You don't want to hear this. But you let your cranky ways negatively influence your decision. The 6.5 CM, and now possibly the 6.5 PRC, WAS the choice you should have made, based on the criteria you set forth. Anyone who shoots them doesn't worry one bit about the uninformed naysayers who think they sound intelligent when they bash the Creedmoor. They just go out and enjoy hunting and long range shooting and snicker at the cranky old guys that refuse to accept progress. Insinuating that the 6.5CM is just a clone or regurgitation of another older cartridge (I assume you mean the .260 Rem) shows a serious lack of research or understanding of cartridge design or implementation.
First of all, the 6.5CM is not some magic cartridge. And few of us owners/ shooters ever say it is. But it's wannabe detractors usually undermine their arguments in their own posts. "My 260 Rem is ballistically superior. I just wish I could buy factory ammo." "I like my 270 better. I just wish they made better 270 bullets." "If the twist rate on my 243 was faster, I could shoot heavy bullets as well as the 6.5's." And so on. BUT THEY DON'T or IT ISN'T.
The 6.5CM occupies a "sweet spot" in two inversely proportionate metrics, power vs recoil. It's not the only cartridge in that sweet spot. But it is in there. But most important to it's success is THERE AREN'T ANY "BUTS" with the 6.5 CM. It came out of the gate with great support and was "done right." They DO build high quality rifles in 6.5 CM. You CAN buy high quality factory ammo with cutting edge bullets. You CAN buy Lapua brass for reloading. ALL the rifles offered have fast twist barrels made for heavy bullets. It WAS designed to operate properly in a short action. And the list goes on. It doesn't have any glaring weaknesses or omissions. THATS the reason for its success.
I could randomly pick ANY rifle made in 6.5 CM, including some $300 or less, scope it, buy a couple boxes of factory ammo at a local store (in stock), and go shoot fairly accurately to probably 1000 yards, all in the first day. What other cartridge can you honestly say that about?
THAT'S why it's so popular. Because it IS better in many ways than what was out there before it. The open-minded people experienced it and then adopted the progress.
If you think all these manufacturers and top shooters/ hunters just suddenly last their mind and built/ bought 6.5 CM rifles as part of some massive marketing scam. And that the top PRS shooters and hunters suddenly lost their minds, read a bit of Hornady fluff and blindly chose 6.5CM so they could be part of some "cool kids" club, then there's no way any amount of evidence or reason is going to change your mind. But for those of us who look at things objectively and are open to progress, we have seen the light. Nothing wrong with a 260 Rem, except for the serious lack of factory ammo and the difficulty in seating long bullets in a short action without eating up lots of case capacity. But since using factory ammo was one of your criteria, there were better choices.
