Newbie Question: .308 Win vs. 6.5 Creedmoor
- Thread starter liethvel2356
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Uhhhh .... just how far are you planning to shoot a deer? How much long range shooting experience do you have?
With suitable ammo, the 308 is perfectly capable of killing deer FAR beyond the distance the average hunter should ever attempt to kill a deer. Thus the idea that the 6.5 "goes further" is completely moot.The 308 is a very capable round that will serve any and all hunters just fine to ranges well beyond that which any hunter should attempt.
Your concern should be more focussed on the cost and availability of ammo so that you can practice marksmanship. The single most important factor in hunting is being able to place the bullet into the chest of the animal under field conditions ... unknown range, animal not standing still and not perfectly presented. The bullet size and type is essentially irrelevant. The cartridge is even less relevant.
You need to gives us your hunting details from what province and area you plan to hunt to your level of shooting experience.
My deer and bear hunting caliber is old school 308 and the range is from 20 yards to maybe max 60 in my 85 acre wooded back yard. Plus I've been reloading that caliber for over 30 years so no need to change.
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6 of one is a half dozen of the other in the ranges that 90% of deer hunters are shooting at
If you handload flip a coin. You can use 110 to 130gr mono bullets to make it kick lighter than a 6.5 CM or make it identify as a 270 Win. I kinda favour 308 as a handloader because I like to practice with light loads like a 110gr V-max at 2800-2900 fps from 36 grains of IMR 4198.
If its limited to factory ammo, I'd go 6.5 CM. Plenty of availability and its easier to shoot. All that matters to me.
Shot deer with both and it makes em both do a short dash and die.
Love em both. No wrong answer here.
If you handload flip a coin. You can use 110 to 130gr mono bullets to make it kick lighter than a 6.5 CM or make it identify as a 270 Win. I kinda favour 308 as a handloader because I like to practice with light loads like a 110gr V-max at 2800-2900 fps from 36 grains of IMR 4198.
If its limited to factory ammo, I'd go 6.5 CM. Plenty of availability and its easier to shoot. All that matters to me.
Shot deer with both and it makes em both do a short dash and die.
Love em both. No wrong answer here.
There isn't a deer alive that will be able to tell the difference if you hit them, so in terms of which is better for results, it's 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.
The difference is in how you shoot it.
The recoil is noticeably less in a 6.5, so as a new shooter you'll be less likely to develop any sort of flinch and be a little more accurate. If you're hunting longer distances (ex over 200 yards) it has less drop and wind drift. If you're sticking with just deer there's no reason to go any bigger.
Ammo is cheaper in .308 and more selection is available so you'll be able to afford more to practice and get better. At shorter distances it delivers more energy. If you ever want to go after bear, moose, elk it's a little more capable with the bigger animals.
If i were introducing a newbie, of the two i would pick the 6.5 just for the shootability, but to split hairs even more i prefer the 7mm-08. It's the middle ground between the two with better trajectory than the .308, better bullet energy than the 6.5 without much more recoil and just the sweet spot between the two. The downside to the 7-08 is that ammo is a little more expensive and less available.
The difference is in how you shoot it.
The recoil is noticeably less in a 6.5, so as a new shooter you'll be less likely to develop any sort of flinch and be a little more accurate. If you're hunting longer distances (ex over 200 yards) it has less drop and wind drift. If you're sticking with just deer there's no reason to go any bigger.
Ammo is cheaper in .308 and more selection is available so you'll be able to afford more to practice and get better. At shorter distances it delivers more energy. If you ever want to go after bear, moose, elk it's a little more capable with the bigger animals.
If i were introducing a newbie, of the two i would pick the 6.5 just for the shootability, but to split hairs even more i prefer the 7mm-08. It's the middle ground between the two with better trajectory than the .308, better bullet energy than the 6.5 without much more recoil and just the sweet spot between the two. The downside to the 7-08 is that ammo is a little more expensive and less available.
If money isn’t an issue, you may be happier with the 6.5.
It seems to be better for long range target competition.
If, like most of us, money is a consideration and you are only interested in deer hunting the .308 will do everything that you could desire.
308 unless YOU think you can shoot accurately beyond the 300-500-ish range of it. Are you spending $1K or MORE on a scope and another $1K-ish on a rifle (New or Used) ? As said above, better to spend on More 308 ammo to Improve your Skill Level. Also, What kind of woods ? Brush or more Open Field ? You'll want a lighter and likely Shorter rifle if you will carry it thru brush. Best IMO is to buy a used 308 for 'this year' and see how well you can shoot and carry, and buy lotsa ammo off GP or Tenda (these usually have the better prices vs BP/Cab). If you're in NB there's a bunch of 308 on GP, and lotsa various 308 rifles too.
The 6.5 CM gives better accuracy at long range (further away than you should be hunting) but the 308 will do more damage when it hits something, which may be part of the point of hunting. Shooter skill and bullet choice are big factors too regardless of calibre choice.
My pet 308 load is a 125gr Ballistic Tip at 3000 fps out of my 20" Savage. That combination has been supremely reliable and accurate for years.
A 308 shooting 150gr bullets will not have more recoil than a 6.5 shooting 140gr bullets.
My pet 308 load is a 125gr Ballistic Tip at 3000 fps out of my 20" Savage. That combination has been supremely reliable and accurate for years.
A 308 shooting 150gr bullets will not have more recoil than a 6.5 shooting 140gr bullets.
That sounds like a peach of a bullet. Must do good work!
On 150gr 308 vs 140gr CM though...Yeah it does, noticeably so in comparable rifles.
Even more so with handloads, talking up to a 20 grain difference in bullet and propellant weight and about 200-250 fps slower velocity. Its noticeable for sure.
