6.5 Creedmor- the Holy Grail?

fariswm

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2008
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Meridian, Idaho
I know I am going to get a bunch of flack for posting this, but....

In a recent conversation with a friend of mine, who has a grand slam of sheep on his bedroom wall, and a super slam of the rest of the game animals in North America less a barren ground caribou, I was told during a conversation about accurate smaller caliber rounds that he has four friends, who this year each lost mature elk bulls each with a 140 grain bullet reasonable well placed from a 6.5 Creedmor.
This cartridge, to me, seems to have the ability in many of its proponents minds to be the holy grail of all cartridge designs. It is sad when common sense is put back in the gun locker when any of us take to the woods with a weapon that doesn't really fill the bill for the game we hunt, when we know we have the horsepower in the locker to do the job properly.
Elmer Keith who we all know loved the .270 Winchester. But his favorite for hunting and guiding for elk is reported to be the .375 H&H. He also loved the .338 Win Mag.
Dead is Dead, but wounded is usually also dead but with a heavy dose of suffering to go with it.
I own a .338 Win Mag and have made it a point to be able to shoot it comfortably. I also own 2 25-06's and 3 .243's. I use the latter to plink, for my grandchildren to shoot deer, and for just a fun day on the range. When the hunt is on for me and as a back up it is 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm Exact or .338 Win Mag. Common sense to see that Dead is Dead when I pull the trigger on something worth shooting.
 
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You are correct in your thoughts. They lost those bulls because they believed the media hype about the 6.5CM. They watched the idiots on YouTube and on the hunting shows that through the magic of editing, seem to never miss, and never make a bad shot. :rolleyes: They heard all the bullsh!t stories about how it has mystical powers and, and how the military is adopting it, and how it's "just as good as the .300 WinMag" (that's not a joke, I've actually heard someone say that) o_O.

Hope they learned their lessons, and don't fall for the same BS hype with the 6.5 PRC and .300 PRC.
 
To say it was the cartridge's "fault", and to blame an inanimate object is just stupid. We're saying the hunters chose poorly on their cartridge selection for the job. Stop acting indignant over 4 random people's blatant stupidity, and stop acting like by pointing out the obvious flaw in their choice happened to be an undersized cartridge/bullet for the job (apparent based on their outcomes), that it is somehow attacking your "precious" favorite cartridge.
 
I lost an axis deer this year with a 6.5 Grendel..I think mostly due to bullet design, but a 6.5 is on the very light side for these robust deer. I know I will hear how many moose are taken with a 6.5x55 etc etc...

I find it funny, when you mention 30 and 33 caliber here you are shooting a cannon, but in Africa I pull out a 375 and no one raises an eyebrow.

I still say if I had one gun I'd take my 338 Norma or my 375 ultra. I know some will say i didn't know elk have bullet proof vests etc... it for the man that does not live in elk, or moose country--some of us draw or pay for very expensive tags. I can tell you having a little extra never hurts.

I have a very good friend that has shot a ton of game--hunted almost everything from Markhor to stone sheep...his choice is a 300 weatherby...his other gun 375 HH imp. He told me no one ever scoffed at him for showing up with a 300 mag....

I regularly hunt with a 223 and a 6.5x47...but I can tell you if I were paying for a Aoudad, whitetail, or axis hunt..I'd take more gun...I can pick and choose my shots--I can hunt almost any day I am home..and on more than one occasion I have longed for more rifle.

I remember one windy day I spotted a really nice ram on the side of a hill. My brother and I worked ourselves into position, he was a heavy broomed Aoudad feeding up and away--I had my McMillan talon 257 WBY with us loaded with 100 grain Speer bullets...a 257 is a hammer on Aoudad, but this guy was at about 475 yards feeding away. Wind was blowing about 20 and we would have to hoof it to make up any ground. We let him walk--and I never saw that ol monster again. I longed for my 7mm R.E.M. Mag. I would have taken the shot with my 338 Norma, 300 Norma, 7 mag, etc...just think, if I would have paid 5k and it was the last day..shooting a little more gun and practice with a bit heavier caliber would have paid off.

Zeeve told me long ago--shoot the heaviest caliber you can shoot accurately when you go to a new location it will pay dividends.
 
Hope they learned their lessons, and don't fall for the same BS hype with the 6.5 PRC and .300 PRC.

I tend to agree with the OP's original comments, but I don't naturally extend them to completely different cartridges. I wasn't even aware of detailed ballistic and load data being available yet for the .300 PRC.
 
I tend to agree with the OP's original comments, but I don't naturally extend them to completely different cartridges. I wasn't even aware of detailed ballistic and load data being available yet for the .300 PRC.
They basically just ballistically reinvented the .300 WinMag in a shorter, fatter package. It's been around as a wildcat design for many years as the .30-375 Ruger, Hornady just made a few tweaks and named it something fancy, and POOF! there it is.
 
4 guys and they each lost an elk... sounds like **** poor hunting.
Might be, don't know, wasn't there. But I know if I was elk hunting, I wouldn't be taking a 6.5CM with me, regardless of distance. I'd start at something in the 7mm, 180 grain, 3,000 FPS range... Probably would take my .300 Ackley with 215 Hybrids just for the extra insurance if I was paying for a really expensive hunt. Just personal opinion.

BTW, i'm not insulting the 6.5CM (for once), I'm actually referring to their choice being the flaw.
 
Would like to know distances and bullet selections....
Obviously the rifle shoots..as many talk it up....but without doubt failure occurs when people think it's perfect.....
Popping the lungs of those bulls with any rifle should have had them really dead close to point of contact....trying to bust shoulders with the .264 bullets...not a wise choice at all...
 
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