Mid-range deer cartridge

[284winner]

Well since youve narrowed down the seletion to a 6.5 caliber and all of the ones you chose are very good mid range rounds, id say the .260. Brass availability is no issue. The creedmore is the new kid on the block and just as good as any. More rifles are built from the factory in 260 today than the rest of the group you mentioned. Tons of info for loading. Plus mid range isnt the only place this round shines. Its a fabulous 1000 yd round with Berger, Sierra, Lapua or Hornady Match bullets. Recoil is also mild in a mid weight gun. My choice would be (and has been) the 260 for your ideal 6.5 mid range deer round. I too would prefer a 7mm bullet if you had it as an option. The 6.5 is great.

 

[jbhotrod]

6 or 6.5 Creedmoor, .243 or .260, 6 or 6.5x47L, 6 BR or Dasher, 6 XC, or plain .308.

Out of those my main picks would be .308 or 6.5 Creed for more simplicity, and 6 or 6.5x47L or 6 Dasher as well as 6 XC for more specialized accurate round.

 

[Quackhead69]

Any range out to 750 yds on any critter Bull Elk and down deserves a 140 VLD Hunting bullet fired from a 6.5 Creedmoor...

Here is Sam Hamilton of Vortex Optics with a nice bull he harvested at 750 yds with a Spartan built 6.5 creed/140 VLD combo a few weeks back:

 

[Dan Hall]

The Creedmoor is a cartridge that deserves more credit and notoriety than it's getting presently. Reliably accurate with very little recoil and easy to tune.
Not sure it's the ideal Elk cartridge but it obviously gets the job done. I've got mine to where it shoots 1/4" groups with most of the major target bullets and a few that are definitely NOT of the target persuasion.

 

[mic2377]

I vote 6.5 Creedmoor, because I have one too! All kidding aside though, most of the cartridges in the .257-.284 caliber range that fit into a short action would work great, and it is really personal preference.

I also have a .25-06 Ruger 77 VT that I have had since youth. To be honest, it has proven to be the most lethal of all. It has accounted for >15 deer, none of which have taken a single step after taking a 115 gr Silvertip through the chest. The weakness of the 25 cal is high-BC bullets, and the fact it needs a long action. However if you don't reload, which I didn't do for many years, it is a great cartridge.

 

[ltcjwb]

Sir, I have good dies and a lot of brass for the 260 rem, do you think the AI version would give me enough of an advantage to warrant buying more dies/fire forming brass?

In case this situation has not yet been resolved, I think you just did. The .260 Rem is an excellent choice, right in the middle of your chosen range, and you have brass and tools to reload this cartridge. Don't go no further. Stay with what you KNOW will work. While it is right on the edge at 500 with factory loads, you should be able to better that with handloads.

 

[JabaliHunter]

6.5x47 or .260 would be ideal. Take advantage of Lapua brass and no fire-forming. Very pleasant to shoot with 120-130gr bullets and very capable on deer at the ranges you are talking about.

7-08AI recoils more in my experience, which is something to think about especially for a younger shooter and the extra power is not warranted for deer.

 

[PAshooter20BR]

6.5x47 lapua with 120gr Nosler Ballistic tips.

 

[Pablo]

6.5x47 L would be my vote with the Berger 130 VLD's, if that is a little kicky you can go to a lighter bullet until the kid grows up. I did just this with a 260 AI and my son. When he was 12 he was comfortable with 120's, now he likes 140's just fine.

 

[GTshooter]

I would like to thank everyone for their input. I decided to go with a standard 260 for this build and think my son will do well with it. He just turned 6 and was hitting the vitals on a deer target consistently at 400 yds. We will have to see how deer season goes this fall.

 

[rardoin]

For a hunting rifle I would go with the Creedmoor as it is exceptionally accurate using factory loads so you are caught out with no hand loads you can easily find excellent factory hunting loads at most sporting goods retailers.

 

[jonbearman]

Since it is a hunting rifle so to speak and the possibility exists for forgetting the ammo some day I would stick with a cartridge like .260,7-08 and .308 with lighter bullets. That way if the unthinkable happens you can probably find somewhere to get ammo in a pinch. Just my 10 cents,LOL. I myself took a savage action I had laying around and assembled it with mostly factory parts except the barrel. which is now a pac-nor. It shoots sweet and very accurate for what it is and cheap. I wish you luck with your endeavor and mine is built on a short action and I seat to mag length with no problems.

 

[284winner]

Great choice GTshooter. I too started my son with a 260 for deer. He was probably 12 when I built the gun for him. He's still using it at 22. We've shot 1000 yd matches together and his 260 is doing all that the 6.5-284 and 284 guns are doing at the range. His windage is about all that's different than the rest. Just put a new stock on it this spring so he'll be tuning it in at the range soon. Good luck with that 260. Your kid will love it.

 

[FN in MT]

Been using a .257 Roberts AI for a few years now. Cow elk to deer...works fine.

My vote would be any of the group; .250 AI, .257 Roberts AI, .260 Rem, 6.5 x 47 Lapua, 7mm-08 Rem.

 

[Hippy]

6.5 X 284 1st Choice 2nd 250 A.I>

Jim

 

[284winner]

Awesome groups of cartridges.

 

[Huckleberry75]

6x47L with a 105 vld-h would be a hard combo to beat for very low recoil and excellent terminal results. Same can be said for the 6 creedmoor as well.

 

[Huckleberry75]

Nope! Stick with the 260 it will do everything you ask. My next choice would be the 7-08. I don't know what has happened to brass. Couple of years ago it got very hard to come by and very expensive. If one hundred pieces will get you by for the life of the rifle then its no big deal. If you shoot several hundred away from home each time your out its a different matter.

7-08 brass is still easy to make. Neck down some Lapua .308 Palma brass and get the added benefit of small primer pockets for additional pressure tolerance. Other option is neck up Lapua 260 brass to avoid an issues with neck thickness.

 

[tydaws]

260 or 7-08 would get my vote. I'd probably go with the 7-08 just because ammo is easier to find in the event that your son grows up, moves off to college & decides to go hunting with some college buddies & forgets/loses/runs out of hand loaded ammo, etc.

Also, if he gets to opportunity to go hunt elk or similar sized game at some point, with the 7-08, he will have the option to load up premium 160 grain bullets & get the job done beautifully at reasonable distances w/ reasonable conditions. Just my 2 cents.

 

[CJ6]

6.5x47 lapua with 120gr Nosler Ballistic tips.

^^^^^ or 130 BT's