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Help with caliber choice 6.5,708 or 308

The Creed cartridge is here to stay. I don't see it fading away. Like I said before, it is a relatively small 26cal cartridge. It is a nice efficient cartridge that seems to shoot very well no matter what it is fed. It loads with nice density and allows the bullet to be seated out of the powder column and still fit in its intended action. It is a great short to mid range hunting cartridge, good for long range target shooting, with low recoil that can be shot in volume.

Steve
 
I think the creedmoor is popular in some ways bc Hornady took an approach from the tech industry.

The difference between Apple and Samsung smartphones when they were first introduced 10 yrs ago? Apple made sure the ecosystem was in place. A cartridge can be wonderful but it needs more than just a cartridge. It needs gun makers and ammo makers to jump in with both feet as well. Hornady made ammo that worked well with the guns that it made sure were made by manufacturers. Buy a gun, ammo is available, now just go shoot. You have lots of choices for guns and ammo.

Apple made sure that the App Store had tons of apps - the Google Play store took years to catch up, and Apple pushed the ease of use in getting the most out of your phone by pushing the App Store angle. Sure, the iPhone was first, but the hardware was easy to replicate. The ecosystem was not easy to replicate quickly. Remember 'there's an app for that'? Now see the ecosystem for the 260 Rem as a counter example.

Sure, marketing is huge as well and that angle has been a huge push for the creedmoor, but marketing without a good cartridge and a thriving ecosystem is talk more than anything. The tech industry is all about the ecosystem, and Hornady took a page out of their book.
 
I think the creedmoor is popular in some ways bc Hornady took an approach from the tech industry.

The difference between Apple and Samsung smartphones when they were first introduced 10 yrs ago? Apple made sure the ecosystem was in place. A cartridge can be wonderful but it needs more than just a cartridge. It needs gun makers and ammo makers to jump in with both feet as well. Hornady made ammo that worked well with the guns that it made sure were made by manufacturers. Buy a gun, ammo is available, now just go shoot. You have lots of choices for guns and ammo.

Apple made sure that the App Store had tons of apps - the Google Play store took years to catch up, and Apple pushed the ease of use in getting the most out of your phone by pushing the App Store angle. Sure, the iPhone was first, but the hardware was easy to replicate. The ecosystem was not easy to replicate quickly. Remember 'there's an app for that'? Now see the ecosystem for the 260 Rem as a counter example.

Sure, marketing is huge as well and that angle has been a huge push for the creedmoor, but marketing without a good cartridge and a thriving ecosystem is talk more than anything. The tech industry is all about the ecosystem, and Hornady took a page out of their book.

I'm glad you mentioned Apple, marketing, and systems thinking. Checkout this video...

 
The creed isnt a wonder round. I do like it, but I won't make it something it's not. I know way back when I started on this forum I was a supporter and thought it was the best thing for nearly any situation. That being said I've gained alot of knowledge since that time and have changed my mind set on different things. The creed is a good long range target round to whatever your supersonic range is which for me is about 1500ish yards depending on what bullet I'm using. For hunting, its definitely not a elk round. It's a great deer/black bear cartridge for short to midrange of about 500-600 yards maximum. Hornady made sure all their ducks were in a row on this one. I'll probably always own one just because I feel it's one of the most versatile SA cartridges with the selection of 6.5mm bullets and the ability to load them at moderate speeds and still fit them in the magazine.. You can get more out of the short action with say a 260AI but then your dealing with fireforming. After dealing with 22-250AI, for me fire forming is for the birds and wouldnt want to do that again. I'd rather buy the brass, load and shoot. The 260Ai is also better in the long action. My 6.5 cm with a 150 smk loaded .020 off the lands just barely fits in my magazine. I dont believe there's anyway you could do that with a 260/260AI and fit in a SA magazine without making modifications.
 
Well, I can't speak for Kimbers, but I can on the calibers. I have both a 6.5 CM and 7mm-08. They're both stainless Tikka's. I've had the 7mm-08 several years now and have taken many mule deer and one elk (all up to and under 350 yards). I use 140 grain Barnes TSX bullets (most accurate bullet in the rifle, sub-moa). The 7mm-08 Tikka has been a great accurate rifle and none of the deer and one elk went more than 40 yards after only one shot.

I picked up the 6.5 CM back in the spring. It is no joke...this round is inherently accurate!!! The rifle was sighted in with just the first three shots through the barrel. The next five shots were a clover leaf. This was done using Hornady's 143 ELDx ammo. I used the rifle for my Montana mule deer hunt this fall. A nice 3-pt buck presented himself at 100 yards. One and done! The 143 ELDx dropped the buck in its tracks.

Funny thing...I have a 243 Win, 7mm-08 Rem, and 338 Federal, but not the parent 308! Since you already have the dies, brass, powder and bullets for the 6.5 CM and 7mm-08, I'd stick with one of those. My 7mm-08 Rem is tried and true with lots of meat in the freezer over the years. I took my first deer with the 6.5 CM this year and it was an impressive one and done, so it has started down the same path as the 7mm-08. IMHO, you really can't go wrong with either caliber for your application!
 
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