Non SASS Rifle

[Sheriff Dill]

Looking into getting my son a hunting rifle. Have seen a few nice looking ones in 6.5 creedmore. I haven’t seen these around as it’s been along time since hunting. 
 

Is this ammo hard to find ? And is it expensive. ? 

What caliber would you recommend? 
 

He is 16 and is stocky. 
 

Thanks 

Edited February 14 by Sheriff Dill

[Eyesa Horg]

I'm a .308 fan I guess! Worked well in moose and you can usually find ammo anywhere. I've not heard anything bad about a 6.5 creed, flat shooter.

I've only hunted with 30-30 & .308, so I'm not much of an authority. But I did stay at Holiday Inn Express! 

[Sheriff Dill]

I have a 7mm08 which is the same as 308 just neck is sized down. I bought it back in 95 and absolutely love it. 

[Texas Maverick]

I started with a 243 and progressed up through the calibers to include 30-30, 30-06, 7mm Mag and now shoot a 6.5 Creedmoor. It is a great caliber and very accurate. I have hunted deer (muley and whitetail), antelope, elk and bear in Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas. I took 13 deer over 3 years and all were 1 shot kills with only run running about 20 feet before piling up during my last years of hunting. It is a nice shooter for young ones. It doesn't have much of a kick and I found the cost of ammo to be on par with the other calibers. I went with the Savage bolt action and added a nice Leopold scope to it. You seem to be on the right track for him.

 

TM

[Sheriff Dill]

Thanks @Texas Maverick  I started shooting with a single shot t/c 30-30 and then bought my Winchester 7mm 08. The 6.5 creed is comparable to a 270 correct ? 

[Sarge]

Depends on what and where you're hunting. In Michigan, .450 Bushmaster will take just about anything out to 200 yards and can legally be used in farm country.

 

[KatfishKid]

Really depends on what he's hunting and what part of the country he's hunting it in. But the 6.5 Creedmore ammo is not difficult to find and is fairly affordable for what it is. It's a very popular round right now. I'm partial to the 243. Very versatile for anything from coyotes to whitetail. But since the majority of my hunting is done on public land and in my state "high power rifles" are only allowed on private land, I shoot a 450 Bushmaster since it's is public land legal in my state. 

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

12 minutes ago, Sheriff Dill said:

The 6.5 creed is comparable to a 270 correct ? 

A little less powerful, but a more compact action (308 length rather than 30-60 size).  Ammo availability is getting better, at least in big vendor sites.  Small town gunshops probably don't have a lot of stock yet.  GJ

[Sheriff Dill]

We live in Vt so white tails,coyote ,black bear and potentially moose if we are going to be ambitious and try to get a permit. 

[Chief Rick]

The 6.5 C is the ballistic equivalent of the 6.5 Swede but designed to be used in a short action.

 

Ammo is readily available and priced competitively.

 

Recoil is noticeably less then a 308 Win.

[Texas Maverick]

2 hours ago, Sheriff Dill said:

Thanks @Texas Maverick  I started shooting with a single shot t/c 30-30 and then bought my Winchester 7mm 08. The 6.5 creed is comparable to a 270 correct ? 

To me the 6.5 was about like the 243. Very little kick and flat shooting.

 

TM

[Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life]

Not sure what factory hunting ammo is up to these days because I haven’t used anything but my hand loads for nearly forty years. Just got back from Murdochs farm and ranch supply and they had 6.5 Creedmore, 140 grain BT at $73.95 for 50. Is that a decent price?

Regards

    
Gateway Kid

[Yul Lose]

3 hours ago, Sheriff Dill said:

We live in Vt so white tails,coyote ,black bear and potentially moose if we are going to be ambitious and try to get a permit. 

I’ve killed numerous elk, buffalo, deer and antelope with a Winchester model 70 compact in 7mm-08 over the years and rarely needed a second shot. Moose shouldn’t be a problem.

[Sheriff Dill]

3 minutes ago, Yul Lose said:

I’ve killed numerous elk, buffalo, deer and antelope with a Winchester model 70 compact in 7mm-08 over the years and rarely needed a second shot. Moose shouldn’t be a problem.

That’s exactly rifle I have mine is the classic feather weight. 

[Montague Kid]

I hunt Northern NY with a .270 win. It has always performed well for me. 
 

Also sent you a PM

MK

[Michigan Slim]

I'm a big .270 fan myself. Ruger M77mkII and a Ruger No 1. 

[Three Foot Johnson]

What are you hunting and how far away? How exotic do you want your rifle to sound when sitting around the campfire at night bragging about it? 

 

I've taken more deer and elk with a .270 Winchester than everything else combined that I've ever used. It'll do the job on deer, elk, and black bear out beyond 400 yards. I drew a moose permit one year and opted for my .338 Winmag on that trip. At the conclusion, the head shot I took at a hundred yards would likely have been a clean kill with anything bigger than a .22 rimfire though. 

Most big game in the lower 48 can be cleanly harvested with a .270, .308, or .30-06. Grizzly or moose might call for something bigger. Beyond four or five hundred yards, the good ol' .300 Winmag or 7mm Remington mag are hard to beat. 

[Duffield, SASS #23454]

You can't  go wrong with a 30/06.

[Sheriff Dill]

1 hour ago, Montague Kid said:

I hunt Northern NY with a .270 win. It has always performed well for me. 
 

Also sent you a PM

MK

What parts on NY. I used to hunt the Pulaski area and the Syracuse area. Shot my biggest buck over there with my muzzleloader. 

[Sheriff Dill]

1 hour ago, Three Foot Johnson said:

What are you hunting and how far away? How exotic do you want your rifle to sound when sitting around the campfire at night bragging about it? 

 

I've taken more deer and elk with a .270 Winchester than everything else combined that I've ever used. It'll do the job on deer, elk, and black bear out beyond 400 yards. I drew a moose permit one year and opted for my .338 Winmag on that trip. At the conclusion, the head shot I took at a hundred yards would likely have been a clean kill with anything bigger than a .22 rimfire though. 

Most big game in the lower 48 can be cleanly harvested with a .270, .308, or .30-06. Grizzly or moose might call for something bigger. Beyond four or five hundred yards, the good ol' .300 Winmag or 7mm Remington mag are hard to beat. 

My father has always hunted with a 270 and it has always done the trick too. Here in Vt in the woods we aren’t shooting super long distances. Maybe 400 yards on some of the big fields in are area. 

[Pat Riot]

@Sheriff Dill 6.5 Creedmoor is very popular therefore ammo is plentiful. 
 

Here is some info on hunting with 6.5 CM and the cartridge in general. 

 

https://www.americanhunter.org/content/6-5-creedmoor-proven-how-does-it-actually-perform-on-big-game/

 

https://www.opticsplanet.com/howto/how-to-what-is-6-5-creedmoor-best-for.html
 

https://www.bearcreekarsenal.com/blog/65-creedmoor-definitive-guide.html

 

I’m a .308 Win and 30-30 guy, but if I were looking for a new cartridge to hunt with I would seriously consider the 6.5 Creedmoor. 

[Montague Kid]

I have a camp on the Tug Hill Plateau.  Thousands of acres and dozens of hunters. Oh and plenty of snow.

[Dantankerous]

When I hunted the .243 was a great choice for me. I took lots of coyotes and deer (white tails and mule deer) with that gun and one deerless afternoon, prairie dogs.  Every now and then I'd change it up with a 30-30 lever gun. Nothing special but both worked quite well.

[Eyesa Horg]

13 hours ago, Sheriff Dill said:

That’s exactly rifle I have mine is the classic feather weight. 

Mine too! Stainless, except in .308 and it's taken 2 moose. Both out in Brookfield!

[Hashknife Cowboy]

There are just too many choices anymore.  I recently bought a .308 and was made to feel like my sanity was in question. Many believe that the 6.5 ammo will cure what ails us.   I say buy informed and get a caliber which can be found at a LGS or your local hardware store in smallish town USA.  The 6.5 is a great round, but I am a fan of all the .30 caliber rounds.  May dad took many animals with a 30-06, I have taken many mule deer and cow elk with a 30-30.  I bought the .308 because  of the short action, a lighter weight rifle that is easier to pack,  the variety of ammunition available and its effectiveness.  I do not need to shoot at 800 yards, the furthest I have shot was 360 yards at a bull elk with a .300 Win Mag and it worked perfectly.  Too many bad things can happen when shooting extremely long distances. Become proficient and get what works for you.  Remember all factory ammo is expensive and invest in good glass.

[Sheriff Dill]

7 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

Mine too! Stainless, except in .308 and it's taken 2 moose. Both out in Brookfield!

Brookfield. Now that’s close to me 😎

[Cholla]

The 6.5 Creedmoor is the most popular cartridge for long-range shooting. It is the most used cartridge for NRL Hunter competition, and they shoot out to 1000 yards. It will take anything in North America, with proper shot placement and the correct bullet for the job. The common twist rate for the 6.5 Creedmoor is faster than older cartridges, so it can stabilize long ogive bullets that maintain velocity long with less wind drift.

 

NRL Hunter is the fastest-growing shooting sport right now, and younger shooters dominate it. It's perfect practice for real hunting.

[Eyesa Horg]

12 minutes ago, Sheriff Dill said:

Brookfield. Now that’s close to me 😎

Both off Rt. 12 at the top of the mountain!

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

there is a reason , everything is compared to a 30-06 

 

stay with what is proven 

 

  CB 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

OP, yes and yes.

Go with .243 or .308.

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

2 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

OP, yes and yes.

Go with .243 or .308.

+1 on the 243 

[Mossy Horn Gent]

IF I hadn't already invested in 243 and 308 rifles and ammo over the past 35 years, I would purchase a 6.5 Creedmoor. Less recoil than a 308 and nearly as effective.

[Nickle]

I really hate trendy new cartridges. 

In Maine I'm thinking your shots are not going to be that long. Young hunter shouldn't be worried to much about long range shooting on game anyways. 

The best gun should be something he thinks is cool. Something he likes.  Not something because it might give some type of edge.

What you hunting?  Deer,moose? Under 200yards? 

Get him something affordable and pleasant for him to practice with but get him something that for whatever reason he thinks is cool. The gun should be something that to him is beautiful and that he can hardly keep his eyes off of it.

 

[Capt. James H. Callahan]

6 hours ago, Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001 said:

there is a reason , everything is compared to a 30-06 

 

stay with what is proven 

 

  CB 

I like the old classics too. I have a safe full of rifles in various calibers, but I usually hunt with my Ruger 77 in 30/06 I bought in high school circa 1976.

JHC

[Pat Riot]

Make sure that whatever cartridge you choose that is legal to take big game where ever you and you son plan to hunt. 
I really would like a .243 Winchester rifle. Here in WV cartridges must be .25 caliber or larger for taking whitetail, mule deer and elk. 6.5mm CM fires a projectile that is actually 

.2644” (6.72 mm).
WTH couldn’t they have called it a 6.7 Creedmoor? Annoying dipsticks.