What’s in between a 6.5 Creedmoor and the Magnums?

[Gila]

The 270 win has been and is a remarkable cartridge. I don’t think there is any comparison to a 6.5 pray more or a 30’06. If you want a thousand yard rifle get a 1:8.5 barrel twist and load some heavies. The 280AI is certainly an easy sell. If I shoot out my .270 barrel I will probably re-barrel with a 280AI.

 

[Pabst]

Ammo availability is maybe the only downside to the 280/280ai. If I ever shoot out my 270 barrel I may do the same.

 

[Don P]

Coming from western Canada and having hunted for over 40 years, I find this a very interesting forum. Having the opportunity to hunt Antelope to Moose and seeing the devastation to meat, up close and bloody,I will hang my hat on Barnes TTSX for my 3 calibers. Pushing a 200 plus out of the 300 WM, 180 out of the 06 and any of them out the 270 AI.
As a matter of fact most of my plains animals, White tails, Mule Deer and Antelope have been with the 270 AI, only a couple of Moose. 270 AI Shillen match 26 inch if memory serves I was getting 3200 fps with the 130 gr and 3100 with the 140s. I tried Partitions on a Mule Deer ......once, the mistake was larger than the exit wound, what a fragment grenade, it took out 6-10 inches on the outboard rib cage, never again.
If I was going to build another custom it would be the 7 SAUM.
Good luck to you all and happy hunting.

 

[Boblee]

Neither the 270 Win nor the 7mm-08 get you much more than the 6.5 CM.

The 6.5 PRC and 280 AI are a step up without “that” much more recoil. I’d lean towards the 280 AI for bigger game but I’d have no qualms about hunting large game with the 6.5 PRC.

The 270 win gets way more than the creed . Not even close . 300fps advantage to the 270 win with 130 bullet in each loaded to thier upper accuracy nodes , not a minimum load in one and a Max in the other, healthy but not dangerous loads in both.

 

[trophyhill]

He asked for less recoil than a 300 or 7mm. I would say the 30-06 has marginally less than the 7mm but probably not too much perceived.

I dont know about that. My buddies ot 6 kicks like a mule compared to my 7 mag. Must be the muzzle break on mine that makes all the difference.

 

[Boblee]

280 AI is going to produce recoil on par with a 3006. 270 or 6.5 PRC does not get you much over your Creedmore. Your answer is a 308 or a standard 280. Ammo availability probably gives the nod to the 308. 280 wins on cool factor points tho!

So much incorrect information about that little creedmoor round. . The creedmoor has no magic. the 270 is a huge step up in velocity when comparing apples to apples . Sure you can quote cousin jim bobs load for his creed that has a 156 grain going 4800fps and some random post that a days his 270 only shoots 2500 fps but geez . Top load to top load the 270 wins by a bunch .

 

[Tx270WT]

280 or 280AI and this comes from someone that loves his 270w. You 6.5 bois need to get your panties out of a wad.

 

[roosiebull]

So if I wanted something that has more energy than a 6.5 CM with the same or better drop and wind drift but also less recoil than something like a 300 Win Mag, 7mm, etc., what am I looking at?

The 6.5 PRC seems to fit the bill. My only concern there is the availability, now and in the future, for factory ammo since it’s a new round in a super competitive market. I don’t reload and am not going to so factory ammo availability is a factor. Aside from the PRC, what else should I be looking at.

your first mistake is thinking there is actually something out there with more energy than a 6.5CM

what about a 270wsm? the boring ol' 270 is no less effective today though, i have had a couple and loved that cartridge... a 130 partition makes short work of about anything in NA

 

[roosiebull]

284 Winchester?

Factory ammo virtually non-existent, but Lapua has started making brass for the F-class guys.

Will it start showing up in factory chamberings?

I'd like to see this round come back. Thinking of re-barreling my Tikka T3x and shooting Hammers or Barnes LRX at 3000 fps out of a non-magnum case. Similar ballistics to 280AI and 280 Rem, but you can get Lapua brass if that matters.

The original Forbes ULA 20 rifles were chambered in 284 Win...

the 264 win is another cool cartridge if wanting to avoid the popularity of PRC ammo

 

[TheViking]

your first mistake is thinking there is actually something out there with more energy than a 6.5CM

what about a 270wsm? the boring ol' 270 is no less effective today though, i have had a couple and loved that cartridge... a 130 partition makes short work of about anything in NA

I have a Tikka 270wsm shooting the Federal Terminal Ascent 136 grains at 3240 MV

Little lighter bullet than I typically prefer, but this round is lights out.

Ballistics are very similar to a 7mm but kicks like a 270…really good option IMO

 

[roosiebull]

I have a Tikka 270wsm shooting the Federal Terminal Ascent 136 grains at 3240 MV

Little lighter bullet than I typically prefer, but this round is lights out.

Ballistics are very similar to a 7mm but kicks like a 270…really good option IMO

the terminal ascent has been a great bullet for me the past couple years, and that sounds like lightening in your rifle.... now i want one, haha.

i shot my buck at 315yds this year, pointing up a steep hill quartered away, hit him right next to the spine, totally separated the spine, then blew up the knuckle on the off side (literally the thickest part of the scapula just above the joint, and settled in the hide, good weight retention, good expansion, and excellent performance for the "gender bender" (6.5cm)

 

[renagde]

I dont know about that. My buddies ot 6 kicks like a mule compared to my 7 mag. Must be the muzzle break on mine that makes all the difference.

A good muzzle brake will turn a 300 win mag into a 30-30.

 

[eaglemountainman]

7-08

 

[dreamingWest]

The answer to the OP is:
a) 30-06
b) 280ai

The worst feeling gun I've ever shot was a .270. But that's a mere anecdote. Fit of rifle and loaded ammunition is way more important when comparing cartridges that all use the same case. To get a significant difference from a 6.5 CM without going magnum, I always end up at 30-06.

 

[Samson7x]

I wanted an in between cartridge as well, OP and went with 6.5PRC. So far, killed 2 bull elk and neither went more than 15yds. I’ve been very impressed with it.

 

[Jackie_Daytona]

I think the 6.5 PRC was developed to fill that gap, 100 give or take fps faster than the CM, though I’d hesitate to call it a magnum.

 

[grizz19]

I second the 280 AI. My dad has one and it’s a super slick round. Really efficient and less recoil than a magnum with basically the same performance.

 

[Hotshot1127]

280ai or 6.5prc

 

[Jon C]

284 Winchester?

Factory ammo virtually non-existent, but Lapua has started making brass for the F-class guys.

Will it start showing up in factory chamberings?

I'd like to see this round come back. Thinking of re-barreling my Tikka T3x and shooting Hammers or Barnes LRX at 3000 fps out of a non-magnum case. Similar ballistics to 280AI and 280 Rem, but you can get Lapua brass if that matters.

The original Forbes ULA 20 rifles were chambered in 284 Win...

284 and 264 ammo has been the only thing on the shelf consistently around me. 7x57 Mauser and 6mm arc and 223 have been there also.

 

[antlerz]

308 (22" unsupressed) loaded with TMK175s at a standard OCR load doing 2680fps. Effective deer cartridge to 680 or 550 for bigger antlered ones (conditional on minimal wind for longer shots). Handy, versatile, good for bush stalk-Mid LR. Hornady superperformance options for factory loads.
Fun to use the cartridge of mediocrity.
When I get rich ill play with a 280ai all suped up.