New Hunting Rifle Caliber

Ronsse610

Ronsse610

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Hello to all, EDIT

I currently own a Tikka T3X Chambered in .308 and im looking into changing rifle calibers. i knoe the .308 does pretty much what i need it to do but looking for a change and versatility. the caliber would be mostly to hunt whitetail deer/black bear and smaller animals. i have a lot of people talk to me about 6.5CM and 6.5PRC what are your thoughts ( most notable flat shooting) otherwise what caliber would you suggest and why? i dont not reload ammo so will be factory loads

thanks
 
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The 6.5 creedmoor is great but I think your .308 kinda overlaps with it. I would go a little smaller and get a 6mm creedmoor.
The 6mm creedmoor will kill deer and black bear no problem and work great on coyotes and targets. You will really enjoy the light recoil and accuracy of the 6mm and I bet you would find you would carry it even more then the .308
 
Bare said:
The 6.5 creedmoor is great but I think your .308 kinda overlaps with it. I would go a little smaller and get a 6mm creedmoor.
The 6mm creedmoor will kill deer and black bear no problem and work great on coyotes and targets. You will really enjoy the light recoil and accuracy of the 6mm and I bet you would find you would carry it even more then the .308
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il look into the 6mm but yea the 308 is fun but less recoil and just as much versatility is a plus!
 
So you’re looking for a new cartridge that’s not 30cal. There are plenty!

6.5mm is very versatile and good to work with so are 6mm. I’ve taken .243win black bear hunting and never had issues with it.

I have and like my 6.5 PRC and will hunt anything with it depending on the game animal depends on what projectile I use in that hunt.

My backup rifle is a .308 Winchester. I also use a .338 RCM for bigger things and grizzly country.

How far do you plan on shooting out too ?

6.5 Creedmoor is the easy button after .308 just due to ammunition availability and cost. 6.5 PRC is more expensive but slowly getting more options. For 6mm the .243win is easiest and cheapest however barrel twists don’t account for the long sleek high bc projectiles you want for flat shooting.

Also keep in mind the bigger the case the more powder it fits and usually the more recoil. Examples above given the 240 WBY vs .308

240 Wby. Mag. (100 at 3406) 8.0lb rifle 17.9 lbs of recoil
308 Win. (165 at 2700) 7.5lb rifle. 18.1 lbs of recoil.

So you’re not really saving on recoil in this department. (All relative on rifle weight, projectile choice and muzzle velocity.)

B
 
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bdb.hunting said:
So you’re looking for a new cartridge that’s not 30cal. There are plenty!

6.5mm is very versatile and good to work with so are 6mm. I’ve taken .243win black bear hunting and never had issues with it.

I have and like my 6.5 PRC and will hunt anything with it depending on the game animal depends on what projectile I use in that hunt.

My backup rifle is a .308 Winchester. I also use a .338 RCM for bigger things and grizzly country.

How far do you plan on shooting out too ?

6.5 Creedmoor is the easy button after .308 just due to ammunition availability and cost. 6.5 PRC is more expensive but slowly getting more options. For 6mm the .243win is easiest and cheapest however barrel twists don’t account for the long sleek high bc projectiles you want for flat shooting.

Also keep in mind the bigger the case the more powder it fits and usually the more recoil. Examples above given the 240 WBY vs .308

240 Wby. Mag. (100 at 3406) 8.0lb rifle 17.9 lbs of recoil
308 Win. (165 at 2700) 7.5lb rifle. 18.1 lbs of recoil.

So you’re not really saving on recoil in this department. (All relative on rifle weight, projectile choice and muzzle velocity.)

B
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now this is the kind of info i was looking for!

most of my shots are 300y and less but i do want to bench shoot and try and go up to +/- 500 yards (coyote hunting shots can go pretty far too)
i have a friend who has a 6.5PRC and says he loves it! i was actually looking into that caliber. is that what your go to setup is at the moment?
 
Jimbobob08 said:
Small game to bear and 500yard shooting. Any factory fast twist 25’s yet?

Could go custom route also.
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tbh shooting up to 500 yards isnt all that important but if i can get a caliber that will allow me to hunt almost all game animals stated and have somewhat of a flat shooting rifle with decent power, il take it! obviously theres no good or single answer to my request as im aware plenty of diffrent calibers but rather just looking for others insights in to what they have if they do something similar like me.
 
bdb.hunting said:
So you’re looking for a new cartridge that’s not 30cal. There are plenty!

6.5mm is very versatile and good to work with so are 6mm. I’ve taken .243win black bear hunting and never had issues with it.

I have and like my 6.5 PRC and will hunt anything with it depending on the game animal depends on what projectile I use in that hunt.

My backup rifle is a .308 Winchester. I also use a .338 RCM for bigger things and grizzly country.

How far do you plan on shooting out too ?

6.5 Creedmoor is the easy button after .308 just due to ammunition availability and cost. 6.5 PRC is more expensive but slowly getting more options. For 6mm the .243win is easiest and cheapest however barrel twists don’t account for the long sleek high bc projectiles you want for flat shooting.

Also keep in mind the bigger the case the more powder it fits and usually the more recoil. Examples above given the 240 WBY vs .308

240 Wby. Mag. (100 at 3406) 8.0lb rifle 17.9 lbs of recoil
308 Win. (165 at 2700) 7.5lb rifle. 18.1 lbs of recoil.

So you’re not really saving on recoil in this department. (All relative on rifle weight, projectile choice and muzzle velocity.)

B
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how do you like your 6.5PRC? and what do you hunt with it and with what bullets?
 
Bench shooting to 500 Yards can be done with almost anything ;) but i get what you're saying.

I have a T3X CTR in 6.5 PRC It was my all around hunting right for a while. I however like to dabble and play with anything I can get my hands on.

I do agree with RJ and think a .243 win would be a fantastic choice in the 6mm caliber. Heck I know of a marksman that used a 22 ARC on a moose this year without issue. (Not sure the distance.)

With my 6.5 PRC I have 3 loadings. 127gr LRX, 150gr ABLR and I am working on a 120gr CX. The LRX and CX are limited on range based on muzzle velocity and minimum expansion velocity on target. The ABLR is a more versatile choice and I may switch to the 142gr option due to availability. It can typically go a little further before it reaches an expansion problems.

I also shoot a 6.5x55 Swede which I load with 147gr ELD-M and 120gr E-Tips.

I recommend it as a cartridge in BC that will do almost everything. I don't really like taking it into Grizzly or Brown Bear country but would if I was goat or sheep hunting.

Based on the info given and what game you're looking at I would says a 6.5 CM, 6 CM and .243win are great choices. The 6.5 PRC is great as well but being a magnum it adds powder and recoil. I owned a Tikka T3 varmint in .243win and it shot lights out with everything typically .6" 5 shot groups.

You are also correct that you're going to get allot of answers on this type of thing. Everyone has a different opinion or how they choose cartridges. Velocity, Caliber, Magnum vs Non, Recoil etc.

RJ always has good input as I find there really aren't many cartridges he hasn't shot or owned. Me I choose to use math. Pick a game, pick a max distance, pick a projectile then see if the cartridge can be loaded to that combo. If not I move onto another cartridge.

Quick EDIT: this is all factory rifle conversation with factory ammo availability. If you go custom it opens up more doors but also means hand loading yourself if you're into that.

B
 
If I was keeping to factory ammo only either 243Win or 25-06 would be in my cards. More then likely the 25-06.

Reality is.. .308Win will do what you’re asking easily enough. Just because something is flat shooting doesn’t necessarily mean it it’s more efficient at dispatching game. Especially in the 6.5mm category over the .308Win your thinking of.

Which is probably why I don’t use any 6.5mm offering or 25-06
 
The OP hasn't said if they're a reloader. If you aren't, stick to really common calibers, with ammo available at common stores like canadian tire.

One of those common calibers is definitely not 240 Weatherby. Effectively a 30-06 case necked to 6mm. Probably 3-400 ft/sec faster than 243 win. It's also been around for decades, so slower twist, which means many of the larger bullets designed for new 6mm will not stabilize. Your stuck with just a few bullets, typically in the 90-100gr range. Notable are nosler partition and ttsx. Actual factory brass and ammo are both rare and extremely expensive.
 
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