Best 6.5 for Hunting?

What are we hunting and at what distance?

All depends what and how far your hunting, for me thats normally whitetail maybe black bear and I won't shoot a animal much past 500 yards. Really most of the time a 6.5 grendel will do just fine, the Swede is a great classic and I've been likeing my 6.5 prc.

WisBorn said:

What do you hunt? And at what distance?

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Many different things at various distances, with many different calibers. Thus the question of your intended use.

Keeps us from making a suggestion then come to find out, with more information, that choice won’t be as good for your intended use as another.

None of the above. 30 caliber, 150 gr bullet minimum @ 3000 fps or higher. Good to 400 yards.

Reminds me of club lady wanting to take her 6.5 CM with 20" bbl to Africa to shoot Plains game. The professional Hunter said 300 Win Mag as the minimum.

She went with a 308 Win. Did ok.

Theses a few more 6.5s you can as to the list.

Shooting coyotes? Whitetail? Elk? Pronghorn?

Hunting eastern woods? Western plains?

I’ve owned and hunted with 9 of the 13 listed. For the hunting I do in my home state, the Grendel makes the most sense (honestly, I prefer a 6 Grendel over the 6.5, in fact), while for the hunting I do across state lines, I prefer the 6.5 PRC for the extra horsepower (honestly prefer the 300wm and 300 PRC). The only difference between the two is the limited accessibility of the hunting terrain to scout, plan, and pattern, and the peace of mind of added insurance.

For the hunting that I do which is whitetail deer, black beer, and coyotes, typically at relatively short ranges I would get a 6.5 creedmoor. The 6.5x55, 6.5x47, 260 rem, and 6.5 creedmoor are in terms of external ballistics pretty much the same thing, but 6.5 creedmoor makes the most sense both when rifle shopping, and ammo or component shopping.

As the others have said, it depends on what you're hunting and how far. For example, if you're hunting whitetail in the eastern woodlands, the 6.5 magnums over nothing but recoil and muzzle blast. The milder 6.5's like the Grendel would make much more sense. If you're wanting an elk capable rifle, you'll probably find the twist rate of the .260 a bit slow for heavier bullets.

243winxb said:

Reminds me of club lady wanting to take her 6.5 CM with 20" bbl to Africa to shoot Plains game. The professional Hunter said 300 Win Mag as the minimum.

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If a PH told me I needed a .300Mag for plains game (other than eland) I'd shop for a new PH.

I enjoy how the 260 Rem was ignored by everyone outside of LR gamers and years later the Creedless flies off the shelves as if its a completely new wonder cartridge.

The 27 Nosler is where it is at. It is one number higher and comes with a dead famous guy. Come on guys, it's so simple maybe you need a refresher course. It's all ball bearings nowadays.

It all depends but in my mind you can’t have enough 6.5’s!

Mini action rifle/AR 6.5 Grendel, best cause it fits.....Primarily used a 123 bullet.....

6.5CM best where I want a velocity upto 2800fps
6.5-284 best where I want a velocity upto about 2950fps
6.5PRC best where I want a velocity upto about 3100fps
.264WM best where i want a velocity upto about 3200fps

all with 140-150 class bullets.

The others all fit in around there somewhere, those are just what Ive used.

[QUOTE="Boomholzer, post: 11988611, member: 277116"]I enjoy how the 260 Rem was ignored by everyone outside of LR gamers and years later the Creedless flies off the shelves as if its a completely new wonder cartridge.

The 27 Nosler is where it is at. It is one number higher and comes with a dead famous guy. Come on guys, it's so simple maybe you need a refresher course. It's all ball bearings nowadays.[/QUOTE]


If Remington would’ve done things right with the .260 (Proper twist something Remington has screwed up a lot!) we would’ve never had a need for the 6.5 Creedmoor! But alas they didn’t so I think your claim that it was ignored is disingenuous at best I truly enjoy how certain people get upset at the Modern day 30-06 the 6.5 Creedmoor has introduced countless shooters to the sport, yet certain folks want to keep treating it like it’s a red headed step child face facts the 6.5 Creedmoor is currently the most popular cartridge being manufactured

horsemen61 said:

[QUOTE="Boomholzer, post: 11988611, member: 277116"]I enjoy how the 260 Rem was ignored by everyone outside of LR gamers and years later the Creedless flies off the shelves as if its a completely new wonder cartridge.

The 27 Nosler is where it is at. It is one number higher and comes with a dead famous guy. Come on guys, it's so simple maybe you need a refresher course. It's all ball bearings nowadays.

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If Remington would’ve done things right with the .260 (Proper twist something Remington has screwed up a lot!) we would’ve never had a need for the 6.5 Creedmoor! But alas they didn’t so I think your claim that it was ignored is disingenuous at best I truly enjoy how certain people get upset at the Modern day 30-06 the 6.5 Creedmoor has introduced countless shooters to the sport, yet certain folks want to keep treating it like it’s a red headed step child face facts the 6.5 Creedmoor is currently the most popular cartridge being manufactured [/QUOTE]


I have to agree with most of this post
I'm one of those people who hate to jump on band wagons. I still do most of my hunting with my 30-30. I resisted the 9mm and the 6.5 CM as long as I could, but I can't escape the facts and the economics:
9mm and 6.5cm are both capable and effective rounds and popularity eventually drives the price down too far to ignore.

I shoot and hunt with 3 of them - 6.5 CM, 260 Rem., and the 6.5-06.

I'm leaning towards the short action -40 degree shoulder of the 260 Ackley or the 6.5x47 Lapua then probably the 6.5 creed.

No experience with the PRC stuff.

Txhillbilly said:

I shoot and hunt with 3 of them - 6.5 CM, 260 Rem., and the 6.5-06.

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The 6.5-06 really appeals to be.

You can get a nice heavy, high BC bullet to 3000fps. No, it's not alot faster than the CM. It's also not as bad of a barrel burning, and less abusive to fire.

Also, plentiful, good, cheap brass. You can AI the chamber and have longer brass life and a small jump in velocity.

I think it'd be an improvement on the 270win in the hunting fields, which isn't a bad bench mark for hunting cartridges. With a wider application due to better bullet selection to boot.

I have 5 of those you’ve listed. Least energy would be the Grendel and the most energy probably the 6.5 Rem Mag. I find I most often use the 260 or Creedmoor, so I guess that’s my answer. The Grendel is my favorite though.

The one you shoot the best with the bullets that are properly constructed for the game you are pursuing.

Some say the 6.5 caliber is good for bigger game and some don’t. For me it doesn’t matter as the biggest I will face is a grossly and unrealistically oversized hog. After that, black bear. So in my world, the Grendel will work for almost everything.

I generally use a 450 Bushmaster for everything including varmints though.

WisBorn said:

As a non 6.5 shooter/hunter I noticed a Outdoor Life article with the above title.

Which 6.5 do you feel is best for hunting?

• 6.5 Grendel
• 6.5×55 Swede
• 6.5 Creedmoor
• 6.5×47 Lapua
• 260 Remington
• 6.5-284 Norma
• 6.5mm-06
• 6.5 Remington Magnum
• 6.5 PRC
• 264 Winchester Magnum
• 6.5 Weatherby RPM
• 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum
• 26 Nosler

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6.5 leopard/saum (depends on whether you go win or rem), why? Cuz 'Merica!
Realistically, the grendel, cm, and anything that can push a 156 over 3000 fps are all I'd ever really need (kinda lame when I say out loud something akin to what the wife would spew about whether or not we need the next gun.....)

Boomholzer said:

I enjoy how the 260 Rem was ignored by everyone outside of LR gamers and years later the Creedless flies off the shelves as if its a completely new wonder cartridge.

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No one assigns supernatural powers to the 6.5CM more than its critics. If the .260 had been ideal, there would've been no need for the CM. All of the minor differences between the two don't mean squat in a deer rifle but they add up when you're shooting +1000yds. Which is exactly what it was designed for. People seem to take absolute offense by its mere existence and speak as if they are forced to part with their trusty ole `06 deer rifle in favor of the CM. I don't understand it.

I'm also not one to jump on bandwagons but I did this one. Not because I'm suckered by marketing but because it seemed to me to be a modernized version of the old 6.5x54MS. Reminiscent of that Sako Mannlicher 6.5x55 I used to lust after. More potent than the 6mm's and quarter inchers but less recoil than the .30's. The perfect moderately powered cartridge for deer-sized game. My venture into the long range game was very short lived but my affection for the 6.5CM as a medium game cartridge remains.

I don't have the Chuck Norris beard, plus I look like an idiot wearing the Tac glasses and camo cargo pants so that's why I don't own a 6.5 Creedmoor..