Rusty Gate
Well-Known Member
Been considering one of these, assuming same quarry/target what's your preference & what do you like about it guy's. Be good to hear from some reloaders also.
6.5 Creed or 7mm-08 whats your prefrence & why?
- Thread starter Rusty Gate
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Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
Probably six of one and two threes. Creedmoor slightly better ballistic coefficient hence flatter shooting and possibly more energy at 500 metres for same weight of bullet. But in normal stalking ranges not a lot of difference. Brand and style and what is available propabably more important.
In '99 I went shopping for a 7mm-08 and came back with a 260 Rem. I expect today I'd plump for the 6.5 Creedmoor, however both will do a good job. I still shoot 260 Rem, although I've had the 308 out this morning .
Regards
JCS
Regards
JCS
I run a 7mm08 with 150 grain ABLR and a 6.5 Lapua with 129 ABLR which is as close as you get to a Creedmoor. I used the 7mm08 last week on the stags and it dropped all on the spot with very little meat damage. I have used the Lapua in previous years and it doesn't quite have the same authority but it's perfectly capable of doing the job.
Personally, if the quarry was mainly Red and Sika Stags I would go 7mm08 but if it's hinds or the smaller species on the menu the 6.5 is more than man enough for the job.
Personally, if the quarry was mainly Red and Sika Stags I would go 7mm08 but if it's hinds or the smaller species on the menu the 6.5 is more than man enough for the job.
My good friend who shoots plenty deer has 308 and 7-08 next to each other on mainly Sika, said after two years 7-08... "great round", but does nothing he couldn't do with a 308 and he'd opt for a 308 next time. I never had a reason for a 7-08 as I have plenty 308's, if then I would get a 6mm or 6.5 for a different role mainly longer range fox maybe sika hinds/calves.
Saying that from the design and performance the 7-08 is possibly the best compromise for medium deer. Same performance as the proven 7x57 just in a more practical case size.
edi
Saying that from the design and performance the 7-08 is possibly the best compromise for medium deer. Same performance as the proven 7x57 just in a more practical case size.
edi
I. Farticus
Well-Known Member
My 6.5x55 with 20 1/2" barrel will push 140s at 2,770fps, and Hornady quotes 2,700fps for factory Precision Hunter (143gr ELD-X) in the Creedmoor, so velocity won't be an issue in any 6.5mm
You're wrong! I'm getting 2860 with a 139 gr and have no doubt I'd get 3000 with a 120, plus for fox / vermin you have the option of 95 gr v-max or 85 gr sierra hollow point, the latter of which I'm driving a little over 3300 fps, good recipe for fox soup! There is also 156 gr soft point factory ammo available for the creedmoor now from Sako
I think if you reload there's nothing in it, if relying on factory the creedmoor is the winner hands down.
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I own and shoot both. I hunt with the 7-08 and shoot target with the Creedmoor. Really, for game, there wouldn't be a spit's worth of difference with common hunting weights of bullets.
Where I live, the 7-08 is cheaper to shoot as selection of 6.5 bullets on the shelf is limited due to its relative popularity. There is never a lack of variety in 7mm bullets. The 7-08 is inherently accurate and a capable game killer. My first 7-08 was a target rifle I used for 500M off hand metallic silhouette shooting. I never felt I was under gunned.~Muir
Where I live, the 7-08 is cheaper to shoot as selection of 6.5 bullets on the shelf is limited due to its relative popularity. There is never a lack of variety in 7mm bullets. The 7-08 is inherently accurate and a capable game killer. My first 7-08 was a target rifle I used for 500M off hand metallic silhouette shooting. I never felt I was under gunned.~Muir
ChesterP
Well-Known Member
Spot on.
There's no practical difference at all sane hunting ranges between the two. I shoot 6.5 Creed and love the calibre. It just seems easy to load for to get accurate loads and if needed, I can push a 140grn bullet easily to 2800fps which is more than enough for any species in the UK and to 1200 yds plus for target.
Like all these "which is best mister?" type calibre threads, the answer is usually the one where you can get a bullet (s) in that specific calibre that ballistically matches the intended purpose at the ranges intended, and where you can hit what you're aiming at and get on well with the handling of the rifle.
Both poor choices if you want factory ammunition
Assuming deer as the quarry of choice they won't know the difference
External ballistic of the CM don't come into any real advantage until well out past 600m
7-08 is not a lumpy enough cartridge to take advantage of the really slippery high BC 7mm projectiles compared to the vast array of high BC 6.5s in the 136-140gr+ category so it has the edge on targets there
The is a non lead 7-08 factory option if you get forced down that route for deer management on a FC lease or similar
Not one for the CM at present
Assuming deer as the quarry of choice they won't know the difference
External ballistic of the CM don't come into any real advantage until well out past 600m
7-08 is not a lumpy enough cartridge to take advantage of the really slippery high BC 7mm projectiles compared to the vast array of high BC 6.5s in the 136-140gr+ category so it has the edge on targets there
The is a non lead 7-08 factory option if you get forced down that route for deer management on a FC lease or similar
Not one for the CM at present
Really? Think you're a bit behind the times Ed.
Dauntsey Guns, Wiltshire, Wiltshire's Friendly Gun Shop: Centrefire, 6.5mm Creedmoor - Creedmoor - 11 factory loads, all in stock including non lead (hornady GMX)
Dauntsey Guns, Wiltshire, Wiltshire's Friendly Gun Shop: Centrefire, 7mm-08 Rem - 1 factory load on offer, but in stock at least!
Okay, not on a par with 30-06, .308, .243 etc BUT plenty of choice for the creedmoor and availability, more so than 6.5x55 at Daunsteys
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I have a 7x57, a 280, and a 30-06. so I obviously like the 7mm. If I were to shoot long range targets I think the 6.5 Creedmoor is just about perfect. It shoots as flat and accurate as the 300WM with probably half the kick. On all your game but stags, and maybe them, I'm not sure you would notice the difference. Just use the correct bullet. capt david
But the point is its available, including lead free, I note S&B and Norma are now offering 6.5 creedmoor loads too
The deer man
Well-Known Member
You're wrong, every gunshop I use in Suffolk and a few in Essex stocks 7mm-08 and one or two now doing Creedmoor.
The 7mm-08 will do anything long range the 6.5 Creedmoor will do by just using a bigger bullet, 162gr A-Max for example, but then it is a bigger calibre. It's a ridiculous comparison comparing two different calibres with the same weight bullet!
Agreed. But perhaps the 7mm08 is a very "Essex" chambering
It certainly works very well for me and I would take it over the 308 Win every day (yes I have owned one in the past).I own a 6.5CM, a 7mm-08 and a .308, and have shot red deer with each one in the past month. The deer did not report any difference in the manner of their near instant death.
If I was forced to own just one, there would be a very specific requirement of the rifle: it must be chambered such that it allows reloading to maximise COAL to use long for calibre high BC bullets seated close to the lands. If I am to own one generalist rifle, then it must cover all ranges to ~700m. This has been a problem for many 7mm-08 users down here, the max COAL on their rifles has been too short to accommodate long, high BC bullets, and the magazines likewise are too short. I have had to upgrade my .308 magazine to accommodate long for calibre bullets seated close to the lands.
Most Creedmoor rifles come preconfigured to use very long cartridges for calibre, and the magazines are appropriately sized. The Tikka CTR is a good example.
Recent efforts to get my .7mm-08 and .308 to match the Creedmoor for 300m and 500m accuracy have illustrated to me that I should just accept that I’m wasting time, money and components. My simplistic approach to hunting spec reloading will never manage to achieve that. There’s lots of variables in that outcome, barrel weight, stock, bullet, but bottom line is that the Creedmoor is just an inherently accurate package that excels at medium range, whereas the other two require work to get there.
For regular sub 250m hunting, it doesn’t really matter which one you select. Shot placement will always trump calibre and cartridge between 6.5 - 7.62mm and 10-20gr of bullet weight. I’d probably go for the 7mm-08 and 150gr bullets at 2800fps. That’s a very competant load. But if I wanted to reach out to longer ranges then there’s only one option, the Creedmoor wins hands down.
If I was forced to own just one, there would be a very specific requirement of the rifle: it must be chambered such that it allows reloading to maximise COAL to use long for calibre high BC bullets seated close to the lands. If I am to own one generalist rifle, then it must cover all ranges to ~700m. This has been a problem for many 7mm-08 users down here, the max COAL on their rifles has been too short to accommodate long, high BC bullets, and the magazines likewise are too short. I have had to upgrade my .308 magazine to accommodate long for calibre bullets seated close to the lands.
Most Creedmoor rifles come preconfigured to use very long cartridges for calibre, and the magazines are appropriately sized. The Tikka CTR is a good example.
Recent efforts to get my .7mm-08 and .308 to match the Creedmoor for 300m and 500m accuracy have illustrated to me that I should just accept that I’m wasting time, money and components. My simplistic approach to hunting spec reloading will never manage to achieve that. There’s lots of variables in that outcome, barrel weight, stock, bullet, but bottom line is that the Creedmoor is just an inherently accurate package that excels at medium range, whereas the other two require work to get there.
For regular sub 250m hunting, it doesn’t really matter which one you select. Shot placement will always trump calibre and cartridge between 6.5 - 7.62mm and 10-20gr of bullet weight. I’d probably go for the 7mm-08 and 150gr bullets at 2800fps. That’s a very competant load. But if I wanted to reach out to longer ranges then there’s only one option, the Creedmoor wins hands down.
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