though. May be harder to find ammo for.

7mm-08 splits the difference on recoil, does not eat barrels as fast as 6.5 CM.

308 is really easy for me to find ammo for, but bullet BC suffers.

My 308 will eventually get a 7mm-08 barrel.

 

[TaperPin]

Out west the 308 just isn’t that common. I realize it’s one of the most popular cartridges in the country, but in the Rocky Mountain states it’s not, especially as a hunting cartridge.

On trajectory alone I’d say the Creedmoor wins hands down. The idea that every shot can be dialed isn’t realistic - western cartridges have to be flat shooting, or you’ll miss shots at deer and antelope that aren’t just standing around like a marketing ad for whatever ballistic calculator is hot this year.

 

[UpTop]

Out west the 308 just isn’t that common. I realize it’s one of the most popular cartridges in the country, but in the Rocky Mountain states it’s not, especially as a hunting cartridge.

On trajectory alone I’d say the Creedmoor wins hands down. The idea that every shot can be dialed isn’t realistic - western cartridges have to be flat shooting, or you’ll miss shots at deer and antelope that aren’t just standing around like a marketing ad for whatever ballistic calculator is hot this year.

Ummm, saying the 308 isn’t common out west for hunting is flat out crazy talk. The creedmore may very well be a better cartridge, but there is still an extremely large amount of people with a 308 strapped around their shoulders out west come opening day of rifle season. I’m in the can’t go wrong with either camp. Both great options

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Out west the 308 just isn’t that common. I realize it’s one of the most popular cartridges in the country, but in the Rocky Mountain states it’s not, especially as a hunting cartridge.

On trajectory alone I’d say the Creedmoor wins hands down. The idea that every shot can be dialed isn’t realistic - western cartridges have to be flat shooting, or you’ll miss shots at deer and antelope that aren’t just standing around like a marketing ad for whatever ballistic calculator is hot this year.

What a dumb comment. I don’t think anything you just said is true.

 

[grfox92]

Out west the 308 just isn’t that common. I realize it’s one of the most popular cartridges in the country, but in the Rocky Mountain states it’s not, especially as a hunting cartridge.

On trajectory alone I’d say the Creedmoor wins hands down. The idea that every shot can be dialed isn’t realistic - western cartridges have to be flat shooting, or you’ll miss shots at deer and antelope that aren’t just standing around like a marketing ad for whatever ballistic calculator is hot this year.

Way off.......308 is as common out west as anywhere else.

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[TaperPin]

Way off.......308 is as common out west as anywhere else.

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We’ll have to agree to disagree on that one.

 

[TaperPin]

What a dumb comment. I don’t think anything you just said is true.

I’m not saying you guys shouldn‘t dial every shot if you can, just not every shot allows time to do that. That’s just a fact of hunting, nothing I invented.

 

[TaperPin]

Ummm, saying the 308 isn’t common out west for hunting is flat out crazy talk. The creedmore may very well be a better cartridge, but there is still an extremely large amount of people with a 308 strapped around their shoulders out west come opening day of rifle season. I’m in the can’t go wrong with either camp. Both great options

I must have odd friends - only one of them has had a 308 and I bought it from him. I don’t have anything against a 308, heck I’m even trying to get a new 308 barrel, but Ive never heard of a Wyoming kid asking for a 308 for Christmas, and I can’t ever remember anyone telling a hunting story that included a 308.

 

[IdahoBeav]

I would not use either cartridge as a primary rifle for shots on mule deer at 500-600 yds.

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[Coopsdaddy]

Why not?

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I’m not saying you guys shouldn‘t dial every shot if you can, just not every shot allows time to do that. That’s just a fact of hunting, nothing I invented.

But mpbr on both are very close. So if you are going to zero at MPBR and then dial at anything longer than that, it doesn’t matter. Thats just a fact of hunting, nothing I invented. My opinion of your comment hasn’t changed.

 

[LongWayAround]

I just shot a bull with the 6.5CM and it worked fine. Two cows prior, DRT. Two more elk tags and a whitetail for this season, I'm taking the same rifle. The .308 wouldn't make them more dead.

 

[bojangles808]

I would not use either cartridge as a primary rifle for shots on mule deer at 500-600 yds.

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I'd use the 6.5

 

[vonb]

Have both and would choose .308 if elk is on the menu. Randy Newburg seems to be awfully successful with a .308.

 

[Gsquared]

The rifle will be used primarily for Antelope, Whitetails in WI, and Mule Deer out west. I'm guessing shots would be 5-600 at the absolute max. I can't decide between the 308 or the 6.5. I like the 308 for a little extra punch with heavy bullets as I could use it for Elk hunting as a backup as well, but I also like less recoil with the 6.5. Thoughts here?

Thank You!

6.5 PRC

 

[Tx270WT]

308 is filling the role of my 270 this year until I get its new barrel put on. It’s being built to fling the 150 gr accubond well clear of 3000 fps.

So many cartridges to pick from for those criteria that will work. Sometimes I find making a spreadsheet with pros and cons works well in these situations to find what works best for you. That way you can weight the things that matter more to you and your situation.