6mm and 7mm forever, 6.5 can eat my whole ass. Lol
6.5x284 as a hunting round????
- Thread starter big bear
- Start date
If I was constantly in hunting in grizzly territory. I would probably just carry my 338, or 375.
But I honestly wouldn't feel undergunned with a creedmoor loaded with 160 grain round nose woodleighs.
BC's are good for retained velocity at 500 yards, which is going to equate to retained energy numbers, where on elk, you want 1500 ft.lbs of remaining energy with a premium bullet (bonded or mono) and less bullet drop. If using a cup and core like the Nosler Partition, 2000 ft. lbs of retained energy is preferred for elk. (Moose are also lumped in at 1500 ft. lbs, although are not as tenacious of life as elk, and the Alaska/Yukon variety is much larger than the Canadian or Shiras subspecies, and not as thick skinned/heavy muscled). Sheep and goats are in the 1000 ft. lb class of game, although goats are significantly tougher than sheep when it comes to soaking up lead. I prefer a little more energy for goats.
The 300 WM w/ 180's will provide this for elk out past 400 yards, and with 200's past 500 yards, whereas the 6.5 won't (depending on bullet), you are getting down to 1500 ft. lbs at 300 or 400 yards, depending on actual velocity and bullet weight (130-140 gr) in your rifle.
The SD's are good fro more reliable penetration as noted. A SD of .250 is minimum for reliable penetration on big game, with numbers getting closer to 0.300 even better. Both calibers will provide this with normal hunting weight bullets.
Having hunted to mountains a fair amount, I am not as experienced as some, and I would be comfortable with the 6.5x284 (or PRC as they are similar in performance) for sheep and goats. I have owned a 6.5x284 and now currently own a 6.5 PRC (along w/ the Swede and Creedmoor). (I have taken sheep with a 6.5x55, on up to a 338 Federal, and goats with the 270 up to the 7MM STW). I have rarely shot an animal beyond 400 yards in the past 38 years, but an prepared to make a follow up shot out to 500 yards, if needed. My longest shot to date on mountain game (bighorn ram) has been 300 yards (and that includes 3 mtn goats and 6 sheep, not to mention 8 caribou, and 1 grizzly taken on a goat hunt (w/ a 338 WM).
The grizzly protection always comes up, and while the 30 cal has the larger frontal area and about a 1000 ft. lbs of energy more than the 6.5, at the muzzle, a problem grizz encounter is going to happen at very close range, and the 6.5's 2600 ft. lbs of energy is still going to do what it needs to do, IF you place your bullet on large bone (skull, shoulder, spine) with the first shot, to knock it down, and then follow up immediately with kill shots to vitals.
The 3 yr old 6' grizzly I took on the goat hunt over 20 years ago, was encountered at 20 yards when coming around the corner on the mountain, he ran out to 40, and then came back to 8 where I shot him. He wasn't threatening, but just too curious for his own good, and I wasn't about to trust that he could become aggressive at such close range in close quarters. I have been within 20 yards of another grizzly that I figured would weigh close to 1000 lbs (biggest bear I have ever seen! ), and luckily he ran off without any issues, after sitting there facing away from me for a few moments. I also encountered another large bear while on horseback guiding in the mountains, as we both met on the trail, coming around bends in the thick timber; luckily he immediately turned and ran away too.)
But being aware of your surroundings at all times, being prepared for the worst, and hoping for the best is the first and best prevention in grizz country, as actual problem bear encounters are still rare, but can happen.
The 300 WM w/ 180's will provide this for elk out past 400 yards, and with 200's past 500 yards, whereas the 6.5 won't (depending on bullet), you are getting down to 1500 ft. lbs at 300 or 400 yards, depending on actual velocity and bullet weight (130-140 gr) in your rifle.
The SD's are good fro more reliable penetration as noted. A SD of .250 is minimum for reliable penetration on big game, with numbers getting closer to 0.300 even better. Both calibers will provide this with normal hunting weight bullets.
Having hunted to mountains a fair amount, I am not as experienced as some, and I would be comfortable with the 6.5x284 (or PRC as they are similar in performance) for sheep and goats. I have owned a 6.5x284 and now currently own a 6.5 PRC (along w/ the Swede and Creedmoor). (I have taken sheep with a 6.5x55, on up to a 338 Federal, and goats with the 270 up to the 7MM STW). I have rarely shot an animal beyond 400 yards in the past 38 years, but an prepared to make a follow up shot out to 500 yards, if needed. My longest shot to date on mountain game (bighorn ram) has been 300 yards (and that includes 3 mtn goats and 6 sheep, not to mention 8 caribou, and 1 grizzly taken on a goat hunt (w/ a 338 WM).
The grizzly protection always comes up, and while the 30 cal has the larger frontal area and about a 1000 ft. lbs of energy more than the 6.5, at the muzzle, a problem grizz encounter is going to happen at very close range, and the 6.5's 2600 ft. lbs of energy is still going to do what it needs to do, IF you place your bullet on large bone (skull, shoulder, spine) with the first shot, to knock it down, and then follow up immediately with kill shots to vitals.
The 3 yr old 6' grizzly I took on the goat hunt over 20 years ago, was encountered at 20 yards when coming around the corner on the mountain, he ran out to 40, and then came back to 8 where I shot him. He wasn't threatening, but just too curious for his own good, and I wasn't about to trust that he could become aggressive at such close range in close quarters. I have been within 20 yards of another grizzly that I figured would weigh close to 1000 lbs (biggest bear I have ever seen! ), and luckily he ran off without any issues, after sitting there facing away from me for a few moments. I also encountered another large bear while on horseback guiding in the mountains, as we both met on the trail, coming around bends in the thick timber; luckily he immediately turned and ran away too.)
But being aware of your surroundings at all times, being prepared for the worst, and hoping for the best is the first and best prevention in grizz country, as actual problem bear encounters are still rare, but can happen.
The best sheep cartridge - or any cartridge as far as I am concerned, is the one that a hunter can kill best with .
Between the 6.5X284 and the 300 mag, that may very well come down to recoil.
at 500 with the two cartridges mentioned and their respective muzzle velocities, the 300 has more energy at 500, but it is a few inches more drop as well - if that matters at all. The only thing that matters is if the hunter is good enough at 500 to shoot either cartridge, and I know many who prefer the lighter recoiling 6.5X284.
That is what I look at when talking about ballistic stuff with people, the only two things that matter. Do they like the cartridge, and more importantly, can you shoot it well at the maximum distance they say they can for their maximum distance, NOT the cartridge's capability at a specific range.
Cat
Between the 6.5X284 and the 300 mag, that may very well come down to recoil.
at 500 with the two cartridges mentioned and their respective muzzle velocities, the 300 has more energy at 500, but it is a few inches more drop as well - if that matters at all. The only thing that matters is if the hunter is good enough at 500 to shoot either cartridge, and I know many who prefer the lighter recoiling 6.5X284.
That is what I look at when talking about ballistic stuff with people, the only two things that matter. Do they like the cartridge, and more importantly, can you shoot it well at the maximum distance they say they can for their maximum distance, NOT the cartridge's capability at a specific range.
Cat
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No. I mean the creedmoor. If I was talking caliber and not cartridge my post wouldn't make much sense.I hope you mean 6.5 mm. 6.5 cm would be rather a lot to carry around.
Ah... (whew)..
(I like what a 6.5x55 does to just about anything... deer don't like it at all, and goat-culling in New Zealand for a farmer with a friend I used up my 20 rounds in a hurry - between us we shot 44 feral goats in one afternoon - he was using a .243Win)
Ain’t that the truth. While my moose rifle in 280ai (kicked to much for my wimpy shoulders) was at the gunsmith being rebarreled to 6.5x55ai. Grizzly bear hunting was banned. Sure the 6.5 can kill a moose. But those tasty gut piles.
