Rem 700 tac 21 308. Or 6.5 cm

Jdiep

Jdiep

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I have it in 223 right now . Looking to change it to a 6.5 creedmoor since it's short action or should I change it to 308 ? I'm left handed and not alot of LH actions for either .
I know there's way more ammo available for 308. But 6.5 seems to be better. Any opinions?
 
As mentioned by Jerry, if you go the .308 / 6.5 CM route you will need a new bolt. You're probably better off getting a whole action or barreled action. They still have the 6.5 CM barreled actions popping up on the EE every now and then, would be your best bet to get into the 6.5 game.

If you want to keep your .223 bolt, you'll have to go the .300 Blackout or 6.5 PCC. In a bolt gun they don't make much sense but would still be fun to shoot at shorter ranges.

As to .308 vs 6.5 CM, I'm a fan of the .308, especially with 1/10" twist barrels and heavy for caliber bullets. While not necessarily "heavy", the Berger 185 Hunting VLD and 185 Juggernaut are by far my favorite for .308.
 
Why not just rebarrel with an 8 twist barrel in 223 Rem... plenty accurate and will reach out to 500m no problem. Run 75 to 82gr bullets.

Was out this morning getting a drop chart for my 223 Rem and at 650yds, putting hits on a sub MOA rock. Not sure what your accuracy goals are but the 223 Rem is no slouch when set up properly.

Jerry
 
Mystic Precision said:
Why not just rebarrel with an 8 twist barrel in 223 Rem... plenty accurate and will reach out to 500m no problem. Run 75 to 82gr bullets.

Was out this morning getting a drop chart for my 223 Rem and at 650yds, putting hits on a sub MOA rock. Not sure what your accuracy goals are but the 223 Rem is no slouch when set up properly.

Jerry
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Never even crossed my mind. I don't reload yet but this is a really cool option. Thanks
 
I would look at the history and purpose of each and go from there. Basics are:

308 was made quite a while back for military machine guns. It is a great round and people have done so much with it over the last 70ish years that you really can't go wrong. You can even get bulk lead for practice rounds from campro (when you reload)

6.5 is only 12ish years old. It's only getting some real traction in the last few years. It is a sweet "flat" shooting round designed for precision work from the ground up. Ballistically it is a bit better.

My understanding is 6.5 barrels only have half the life a 308 will. So if you plan on shooting a whole ton (5k+ rounds a year) you are going to go through multiple barrels on a 6.5. 308 probably one.

Do a little research and verify this - I've been reading up on 6.5 and recently just got a custom rig in that calibre. I really enjoy bench target shooting and hunting and if you buy the right stuff you can do both with one. Which is actually ideal. Your confidence in the field will be bolstered by your time at the range.
 
I like Jerry's suggestion...

I'm a huge fan of the 223 with 1:7 twist rate and a long throat for medium range. I'm as competitive as anyone out to 600 with it and I hold my own at 800... after that things get dicey.

I have a factory RPR chambered so 75 grain Hornady ELD jam the lands with an OAL of 2.500". That's .25" longer than SAMMI spec and I run around 2850 FPS.

I finished in the top 20 percent in tactical division at Meaford last weekend among about 58 guys. I think I was only one of two 223 shooters there shooting against 308s.

I would rebarrel the Remmy and put it into a chasis that will feed AI mags, then run Ruger or maybe MDT mags for 223. Handload ammo with about 24 grains of Varget seated to 2.5" and rock on.

Unless you need the foot pounds, I wouldn't use a 308 for only 500 yard general practice, plinking or varmints.

If most of your shooting is from 600 to 1200 yards... you should use a 308 over the 223 and you would be better served with the 6.5 Creed... mainly for the reduced recoil.
 
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Maple57 said:
I like Jerry's suggestion...

I'm a huge fan of the 223 with 1:7 twist rate and a long throat for medium range. I'm as competitive as anyone out to 600 with it and I hold my own at 800... after that things get dicey.

I have a factory RPR chambered so 75 grain Hornady ELD jam the lands with an OAL of 2.500". That's .25" longer than SAMMI spec and I run around 2850 FPS.

I finished in the top 20 percent in tactical division at Meaford last weekend among about 58 guys. I think I was only one of two 223 shooters there shooting against 308s.

I would rebarrel the Remmy and put it into a chasis that will feed AI mags, then run Ruger or maybe MDT mags for 223. Handload ammo with about 24 grains of Varget seated to 2.5" and rock on.

Unless you need the foot pounds, I wouldn't use a 308 for only 500 yard general practice, plinking or varmints.

If most of your shooting is from 600 to 1200 yards... you should use a 308 over the 223 and you would be better served with the 6.5 Creed... mainly for the reduced recoil.
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I agree with Maple57 on this for sure! You just need to define where, how and how often you're going to shoot the rifle!

Where? Range use, plinking, some decent range stuff in the bush, 600-800 yard matches: go with the 223. If you're wanting to step up and shoot a little more competitively at distance, there is no reason right now to go 308 Win over 6.5 Creedmoor.

How? Will you be shooting off a bench, prone, on sketch stage props or in the bush? Well this is less caliber specific and more rifle setup specific, but the 223 is lighter recoiling and easier to watch through your scope than the 308 or 6.5 Creed.

How Often? As previously mentioned, the 308 Win and 223 Rem typically have longer barrel lives than something like a 6.5 Creed or a 243 Win, HOWEVER that is all dependent on how you run it. If you load to the recipe stated above by Maple57, you'll probably get a lot of throat erosion before the 4 or 5k rounds mark. If you're looking for a rifle where you maybe shoot 100 rounds a month, then barrel life shouldn't be a concern.

Just my 2 cents. I personally compete with a 6.5 CM right now but will be changing to a 6 mm for next season. If I were to build a dedicated short/medium range gun for fun it would be a 223 Rem with a 1:8" barrel for the heavies ;)
 
Kudu said:
If I were to build a dedicated short/medium range gun for fun it would be a 223 Rem with a 1:8" barrel for the heavies ;)
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I agree the 1:8 is a good twist rate and well proven for accuracy with bullets up to 80 grains. I have noted an advantage to the 1:7 though for especially for terminal performance... if you hunt with it. The extra rotation does assist with fragmentation on impact and it does make quite a difference.

I have a 1:8 twist 223 as well and I won a ton of matches with it in F Class, but lately the hard core 223 competitors seem to prefer a faster twist.... Not that there's anything wrong with 1:8, it will server you well.

BTW: Throat erosion hasn't been a problem at all for me shooting the load I mentioned above. Only 24 grains of powder is really more than polite on barrel life.
 
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