6.5 Creedmoor definetely better than .308?

[TheFirearmEnthusiast]

Oh an by the way
Please dont think that you guys have not helped me
You guys have helped me heaps...

Thanks to you guys, I gotta .22LR as my 1st rifle
Thanks to you guys, I've worked out that the .243 is (more or less) the best all rounder hunting caliber
Thank to you guys, I see the differences between the 6.5 Creedmoor and the .308 right now which I didn't really see before
(Which from what I can tell it's not too much for what I wanna do I guess)

You guys have helped me heaps, and I thank you for it!

[poid]

I've just been through this thought process myself. For hunting, I've bought a T3X lite in .270 as I'm mainly after goats, deer and pigs. Already have other rifles for bunnies/foxes.

For longer distance shooting, when I get to that point, it'll probably be an LA105 (like to support local business when i can). They come in 6.5CM and 308, would prefer it in 6.5CM but if only 308 is available at the time I'll get that as either calibre is good.

[in2anity]

TheFirearmEnthusiast i'm with yu with respect to this being a valid thread. People seem to think that this is some kind of paid service, or that there is perhaps only a limited number of threads to go around - IT'S A FREE PUBLIC FORUM PEOPLE. Nobody owes anyone nothin. If you don't agree with the direction of a thread, or the thread itself, its simple, p!ss off some place else. Go read news.com.au

Let the lad ask his questions - it's not costing anyone anything.

[in2anity]

For longer distance shooting, when I get to that point, it'll probably be an LA105 (like to support local business when i can). They come in 6.5CM and 308, would prefer it in 6.5CM but if only 308 is available at the time I'll get that as either calibre is good.

Now there's a gun that'll go the distance. That's the sort of thing you should be looking at for target work TheFirearmEnthusiast. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for.

[Sergeant Hartman]

Well you still haven't replied to my questions.

But to answer your question, I have both calibers bought only a few months apart, i don't hunt (but even if I was, it would either be a 223 or a 308) and looking at my records the 308 has more than double the rounds through it. Not that I need to look I find my hand picks up the 308 over 6.5 nearly always.

On any day I can shoot more rounds through it in the 20min sessions at little river as the creedmore barrel gets hot lot quicker than the 308.

And lastly, the 30cal bullet makes a noise that you can actually hear when it hits the gongs at little river.

[in2anity]

Well you still haven't replied to my questions.

But to answer your question, I have both calibers bought only a few months apart, i don't hunt (but even if I was, it would either be a 223 or a 308) and looking at my records the 308 has more than double the rounds through it. Not that I need to look I find my hand picks up the 308 over 6.5 nearly always.

On any day I can shoot more rounds through it in the 20min sessions at little river as the creedmore barrel gets hot lot quicker than the 308.

And lastly, the 30cal bullet makes a noise that you can actually hear when it hits the gongs at little river.

Yeah it's the little things that make a gun/caliber desirable - things you can't easily think of or perhaps put into words. I appreciate this.

[sungazer]

Arguments over the 6.5 and 308 are a bit silly. There are some valid reasons to chose one over the other but the ballistics of the cartridge is not one of them. Even when you want to take up competitive target shooting there will be other questions and decisions that will lead you to different paths without ever having to consider ballistics.

The difference in ballistics between them is good for the journos who write reviews and keyboard warriors that want to debate over ant farts.

[TheFirearmEnthusiast]

Thanks for your feedback poid
How are you finding your Tikka T3X lite?

And you're right
Both calibers are appealing
That's why I guess it's a bit hard to choose between the Creedmoor 6.5 and the .308


Thanks In5anity
I'll look into the LA105 as soon as I can!


Ziad:
In terms of the barrel of the 6.5 creedmoor getting hot quickly
Do you reckon thats a typical trait of the 6.5 creedmoors or?
Mm you may have swayed me a little bit towards the .308 actually
Being able to hear the sound of the bullets when they hit the metallic gongs, that is a pretty awesome feeling
Mm
I may be tempted more towards the .308 actually now..

I agree Sungazer

[TheFirearmEnthusiast]

Pros of the 6.5 Creedmoor
- less affected by wind past 500metres
- less affected by Drop past 500metres
- less recoil
- shoots more accurately past 1000yards

Pros of the .308
- cheaper ammunition
- more accessible ammunition
- bigger impact whilst hunting therefore more humane kills
- you can hear it when it hits the gong at little river
- (Potentially heats up less, therefore potentially better for plinking)

This is what I mean Lads ^^^^^
My thread is 100% valid here
Those are all extremely interesting pros & cons
Anyone reading through that could learn something
(Especially new shooters of the future)

[in2anity]

- (Potentially heats up less, therefore potentially better for plinking)

The term "plinking" means different things to different people. In my eyes it refers to shooting volumes of cheap ammo at close range from standing offhand. The 22lr is the perfect fit for such a requirement; you can shoot your 22lr for hours at a time without burning out your throat, without quickly fatguing, and without breaking the bank. Futhermore, from standing offhand inside 100m, the 22lr is basically more accurate than I am. And there's no point expending pricy ammo when you can't realise the accuracy...

Nevertheless I have "plinked" with my 308w silhoutte build in the past, practising specifically for High Power Metallic Silhoutte comp. I was reloading a 30cal lead bullet over a case of Trail Boss, and aiming at (relatively scaled) Metallic silhoutte targets placed on the 50 or 100m line:

30/30 Lead bullet over Trail Boss in the 308w

IMG_6268.JPG (464.75 KiB) Viewed 6928 times

Metallic Silhoutte Practice Targets

IMG_6736.JPG (1.24 MiB) Viewed 6928 times

"Plinking" the 308w at 50m

IMG_6789.jpg (1.48 MiB) Viewed 6928 times

Now you can't really do that with the 6.5cm can you? nor would you want to... the 6.5cm is wasted inside 500m.

Like I mentioned before, it's oftern the little things that make a gun+calibre desirable to you - things you won't find out until you have taken the plunge yourself. Things that are specific to your personal requirements. The "makes a slap on the gong" one is another great example of a perk that no keyboard hunter will every be aware of.

[Spanielz11]

G'day TheFirearmEnthusiast

Might thought process may be a little different to some of the guys so far, but i have been in the exact same position as you, bought a Tikka T3 CTR in 308 because i wanted to do both hunting and target work.
what i found for hunting was : the oversized bolt handle was annoying as all buggery slung, the magazine added another snag point, it was really like and good to hump with, 20" barrel was awesome to use in the bush.
for targets : barrel was to short, stock was to light, magazine would have been good if i was shooting PRS.

What i am saying is that hunting rifle and target rifle are very very different beasts, yes for sure you can have one that does both, but to have one that excels in both areas you would be looking at a very expensive custom rig with years of experience shooting to make the call of what you need.

My advice, if you want a 6.5 creed to hunt with and shoot at the range, grab that Tikka. nothing stopping you from shooting it at the range (i believe any hunting worth there salt should practice at a variety of distances anyway).
If you are keen on shooting targets and going trying your hand at competition or you just want to ring that old steel gong at 1k, have a look on the used guns sites and look for an Omark. at most a decent condition one will set you back $800. for that kind of money do you really mind if you buy it just to shoot at paper?

[Am88]

All well and good, personally I think you may need a little more practice with the .22 before you start going in to that territory. I remember the first time I pulled the trigger on a .308. Gave me bit of a fright TBH, regardless I was only 50 odd kg's at the time. it's only a little old .308, but if your pushing a 180 grain pill, it's gunna kick a little. Then I remember the first time I shot my .308 off a bench. I was all excited and thought yeah this will be great. I didn't enjoy it at all, a hunting rifle in .308 weighing about 8 pounds or so, and after 10 rounds, I put it back in the case..... with a sore shoulder.

Point being, I wouldn't be getting too carried away, until proper technique and everything else is good. Because you will be disappointing when you can't hit that 8" metal gong at 500m because you have a tiny flinch, or the bags are slightly misaligned, or you not sitting behind the gun properly. This is just another opinion, and believe me when I say I'm a terrible Bench shooter, I have poor bench technique, lack in equipment to do it and generally don't enjoy it as the range is busy and too many people. BUT.... I can hit an apple on a tree stump shot after shot at 200m out of a ute window with a 50gr ballistic tip, different technique.

[bigrich]

Am88 , you’ve raised a lot of good points. Go with the 6.5CM r/lad , in a qaulity rifle it will have a lot of uses , with moderate recoil so you have range, but can learn technique without dealing with recoil. Once you learn to handload , the worlds your oyster. Lots of good calibers to pick from that aren’t mainstream. 6.5-06 , 280 rem . Even the old 7x57 is fantastic with handloads

[Sergeant Hartman]

Mate a couple words of free advise.

Stop internet research. Just go shoot the 22lr as much as you can.

Make friends with a couple of older shooters, talk to them and ask them for advise. Try and shoot a few of their rifles, ask then for advise.

I see you are getting confused with all this much info. I know I was... I have made a few mistakes and as I learn I realise what I want now is different then when I started.

[Peter988]

Raband:
Well I have purchased my .22LR already, so thats great
Everyone gave me good advice about starting out with the .22LR and I'm very very grateful for that
The thing is;
My safe can hold approximately 7x to 8x firearms
So I guess im just doing my research right now
!

Can you tell me about the Victorian licence and PTA processes down there. You said on 20 November you didn’t have a licence yet. So you now have the licence and already been through the PTA process. Queensland Firearm Registry need to take some lessons from their Vic counterparts.

What 22 did you end up acquiring?

[bladeracer]

Can you tell me about the Victorian licence and PTA processes down there. You said on 20 November you didn’t have a licence yet. So you now have the licence and already been through the PTA process. Queensland Firearm Registry need to take some lessons from their Vic counterparts.

What 22 did you end up acquiring?

Book Police safety lecture, free down here, when you have that certificate you apply for your licence which takes 28 days. If you lodge PtA's with your licence application they are approved when your licence is approved so you can go shooting right away. If you didn't lodge until you got your licence the first PtA will take 28 days, then additional PtA's take a day or two. PtA's are $10.

[Peter988]

That’s a good time scale. As I haven’t been through the process, another question for the lad then. Did the police safety lecture cover the question you were asking about target shooting on public property? And still interested to know what 22 you decided on?

[Faedy]

I'm in the market for a long range rifle atm. Already got 308 and 300winmag.
Looked at the Lithgow Woomera in 6.5 creedmoor yesterday and was pleasantly surprised by the feel and weight of it.

[Sergeant Hartman]

Won't a 300wm be better longer range than 6.5... If you run 200/210gr projectiles

[bigrich]

Won't a 300wm be better longer range than 6.5... If you ruin 200/210gr projectiles

A 300 win mag will definitely ruin 200 g projectiles mate ....

Ya phone spelling got ya again

[Sergeant Hartman]

Yep sorry back on the phone again... can't carry the laptop everywhere.. even at 2kg it gets a bit too much esp in this heat

[marksman]

Won't a 300wm be better longer range than 6.5... If you run 200/210gr projectiles

it depends on what 6.5 Ziad, the 300wm's ballistics are not as good as the 6.5x284 with 140-142gr bullets @ 2950-3000fps
the barrels have around the same accuracy life but the 6.5x284 is a hell of a lot easier to shoot

[Sergeant Hartman]

Sorry mate, the post was in reference to Faedy who is looking at a 6.5 creedmore for long range shooting

[SCJ429]

I'm in the market for a long range rifle atm. Already got 308 and 300winmag.
Looked at the Lithgow Woomera in 6.5 creedmoor yesterday and was pleasantly surprised by the feel and weight of it.

Could you try shooting 90 grain Bergers out of your 243 for some long range action?

[SCJ429]

Mate a couple words of free advise.

Stop internet research. Just go shoot the 22lr as much as you can.

Make friends with a couple of older shooters, talk to them and ask them for advise. Try and shoot a few of their rifles, ask then for advise.

I see you are getting confused with all this much info. I know I was... I have made a few mistakes and as I learn I realise what I want now is different then when I started.

I don't think his internet research is detrimental to his quest for knowledge and experience. He is probably wearing out the barrel on his Ruger rimfire, talking to the shooters at the range and then in his spare time asking questions on some forums. At the very least it has made some good reading here. More power to you Republic Lad .05

[Faedy]

Sorry mate, the post was in reference to Faedy who is looking at a 6.5 creedmore for long range shooting

Thats because my 300 winmag is set up with a boyyds thumbhole stock for hunting etc and our pathetic WA laws sort of force me to pick an alternate calibre to out in another PTA.
The 6.5C will be mainly for range duties

[poid]

Thanks for your feedback poid
How are you finding your Tikka T3X lite?

It's excellent...nicely finished, lightweight and and is very accurate. I'm not that experienced a shooter so still getting used to the larger cal, but I'm already enjoying it.

At the range, it's light so has a sharp kick to it and the barrel also heats up quickly, so it's definitely a hunting rifle and not a range rifle. The shoulder gets sore after putting a couple of boxes through it, but for one or two of shots like a hunting situation it's perfect.

I also shot a mate's braked and heavier barrelled Tikka 308 during my last range session and it's a much better rifle for that kind of shooting. I'm definitely in the camp of getting the right rifle for a specific job, rather than a single rifle to try and do everything.

[TheFirearmEnthusiast]

Sorry about the delay in response Lads, been busy the past few days, Christmas time and all

In2anity;
Thank you for your feedback i2anity, I agree with everything you’ve said

Spanielz11;
Thank you for your feedback, I agree. It’s best to buy a rifle that’s dedicated to target shooting and another one that’s dedicated for hunting. This way you can fully excel at both, I agree In an ideal world, on a practical perspective, it would be so much easier to buy "just the one rifle" that does it all, that both perfectly well, but of course, that would not be realistic

Am88;
Thank you for your feedback, you’re right. It is 100% better to start out with a .22LR and then work your way up from there. Look I honestly adore firearms, and I wanna do things right. So 100% I will practise A LOT with my .22LR first before moving up the ladder. I just thought I’d start to do some research/homework right now about everything, that’s all

Bigrich;
Thank you for your feedback, I will have a look at all those calibres Yeah I mean, the 6.5 Creedmoor, the lack of recoil there does sound great. I find it hard to choose between the .308 and between the 6.5 Creedmoor, they both have such great pros. They are both so good in their own kind of way, makes it hard to choose

Ziad;
Yes, I do plan on shooting my .22LR as much as I can I am talking to as many shooters as I can, I do try to ask for advice as much as possible And I’m not getting too confused, I understand all the information that’s been given to me on enough gun, I don’t mean to brag but it’s not hard to understand firearms. It’s all about knowledge I reckon. The more knowledge you have, the more you can then make an informed decision when it comes to purchasing the perfect firearm for you I plan to have a collection for a bit of everything as you know, 1x for long distance shooting, 1x for short distance shooting, 1x for hunting, 1x for clay target shooting, 1x for plinking etc I’m just trying to make sense of it all Knowledge is power!

Peter988;
I bought a Ruger Precision Rimfire Rifle as my first .22LR
No the police during the safety course, they did not touch on the subject of shooting targets on public land. The police officers who did the course were absolutely great and fantastic. They were really nice Lads but I guess there’s just so much info to cover, they wouldn’t have had the time to cover it all, which is fair enough

Faedy;
Ah cool man

SCJ429;
I 100% agree. My internet research is NOT detrimental to my quest for knowledge and experience. Honestly, it honestly all comes down to this. I adore firearms. So I wanna know everything there is to know about firearms before I start my little collection 1x for long distance shooting, 1x for short distance shooting, 1x for hunting, 1x for clay target shooting, 1x for plinking etc I wanna make the right decisions, I wanna do everything right, so I would rather gain as much knowledge as possible before making mistakes or mis steps or whatever For example; if it wasn’t for the Lads on here, if it wasn't for the Lads on enough gun, I would’ve bought a .308 instead of a .22LR as my 1st rifle, which would’ve been a huge mistake Knowledge is power

Poid;
Thank you for your feedback Yes, I agree. I would also rather buy 1x specific rifle that does a fantastic does for that 1x task instead of winging it and buying only 1x rifle that does everything in an "okay" fashion. I’d rather have a little collection with 1x firearm that suits everything purpose. It makes being a firearm owner so much more pleasant this way 1x rifle for every purpose

[Tank]

6.5 Creedmoor......vs .308.......how many threads does there have to be?

Met a young kid recently ‘sighting one on a mates home range....who was shooting a 6.5 Creed on a T3X Lite....it wore an NXS Milrad FFP in Christ knows how many power.....

‘Why Creedmore’ I asked. ‘Oh....it’s the best’ he said. ‘Mils....you understand that stuff eh?’ I asked. ‘Mostly.....American military stuff.....it’s the best’.
‘How’s it coming along?’
Wait for it......‘I can’t work out how many clicks I need to get it shooting where I want it’.
‘Did you want a hand?’
‘Nah....I’m right.....’
This kid went to his local gun shop asked about a fox rifle....did a bit of YouTubing and this is the combination he bought. His local dealer suggested a .223 with an everyday duplex midrange variable scope.....
There were 5 boxes of empty cases on the bench when he left....my mate said he wasn’t happy when he left....
Horses for courses.
There’s nothing new under the sun in cartridge design.
Don’t believe all the marketing bulls**t you read.
Listen to experienced heads.....it can save you a lot of time, heartache and money.

[SCJ429]

No matter how many stories you hear about some fool who couldn't shoot with his 6.5 CM, it has nothing to do with the case design. The case is every bit as good as a 260 or 6.5x47

For long range plinking the 6.5 has a ballistic advantage over the 308.

You should see how many tools think that their 338 Lapua is the best thing on the planet but cannot hit a barn door at 50 feet. The case itself is great.