Thread: Insight / Discussion RE magnum calibres for mountain rifle

Originally Posted by Timmay

If you prefer a gun which is easy to shoot (low recoil) then honestly 6.5mm is the way to go, .260, 6.5cm, 6.5x55 etc. Energy retention, windrift, drop, penitration etc etc it just has so much going for it as a caliber. A .260 or 6.5cm will be my next rifle purchased for a tops gun once I start getting back out up there.
Yes the .308 will do the job however you need a heavier pill and to load it up super hot and it still wont come close at distance. (and for record sake I own a .308 as my main hunting rifle)

6.5 Creedmoor is a cartridge - 6.5 (.264) is a "caliber " so, you are telling me that anything .264 is better at killing game (or a few million people) than .308 Winchester....... be fair to say I might have killed an animal or two with Creedmoor/Rem and Swede in .264 and one or two with .308 - haven't loaded a heavy pill "hot" in .308 yet. A not heavy pill I have experience killing animals with at range is the 155TMK at 2900fps, ignoring the fact that as a .308 it is anemic and useless at killing live game compared to a Creedmoor, the ballistics on the 155 are rather good, depending on the truth about killing live medium game you want to tell yourself - easy to believe anything if you want to hard enough. God I hope the deer I've killed with a 168Amax going slow don't come back to life!

Originally Posted by 257weatherby

6.5 Creedmoor is a cartridge - 6.5 (.264) is a "caliber " so, you are telling me that anything .264 is better at killing game (or a few million people) than .308 Winchester....... be fair to say I might have killed an animal or two with Creedmoor/Rem and Swede in .264 and one or two with .308 - haven't loaded a heavy pill "hot" in .308 yet. A not heavy pill I have experience killing animals with at range is the 155TMK at 2900fps, ignoring the fact that as a .308 it is anemic and useless at killing live game compared to a Creedmoor, the ballistics on the 155 are rather good, depending on the truth about killing live medium game you want to tell yourself - easy to believe anything if you want to hard enough. God I hope the deer I've killed with a 168Amax going slow don't come back to life!

I think the point he was making that ballistics/recoil, the medium 6.5 calibers have the 308 beat. All will kill medium game just fine at sensible ranges but the 6.5s will do so with less drift, drop and recoil.

Originally Posted by Nick-D

I think the point he was making that ballistics/recoil, the medium 6.5 calibers have the 308 beat. All will kill medium game just fine at sensible ranges but the 6.5s will do so with less drift, drop and recoil.

Don't let accurate comprehension get in the way of a good argument on a slow weekend!

What you need to do is go out and get yourself a Kimber. In 270.

3.1kg as pictured. No silly shit hanging off the end of the barrel. Good working rifle.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Nope.

Probably not much point arguing about it but you can take a look for yourself using the Hornady 4DOF Calculator which is a handy one to use because it’s got all the variables preprogrammed.

Using real world velocity data from my own 6.5 and 308, with 22” and 20” barrels, respectively, the 6.5 is ahead by around 250m, 168gr vs. 147gr.

You really have to thrash the 308 to get it anywhere near the 6.5 down range and even then it still probably won’t make it. But I honestly don’t think it matters that much. The windage performance will always count for more because at the end of the day the bullet needs to end up where you want it, not 6, 7 or 10 inches away. Both the 6.5 and 308 versions of these soft bullets kill extremely well when they are put into the front of the boiler room.

6.5mm 147gr eldm @ 2700 fps gives 1772ft-lb @ 300yd and 1598ft-lb @ 400yd. 308 168gr eldm @ 2700fps gives 1826ft-lb @ 300yd and 1585ft-lb @ 400yd. So a small energy advantage to the 308 at 300yd and the same deal for the 6.5 at 400yd. But we’re splitting hairs on this; we all know a few ft-lb here or there is fuck all in the scheme of things and that wind drift is the real issue in the mountains at extended ranges. And this is where the impressive BC of the 147gr 6.5 comes into its own, it just simply wont get blown around as much and retains its velocity better.

Still, the 308 is no slouch, especially if you can replicate a load along the lines of this:

https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/r...mance-match#!/

sako 85 18" 708, 150gr eldx, lapua brass, 2775FPS, DPT, vx6hd 3-18 (this will change to a more compact scope, vx5 2-10 or vx6 2-12).
Ive had rem mags and thinking of getting another for down here in the south, but it shoots so well, handy, lite and i know i don't really need it, personally i would find 6.5 abit lite but with proper bullet selection and placement anything will do the trick.
I think the 284 is the best all rounder for NZ, being how tough and thick skinned a winter bull tahr is, 7mm would be my thoughts.
Good luck mate, sucks coming to our senses after owning so many and ending up with what we started with haha, been there!

Originally Posted by Hen

sako 85 18" 708, 150gr eldx, lapua brass, 2775FPS, DPT, vx6hd 3-18 (this will change to a more compact scope, vx5 2-10 or vx6 2-12).
Ive had rem mags and thinking of getting another for down here in the south, but it shoots so well, handy, lite and i know i don't really need it, personally i would find 6.5 abit lite but with proper bullet selection and placement anything will do the trick.
I think the 284 is the best all rounder for NZ, being how tough and thick skinned a winter bull tahr is, 7mm would be my thoughts.
Good luck mate, sucks coming to our senses after owning so many and ending up with what we started with haha, been there!

Think this is pretty much spot on. Compact 6.5 - 30cal is pretty hard to beat. Still keep coming back to my compact 308 that I really started hunting with.

Out of curiosity what's your load for the eld-x @Hen? That's fair hauling for a 18"....

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

What you need to do is go out and get yourself a Kimber. In 270.
Attachment 149614
3.1kg as pictured. No silly shit hanging off the end of the barrel. Good working rifle.

Stop tempting me! But yeah I’ve been thinking the same lately...


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Originally Posted by Hunty1

Think this is pretty much spot on. Compact 6.5 - 30cal is pretty hard to beat. Still keep coming back to my compact 308 that I really started hunting with.

Out of curiosity what's your load for the eld-x @Hen? That's fair hauling for a 18"....

PM’d ya

Not much wrong with a 30-06 springfield with a 165 grain. 180 grain @ 2700 will outperform most with energy delivery at medium to long range. Accurate as all getout in a good rifle.

Originally Posted by Woody

Not much wrong with a 30-06 springfield with a 165 grain. 180 grain @ 2700 will outperform most with energy delivery at medium to long range. Accurate as all getout in a good rifle.

do stop being logical ...

Ha ha ha.
30-06 180gn @ 2700 fps mv; 500 has about 300 ft lbs more energy than 147gn 6.5 and same drop of 44 1/2" . Proven for several decades
For that matter, a 308 win with 180 grain and mv 2600 is very little behind even that. I like my 6.5 but for wap and tahr at medium to long range, the tried and true reign supreme

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

What you need to do is go out and get yourself a Kimber. In 270.
Attachment 149614
3.1kg as pictured. No silly shit hanging off the end of the barrel. Good working rifle.

Yeh but I'm 6.5 creed, 7mm08, or 308 no point carrying the extra weight vs this.

6.5 Creedmore, 16inch tube with DPT can. Red hind at 300yards,bang flop.No worries about hitting power from short range to 400yards. My go to set up.

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Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

What you need to do is go out and get yourself a Kimber. In 270.
Attachment 149614
3.1kg as pictured. No silly shit hanging off the end of the barrel. Good working rifle.

I just bought a .270 (CDL SF) to fill the non-existent gap between my .284 Win and 7 RM. never had a 6.5, but feeling the drive to get one now. Fancy a .260 Rem or 6.5x47 Lapua.

Anyone want to buy my .270? LoL.