Short and light swamp gun......6.5 creedmore or 308?

I go 6.5 CM. I don't own one but do own 260's, they are a pleasure to shoot. Sierra 120gr Pro Hunters work well on deer for me here in KY.

I built a 300 Ham'r. Bill Wilson designed the cartridge for hogs and it works. Plus if you have an AR rifle you just need the upper. 130 gr Speer Hot Core at 2500 or Sierra 125 PH at same speed. 300 is stretching it but out to 200 it's good. Of the two you cited, I would go 308. POF makes a good 308 in the AR15 size that's not heavy or bulky if you want rapid follow up shots. I would probably do a bolt gun but that's just me. Feenix mentioned a 7-08, never a bad choice.

308, more range of weights in bullets.

Flip a coin. Both will work. I run a 18" 308 with 130 Barnes TTSX at 3135 FPS. I don't think a 18" Creed will replicate that. Both will do the job though.

These days I wouldn't choose either for a short-range rifle. But between the two, just looking at ballistics tables will show you that at sub-500 yards the 6.5 Creedmoor has no practical advantage over a 308 in any area besides slightly less recoil...which itself isn't nothing. I hate the recoil of my 18" 308 after about 20 shots at the range.

Another point to consider: unless you are throwing a good silencer on the end of your barrel, I definitely prefer a 20" as you'll never notice the difference in maneuverability but will help tame some of the added concussion that comes with a short barrel. You can look at silencer manufacturer's numbers for different length barrels and get an idea of the drop in effectiveness of their cans as barrel lengths shorten.

I'd let the local ammo availability/price and priorities dictate your choice. If you happen to shoot a lot, 308 has a barrel life that most will never reach and is still cheaper and more available, despite how small that advantage may be these days. If a slight, but possibly noticeable drop in recoil is more important, go with 6.5. Neither will kill any animal on this planet more dead than the other.

A shooting buddy from Slidell hunts hogs and deer in the Louisiana Basins with 338 Federal gas guns that I chambered for him. The M1A is a beast with 180 grain slugs

I have and hunt with both .308 and 6.5cm. As mentioned already, inside your specificied range of 300yds, 6.5cm has no real advantage over 308. higher BC of 6.5 doesn't come into play until much further out. My .308 is a Ruger American Predator and it is a sub moa gun. My 6.5cm is a Savage 110 and it is also sub moa. For your purpose, my choice would be .308 because of the wider range of bullet weights to choose from and the bigger hole it makes. As a handloader, I also think .308 is a better choice for short barrels. Either would be fine and the recoil difference between the two is minimal enough that if it really makes a difference, you probably shouldn't be in a swamp with either one. Just my 2c

JAYgs8163 said:

Flip a coin. Both will work. I run a 18" 308 with 130 Barnes TTSX at 3135 FPS. I don't think a 18" Creed will replicate that. Both will do the job though.

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I run and recommend the same, the 18" barrelled 308W with the 130gr TTSX has become my favorite 400y and under combo. Deer, Black Bear and Elk have been taken with a single effective shot, I've never needed a follow-up shot. I push it at 3107fps. Light, quick and very handy in tight quarters and timber with a 2x7 Leupold. Love'n it. My AI's get more safe time now.

Full disclosure: I still have a Creedmoore allergy, but that 22CM will probably cure it.

Pick one and have fun making it your new favorite.

My suppressed 16 inch 308 AR, topped off with a FLIR thermal, the M118 LRs still come out at 2500. Last year I anchored a hog at the 300 yard feeder with same ammo.

T

lancetkenyon said:

If you are going to run a 124-130, why would you not take advantage of the higher BC and SD of a 6.5mm over a .308"?

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He op said this is for swamp hunting out to a max of 300yds. If it were farther, then a 6.5 might be a better choice. Also consider the 16" barrel length. I've done swamp hunting and I never did a shot over 100yds.

Elkwonder said:

I have a box blind rifle, but I want a light 16 inch hog and deer gun to tote around the swamps of Alabama and Mississippi. It will only be used for pigs and deer at a max distance of 300 yards. My question is which caliber between the 6.5 creedmore and 308? Both calibers are offered in the gun Im looking at in a 16 inch barrel. My question is will only having a 16 inch barrel hurt one of these calibers more than the other? I know 308 does pretty good with a 16 inch barrel, but dont know much about the 6.5 creed with that short of a barrel. I know the 308 will have more recoil in a light rifle, but still shouldnt be bad with 168's i wouldnt think.

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Easy decision for me……The .308 Wincester

Having grown up and hunting in similar conditions, with shots often coming fast, in/through undergrowth, and rarely the perfect broadside shot opportunity……I'd prefer a little larger diameter bullet of considerably heavier weight than is typical for the CM.

As others have taken the liberty of suggesting an alternate cartridge…..I'll do so as well! In these conditions……the .358 Win. would also be a great option! Do not use "light for caliber" bullets! memtb

I'd go 308win and I'm a 26cal fan! 30 yards is a chip shot as you might like a 6.8spc (my favorite over the 6.5gren as I have both).

We've run 18 inch 308's for a long time, and while I like my 260 and 260AI for their BC's at longer ranges, the 308's in shorties are very handy and anchor everything we've hit. They have a great selection of bullet choices, factory loads and can be easily loaded down to reduce recoil. The 120 Tac-TX, 130 TTSX and Nosler 125AB do wonders on shorter range deer and similar, and the 150 Partition just does what it has always done.

When I was younger and even sometimes when I travel South for deer hunts, we hunted a lot of the type of terrain you are referring to, and the short 308's never came up......short.

I used a 20" barrel Model 70 lightweight carbine in .270 Win In NC this fall. Shot an 8 pt in the swamp. It is handy to have a rifle with a short barrel especially out of an elevated box or tripod stand as was required there. My second choice was a 6.5 CM with a 22" barrel. At short range, shot placement and what bullet is used is way more important than what caliber. Although the 270 was loaded with 130 grain Interlocks, I would have preferred Hammer Hunters or Berger VLD like the 6.5.