6.5 Creedmoor vs .270

[General RE LEE]

6.5 CM is boring, ubiquitous and very well balanced. I’d choose 6.5.

 

[KenLee]

6.5 CM is boring, ubiquitous and very well balanced. I’d choose 6.5.

That's why I only have 5 of those. Boring AF, but ok as a kids or small newbie woman's rifle.

 

[KenLee]

270 win (this is my actual load data)
View attachment 882671
6.5 Creed (this is my actual load data)
View attachment 882672
37.6% increase in recoil going from 6.5 Creed to 270 win in same weight (very light, which I have) gun. The other thing is the 6.5 CM recoil impulse is less, so it feels less snappy than 270 recoil, IME

I have shot 130 gr in 270 for years and shoot 143gr eld-x in 6.5 creed, so not as much difference in recoil. I'm kinda partial to the 270 that has killed 500ish deer, even though I own 5 6.5 Creeds. Mostly "yewt" rifles.

 

[AntelopeEater]

Either would work just fine.

But since you already have a 30-06, if it was me, I'd get something lighter like .243 or even .223/5.56

 

[S.Clancy]

I have shot 130 gr in 270 for years and shoot 143gr eld-x in 6.5 creed, so not as much difference in recoil. I'm kinda partial to the 270 that has killed 500ish deer, even though I own 5 6.5 Creeds. Mostly "yewt" rifles.

I love the 270 win as well. I just wanted to make an "apples to apples" comparison of the heavy bullets.

 

[Robobiss]

I have a decent sized collection of hunting rifles including a 30-06, a 270, and a 6.5 creedmoor. Unfortunately a lot of them are sentimental because if I could do it all over again I would just have two. A 223 tikka and a 6mm creedmoor/fast twist 243 and save a boatload of money.

That said, if you think the 6mm is too small (it’s not) get the 6.5

 

[General RE LEE]

That's why I only have 5 of those. Boring AF, but ok as a kids or small newbie woman's rifle.

Typical deer hunting distances, take your pic. I shoot a lot of steel out to 1K in the off season and there is a considerable reduction in recoil going from 270 to 6.5 CM. The 6.5 CM really shines shooting long range. Accurate, light recoil and high BC projectiles = better hit rate on targets way out there.

 

[Speaks]

I am very sentimentally attached to my 270. But if I were starting from scratch today I would have a 223, 6cm, and 6.5 prc.

Really though I see my 270 and 6.5 cm as interchangeable, for all practical purposes. I tend to grab the cm though.

 

[Southern Lights]

I have 6.5, 270 and 30-06 barrels for my rifle.

If I had a 30-06 only, I'd get a 6.5CM as the counterpart.

With that said, when I go for a hunt I tend to pick the 270 most of the time because I shoot suppressed so recoil is tame. Not as tame as the 6.5 but close enough that I don't care. I can spot impacts with both, etc.

The big thing the 270 gives is significantly less drop. People may think it's irrelevant because of range finders, etc. But when you extend distance it's fairly significant. Also, a ranging error or animal moving off where you don't correct your dope is still going to hit with the 270 within reasonable error, where the 6.5cm may shoot under with the same range error.

For instance, I range an animal and get back a reading of 400y, but I actually ranged the bush that's 25y in front. Actual animal distance is therefore 425y not 400y.

270 drop is 22.6 @ 400 and is 26.7 @ 425 = 4.1 inch more drop.
6.5cm drop is 33.4 @ 400 and is 39.2 @425 = 5.8 inches more drop.

Assuming I'm aiming at center of chest, the 270 likely still an OK low hit, but the 6.5 is low hit/wounded. If I'm wobbling on the shot vertical, the error is maybe a miss with the 6.5 entirely.

If the targets are small like varmints, then the ranging error question becomes even bigger.

Admittedly the above may be academic most of the time. I've shot 6.5s and they kill as well as the 270 from what I can see.

But again in your case, you already have the larger caliber covered so I'd get 6.5. I mainly post the above for those wondering why the 270 is not necessarily dead yet when it comes to the 6.5s.

.270 130SST Super Performance Ammo @3150fps (my rifle actual)

Range Drop (in) Wind(in)
200y 2.6 2.6
300y 9.8 6.0
400y 22.6 11.0
500y 41.8 17.9

6.5CM Hornady 140-ELDM Match Ammo @2600fps (my rifle actual)

Range Drop (in) Wind(in
200y 4.3 2.5
300y 15.1 5.8
400y 33.4 10.7
500y 60.0 17.2

 

[EmperorMA]

I have shot 130 gr in 270 for years and shoot 143gr eld-x in 6.5 creed, so not as much difference in recoil. I'm kinda partial to the 270 that has killed 500ish deer, even though I own 5 6.5 Creeds. Mostly "yewt" rifles.

There is about a 20% difference in recoil.

 

[Luked]

I have a 270 in a Howa 1500 that I used for years. Great rifle and has never let me down.
Shot plenty of stuff with it. And its a tac driver.

The last 2 years I have carried a 6.5CM everywhere. The 270 now just sits in the safe.

 

[TradLife406]

6.5 PRC especially if your shooting past 500. Inside that it's a wash.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mtmojo]

I went down a similar path as you. I have a 6.5 CM for more of a trainer with the benefit of barrel life. Now I'm also able to swap the bolt face and barrel up to a 6.5 PRC during hunting season. Then I went farther down the rabbit hole and built a rifle in 6.8 Western, figuring I could use the PRC as a backup during hunting season. (or a loaner gun to family when they hunt with me) Now I'm contemplating a 300WSM (barrel) as an option if I ever draw tags on some bigger game.
In your instance I believe less recoil and barrel life would make it a pretty easy decision.

 

[TaperPin]

With laser rangefinders and scopes that accurately dial, the good old 30-06 is an ideal all around deer-to-moose cartridge. My vote is for an easy to shoot trainer/plinker/coyote/varmint rifle. 243 is ideal, but the creedmoor is pretty close.

For plinking I’d grab a 6.5 every time, but the 270 is a superior hunting cartridge.

 

[MarkOrtiz]

I am very sentimentally attached to my 270. But if I were starting from scratch today I would have a 223, 6cm, and 6.5 prc.

Really though I see my 270 and 6.5 cm as interchangeable, for all practical purposes. I tend to grab the cm though.

Those 3 would be my choice too if starting from scratch. That would cover everything for me.

 

[Igloo]

That's why I only have 5 of those. Boring AF, but ok as a kids or small newbie woman's rifle.

Men seem to need larger cartridges to kill the same game as kids or small newbie womenfolk. Odd phenomenon

 

[KenLee]

Men seem to need larger cartridges to kill the same game as kids or small newbie womenfolk. Odd phenomenon

Some men also have a sense of humor

 

[Igloo]

Some men also have a sense of humor

He said, replying to a post that was a joke

 

[Cdnance]

So what was the final decision? You go with the 270?

 

[lefthandedasian]

The 270 was great back in the day because it was flat shooting and there was more room for error when you would guestimate the range without a range finder. Now with modern range finders and ballistic apps you can calculate your drop very easily and hold or dial accordingly. I think I would rather have the benefit of the better BC and less wind drift of the 6.5 since wind will be the harder variable to judge than drop.

The added benefit of the 6.5 has been stated already, but less recoil is never a bad thing. Especially since there are numerous threads and proof that smaller cartridges than a 270 and 6.5 have taken elk and moose, why subject yourself to more shoulder punishment than necessary?