I'm thinking of getting a 6.5 Creedmoor and leaving the 300 WM

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DLDCriders

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I have been shooting a 300 Win Mag and reloading for over 30 years. I think I am a decent shot with a rifle but I've never really done long distance target shooting and most of my activities have been around hunting and recreational target shooting with my Sako. I have always enjoyed accuracy in shorter ranges and that's a big part of why I reload. Now my son who I shoot with is in his mid-20s has now taken up long range shooting. He bought himself a nice 6.5 creedmoor custom rifle all decked out. He set up some 400 and 750 meter gongs. Well I went out with him one evening and in two shots I hit the 400 gong twice and I thought that's pretty good nice gun. Then a few days later we went out again and I hit the 750 m gong twice in two shots again. I sat there for a few minutes and said I think I need to get another gun. So I started looking and saw 300 custom that was done up pretty nice as I'm used to the 300wm, but this 6.5 creedmoor is a pretty nice shooting gun and I'm thinking because my son has one it may be better to stay to similar calibers. I've always liked the 300 win mag for what you can do with the 30 caliber bullet. But I understand once you find your optimal load in these type of Target guns you don't really change around a lot. So I guess I'll keep my 300 Sako for hunting and decide on what target rifle I should get. I really liked how with the break and the smaller caliber it was so easy to stay on target and I'm not sure you can do that with a 300 although perhaps I just don't know enough yet on these guns. Oh and don't worry he's shopping carefully for me so I don't make a mistake but I think he's leaning towards the 6.5 as well.

All your input would be valuable in this decision if I should switch or stay with the 300 win mag.
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Thanks
 
300 win mag is extremely overkill for the purposes you described. A 223 would accomplish what you are talking about here. That said, 6.5 CREEDMOOR is a very capable round and obviously extremely popular. With a heavy target gun and a brake the recoil is non existent. I couldn't imagine having a prone shooting session all afternoon with my buddies shooting a 300 win mag. You'll get lots of people coming in and recommending every caliber under the sun, but if your son already shoots the 6.5 it probably makes good sense to get the same. Helps with ammo shopping or component sourcing. Not sure your budget, but gobigtactical has a great package in 6.5 built on a bighorn Origin action in a krg bravo stock. Great trigger as well. Just add glass, brake and bipod and you're good to go
 
So I'm wondering because we are already hitting 8" gongs at 750 m and he want to set up out to 1500 would you think a 223 would get out that far? The gun he bought from the previous owner was able to do 1700m fairly consistently. I don't was to get a caliber that would be difficult at this distances. Thoughts on that? Thanks I'll take a look at the website as well. Was looking at a Cadex until the seller had an emergency he had to deal with.
 
Your 300 magnum sounds like a hunting rifle. It's okay to have more than one rifle to use for different applications. A 6.5 CM sounds good for what you and your son want to do.
 
DLDCriders said:
So I'm wondering because we are already hitting 8" gongs at 750 m and he want to set up out to 1500 would you think a 223 would get out that far? The gun he bought from the previous owner was able to do 1700m fairly consistently. I don't was to get a caliber that would be difficult at this distances. Thoughts on that? Thanks I'll take a look at the website as well. Was looking at a Cadex until the seller had an emergency he had to deal with.
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You are correct in questioning the .223 Rem for 750+ yard shooting... it is a poor choice. A .300 Magnum is going to be a better choice than the 6.5 Creed, but comes at the cost of more recoil (and expense). You have to decide which is more important to you, long range (potential) accuracy or lighter recoil. The 6.5 group is a good choice for lighter recoiling cartridges, some like the 7mm group but most still prefer the .30 cals. If you are just ringing steel for.personal enjoyment, then any of these will do... if you want to get involved in serious competition, then you will be making more refined choices.
 
A correspondent from Thunder Bay apparently belongs to a shooting club somewhere there that has gongs set up out to 1,000 yards. He was all wound up to build a 338 EDGE for playing there - some time on ballistic tables, showed him that he gets very similar drops, wind drift, etc. from a 6.5x55 Swede - with 10% (apparently) of the recoil. So your 6.5 CM idea is likely very sound for shooting gongs. I think he gets a particular giggle of shooting his "home made" Swede with SWFA 20X, against others with "custom" rifles and NightForce scopes, that cost perhaps 10 times as much.
 
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DLDCriders said:
So I'm wondering because we are already hitting 8" gongs at 750 m and he want to set up out to 1500 would you think a 223 would get out that far? The gun he bought from the previous owner was able to do 1700m fairly consistently. I don't was to get a caliber that would be difficult at this distances. Thoughts on that? Thanks I'll take a look at the website as well. Was looking at a Cadex until the seller had an emergency he had to deal with.
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I own and shoot ( and occasionally compete) with three .223 match rifles as well as several others.
The .223 can reach out there, for sure, but stacked up against other cartridges, it is left way behind in the dust past 600 meters , especially if you are talking about off the shelf rifles.
Almost anything with decent optics in 6mm and up will best it.
The 6.5 Creedmoor is offered in a host of factory rifles these days and is a good alternative.
I didn't notice on whether or not you are hand loading. If not, and you intend to continue on a regular basis, hand loading is essential to success at extended ranges.
Cat
 
Since 1700m was thrown out there as something you’re thinking about, I would step up from the 6.5CM a bit. All the good choices have hard to find brass but here’s how I’d rank them

1. 6.5 prc, lapua makes brass, easy tuning, keeps up with the 7’s and .30’s.
2. 7mm saum, probably the easiest tuning 7mm there is, velocity is right in the sweet spot for 180’s brass is unobtanium, would rank first if quality brass was available.
3. 7 WSM, very good ballistics, easy to tune, on the shorter end of barrel life for a plinker, brass is tough to find and when you do it’s crap winchester stuff, Norma does make it if you can find it.
4. 300 WSM, short on ballistics compared to the 7 WSM but better barrel life. Getting to where a guy would consider recoil reduction effort which I’m opposed to (hate brakes!)
 
I'm not overly concerned with recoil as I have been shooting non braked 300 wm for over 30 years. Would have changed if it was a recoil. I don't mind the feeling of going out shooting 40 rounds in an afternoon. Having said that I like the ability to just keeping a finger on the trigger and watching the bullet. Hoping I could get this out of a 300 wm otherwise I should try the 6.5. I enjoy the comments
 
A 223 is perfect for up to 600y imo. It's cheaper and a joy to shoot unbraked to spot hits. It means you'll probably shoot more.

A 6.5 CM is a good choice to go up to 1400y and it's a good trade off between barrel life, recoil and ballistics. You can also get really good factory ammo compared to most calibers (well not atm because finding factory target ammo
in 6.5cm is next to impossible).

Above 1400y you get into the realm of magnums. Less fun to shoot for a whole day and much more expensive.

If you reload a 6 Dasher is a really good choice. Easier to spot your hits and a barrel life similar to a 6.5cm. Usually 6mm calibers are barrels burner (like 1 500 rounds) which isn't the case with a 6 Dasher.
 
6.5CM is not a bad choice, by far the favourite at the Precision Rifle World Championships in France last week. Many spotters had difficulties spotting the little 6mm's in strong Mirage and gusty winds which led to some arguments on the line. 6.5CM have a better report back from the gongs. Some are rethinking and either staying with the 6.5 or changing from 6 to 6.5 for that reason. Saying that I think a 6mmDasher won the open class.

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If you want to shoot the longer than 1200yd ranges, some style of near or magnum capacity case is more appropriate, but, the 6.5CM is fun and cheaper to shoot from 100-1000, and even a tad more. And there isn't any law says you can't have/use both rifles down the road. But in the meantime, why beat your pocketbook and shoulder with the bigger gun? I have no issues with a 300H&H and 40-60 rds in a day, but, I much prefer the 6.5 and up to 100rds in a day.
 
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