Struggling to see the point of 6.5's

[Newtosavage]

I'm back to playing with a 6.5 CM again. Why, I don't know but I got a great deal on a PR barrel for my Savage so I figured why not. Maybe this time I'll see what all the fuss is about. Being a dedicated 7mm guy, I figured there had to be something about all these 6.5's because I keep hearing so much about them. And now that's all I can find on the shelves both in loaded ammo and in components...

anyway, after spending a few days loading and shooting I guess I just don't get it. 2700 fps. with factory 127 Barnes LRX ammo, and the same with a variety of 129-130 grain hand loads. Looking at the load data, I can't even expect much more than that from the dainty little CM.

So, I start thinking about having this barrel rechambered to 6.5 PRC. When I look up the load data for that cartridge, I'm not impressed by it either. Nor am I all that impressed with the 6.5-284 that is supposed to be such a great "long range" cartridge (although I guess the PRC is supposed to replace it?). So what gives?

I learned a while back that the larger the bore for the case, the faster you can push a bullet from it. So trying to push 140's out of a 6.5 bore at 2800 is darn tough while it is routine out of 7mm's and pedestrian out of .308 bores. Sure, you give up BC (in the case of the .308 at least) but you're also pushing it 200 fps faster from the same case.

All this has me struggling to decide what to do with this Proof Research 6.5 CM barrel. Sure, there is a whole shelf full of factory ammo for it in every store, but it does nothing my 7mm-08's or .284 win's didn't do better as far as I can tell.

I mean, the recoil is a hair less but not enough less to make me reach for it over my 7mm-08 or .308.

What am I missing?

 

[JPeters218]

I don’t have a 6.5 and probably won’t in the foreseeable future. Numbers wise the creed doesn’t do anything special, but it does more than what 95% of people need their hunting rifle to do. Factory ammo has plenty of velocity out to 500 yards, it’s cheap to shoot, low recoil, and it’s readily available

 

[bcv]

I had a 6.5 PRC. It worked but I like calibers that drop animals when it hits them. The PRC showed me very little blood on good shots and some frustrating tracking jobs through thick stuff... so I sold it.
With all that said, I'm not taking 500 yard shots.

 

[Newtosavage]

I don’t have a 6.5 and probably won’t in the foreseeable future. Numbers wise the creed doesn’t do anything special, but it does more than what 95% of people need their hunting rifle to do. Factory ammo has plenty of velocity out to 500 yards, it’s cheap to shoot, low recoil, and it’s readily available

I get all that, but it sure seems anemic to me. I mean, the .243 has less recoil and IMO just as much killing power.

If someone has thoughts about the 6.5 PRC I'd love to hear them, because rechambering this barrel to 6.5 PRC is about the only thing I can think of doing with it at this point - if I decide to keep it.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

You are evaluating the wrong bullets. Monos suck. The benefit to a 6.5 is they shoot high BC, high sectional density bullets with very little recoil. If your animals aren’t dropping after being shot with a 6.5 its because you are using the wrong bullets or are a piss poor shot. If you are a piss poor shot and are thinking a 300 mag will compensate for that, you are mistaken.

My 6.5 PRC has the same or better ballistics as a 7mm RM, with less recoil, less powder and just as much “killing power”.

Your 708 may hang with the 6.5 creemoor out to 500, but after that the little 6.5 will win.

 

[Mulyhuntr]

Manageable recoil, easy to find ammo/components. 1000 ft/lbs out to 900 yards at my elevation.

Load up some 147 eldms at 2750 and report back.

PRC does nothing but add maybe 200 yards to the cm.

 

[TL406]

I don’t reload but you could look at the weatherby variations: 6.5 wby rpm and 6.5-300 wby mag. They have some extra juice.

 

[axeforce6]

PRC adds 250- 300fps on a creed. I have a load with a 156 Berger at 3015fps out of a 24” barrel. Run that against a 7RM using a 175 grain bullet. You’d be surprised at what you’d find. I shot a big mule deer this year at 330 with the 147 eldm. It went 15 yards.

 

[FLS]

A 130 grain bullet moving fast makes the Creedmoor a more impressive killer.
I shoot the 130 grain Tipped Game Kings at 2890 out of my 24” Kreiger barreled 700.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Not a super rifle wizard, but I will add my$0.2. i am kind of a meat and potatoes caliber guy, meaning you can find ammo for almost anything I own at Walmart (during normal times). I drank the 6.5 koolaid and bought a tikka, but have only used my 6.5 cm on deer. None have gone far, though all have been decent hits. Ammo availability is a consideration. Most stores I go to now have a variety of 308 and maybe 1 or 2 flavors of 6.5 Right now. During the darkest days of the last 2+ years, it seemed like I could still find 308 here and there but 6.5 was nowhere. I also think about shot distance. I am a 400 yard or less kind of guy. That distance isn’t going to favor the 6.5 ballistics over the 308 by much. I like the lower recoil but it isn’t a game changer for me. Bottom line is that while I like my creed, I am getting that new gun itch and will probably go back to 308 for my next boomer.

 

[Oregonhuntrboi]

I had a 6.5 PRC. It worked but I like calibers that drop animals when it hits them. The PRC showed me very little blood on good shots and some frustrating tracking jobs through thick stuff... so I sold it.
With all that said, I'm not taking 500 yard shots.

Respectfully Maybe it wasn’t as good as shot as you think? I killed 3 deer this season with my 6.5 prc shooting hornady match 147. Shot 1 at 350 yards in his bed and he never even stood up, my whitetail was 450 yards and he dropped instantly, and my blacktail was 450 as well and ran about 50 yards downhill. There are countless other hunters that “drop animals” with the 6.5 prc.

 

[Oregonhuntrboi]

Respectfully Maybe it wasn’t as good as shot as you think? I killed 3 deer this season with my 6.5 prc shooting hornady match 147. Shot 1 at 350 yards in his bed and he never even stood up, my whitetail was 450 yards and he dropped instantly, and my blacktail was 450 as well and ran about 50 yards downhill. There are countless other hunters that “drop animals” with the 6.5 prc.

I had a 6.5 PRC. It worked but I like calibers that drop animals when it hits them. The PRC showed me very little blood on good shots and some frustrating tracking jobs through thick stuff... so I sold it.
With all that said, I'm not taking 500 yard shots.

Here is are pics of the heart at 450 yards with a 6.5 prc.It sure “dropped him”

 

[N2TRKYS]

I thought about getting a 6.5 prc, but I already own a 270 Win. The prc wasn’t gonna give me anything that the 270 wouldn’t for the ranges I hunt.

 

[bcv]

Respectfully Maybe it wasn’t as good as shot as you think? I killed 3 deer this season with my 6.5 prc shooting hornady match 147. Shot 1 at 350 yards in his bed and he never even stood up, my whitetail was 450 yards and he dropped instantly, and my blacktail was 450 as well and ran about 50 yards downhill. There are countless other hunters that “drop animals” with the 6.5 prc.

Maybe I'll chalk it up to the weird things that happen hunting but the shot that made me sell the rifle was slightly quartering away. Took out both lungs, top of heart, and broke the right front leg just above the joint.
I found 2 tiny drops of blood after I found the deer.
I'm not saying the 6.5 can't drop animals... I'm sure there are lots of hunters w stories like yours.

I treat calibers like I treat guns that aren't accurate. Meaning, if I have a rifle that can't make a decent group or I have a caliber that doesn't perform.. I sell it. There are way too many good rifles and calibers out there to make a non-issue an issue.

 

[KenLee]

Factory 120 gr NBT and just send it. In 6.5 or 7mm-08.

 

[mt100gr.]

Turns out there's just a wee bit of overlap among centerfire rifle cartridges...what made these wounds? Exit or entrance? (All are just behind the shoulder, no major bone hit)

 

[MuleyFever]

If you want to sell the barrel let me know.

 

[BjornF16]

If you want to sell the barrel let me know.

Beat me to it

 

[Maverick1]

What am I missing?

I think the better question might be - what are you looking for?

 

[sndmn11]

I'm back to playing with a 6.5 CM again. Why, I don't know but I got a great deal on a PR barrel for my Savage so I figured why not. Maybe this time I'll see what all the fuss is about. Being a dedicated 7mm guy, I figured there had to be something about all these 6.5's because I keep hearing so much about them. And now that's all I can find on the shelves both in loaded ammo and in components...

anyway, after spending a few days loading and shooting I guess I just don't get it. 2700 fps. with factory 127 Barnes LRX ammo, and the same with a variety of 129-130 grain hand loads. Looking at the load data, I can't even expect much more than that from the dainty little CM.

So, I start thinking about having this barrel rechambered to 6.5 PRC. When I look up the load data for that cartridge, I'm not impressed by it either. Nor am I all that impressed with the 6.5-284 that is supposed to be such a great "long range" cartridge (although I guess the PRC is supposed to replace it?). So what gives?

I learned a while back that the larger the bore for the case, the faster you can push a bullet from it. So trying to push 140's out of a 6.5 bore at 2800 is darn tough while it is routine out of 7mm's and pedestrian out of .308 bores. Sure, you give up BC (in the case of the .308 at least) but you're also pushing it 200 fps faster from the same case.

All this has me struggling to decide what to do with this Proof Research 6.5 CM barrel. Sure, there is a whole shelf full of factory ammo for it in every store, but it does nothing my 7mm-08's or .284 win's didn't do better as far as I can tell.

I mean, the recoil is a hair less but not enough less to make me reach for it over my 7mm-08 or .308.

What am I missing?

You have a bunch of 4166 that isn't being used?