6.5 creedmoor

[victoryhawk]

Is this caliber a good choice for an all purpose bolt rifle? Not planning on shooting any grizzlies. Please educate me. I'm getting old and my shoulders are too, so the recoil of this round is appealing.

[lew]

The 6.5 Creedmoor is a very versatile cartridge. Most anything you can do with a .308, you can do the same easier with the 6.5. Barrel life is shorter, but kinetic energy past ~400m is higher, as is your hit probability. Recoil, as you mentioned, is less. It will take game up to (probably beyond) elk. 6.5x55mm Swedish regularly accounts for moose, so I would think the Creedmoor would have no trouble with that, being almost dead even ballistically with the Swede. Quality factory target and hunting ammo is available, and it's an easy cartridge to handload.

[792mauser]

I love mine. A Savage BA10 stealth. With my subpar skills I can still keep me in the black at 215 yds.
Anything from 85gr loaded light, 100gr/120gr/140gr for deer and through to 165 for anything bigger.
I hunted rabbit and deer with a 6.5 Swede.

And recoil isn't really an issue with her. Just don't get a super lightweight rig and it'll be all good.

[Steve_In_29]

I asked a similar question on another forum and basically was told what others have posted here.

Better accuracy then .308 due to less drop and wind drift at distance. Lighter recoil making shooting a bit more enjoyable. Offset by a shorter barrel life, though that was predicated on the world of precision shooting where a rifle that goes from .5moa to .75moa is considered shot out.

[victoryhawk]

thanks for the information. sounds like a winner.

[792mauser]

I love the part that it's a breeze to reload for and kinda forgiving.