Help me pick a new hunting rifle/cartridge

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mpd61 said:
6.5 Creedmoor is just another 6.5x55 re-invention......
You want Light, deer killer, fun & different, yet familiar?

Buy a CZ 527 in 6.5 Grendel. Light (6.4 lbs), what recoil? and so forth. I am a 6.5x55 Advocate, HATE the .270 Winchester, and can't wait to get a CZ 527. You probably should too!
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Having not owned any 6.5 cal other than the Grendel, I don't see any reason to go 6.5x55 over the CM for my uses. Some people don't mind either way, but I prefer a short action. The ability to pair it with an AR pattern rifle is a benefit in my opinion. Long range performance is moot (for me) because I do not shoot at long ranges.

Don't know when, but I will pickup one of these 527 Grendel one day. Probably sooner than later, but I keep buying things like this Barrett. I have too much ammo for my AR not to diversify my guns in that caliber! I have a .223 American and 7.62x39 Carbine currently and that carbine is one of my all time favorite rifles. The stock on my American is very nice, and one day when I grab a grendel I will likely swap the stocks and sell my .223.
 
cdb1 said:
I agree but there are many that will argue against that fact.
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Only fools who are comparing low pressure factory rounds in the Swede against full octane Creedmoor loads. The Swede has almost 10% more case capacity, if a guy can’t capitalize upon that, he’s not much of a reloader. At equal pressures, there’s no replacement for displacement.

cdb1 said:
I’ve never seen one in a short action, didn’t know it was possible.
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It’s not. That was my point. :p
 
Bushpilot said:
mpd61
I like the 6.5 Swede and I agree that the 6.5CM is really nothing all that new.. What I don't get is why you don't like the 270. I like the 270, it's not my favorite but I like it... Could you explain what it is about the 270 that you don't like... Just curious..
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The fact that Jack O'Connor over-pushed it to the point that I got SICK of hearing how it was the greatest cartridge ever developed! LOL!
Now the 6.5 Creedmoor is suddenly the most important ballistic discovery of the 21st Century!!! My local Cabelas and Bass Pro have hundreds of boxes of it and it pushed out the stock of 6.5x55, 260 and 6.5 Grendel. Once in a while there is has been a box of 6.5PRC or .260 Nosler. Gimme a break fer crying out loud!
 
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Varminterror said:
Gonna say there’s something wrong. With the 123 ELD, my latest Grendel will shoot ~1MOA to 800yrds even when shooting on the clock. I used mine to practice for a progressive “hit to advance” match back in January, all shots on 8x12” Targets. I had a lot of lead up time, so I took plenty of practice to develop DOPE for the match, using 8” round plates. Only at 900 did I feel like the rifle wasn’t holding Hornady Black 123 ELD’s tightly enough to connect on EVERY shot.



Compared to the .270 or .30-06, the Grendel is as you described - a tiny little cartridge.

But...

It’s more than enough for the job, as long as you’re not trying to reach 500yrds across beanfields. Guys have done it, but it's not a reliable game. I started hunting the Grendel in 2005, and have been in and out of the round a few times. I’ve predominantly used my Grendel’s for meat doe, and back then, we could take up to 8 per season, plus any nuisance animal tags I could pick up with landowners nearby. I’ve also hunted the 6.8 SPC for as long, virtually identical performance on white tails and hogs. Between the two, I would guess I have 40-50 hogs and 15-20, maybe 25 deer under these rounds. Including my buck this season.

I haven’t killed enough with the 123 ELD to say it would be my number one choice for 300yrd+ shots on 300lb+ Midwest Whitetails, but I didn’t feel undergunned in the least going after the 2 bucks we were targeting this winter. That confidence was proven right. The 123 SST should give a little more reliable weight retention than the ELD, but after hunting it this year, I have every confidence in it for 0-300yrd whitetail harvest.

View attachment 795865

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Stuck the ELD right through the pump house - he wasn't going far after that... I've stuck NBT's and Ballistic Silvertips through the pump house just like this, pushed by the .30-06, with very similar carnage.

View attachment 795867

The bullet pictured below stalled under the hide on the far side. As I've mentioned in other threads here, many guys might call this weight retention a "failure," but it did the job, exactly as I expected of a tipped bullet. It did hit with relatively high impact velocity, only 35yrds. After hunting poly tipped bullets for over 20yrs, I was more worried about bullet failure at close ranges than I was of failures at longer ranges. I'd be happy to employ this load out to 300yrds on any whitetail in the woods.

View attachment 795868


Here's a visual comparison, sort of, between the relative impact power of the 6.5 Grendel, at right, and the 6mm Creedmoor. At 600yrds, you can see the difference in impact energy in the bullet splashes. The Grendel was barely clearing the base paint, whereas the Creedmoor was splashing bare metal larger than a 50 cent piece.

View attachment 795869
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I just want to know how you drove that deer to commit suicide in photo #1 ?


sorry, couldn't resist :rofl:
 
mpd61 said:
Now the 6.5 Creedmoor is suddenly the most important ballistic discovery of the 21st Century!!!
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Not just of the 21st Century... OF EEEVERRRRR!!!!!!!!!

But seriously, I love my 6.5 Creedmoors and wasn't nearly as impressed with my 6.5x55 as some folks seem to be. In a long action, for deer: .270 Win all day, every day, and twice on Sunday.

I think your Cabela's and I would get along nicely.
 
SharpDog said:
I just want to know how you drove that deer to commit suicide in photo #1 ?


sorry, couldn't resist :rofl:
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It was a very unfortunate case. All of the self-destructive signs of a were there, and I just didn’t get a chance to do anything about it until it was too late. I should have said something when he broke off his kicker during the rut, but he was so distracted and out of his normal routine, we just weren’t connecting. I wanted to intervene after he broke 4 points off of his left side that week, but by the time we got together and I had a chance to say something, it was too late and he was gone. :evil::evil::evil:
 
Varminterror said:
It was a very unfortunate case. All of the self-destructive signs of a were there, and I just didn’t get a chance to do anything about it until it was too late. I should have said something when he broke off his kicker during the rut, but he was so distracted and out of his normal routine, we just weren’t connecting. I wanted to intervene after he broke 4 points off of his left side that week, but by the time we got together and I had a chance to say something, it was too late and he was gone. :evil::evil::evil:
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upload_2018-7-12_20-47-39.png

http://lgcofrye.org/cgi-bin/p/awtp-custom.cgi?d=the-little-garden-club-of-rye&page=29427
 
edapp said:
Well... I got a wild hair and purchased a used Barrett Fieldcraft in 6.5 CM with 21" barrel ... If I like this thing as much as I expect to, this could put a lot of rifles on the chopping block. Will report back as soon as possible!
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Good on ya! We'll look forward to pictures and a range report!
 
Well I picked up the Fieldcraft today and was immediately impressed. Having never owned a "lightweight" rifle, it feels very different in hand. It feels like a .22lr feels when you pick it up. However, everything about it feels very robust and quality. The stock stood out immediately. My first high end stock, I cannot compare it to a mcmillan or other aftermarket stock. I can say however that it feels incredibly stiff, the texture feels grippy but not overdone, the recoil pad is generous and the fit is excellent. The bedding job is super clean and the full length bedding is something I haven't seen before. These rifles come with a coupon for a set of Talley rings, and thankfully the previous owner used the same set I would have ordered. I was able to mount up my scope and get a good feel for the balance of the rifle. I was worried my 30mm, 3-18x44 optic would overpower the rifle in balance and aesthetics, but my first impression is that mounts up right at home. Here are some quick pictures:

The 21" barrel and scaled short action make for a very compact package
IMG_0200

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Thin bolt handle, fluted both, very clean machining work and Fieldcraft specific Tally mounts included.
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The branding, labeling and serializing is all very clean. No gaps between action and stock.
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The texture of the stock is hard to see. Feels very secure in the hand.
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Blind magazine. Reduces weight, adds rigidity to the stock. Wide timney trigger.
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Two position safety does not lock the bolt.
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The bolt travels like it is riding on needle bearings. Extremely smooth. With the handle up, tilting the rifle just slightly will cause the bolt to travel.
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Full length bedding in the carbon fiber stock.
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This bedding detail (serial number on bottom of action) shows that each action was individually bedded, rather than a slave action for the bedding process.
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Single stage Timney trigger is adjustable. Very impressive trigger.
IMG_0210

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Looking forward to getting this rifle to the range and testing a few factory loads soon. I have read several accounts that claim Barrett tailored these barrels and twist rates for heavier hunting projectiles. I ordered 5 different hunting loads to test.
Thank you to those that helped me in this decision making process!
 
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243winxb said:
Good photos up now. . Awaiting accuracy report.
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Well.... They are rotated correctly in my gallery, but not in my post. Click the picture to see it larger and in the correct orientation :)

I look forward to reporting back after the first shots.
 
Gtscotty said:
Not just of the 21st Century... OF EEEVERRRRR!!!!!!!!!

But seriously, I love my 6.5 Creedmoors and wasn't nearly as impressed with my 6.5x55 as some folks seem to be. In a long action, for deer: .280 Rem all day, every day, and twice on Sunday.

I think your Cabela's and I would get along nicely.
Click to expand...
Fify
 
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Stainless Tikka T3x in 7mm-08. It's a lifetime rifle and possibly the best all-around hunting rifle for the $ ever.

Thank me later. ;)
 
mpd61 said:
Fify
Click to expand...
Gtscotty said:
Not just of the 21st Century... OF EEEVERRRRR!!!!!!!!!

But seriously, I love my 6.5 Creedmoors and wasn't nearly as impressed with my 6.5x55 as some folks seem to be. In a long action, for deer: .270 Win all day, every day, and twice on Sunday.

I think your Cabela's and I would get along nicely.
Click to expand...

I’m just the opposite. Was impressed with my 6.5x55 from day one which was before the 6.5 Creedmoor came along. If you hand load you can get better performance so the Creedmoor has never impressed me. I also could care less whether a cartridge needs to be chambered in a long or short action.
 
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