In this video I give my top reasons why I stay away from 6.5mm cartridges. I'm not a fan of trendy things, and 4 other reasons. Let me know if you agree or disagree with my reasons. Thanks for watching!
I own 6.5mm in the Creedmoor, Grendel, WBY RPM, and .284 Norma. As a certifiable gun-nut, I've never met one I just didn't like, or didn't want for one reason or another. Unlike some folks, cartridge/caliber ballistics is not a competitive sport for me (.270 lovers take note) I've never had to be convinced of the utility of one cartridge or the other. Nor do I make buying decisions based on what someone else thinks. If it works for me, into my safe it goes; end of discussion! That logic has served me well for over sixty years. By following it, I have a wide variety of guns in my collection that range from purpose driven to just plain pretty, and purchased for no other reason than that. I see no need to abandon it now, despite today's plethora of RU-vid gun channels, buoyed by the pseudo expert and wildly diverse opinions of others.
I almost went for a 6.5 Creedmoor, but eventually settled on a .308 Winchester. Barrel life was the deciding factor. Later as I did more research I noticed that the 6.5 Creedmoor only has a 10% distance advantage over the 308 Winchester. e.g When using good ammunition, the windage for the .308 at 800 yards is about the same as the 6.5 at 890 yards. The .308 Winchester also has legitimate Dangerous Game loads, so lethality is also a factor.
Back in the 80s I told myself I'd never get anything smaller than a 270. Certainly I never needed to but since I like loading and trying new things that's when I got that 6.5-284 Norma, especially after reading all the reviews on it's consistent accuracy on the competition circuits. And, Lapua brass is available in abundance. Same with 6.5PRC. If you ever change your mind, you could buy ONE box of Lapua brass that would last you for the life of the 6.5 cal you chose if one of those 2. I get one hole groups with both of my Normas - 3 shot grps. Not quite there yet with the PRC. I've killed many deer with the Norma and interestingly, never had any of them move other than straight down regardless of distance. Can't say that for any other cartridge
Strong Words Austin! My first was a 6.5x55 some thirty five years ago. I sporterized it a lil at a time and shot many deer with it. I wanted more and about 1993 I sporterized a 1909 Argentine (1898) Mauser to 6.5/06. It shot and handled better then the converted '96 and that Swede was sold. About 6 years ago I bought a lil Grendel Howa. WOW I WAS SMITTEN!! That lil bugger eas a LASER! Killed well near zero recoil and nice to carry. I had a new favorite. I can understand the distaste for the 6.5 man bunn I dont care for it JUST because its popularity much of which is parroted nonsence. But it too is a fine caliber Hornady has reason to be prowd of. If I needed a long range caliber for med thin skinned game Id have to look very hard at a cartridge like the 26 Nosler.
I happen to love the 6.5 creedmoor but I end up shooting 6mm more these days. Your points were all valid though, especially about not being able to beat 30 cal versatility. I like hearing other people’s viewpoints because I always learn something new. I appreciate your opinion and you make great videos. People can love different cartridges and one person’s preferences don’t automatically invalidate everybody else’s. That’s the best thing about this sport/hobby.
My first 6.5 was the 6.5-284 Norma. No regrets. Second was a 6.5PRC this year, no regrets. Still have my others and all have their place - 270 Wins, 280, 308, 30-06, 300WSM, 300WM, 7PRC, 7RemMag, 280AI soon. I just like collecting and shooting and hunting with them all. I don't disagree or agree with your thoughts at all. We buy what we like and want. However, on bullet weights, I've been hearing this for decades. I've never understood that argument really. How many do you need to choose from? Most people I know pick 1 or 2 and start loading/testing. I kind of think of it like this, the more bullets and weights to choose from is like shopping for new tile to redo your floor, endless selection and it gets overwhelming.
Own a 270 2506 and a 308 that's my reason. It can't do anything these can. Agree just not my cup of tea to be trendy. Although around me the 2506 is getting popular again.
I hunt Texas Whitetail and Nilgai. I use 30 cal, 30-06, 300 WM or 300 WSM on game. I have had very mixed results, even at close range with the 6.5 Creedmoor when shooting vitals. High shoulder or spine does work better with the Creedmoor, but is not my preference. I have added a Tikka 6.5 PRC to the collection and it is fantastically accurate and fun to target shoot with. I have debated hunting with it this year, but ask myself why bother when the 30’s seem to work better for me.
For years I thought the 243 Win was ideal for CPX2 class until I lost two large bucks in 2015. Shot placement was ideal, but they still ran a far distance and leaped onto property I did not have permission to recover from. I’m not going to argue your reasoning as each has different hunting criteria. But the 6.5 Creed filled a niche for me. It Carries a heavier bullet with reduced recoil, and the chamber dimensions are tighter than average hunting calibers, making it a little easier to shoot accurately. But it’s not the walk-the-dog, kick-the-cat, all dancing, all doing cartridge that the gun writers claim it is. For my area, anything between .25-06 to .338 would suffice. I have a 7mm-08 that spits a 120 grain Nosler like a frozen rope, and it’s devastating on deer. Not so much for hogs. They all have their pros and cons. For anything over 300 pounds I have found that the 338 Win Mag pushing a 230 grain ELDX at 2810 fps will do the job nicely if I do my part. Good luck finding off the shelf ammo though. My TLDR point is not everyone has the same hunting requirements, and that’s why there are a multitude of different cartridges that fit different needs. Truth be told, the average hunter could find all of their needs Mets with a .308 Win and .300 Win Mag. They can both shoot the same bullet, and both have a certain overlap in viable powders, which makes reloading for both a little easier on the wallet.
My 6.5 is in the old .264 Win Mag. Next to other magnums, it does have its limitations. But it’s in a beautiful Winchester 70, and man, does it shoot. So it stays.
The 8mm family tree is larger than shown here. Cutting Edge makes a 256gr bullet and Hammer goes up to 265 if I remember correctly. I haven't bought any in a bit now. Weights also go far lower than 180 from every brand. As an 8mm fan I have to defend it, even though I know the video was not about 8mm. However, this was still a good video and I mostly agree about 6.5's lacking in some areas. I will also say that you should look at the sectional density numbers, as penetration is largely dependent on a bullets sectional density. Just my two cents on the matter.
I have a 8x57is and a 8x68S with both i shoot 160gn Barnes TTSX yes i know light for Caliber but i have to Hunt Leadfree and what i have to say they Work the 8x68S with the 160gn is a Laserbeam with 3320ft/s Muzzle Velocity 😜 i only use it in the Alps and for Big Red Stag and Wildboar for everything else it is simply to much 😀 nearly 4000ft/lbs at the Muzzle
I have a 6.5 Creedmoor and it's great in my bench gun. I also have a 6.5-300wby and it definitely does the job on anything in North America. No complaints. I like all calibers they all have their uses..
My dad has a .264 win mag. He has dropped several elk with one shot. I got my 6.5-300 just because I love his .264 win mag. I too have a .270 win, infact I have two .270's, I also love them. Great video! Thanks
I've stopped targeting cartridges when I look for a new rifle. I find a rifle I like and buy it in a cartridge that completes my goals for the rifle. Example: I really wanted a tikka t3x superlite. I was after it specifically for hunting blacktails where I used to live (shots under 300 yards, usually under 100) I was REALLY after a 7mm-08. Couldn't find one anywhere. I didn't want anything "big" because I already had a 7 stw, 7 mag, and 270 wsm. Wanted something a little slower, light recoiling, and easy to pack around. I finally found a store that had 4 in stock. 2 300 wm, a 30-06, and a 6.5 cm. So, I bought the 6.5 cm. I also would have bought it if it were a .308, 7mm-08, maybe even a .243. I LOVE that GUN, and the cartridge does what I wanted the rifle to do. Soon I was after a replacement for my 7 stw and 7 mag (both just old, heavy guns.) I knew I wanted a ridgeline in a particular camo. I found one, it happened to be a 300 wm. Great! I would have bought that one if it were a 7 mag, 28 nos, probably 300 weatherby, 30 nos, etc. A few months later, I was out and about and found an IDENTICAL gun and had been thinking about updating my 270 WSM. (love 270 wsm, not a huge fan of the rifle I have it in) this rifle happened to be, a 6.5 PRC. It is the most accurate rifle I own, and fits right into the 270 WSM category. Don't get me wrong, as I mentioned on a previous video someday I might go find a 6.5-300 weatherby or a 26 nosler specifically for the cartridge. I might buy a 30-378 weatherby because why not, but for my "daily driver" rifles, I just realized it doesn't REALLY matter. Find a rifle you like, get it in a cartridge that does what you need it to, and shoot it a lot. When you have every rife you need, buy a couple more LOL
I started with the 6.5 Grendel in the AR platform and I really liked it. Next I tried the Creedmoor in the LR308 platform. I skipped the 6.5 PRC and went straight to the 6.5-300 and that was very impressive, despite the fact that it's a barrel burner. I'll just keep buying new barrels. That's how much I like its flat trajectory. I still have my .270, .308, 7mm etc., but I'm using the 6.5 a whole lot more. And what the hell is a "man bun"? Whatever the hell it is, I don't have one!
as of yet, no one has convinced me that a range of bullet weights has any benefit. but im not gonna shoot varmints with a 6.5 or hunt brown bear with a .30-06. what i need out of a rifle is a bullet i can shoot a deer at 30 yards and not waste meat, a load for long range deer, and a bullet for elk. in a 270 win, thats covered in the 150 grain weight. in .308 thats 150s and 165's. we all love to play and stuff bullets into cases to see whats gonna happen. and if someone has a pet load for every species with their favorite chambering, more power to them but for most its not needed. ymmv
I own and hunt with the 6.5CM and it truly is a very accurate round. I also know its boundaries on large game. Really wont use it on anything larger than Axis and WT for larger game ill go to 7mm rem mag.
I like the 6.5 wby rpm, if you can find deals in ammo, like I did, I think it’s a solid choice for medium-large game. Like my .257 wby I have no doubt it would work on elk at under 3-400 yards.
I completely agree with your thoughts on the .264 cartridges I personally will not even use most of the .264 calibers for deer.I like .284 and bigger for elk not saying a .277 cartridges won’t work for elk but I have better cartridges for elk in my safe now if all I had was say a 270 win then I’d use it for elk and I also believe the 270 win is better than a 6.5 prc for game. So basically for me .277 caliber and bigger for deer size game and bigger that’s just my two cents thanks for the video God bless
I'm mainly an east coast woodlands deer hunter. In my opinion the 7mm-08 and 7x57mm are optimal. The 7mm-08 and 7x57mm are more effective on Whitetails than 6.5's. I've heard of guys losing deer using 6.5 Creedmoor. I think the reason is guys are running the wrong bullets. They are using eld style bullets. Eld bullets have a thin jacket. These said bullets act like a hand grenade on impact at ranges 100 yards and in which is the distance most deer are shot at. That turned me off to the 6.5's. But if you are using more traditional bullets designed for hunting the 6.5's are just as good. People think just because the bullet is high bc somehow folks have it in their head it makes the cartridge more leathal.
I understand. But the local Cabelas had the T/C compass on sale. Talk about putting lipstick on a pig. Put a Boyds stock on it. Had it bedded and pillar bedded. Watched V3 precision precision. Got precision precision, got some springs from the local hardware store. The trigger pull went from 5.5 to 2.25lbs. Accurate as can be. Imagine a guy like you wind up shooting the best group of your life at 200yds with this gun. My buddy did it.
My 6.5 CM is superfluous. It kicks more than my 243 and isnt any flatter shooting. And it follows in the dust of my 7mm-08 which will launch a higher BC bullet at a higher velocity. So when it comes to grabbing a gun for a hunt, the 6.5 just doesnt quite make it. Thanks for the vid.
Look at you trying to talk me out of getting a 6.5 PRC as my deer 🦌 rifle that has a threaded barrel to eventually suppress. I also want a fun target 🎯 shooter too.I have a 270 Win, but I’m not threading the barrel on my first ever rifle that my Dad bought me when I was 15 and I have a 300 WSM. I saw a recent poll from you asking which Weatherby cartridge you should reload for next and the 6.5-300 won. Might have to break your rule for a Weatherby. 😆
@@ReloadingWeatherby I was joking 🙃 around a little bit. You definitely made multiple valid points including one that I have made about the 6.5 PRC being ballistically similar and not needing it. But now I found that niche especially after blowing my eardrums out with the brake on my 300 WSM while shooting two deer 🦌 under 55 yards and not having time for ear pro. I actually prefer the 7mm PRC to fit right in the middle but Large Rifle Magnum primers are triple the price of standard Large Rifle primers so it has me debating whether to go with the 6.5 PRC vs the 7PRC for that reason
@@ReloadingWeatherby oh cool 😎 that’s nice. Would be a cool video idea if you haven’t done so already. Using the same components but the only variable is a LRM or LR and see the accuracy and speed difference. 😃
The only one I have is a 6.5mm Grendel AR for hogs because its about as efficient of an AR round as you can get. though if i found a good price on an old Mauser in 6.5x55mm I'd probably get it.
There were outfitters in Alaska who required hunters to have, at minimum, a magnum 30 cal of some kind before taking them into the field. At the outdoors store where I worked, many hunters headed to Alaska were buying Weatherby Accumark 338-378 for their hunt of a lifetime. These were wealthy people and many bought a matching 300Wby for the trip as well. Both topped with Schmidt-Bender scopes, of course! LOL.
Sierra have their 7mm varmint bullet in 100 grs. Very good bullet for its use. And Sako delievers a 78 grs bullet in fmj and SP bullet, which I think is made for the 7x33 cartridge
So, I have 2 custom rifles chambered in .256 Newton, the original American 6.5 caliber cartridge. One rifle has the original 10” twist and the other has an 8” twist and there is a big difference. The 10” twist rifle likes the 128gr Nosler Partitions at 3250 fps and is an excellent deer and pronghorn/coyote rifle. The 8” twist likes the 130gr Swift Siroccos and Barnes TTSX at about 3200 fps and is, again, an excellent deer and pronghorn/coyote rifle. Charles Newton, back in the day, found the most efficient bullet in the 6.5 to be in the 130gr class whereas the .270 Win is in the 140gr class of bullets. At the Aberdeen Proving Grounds back in the same era they found the most efficient bullet for .30 caliber to be in the 177gr class. My point is there is an efficient bullet weight for every given caliber and if you hold into that bullet weight class for that particular caliber you will always have a better understanding of effectiveness and efficiency. A .270 is probably the smallest caliber I would consider for elk and larger game although the .30 caliber is much more efficient for the purpose. I’ve built a lot of custom rifles and most of the were purpose built to hunt a particular game animal. But, when it comes to African game the minimum is a .30 Magnum for plains on up to the .458 Lott for dangerous game, the .375 being the minimum for dangerous game.
There are only 2 6.5mm cartridges that mildly interest me because of their reputation for mild manners on the buttplate and deadly dependable deer taking performance. 6.5x55 and .260 Remington. I think at some level either of these cartridges are a better .243 than the .243 Winchester is for deer. Just a bit more muscle than the 6mm can muster with recoil still in the mild category.
I live in g bear country and have had to shoot a predatory bear while calling elk. My kids have a 6.5cm and I’ve hunted with it but feel naked with it when I know there is big grizzlies around . My normal hunting rifle is a 35 Whelen with 225 grain accubonds . At least I’ve got a chance with that and it handles elk and moose wonderfully out to 400 yards
All calibers have a use imho. Having shot some 100K 6.5x55mm Swedish in the past I can certainly state that its great for competitive shooting. Now I have a 6.5-300 Wby for hunting and it is a blast. 127 gr LRX, 140 gr ECX and the 156 gr Berger EOL have performed great. Of course its a niche thou, I also have hunting rifles in 308W and 30-06. A 7mm-300 Wby would had been a better introduction overall.
I'm a big 6.5, fan but must agree with you. Elk at 300 yards would be my maximum game size for my 6.5-284 with the new 150 plus grain offerings.Thanks for the video.
I don't have a 6.5 yet. But when I do, it will be for a target rifle and only for that. As a hunting caliber, it just lacks vesatility because of its bullet weight limitation. Great for deer but there is a lot more than deers into the woods in my area so.... 6.5 is a really great caliber for target! My opinion of course ;)
In regards to the 8mm family, I've seen commercial loads for 8x57mm js range from 120gr to 200gr with at least Hammer and Cutting Edge both offering projectiles 220gr or above presumably for 8mm rem mag or one of the European 8mm magnums.
6.5 Grendel to 6.5 prc or 6.5-300 is pretty versatile. Even 6mm bullets aren’t great for varmints if you want to keep the pelts. I will agree though there almost isn’t anything you can’t do with a 270 that you do with a 6.5.
7mm bullets go down to 100 grains, Sierra Varminter is one example. Hearing you run down 6.5’s while the book was open to 6.5-284 was triggering. Just kidding, enjoyed the video.
I agree with you not really being a fan of trend cartridges. The exception was my purchase of a Howa 1500 300 PRC Chassis rifle. I had never owned a chassis rifle prior so it was more about getting the rifle than the actual 300 PRC cartridge itself. The 300 PRC was just an added bonus. Bad decision, you can’t get brass for the 300 PRC right now. Factory ammo is expensive and hard to come by also. I have zero interest in the 6.5 Creedmoor, or 6.5 PRC. In terms of hunting, they won’t do anything the good old classic cartridges have already been doing for decades. If I were going to go with a 6.5mm cartridge, it would be a 6.5X55 Swedish Mauser. It was was killing game long before the “modern” 6.5 Creedmoor was even an idea. Like you Austin, I love the Weatherby cartridges and prefer them over anything else.
Don’t know where you live but we’ve been able to find 300 PRC brass in ADG/Lapua/Hornady steadily for several years, even on sale sometimes. Factory ammo has been readily available for several years as well. Big Weatherby user myself as well as a magnum junky so anything under 300 Winchester magnum doesn’t stay in the house anymore for both target shooting and hunting. Cheers.
There is 300 prc on the shelf’s in my town it’s become a popular cartridge here in north west Colorado, look online to, $45-$50 a box for the hornady match and eldx , and there is plenty
6.5x55 has been used on moose in europe for decades. I wouldn't use 6.5cm but any of the 6.5 magnums will do just fine. I'm picking up a 6.5prc as my dedicated hunting rifle as I want something flatter shooting and more efficient than my 308. I may eventually get a300 prc as where I live in canada you can easily expect 500 meter plus shots. I practice at 800m with my 308 so that midrange shots are easier. The 6.5prc will be shot at 1500 meters plus for practice. That being said if you already have a 270, 270 wsm etc there's no need to use a 6.5 unless you want lighter recoil or it's for a smaller shooter.
As far as the bullet weight versatility the real question is how often would you switch between heavier/lighter grain bullet for your given cartridge? I tend to find what my rifle likes and stick to that weight. Not to mention a lot of the heavy .284 and .308 bullets are only going to benefit from the magnums and ultra magnums. Sure you could shoot a 250 gr out of a .308 win but at that point you may as well use a sling shot, haha. Comparing BC's between two different weight of bullets isn't really proving much. If you compare bullets of similar weight between 6.5mm and .30 cal the 6.5 wins every time. I could easily say 300 gr .338 bullets have a higher BC that any .30 Caliber bullet. I don't know if you could call 6.5mm trendy anymore. The Creedmoor was released 15 years ago and it just fueled interest in all the others (.260 definitely owes it's new found popularity to the CM) That is more longevity than 99% of the WSM cartridges. I'm not a Creedmoor fan but I do like that it got the 6.5 bus rolling. Now I have my two favorite cartridges, the 26 Nosler and 6.5-300 Weatherby. I have a couple elk tags here in Utah to fill and the 6.5-300 will be doing it. At the end of the day shoot what you like and what you're comfortable with. Great video by the way.
Where did you draw in Utah? Or is it just a general season bull elk tag? I didn't draw anything this year for Elk. I put in for Manti... I only have 10 points though. I'll be doing the spike elk tag and a general season deer tag.
@@ReloadingWeatherby My wife and I drew cow tags for the Stansbury range and my daughter has a bull tag for the same area. I'm sitting on 23 points for a bull, maybe I will draw before I'm dead. LOL
Because I am also an anti-trend sort od guy, I own two 6.5's. A 6.5 Swede (M1896 Mauser) and a 260 Rem (sporterized M38 Arisaka that I rebarrelled). Now if the Arisaka isn't a a double dose of anti-trend rifle, I don't know what is.
6.5 caliber is an unusual kettle of fish in my mind. A decade before the Creedmoor I was espousing the caliber's tried and true qualities in the 6.5x55 Swede and how a modernized version would take the market by storm.. and then came the 6.5 Creedmoor. I utterly despise the cartridge as it cannot beat a properly handloaded Swede and yet its hailed as the greatest thing since smokeless powder in the shooting world by the ignorant masses. The 6.5 PRC at least matches the Swede, and the new Weatherby offerings in 6.5 seem to encapsulate some of the crazy qualities this unusual caliber has to offer.. yet I cannot shake the disappointment that essentially a weak but heavily marketed 6.5 was to be the one to "capture the American imagination " after all this time.
I have shot everything from a bow 22lr up to a 50 bmg they all died . But i do have a 257 weatherby and a 6.5 300. Saw results for both even the 300 7mm 270 up to 338 378 weatherby mostly it the bullet u choose for the game u hunt . And shot placement they all work and thats coming from a man that owns those and many others i like collecting 😊
I agree with you for the most part. Ive killed 2 elk with a 6.5 creedmoor and it peeformed fantastic but i dont think ill ever kill another one with it. Its my go to deer rifle cartridge. Im probably its biggest fan but i cringe every time someone tells me how much better creedmoor is than everything else. It is what it is. A decent deer rilfe that for me has been inherently accurate with just about every single bullet ive ever tried. Ive had mine since before the were even cool. Now what i catch hell for using is the 6mm creedmoor. Ive killed several deer with it and i never hear the end to it. Use something bigger. Its too small. Your gonna wound every deer you shoot. Im like man 243 has been killing deer for years but you have a problem with 6mm creed. Anyways i agree creedmoor is really over hyped and people believe all kinds of stuff about it rhats just wrong. But at the end of the day its still one of my favorites.
yea field and stream is always releasing articles about 6.5 loosemoor and people tell me to oh you don't get the hype then I tell them if I want hype I'll get the 6.5-300 or the 6.5 rpm
Hey, any thoughts on 6mm Creedmoor, like a modern 243, not sure if I’ve seen you do any videos on that. Think it’s more versatile than its parent the 6.5, I’d only take deer size game with both but can load 55gr to 4000ft/s for coyotes. 4000ft/s? Definitely easier on pelts though. Awesome video, can’t wait to get hands on a 300 wby mag lol so sweet
6.5 Creed fit in AR10 frame and this cardrige is pretty accurate with decent bc bullets on factory load - it is important. Like we see in .260 rem is old with almost identical performance but low available good factory target load with hight bc bullets (and lack factory rifle with fast twist) a little killed this every nice cardrige.
I’ve had pretty much all the 6.5s minus a 6.5/284 although I have shot one and liked it, but I am similar in thought of the non trendy things. But, I do like and love my 6.5/300, I figured if I was gonna run a 6.5 I’d get the biggest one . I tried the prc I didn’t like the rifle it was in I had the man bun and I think it’s weak but the 6.5/300 weatherby is a good one I think ur the 26 nosler is a good second to the weatherby, yeah barrel life may Wayne but they won’t if there used as hunting rifles only so big case isn’t a target rifle. Flat and fast I like so the 6.5/300 was good for me. I’ve killed two bucks last two seasons
In areas with vegetation ethical hunting for me ends at 300 yards. So there is just no good reason to use a lower power cartridge with a bullet that has 22% less frontal area.
#MeToo For every 6.5mm cartridge, there is a 7mm that can do it better. I don't agree with judging versatility with bullet weights. In the days of cup and core bullets, bullet weight was a good indicator of performance. With today's partitioned, bonded, and monolithic projectiles, bullet weights don't mean as much as they used to. Construction now matters more. The fact still remains that if you want high BCs and effectient cartridges, 7mm stomps all over 6.5. The 6.5s are fad cartridges for guys thst wear socks with sandals and learned everything they know about ballistics from a one page Hornady add in Field and Stream.
The best forum signature ever is “.30 caliber - turning cover into concealment for over 120 years”. This old Fudd likes 270 Winchester as well. And .45-70 if it’s close and needs killin’
If you could, I would like to see a video about extrem 30 cal BC with 300 weatherby - or even 30-06, To see what will happen at longer range, 300 yrds and up. I work in a gun shop and find the info usefull to spread the 30 cal master race! (j-k)
🤔 Now, in defense of the 6.5 cartridge, most states don't have anything to hunt bigger than deer, so the 6.5 Creedmore will work perfectly fine! In a state like Nebraska (where it is more open country and the wind is constantly blowing), the 6.5 prc would be a fine deer cartridge - even though my personal preference would still be the 270 Winchester! 🤷♂️
8mm is not dead espacially in Europe (8x57is in the last 20 Years have become once again the second in Rifle Sales behind 308 cause like 308 it Suites Short Barrels with Supressors extremly well every Hunter in Europe has Supressors nowadays) can get Bullet Weights from 125gn up to 256gn
6.5 Swede the Grandfather for all modern cartridges.... lack in versatilty? In modern action and new powders it's not holding back nor lacking. 6,5 can be fast and flat or slow and heavy.... 270 WSM as well versatility right up there... my Go to in Heavy for Caliber bullets awesome!!! BC does count, but past avg hunting ranges? 600m -1000m BC counts.
🤔 As Far as the Highest B.C. 30 Caliber Bullet that I know of for the 30 caliber, I believe that it is the Lost River J-36 bullet (220 grains, I believe it is), with a B.C. of 0.930! 🎯 So, there you go! 👨⚖ Yes, the 30 Caliber is Still the King of Versatility! 🤴 But, on the low end, you forgot the 55 grain "Accelerator" bullet! 😯
I would limit 6.5 to deer as well. I purchased my 6.5 CM specifically for target shooting and find it well suited for that task. I plan to build an AR-15 in 6.5 Grendel, but not for hunting game. Earlier this year I was annoyed by the number of rifles in the gun store that were 6.5 mm bore size. I favor 7mm and 30 cal for big game hunting uses and have a disdain for 6.8/270 such that I could probably find 5 reasons why I'll never buy a 270 cartridge. When I find 270 Win brass on the ground I convert it to 7x57 brass.
I think they are all fine cartridges for what they are designed to do. It seems especially now that we’re in an economic funk many “new” cartridges have the inability to shine because of manufacturing limitations such as a wide array of projectile choices for the new calibers. They keep pushing new cartridges down our throats without the support to allow them to be truly experimental with. All that they are doing is flooding the market with the few “new” cartridges out there and that trickles down into the reloading world as well. You can’t find anything but 2 bullet weights of 6.5 mm projectiles on the shelves. They are pouring all components due to the money situation into making tons of very few things.
I have a 6.5 not cause of i want new Cartridges instead i love old Cartridges i have a 6.5x55SE 7x57 8x57is so all three OG Mauser Centerfire Cartridges my Dad have a Single Shot Merkel K3 in 6.5x57R i Handload for all of them and you can turn up the Gas on all of them in actual Rifles and they simpley Work from 15kg Roe to 200kg Red Stag when you know your limits 6.5x55SE has killed more Moose in Skandinavia then every other Cartridge
I like my Creedmoor because it doesn't kick and it will kill a deer with no problem. If you ever have time for a video. Can you do 100 grain 243 Versus 6.5 Grendel 100 grain. Both with Nosler partition bullets. Thank you..
Re reason #1 might be a valid purely personnel reason but as a general #1 reason not to get a 6.5mm invalid and meaningless. Whether or not it's trendy has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not it might be a good cartridge for a specific use
6.5 is trendy lol. The Europeans have been shooting the 6.5s well before WWII. It has it's place. Like all cartridges, there is a trade off. I'm surely not going to shoot a 300Wby Magnum 100+ rounds in a day like I can with a 6.5CM. As far as bullet grain selection goes. You will normally only shoot within a range of weights for that particular caliber. It would make no sense to shoot a large 30 cal magnum with some light ass 110-125gr bullet unless you want to mess around. It's just not practical. I wouldn't even consider running anything less then 200gr bullets out of my 300NM. And the steel plate demo is about the dumbest thing I have ever seen. It depends where you hit on the plate that will make it react like that.
Well... I'm in America. 6.5 has only recently become popular. There are a fair amount of 30 caliber magnum owners that use the 130 gr Barnes TTSX. Gives you very good flat trajectory. Steel plate demo is the dumbest thing you've ever seen? wow you need to get out more. Here is the full video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FL9B2o8wWsA.html
I will give you a reason to own one: NRA governed long range competition for shooters competing at High Master level who want to not be handicapped with a cartridge not as laser like in gusty wind. That’s it.
I got a 264 win mag built with a 1:8 rate of twist and shoot an 140grain VLD hunting…elk and deer in the freezer all day long. Shoots like a laser and plan on leaving the 300 wsm in the safe as my back up. Have a friend that was an old game warden and always said that a 30cal was good at some things but was never great and stuck with his 264 win mag for everything including moose. PS: I live in northern Alberta and an will use this for everything I can legally hunt.
I would add that most .308 cartridges are 1:10 or slower twist barrels. So your bullet weight range up to 250grn I have to question also. The 6.5mm goes up to 160grn bye the way. I don't think you even want to discuss flat shooting trajectories between the 300 Weatherby and the 6.5-300 Weatherby. The swedes and 264 win mags don't seem that trendy to me. Maybe you should ask Nosler why they wasted their time with the 26. You know what they say about opinions. I have a little of everything and have handloaded all kinds. They all have their place. There is nothing wrong with companies capitalizing on an old caliber. Weatherby hypes their stuff too. Do you think Adam hates trendiness. Don't think so. Sorry, you lost me on this one.
Yeah... about the twist rate issue. My 270 Win shouldn't be able to stabilize a 165 gr or 170 gr, but it does and it shoots it very accurately. Maybe some day I will try out a 250 gr bullet in my 300 WBY. I did mention the 160 gr bullet around 2:33 in the video. If I want flat shooting I'll shoot my 257 Weatherby, I'm shooting a 101 gr LRX bullet at 3800 FPS. This load will give the 6.5-300 a run for its money on flat trajectory. If I did ever buy a 6.5mm it would be a 6.5-300 WBY. I mean... Adam's job is to make money, so it makes sense they would make rifles and cartridges in the most popular caliber. 6.5mm just doesn't interest me and that is okay if you disagree.
@ReloadingWeatherby I shot a 350lbs black bear with a 7mm rem mag. Used the 162gr ELD-X. Got a heart lung shot. The bear dropped. It slid down hill on its back, made it 60yds and died. Found the bullet, core separated from the jacket of course. The weight was 75 grains. The bullet did it's job.
I have a whole family of 6.5mms. It's nothing to do with trendiness. It's all about sectional density for me. Nothing penetrates like a 6.5mm. The Scandinavians opened my eyes with moose hunting 6.5 swedes. 6.5mm Norma tri-clad 156gr out of a 6.5-300 wthby mag. The train is coming through!
Well. If you inform yourself, you will learn that AR (abrasion resistant) steel has a velocity rating. So it is not as effective once a certain velocity is reached. It has nothing to do with penetration in muscle and flesh. Sectional densities are physics. If you want to argue with physics, you can drink your own coolaid if you like, but math doesn't care about your feelings.😢 As far as the Hornady comment, I don't care about Hornady hype and neither do the swedes or other 6.5mm cartridge creators. If you read the comment at all you would notice no reference to Hornady. Above 3500f-p of energy at the pipe and Sectional densities in the high 300s or low 400s is penetration power. Coupled with a bullet that is specifically designed by Norma for moose, you've got a great combo. Your bias against the 6.5mm is showing because of your hatred for Hornady's hype. That's all.
@@jakemcconnell23 Read your original comment...you didnt say nothing penetrates AR steel like a 6.5. You said nothing penetrates like a 6.5. But even concerning the AR steel, there is a plethora of videos that prove you wrong. I get it, your recoil "sensitive", drink Starbucks, and have a penchant for house cats and knitted wool sweaters, but math is math. A 180gr bullet with 3500ft lbs of energy has for energy than a 120gr bullet with 2400ftlbs of energy. By your own logic why dont dangerous game guides use the magical 6.5 for cape buffalo hunting? As you said, not even a .416 Rigby would penetrate their hide as well as a 6.5.
@whiteyfisk9769 that's right. I did. If two bullets hit an animal at the same energy, and one bullet has a higher sectional density than the other, it will penetrate deeper. It's physics. Period. The AR comment was to address the video that the host posted about penetrating body armor. There is a very clear difference between penetrating steel and flesh I agree. And I agree that Hornady's marketeers are lying and giving the 6.5mm products a bad reputation.
I never liked the bc argument with hunters the furthest you're shooting big game 400 yards, maybe 500 yards. In pa, you're lucky if you can get a 300 yard shot
😃 I would agree with that statement! But, during the hunting season, the wind blows too! So, it is good to have a cartridge that is flat shooting and whose bullet can slice through the wind! 🌬
