Thread: Changing habits

When I collected up the spent cases from the last week's shooting, it struck me how the 6.5mm has taken over my brass prep and reloading. The majority of brass used to be either .223, .243 or .308, with the odd novelty cartridge thrown in. But that's all changed now.

This mix from last week reflects the paper shooting when sorting out the .308 problems, that's why I've used so much .30 cal. Normally it would be half a dozen empty .308 cases. But the 50+ Creedmoor cases, that's a constant now. I reload for 6.5 Creedmoor at a rate of 3x that of all the others put together.

For our kind of country - steep, narrow valleys - the Creedmoor is damn close to perfect in a heavy field rifle for classic medium range culling. Consistently accurate, great ballistics, low recoiling, heavy hitting. What's not to like? I haven't gone down the light bullet varmint route with this rifle yet, its on the list though.

A 95gr V-Max at 3,400fps sounds like it should do the bizzo.

You are 100% correct!
Go the mighty CMO


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Awesome dude!

I don’t have a Creedmoor but it’s certainly an interesting cartridge... be interesting to see how the 6.5 ORC takes off... wonder if it will surpass the Creedmoor?... wait & see as time will tell.

Nice pile of brass there Dave, been bombing any animals lately ? Deer are starting to move around the local area now.

Here y'are @Mooseman, two red ones. A lot of goats too. Forty? Yup we're getting close to chasing some spring BOP deer eh.

Apart from the usual reasons why did you end up getting a 6.5 creed more? To me a 6.5 and a 308 cover the same bases.

All the normal reasons @Russian 22. Inherently accurate, easy to load for, great performing bullets, makes me feel 30 years younger, turns me into a tacticool sniper. That kind of thing.

Originally Posted by Russian 22.

Apart from the usual reasons why did you end up getting a 6.5 creed more? To me a 6.5 and a 308 cover the same bases.

I don't like .308 except when I have one, then I enjoy it. But if I sat two identical rifles in 6.5CMR or .308 with a big pile of ammunition and said "have at it" if you were still shooting the .308 at the end I would be shocked.

The 6.5s are better all day for the reasons Flyblown mentioned and you just can't get away from it. It is a mathematical sweet spot.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

All the normal reasons @Russian 22. Inherently accurate, easy to load for, great performing bullets, makes me feel 30 years younger, turns me into a tacticool sniper. That kind of thing.

The trusty 308 is all of that too ! It just recoils more.

Originally Posted by LRP

The trusty 308 is all of that too ! It just recoils more.

If the .308 is that, so is everything else.

Originally Posted by Tussock

If the .308 is that, so is everything else.

No. Is a 308Win the same as a 300RUM ? Dont think so. The recoil difference between the 6.5cm and the 308Win is actually a big deal. I can totally see why the 6.5 option has taken off. It's a very efficient cartridge with plenty of high BC bullet options to choose from. The 308 is also a famous cartridge for lots of reasons like : inherent accuracy, easy to load for ....... buts its higher recoil will allways make it harder to shoot consistently well for LR applications. The terminal energy value is another story.

Originally Posted by LRP

No. Is a 308Win the same as a 300RUM ? Dont think so. The recoil difference between the 6.5cm and the 308Win is actually a big deal. I can totally see why the 6.5 option has taken off. It's a very efficient cartridge with plenty of high BC bullet options to choose from. The 308 is also a famous cartridge for lots of reasons like : inherent accuracy, easy to load for ....... buts its higher recoil will allways make it harder to shoot consistently well for LR applications. The terminal energy value is another story.

Are either of those real outside the imagination of .308 loyalists?

My first rifle was a 6.5 x 55 and my second a .308. Yes both very easy to reload. Both my rifles were/are very accurate with no great effort on my part. Is that what “inherent accuracy “ is? Dunno.

@Mooseman et al. The first shoot of the season for the Te Puke rifle club at Paengaroa is this Sunday now; not Saturday. Got 4 loads sorted for the 6.5*55 all grouping between .3 and .5 moa at 200m Be good to test them at 600.

Love the 6.5*55 but a .308win sending a 165 grain at 2750fps is something to be reckoned with for NZ hunting, as is 30-06 and 180gn at 2700,and still under 3/4 moa.