So, you went smaller caliber, but not down to .223…

[ORJoe]

6 Arc with a 16" barrel is pretty much the minimum legal for Oregon elk
And Howa, because it's the Miniest rifle

Was doing 6.5 Grendel for deer and 7 Rem Mag for elk and bear

 

[riversidejeep]

I went the other way, Stepped up to a .300 R.U.M. , 100 grains of powder every time I pull the trigger. I now have hunting partners on different ridge tops that call in coordinates to trophy animals.

 

[Ajsomp]

I have a 223 and still have a 300wm. I can’t get past the idea of using a 223 to hunt moose in grizzly country. Say what you will - but I just don’t care to test that out.

That being said, I’m considering using the 233 more this coming year and seeing the results for myself. I still think a 6.5 isn’t a bad option for the longer range shots - and is probably a good choice for most people.

 

[Boltgun]

30-06 to 6.5 PRC to 6.5 CM.

Couldn’t quite go all the way down to the little calibers, but figured maybe I could find a happy middle ground with the creedmoor.

Vortex is just temporary. It’ll get the NX8 if it shoots.

 

[Honyock]

I went from a .270 to a 300wsm and now to a 6.5 Creed. Killed a hand full of elk, black bear and more deer than I can remember with the 270 and somehow convinced myself that I needed more gun and got the 300wsm. The 6.5 Creed is a whole lot more enjoyable to shoot than the 300wsm and ammo is considerably cheaper. Never had a big issue with recoil, but I'm a lot more proficient with the 6.5 Creed than with the 300wsm and I don't miss the recoil. I'm really liking the 6.5 Creed and it kills deer just as dead as the others. Still have all three and if I could have only one, it would be the .270 that I've used for 35 years because of our long-term relationship.

 

[Tobe_B]

Shot a .300WM for about 20 years, gained all kinds of wonderful shooting habits. Stepped down to a 6.5 PRC for this last season. Now I’m moving down to a 6mm ARC. Just about the minimum caliber requirement in Colorado.


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[TNHighlands]

Currently struggling with this decision. I have 2 tikkas, a CTR in 6.5 creed in a krg bravo with a heavy athlon etr. Shoot bugholes with factory 140eldm, but rifle is not set up for hunting. Second rifle is a RSS (superlite with swfa 3-9hd) in 7mag which has killed piles of deer but overkill for most eastern TN and Texas hunting.

I don't reload but am not opposed to jumping into it. Have about thousand rounds of 6.5 in hand already.

Rokslide has me interested in a short 6 creed shooting 108 eldms with a suppressor for a do-all target/hunting rifle.

Does it make sense to use the ctr or the superlite as a donor and invest in stock/ammo/glass for a 6cm build? I hate selling guns but think there's some redundancy in keeping these two and adding a third. If not mistaken, could not use the magnum bolt from the superlite.

Does it make more sense to strip the ctr down, spin on a new barrel, stock, and glass? Then sell the ammo/stock/scope/barrel? Or, sell both and build from scratch?

Not sure if providing enough info here but looking for guidance on how best to approach this.

 

[LeftyWilbury]

@TNHighlands i had a similar dilemma in that i had two 7 mags and and didn't really need either of them if going smaller, but the magnum bolt face limits what i could do. so i just bought a .243. someday i'll build a 300 WSM because i don't feel like selling either of the 7 mags. i

f your CTR shoots well, i wouldnt take that apart. i have an older tikka tactical in 308 that is stupid accurate but right handed and i can't bring myself to buy a LH tactical bc god forbid it doesn't shoot as well. it's just fun to shoot. makes me feel like i dont suck as a rifleman.

if you're not tied to the 7 mag sell it to fund something smaller. finding a smaller tikka bolt seems either impossible or cost prohibitive.

 

[TNHighlands]

@TNHighlands i had a similar dilemma in that i had two 7 mags and and didn't really need either of them if going smaller, but the magnum bolt face limits what i could do. so i just bought a .243. someday i'll build a 300 WSM because i don't feel like selling either of the 7 mags. i

f your CTR shoots well, i wouldnt take that apart. i have an older tikka tactical in 308 that is stupid accurate but right handed and i can't bring myself to buy a LH tactical bc god forbid it doesn't shoot as well. it's just fun to shoot. makes me feel like i dont suck as a rifleman.

if you're not tied to the 7 mag sell it to fund something smaller. finding a smaller tikka bolt seems either impossible or cost prohibitive.

Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking of using @Unknown Munitions to build off one of them as a donor. I'm not sure if they swap bolts with existing inventory if going to a smaller caliber. Going to call them this week to talk through options.

 

[mtwarden]

Well, not a .22 caliber but have a .243 on the way- we'll see how it does

and so it begins

 

[Ajsomp]

Reading the 223 thread and 6.5 thread has me thinking “why not try to find a 6 creed” but the 6.5/6.5prc seems like plenty of examples of 130/140/147 doing great. I’ve owned 6mm creed, 6.5 creed, and 6.5PRC in the past - in various platforms- but at this point no preference on any other than what gives me the best terminal performance.

Did anyone jump to 6.5 creed or PRC and wished they bumped down to 6mm or vice versa, jumped to 6mm and back up to 6.5?

 

[Alex Genereux]

Reading the 223 thread and 6.5 thread has me thinking “why not try to find a 6 creed” but the 6.5/6.5prc seems like plenty of examples of 130/140/147 doing great. I’ve owned 6mm creed, 6.5 creed, and 6.5PRC in the past - in various platforms- but at this point no preference on any other than what gives me the best terminal performance.

Did anyone jump to 6.5 creed or PRC and wished they bumped down to 6mm or vice versa, jumped to 6mm and back up to 6.5?

I am going from 6.5 cm to 6 cm. Terminally they will preform the same with eldm bullet. I am moving down for less recoil and more likely spotting shots.

 

[WI-Carcosa]

Started with .243 and nosler partitions and hated the results. Then moved to a 30:06 for a while with 165g ballistic tips were awesome but I hated shooting it. Currently using my 300wsm suppressed and putting my 6.5x55 tikka in a chassis to be an all around killer. I love the suppressed wsm but can’t wait to use the 6.5 more. I sold my .284 that l had the worst recoil of the stable and the 30:06 to pick up a tikka 223 to try out and fund some better(durable) optics.

Currently debating what to do with a future unknown munitions build likely a 6.5PRC or mayyyyybe a 6mm build.

 

[sneaky]

Started with .243 and bonded bullets and hated the results. Then moved to a 30:06 for a while with 165g ballistic tips were awesome but I hated shooting it. Currently using my 300wsm suppressed and putting my 6.5x55 tikka in a chassis to be an all around killer. I love the suppressed wsm but can’t wait to use the 6.5 more. I sold my .284 that l had the worst recoil of the stable and the 30:06 to pick up a tikka 223 to try out and fund some better(durable) optics.

Currently debating what to do with a future unknown munitions build likely a 6.5PRC or mayyyyybe a 6mm build.

Why did you go with bonded bullets out of the .243? Seems to defeat the purpose of going smaller with a more lethal projectile.

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[Jpsmith1]

I mostly use a 6mm Rem for deer and antelope, it's about as small as I feel comfortable going. I take something bigger if I'm elk hunting.

There isn't anything under 300# give or take a few pounds that I wouldn't be completely comfortable taking a pop at with my 6mm Rem.

 

[fishsticks]

7mm-08 it’s a decent mix of energy down range with moderate recoil. My issue with little bullets pushed fast is the bloodshot loss. I’d rather use a more traditionally constructed bullet pushed to more moderate velocities and(potentially) lose less meat. YMMV.

 

[WI-Carcosa]

Why did you go with bonded bullets out of the .243? Seems to defeat the purpose of going smaller with a more lethal projectile.

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I agree. It was cup and core and edited my post but similar not ideal performance on deer. I was 12 and used what was provided in my rifle. Even at that age I was underwhelmed with the results doing the necropsies and saw results from nosler BTs in 30:06 and thought that seemed like a better way to go.

 

[General RE LEE]

I built a Howa Mini 6mm ARC with a B&C stock shooting 108 ELD-M handloads right around 2600 FPS. Purpose of the build is to have a rifle that when suppressed, is a true spot your shot rig with enough energy for whitetail. So far, even in an 8lb configuration, spotting shots is super easy. Essentially a slow 243 with a lot more barrel life, less recoil and with a 1:7.5 twist, can shoot heavy for caliber projectiles. My DOPE just about matches my 308.

 

[chindits]

I picked up a 6.5 cm just for barrel and component life and availability and yet still CO big game legal. I’m already on my 12th reload on my first set of cases and I can’t seem to get past 7 on my 7RM. I’m fine hunting with it, but it still can’t hold a candle to my 7RM with wind drift at distance so I really haven’t made up my mind on a hunt. I’d rather bow hunt if I could get the tags.

 

[chindits]

Actually not too bad in the wind once I realized my 7RM scope is mils and my 6.5 scope is moa. Mil to mil isn’t off too bad with my mellow loads in eldm to eldm.