6.0 or 6.5 CM for longish range medium game

[ratbuster]

For hunting deer, antelope etc....

Compared to the 6.5 Creedmoor the 6.0 CM has approx 22% less recoil.

At 500 yards it has approx:
17% less drop
10% more wind drift
30% less barrel life
18% less energy on target

These numbers are from comparing high BC hunting bullets (105 vs. 140)

Obviously they will both get the job done. I like the lower recoil but that's not really much of a deal unless I decide to use it on varmints from time to time.

Which cartridge would you choose? If you have both I would love to hear your thoughts.

 

[hogpatrol]

A friend took a 6.5 CM to Africa and it was borderline killing power at anything over 400 yards. I was not impressed. Now if you are in to following blood trails and tracking exercises, go for it. I'm too old for that stuff. YMMV.

 

[hogpatrol]

 

[Shynloco]

A friend took a 6.5 CM to Africa and it was borderline killing power at anything over 400 yards. I was not impressed. Now if you are in to following blood trails and tracking exercises, go for it. I'm too old for that stuff. YMMV.

Not surprising! IMHO, using a 6 or 6.5 for hunting at distance, is under powered (no matter the velocity) as a larger caliber bullet is required to put the animal down. Just my .02 worth.

Alex

 

[JBT47]

.300 Win Mag with heavy bullets

 

[Zero333]

6.5 CM...

Because if you forget to pack your handloads you can always get some good accurate hunting ammo at the store.

Not to mention more terminal energy.

 

[jdh47]

Well a fellow named Bell put lots of Elephants down with a little 6.5 Manlicker. Of course he wasn't trying to do it at 500 yards.
Bitch as you will but either is a fine cartridge for any reasonable expectation.
Nothing replaces good bullets and shot placement.

Joe

 

[Rogmay]

Not sure about the 6cm, but my buddy has the 6.5cm for hunting deer, he shot the last two at 530 & 565 yards, both one shot kills right through the chest, one a pass through and one stuck in the shoulder on the opposite side, 140gr bullets! My thoughts are I think the 6.5 is good for deer to 600yrds or an elk to 400yrds, I like to make sure the bullet still has or at least or close to 1200lbs of energy, but as said above, doesn't matter how much energy you have (to a point) accuracy trumps all!

 

[Alex Wheeler]

A 6mm of any sort is not a long range hunting round. The 6.5 creed is also not a long range killing round. Sure they will kill if you place them right, but have much high change of wounding if your shot is less than perfect. If the intended goal is long range deer, 6.5 saum or 6.5-284 is where I would start and go up from there.

 

[Milo 2.0]

Sorry, but I'd join this forum and ask, probably 99% hunters:
http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/

You ask the question here and once the ethics police show up, no one with the experience to give honest answers will reply for fear of backlash.

 

[hogpatrol]

Sorry, but I'd join this forum and ask, probably 99% hunters:
http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/

You ask the question here and once the ethics police show up, no one with the experience to give honest answers will reply for fear of backlash.

We got those guys over at africahunting.com website. Anything over 100 yards and you're not hunting. They think you should crawl through poisonous snake infested acacia brush to get a closer more "ethical" shot. Oh, and they don't like Berger bullets for hunting either. My take is they have hidden PETA tendencies.

 

[Milo 2.0]

We got those guys over at africahunting.com website. Anything over 100 yards and you're not hunting. They think you should crawl through poisonous snake infested acacia brush to get a closer more "ethical" shot. Oh, and they don't like Berger bullets for hunting either. My take is they have hidden PETA tendencies.

Truth be known hp, long range hunting repulses me personally, but I'm a live and let live sort of guy. More for the fact that dues aren't anted up for a lot involved.
That said, I'm around a lot that do, and I'm hearing 6mm's doing superb jobs on deer and antelope to 600 yrds, way better than what 7's and 6.5's did a few yrs back. Boils down to they can shoot the 6's better, coupled with good bullets, 105 hybrids and Amax's.

 

[alf]

These are my sporter hunting guns, at their accuracy nodes, not top
theoretical velocities.

Comparisons at 800 yards for conversation.....

22x47 - 80 VLD at 3370 - 13.9 MOA drop - 5.3 MOA drift - 597 ft lbs energy

6x47 - 105 VLD at 3030 - 16.1 MOA drop - 4.9 MOA drift - 777 ft lbs energy

6.5x47 - 130 VLD at 2820 - 19.0 MOA drop - 5.5 MOA drift - 784 ft lbs energy

7-08 - 140 BT at 2940 - 18.1 MOA drop - 5.8 MOA drift - 841 ft lbs energy

We could throw in my LR hunting 6.5x47 just for the hell-of-it:

6.5x47 - 130 VLD at 3010 - 16.1 MOA drop - 4.8 MOA drift - 959 ft lbs energy

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Nice post Al. I also think its important to know what is LR hunting? To me 600yds is midrange. When someone say LR hunting I am thinking 800-1000. Shooting that far requires as much energy and BC as possible to make me feel good. Not to say I would not consider taking a whitetail with a dasher at 1k in ideal conditions, but I would not consider a dasher a LR hunting cartridge. If 600 is LR then 6.5 creed will be great.

 

[hogpatrol]

I know it's a different ballgame in the western states but LR hunting in my neck of the woods, eastern U.S., is anything over 100 yards, minute of of paper plate and that's with 7RMs for those tough, thick skinned whitetails. They don't go down easy, especially with a rump shot.

 

[ratbuster]

Nice post Al. I also think its important to know what is LR hunting? To me 600yds is midrange. When someone say LR hunting I am thinking 800-1000. Shooting that far requires as much energy and BC as possible to make me feel good. Not to say I would not consider taking a whitetail with a dasher at 1k in ideal conditions, but I would not consider a dasher a LR hunting cartridge. If 600 is LR then 6.5 creed will be great.

I agree Alex. The title says "longish" as I was thinking 500/600 or so yards. I have a 300 WinMag if anticipating anything longer. Another determinant are conditions. A 1000 yard shot in calm conditions would be easier than a windy 600 yard shot, which I would not attempt.

 

[alf]

Nice post Al. I also think its important to know what is LR hunting? To me 600yds is midrange. When someone say LR hunting I am thinking 800-1000. Shooting that far requires as much energy and BC as possible to make me feel good. Not to say I would not consider taking a whitetail with a dasher at 1k in ideal conditions, but I would not consider a dasher a LR hunting cartridge. If 600 is LR then 6.5 creed will be great.

Thanks Alex, I agree all the way.

I had those numbers from another thread, so I didn't want to fart around to change all to the OP's 500 yard question. To me, 500 can add a bunch of cartridge/bullet combos.

I hunt eastern Montana every year, so I have the opportunity to see further than I will ever attempt a shot. My "stand" is generally on top of hay stacks in and around the hay ground. I can see forever, and am all but benchrest steady nestled on top. I have a great LR rig in 6x47 Lapua, but like you, I want to step up to the 6.5, and generally a 6.5-284 is in tow. Current one runs 130 VLD's at 3150, and would feel quite comfortable to beyond 1K in light to no wind conditions.

I am mulling overtaking the new 6.5x47 with the 130 VLD.s at 3010 this year, just to bloody it up.....

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Where I live, I can see miles, and the wind starts at about 15 mph lol. So that effects my opinions. I think a lot of guys in the east just do not realize how much the wind blows here. When a guy wants a LR elk gun to come out west, they just dont have in mind that the wind WILL be blowing. I lived in the east and I never knew how windy it was out here, drives me crazy.

 

[hogpatrol]

I distinctly remember the first shot I took at a west Texas pd. Wind was around 20 to 30. Pulled the trigger on a 40 gr. Vmax at one about 400 yards out and saw the dust fly about ten feet to the left. I got educated on western wind real fast. It was three days of nothing but unrelenting. My kill ratio was

 

[Northridge]

For hunting deer, antelope etc....

Compared to the 6.5 Creedmoor the 6.0 CM has approx 22% less recoil.

At 500 yards it has approx:
17% less drop
10% more wind drift
30% less barrel life
18% less energy on target

These numbers are from comparing high BC hunting bullets (105 vs. 140)

Obviously they will both get the job done. I like the lower recoil but that's not really much of a deal unless I decide to use it on varmints from time to time.

Which cartridge would you choose? If you have both I would love to hear your thoughts.

will 500 yards be limit in regards to maximum shot ? speaking from field experience taking animals the 6.5 creedmoor will get the job done on deer and even elk contrary to what others may recommend. plenty of killing power given proper bullet selection etc. a bad shot is a bad shot weather it be a bigger hitter like a .28 nosler or a 22.250. I would agree in regard to fudge factor and staying on target more to a degree is helpful and in the 6.5 caliber choosing the 6.5-284 would be my first choice.
a muzzle brake on a 6.5-284 will kick like a 22.250 but if you have to do with out they are very doable. the key as I'm sure you understand is knowing your equipment capability "in real time" as well as your personal capability's and you will be very successful Pryor to your hunt. know matter how big or small we have to know when to shoot and when to walk away.

Shawn Williams