Cartridge conundrum

[HeavyForCaliber]

Still looking at a new rifle but can't for the life of me decide on a cartridge. I mainly hunt out east where I can get by with a 6.5CM. I eventually want to do a western hunt for elk and mule deer. I've been looking at the 300wsm and 7 rem mag. Any other recommendations is greatly welcomed. Only want 1 rifle to do it all.

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Between the 300WSM and 7RM and not handloading, I'd go 7RM as several have said. There are some really great bullets in .284. But to get full performance out of the 7RM it benefits from a 24 to 26" barrel. Having hunted a woods treestand in the southeast with a 26" light varmint 7RM, and many hot days waiting for a 24" sporter 7RM barrel to cool shooting paper, it wouldn't be my choice for "1 rifle to do it all" inside 400 yards.

If you're not handloading, a 20" 7mm-08 or 18~20" 308 with a threaded medium-weight barrel would be a handy versatile rifle. It will be light enough to carry a ways, short enough to hunt in the woods or run a suppressor, heavy enough barrel for practice strings as your only rifle, and capable of tackling a variety of game out to 400 yds with the right bullet choice.

 

[BjornF16]

That's what I'm thinking. Want a little more oomph than the 6.5cm plus when I go I'll be using an outfitter

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Does the outfitter require a minimum caliber/cartridge?

6.5CM has shown to be more than adequate to 400yds with appropriate bullets

 

[Mountainrancher]

The 6.5 cm is very usable with your 400 yard limit. However as others have stated if you want to increase that distance and/or have more “punch” then the 7mm rem mag is hard to beat. I’m my opinion it is almost the perfect “only one rifle” cartridge. It has an excellent range of both bullet weights and bullet construction in factory ammo. It’s also considered one of the “available everywhere” cartridges due to its popularity.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

I live in PA, and hunt elk out west annually. I just sold a 300 win mag to fund a 6.5 cm for my do-it all rifle. Take a look at the 6.5 cm thread, lots of dead elk photos there.

 

[stan5677]

Thank's for all the advice my rifle will more than likely be a tikka t3x superlite handled one and it felt great action was slick as snot on a door knob. I'm by no means recoil sensitive just wondering how the 7mm rem mag would kick in the tikka but i've been eyeing the veil lineup pretty hard.

 

[Forestryguy]

I ran across some comparisons the other day on 6.5s. If you were to handled and use a hunting bullet in a modern chamber, the 6.5x55 swede is between the CM and PRC. Have to push it over SAMMI. Hornady just came out with some new bullets that look promising for hunting that are monos.

 

[Zappaman]

I ran across some comparisons the other day on 6.5s. If you were to handled and use a hunting bullet in a modern chamber, the 6.5x55 swede is between the CM and PRC. Have to push it over SAMMI. Hornady just came out with some new bullets that look promising for hunting that are monos.

IF SAMMI didn't downgrade this 130 year old cartridge (due to the milsurps "still" coming out in the 50/60s) we would have never HAD the 6.5 Creedmoor!

Lots of reloading manuals started updating the loads 20 years or so ago: one set for the "old" guns, and one set for the newer "improved" chambers. But ammo makers didn't cross the line so you couldn't get factory ammo made to meet the new chamber specs (JUST like the 6.8 SPC- "thanks for F***ing that one up Remington!)

Hell, 1/2 the hunters 10 years ago though a 6.5x55 was some Russian "thing"! It's one of the OLDEST calibers on earth and was THE moose gun in Europe (probably still is) today.

Hornady saw an opportunity (paid SAMMI) and now we ALL want a 6.5

And... yes (damnit!) I finally bought one last November- hate loving the damn thing!

 

[PredatorSlayer]

do you reload? if so 7SS
if not 7suam, 300wsm

Most of sherman’s cartridges are such a PITA. Its not just do you reload, its do you love fireforming and all the other hoops you have to jump through with these cartridges which I think are over rated.

 

[OMB]

I went through the same thing 5 years ago when planning for upcoming sheep, mule deer and elk hunts, and basically came down to 300 Win Mag or 7mm Rem Mag. One of my criteria is to be able to source ammo anywhere I'd be hunting if for whatever reason I ended up at my destination without my own, and 300 WM won out.

I bought a CA Ridgeline, and I love the gun, it shoots 1/2 MOA all day, but after toting it for a couple of hunts, and my sheep hunt pushed back due to Covid, I also ended up buying a Kimber Montana in 6.5 CM that I'll be taking for sheep and caribou this summer, and saving 2 pounds overall.

I'm still in the Goldilocks phase of figuring out what's perfect for me, but when it's all said and done a few years down the road, I'll probably end up with a custom from Boswell in 280 AI or 6.5 PRC if they either starts to become more available for factory ammo.

Edit: I also have zero desire or need to kill game past 400 yards. More power to you if that's what you want, I like ringing steel past 500 yards as much as anyone, but I don't find it necessary or ethical to have to push that in the field. YMMV.

 

[jimh406]

I wouldn’t lock in on one cartridge. I’d have a few in mind and look for the rifle you want. Almost all have a choice in caliber. I went with a 300 WSM because that was what I felt was the best choice in the gun I had settled on.

That being said, it is more work to buy appropriate ammo for a 300 WSM with most in my area that’s available in deer type bullets. That’s limiting considering there are Elk where I deer hunt and the seasons can overlap.

There is never a shortage of very good ammo in solid cartridges like 308, 7 Rem Mag or even 300 Win Mag. Frankly, if you plan to shoot a lot to practice, there is a huge amount of 308 available.

 

[MHWASH]

As a new shooter you should stick with a short action low recoil round. 6.5CM, 7-08, possibly a 308. Especially if you go with a Tikka, as they are fairly light weight. Eventually you can step up to a 300, which if you buy a short action cartridge now makes more sense than a 7mm. Go to Hornady and play with their ballistic calculator. This will reall y open your eyes to the effectiveness of the Creedmoor.

 

[Hschweers]

Thank's for all the advice my rifle will more than likely be a tikka t3x superlite handled one and it felt great action was slick as snot on a door knob. I'm by no means recoil sensitive just wondering how the 7mm rem mag would kick in the tikka but i've been eyeing the veil lineup pretty hard.

I have a T3x lite Stainless in .308. Call me soft if you want, but .308 is about as much punch as I want out of a non braked gun that light. I’m under 7.5 pounds scoped and loaded. After 20 or so shots at the range, I feel it. That being said, I’ve never even felt or heard the gun go off when the adrenaline of an animal at the end of the barrel kicks in. I personally wouldn’t want a 7rm or 300wm in a gun that light unless you went with the veil lineup that comes with a brake.

 

[ID_Matt]

do you reload? if so 7SS
if not 7suam, 300wsm

What 7 SAUM factory ammo is there that is worth buying a gun for?

 

[Seeknelk]

IF SAMMI didn't downgrade this 130 year old cartridge (due to the milsurps "still" coming out in the 50/60s) we would have never HAD the 6.5 Creedmoor!

Lots of reloading manuals started updating the loads 20 years or so ago: one set for the "old" guns, and one set for the newer "improved" chambers. But ammo makers didn't cross the line so you couldn't get factory ammo made to meet the new chamber specs (JUST like the 6.8 SPC- "thanks for F***ing that one up Remington!)

Hell, 1/2 the hunters 10 years ago though a 6.5x55 was some Russian "thing"! It's one of the OLDEST calibers on earth and was THE moose gun in Europe (probably still is) today.

Hornady saw an opportunity (paid SAMMI) and now we ALL want a 6.5

And... yes (damnit!) I finally bought one last November- hate loving the damn thing!

Something wrong with the case design of a Creedmoor? It's just a 260 sized case that squirts bullets out at a certain speed. Why is any emotion attached ,I don't get it.
Also. The 6.5x55 doesn't fit very well in true short actions with long vld type bullets.

 

[tcpip95]

Blah, blah, blah, blah,

Now go get a 30-06. It'll do it all. And cheaper ammo than all the others. I can't think of a more versatile caliber: 123gr to 220gr right off the shelqf.

All these available as Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) rounds.
123
125
137
145
150
163
165
168
170
175
178
180
185
195
200
210
220

 

[gilby]

If you plan on a stock T3X for 0-400yds, the 30-06 would be my pick. Lots of factory ammo and it'll be cheaper to shoot than a Magnum cartridge.

 

[Zappaman]

Something wrong with the case design of a Creedmoor? It's just a 260 sized case that squirts bullets out at a certain speed. Why is any emotion attached ,I don't get it.
Also. The 6.5x55 doesn't fit very well in true short actions with long vld type bullets.

Did I ever say there was anything wrong with the Creed? Emotion?... more like a fun rant. I did buy a Creed- just took a while. History bears repeating at times. The CR does it's thing and Hornady was smart to introduce it.

BTW... I don't own a Swede, but I do own SEVERAL 260ai customs which I decided on after reading up on this old gun (which like the 6.5x55... gets out there a litter faster and flatter)

 

[Seeknelk]

Did I ever say there was anything wrong with the Creed? Emotion?... more like a fun rant. I did buy a Creed- just took a while. History bears repeating at times. The CR does it's thing and Hornady was smart to introduce it.

BTW... I don't own a Swede, but I do own SEVERAL 260ai customs which I decided on after reading up on this old gun (which like the 6.5x55... gets out there a litter faster and flatter)

Nah, you didn't say anything was wrong with it. I do want to point out the case length advantages of the CM.
Got one myself I gotta shake out still. Really like the case as a 22 Speedmore, I've got one of those shooting well. People do get their panties all wadded up over a cartridge design and name tho. Kinda strange. What kind of velocities do you get with those 260 ais? I almost went that route a time or two.

 

[woods89]

6.5 Creedmoor/260 for Deer, Elk, and whatever else.....

Seeing that the 223 thread is such a success, I thought maybe I would start one for the Creedmoor/260. Seems like people are asking a lot about using them and various bullets, especially for elk. I've used mine for the last few years almost exclusively. I have some pics of bullet damage, albeit...

www.rokslide.com

Some Creedmoor results in this thread well beyond 400 yds. It's not magic, but it does work.

 

[Zappaman]

Don't have my notes handy, but I wasn't going for the top node and so I'm guessing somewhere around 2850 with the fire form loads with the 140g Gold Dots.

I tried yesterday to take the "full case" RL-23 loads out for the first time, but the wind went from 5mph to 20 mph in the 30 minutes after I arrived at the range- so I didn't shoot them. Drank whiskey and smoked a good cigar with my buddy (who owns the range he lets me use) instead

I replaced a 243 with the new CR actually. Wanted a coyote gun (*with 100-123g bullets) for long range night coyote hunting over our bean and corn fields here in Kansas (to buck wind better... ya we have it here- always). Mounted a rail on the stock's fore-end for the light- it's going to be slick here next month when I have time to get out.

All good points on the CR though. I'm running a stainless Savage Axis II for this CM so plenty of room for the longer bullets. The short action issue is the reason I went with the 260ai... also build on customized Axis IIs with custom barrels and stocks. The actions/mags have lots of length so not an issue.