Which mainstream cartridge to go obsolete because of the 6 & 6.5 CM

[Creoleboy]

Someone must hold the 6.5 cm on another level....

 

[gohring3006]

These creed threads can get out of hand. It's not the Creed is the do all cartridge, its been built from the ground up, for long range competition, it just so happens it over laps the older cartridges in terms of performance. Its cartridge design and throat lead angle lends itself to superior performance with heavy for caliber bullets. All this is out of the gate with factory offerings. Most of the others have to have custom barrels and reamers to achieve this.
It's a trend that spreading. And Hornady is leading the charge with
6 creed
6.5 creed
6.5 prc
300 prc.
To some this is a hard pill to swallow. To others, it's welcomed.
Either roll with the changes, or get out of the way.

 

[onehandgunner]

With any luck the 6 and 6.5 B/S will follow the same path as the Edsel.

 

[John Polk]

The Army has adopted the .270 caliber(.277 - 6.8mm) for its new rifle and it's going to be with us for a long time.

 

[flylo]

I've seen 308 target ammo go down in price but it's not going away.

 

[fmuguira]

CM s will remain popular, I have one, but it's not the end all... it WILL hurt cartridges like the 260 Rem, 257 Roberts, possibly the 25-06 but realistically those aren't mainstream already. The 243 is so popular it will remain but no doubt at lower sales levels.
JMO

 

[uncle_motorhead]

With Barnes TTSX & LRX bullets available why would anyone hunt with "Heavy for caliber" bullets anymore?

 

[flylo]

Depends on what you're hunting.

 

[onehandgunner]

The 6.8 O'Connor will live on.

 

[.300 Dakota]

They wont go obsolete. They're are too many of those cartridges out there. Sales of them will be affected, but they wont go obsolete. The only cartridge I think is affected the most by the creed is the 260 rem. It was on it's way out anyway, but the creed has really hurt any chance of regrowth for the 260.

I grabbed a Savage 11 in 260 a few months back determined I was going to but that darn Creedmoor in its place! After quite a bit of load development, I have proven to myself what the rest of the country already knows. The Creedmoor is a superior cartridge. It just is. No arguing the facts. (I've had 3 6.5 Creeds and 4 or 5 .260s over the years.) There isn't a world of difference, but even if ballistics were exactly equal, just the popularity of the Creedmoor makes it a more desirable option.

I've decided, as I did when I moved to Tuscaloosa years ago, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I have a reamer and headspace gauge in hand along with a barrel making my own version of the Creedmoor in .25 caliber. Mine has a shortened leade to optimize accuracy on the currently available .257 diameter hunting bullet offerings. I design hunting rifles, not target extreme range laser precision pieces of artillery. From that standpoint, the Creedmoor family is superior to any of its older competition.

Now if somebody will will make me a 240 Weatherby with 1:8 twist and 26" barrel, I'll be happier than a pig in slop!

 

[hoffbill]

There are many many deer and other game killed each year by 270 and 243 because there are many many good rifles in the closet chambered in those rounds. The 6.5Cr is popular because it can launch the same weight bullets as the 270 with considerably less recoil and do it from a short action rifle, and it is more potent than the 243 with very little added recoil. It's design does not make it any more lethal than 260 or 270 as a hunting round, but it has distinct advantages as a precision long range target round, which was the reason it was designed to begin with. The wide range of choices in bullet construction available today have expanded the capabilities of many calibers. On any size game there are a number of cartridges that would be considered ideal so it becomes a matter of choosing the best weight and construction of bullet and combining it with good marksmanship. A 338 Magnum OverKill model will not compensate for poor marksmanship. In fact it will probably make it even worse.

 

[flylo]

I bought a 6mm RPR, a 308 RPR because they were so much cheaper the the 6.5 which I have a few in other brands. For ELR target & varmint I'll take the 6mm CM. I have a 264WM & a 6.5-300 WBY coming. So I'm covered with 6.5s but the baby 6.5 Creedmoor I think was desighned as a steel ringer not an elk hunter.

 

[DJ Fergus]

I think it will be forever before 243,270,308,30-30, 30-06, 300 win mag, 7mm rem mag goes obsolete. They will have invented something besides conventional ammunition to hunt with before these go obsolete. They are all in the top ten most cartridges sold by ammo manufactureres each year. These rounds will always be cheaper than most any other centerfire cartridges for meduim game hunting. And will always be more readily available. 6.5 creedmoor has moved in there with them as well. It has just joined that group, not necessarily pushing one of them out. I could tell you many cartridges that won't join that group and one of the biggest reasons for those is the initial cost of a box of ammo for them, not that it makes a difference to me cause I hand load. If cartridges such a 26,28,30 nosler, 6.5 & 300 prc are to join that crowd they will have to get in the price range of $15-$25 a box on economy versions of ammo. I just don't see that happening.

 

[bocajnala]

I really dislike this common sentiment that the 243 (or anything short action and/or under the .30 caliber) is a starter, kids, etc rifle. I think calibers have their purpose. I wouldn't shoot small whitetail and antelope with a 300WM (although some do) I'd much rather shoot them with a 243win, 6mmCM, or 6.5CM because they are more suited for that size of game. I think hunters need to start using rifles that fit the game they're hunting unless they can only afford one or few firearms.

I have no problem with somebody shooting an antelope with a .300 of any variety.

Or any other option for that matter.

-Jake