mts6175 said:

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You have about 8 lbs of felt recoil difference between a 6.5 and 30-06, so if he's 14 that may be a factor.

I just started hunting with a 6.5 CM suppressed the last couple years. I will sit in the camp that every animal I have shot in the dead zone has ran for a distance. In the 20+ years prior, I used a 270 WSM and had one animal run. The rest dropped in their tracks.

I'm just saying I'm not sold on the 6.5 as a hunting round yet. I will still use it because I have confidence in my shot, but after this past year being the 3rd hunting with it, I'm debating switching calibers.

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what bullet do you go with in 6.5?

highvelocity said:

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in the neck. he was quartered towards me. typically take the head shot, but wanted to see what happened with a neck shot and my assumption was unfortunately correct.

gf dropped one a couple weeks ago with a heart shot, but even still, no blood on the ground

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Shot a good size boar in same exact presentation a few weeks back. Laid him over, he did the dead pig spin around on the ground dance, then popped to his feet and ran off. Found him a few days later, hit just high of breaking his neck.

Warsteiner said:

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mts6175 said:

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You have about 8 lbs of felt recoil difference between a 6.5 and 30-06, so if he's 14 that may be a factor.

I just started hunting with a 6.5 CM suppressed the last couple years. I will sit in the camp that every animal I have shot in the dead zone has ran for a distance. In the 20+ years prior, I used a 270 WSM and had one animal run. The rest dropped in their tracks.

I'm just saying I'm not sold on the 6.5 as a hunting round yet. I will still use it because I have confidence in my shot, but after this past year being the 3rd hunting with it, I'm debating switching calibers.

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what bullet do you go with in 6.5?

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Hornady 143 ELD-X.

I would love to see somebody research all these claims and figure out what percentage were using a match round instead of a hunting bullet, what percent were going for neck shots (notoriously hit or miss in any caliber), and then take people to the range and see how many of them can put their first shot out of the rifle within a 5" circle at 200 yds shooting from the shoulder instead of a benchrest sled with some wind blowing. Any one of those things could result in an animal not dropping in any caliber, and all three taken together generally results in a lost deer.

Heard lots of cases where ELD-X fail to expand. Work most of the time but it does happen. I'd try a different bullet like the Nolsers or Berger

These threads are the best! Guaranteed to generate 5 pages of opinions. You all realize that these threads are nothing more than self justification and validation of the firearms you already bought, right? LOL. I'm just kidding. Kind of. In that vein, I shoot a .30-06 with a 180 grain bullet because....that's the gun I have and the round my dad shot and I never felt like changing from it. Everything seems to drop very close to where it was standing. Oh...and I can buy the ammo pretty much anywhere...well...I used to be able to...Thank Obama.

BrazosDog02 said:

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These threads are the best! Guaranteed to generate 5 pages of opinions. You all realize that these threads are nothing more than self justification and validation of the firearms you already bought, right? LOL. I'm just kidding. Kind of. In that vein, I shoot a .30-06 with a 180 grain bullet because....that's the gun I have and the round my dad shot and I never felt like changing from it. Everything seems to drop very close to where it was standing. Oh...and I can buy the ammo pretty much anywhere...well...I used to be able to...Thank Obama.

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I just think it is funny to see people claim that a 140+ grain bullet travelling over 2500 ft per second won't kill a deer reliably while another 140+ grain bullet travelling over 2500 ft per sec will, just because the caliber of the bullet is different by a few hundredths of an inch. If you were making an argument for defective ammo that wasn't expanding, I could see the claim. Otherwise, such an argument is ridiculous.

My guide in So Tx in October wouldn't let me shoot the ELD-X 143 grains out of my 6.5. Said he's had to call dogs on more deer shot with that round than any other as of late. I've killed 7 deer and 5 hogs with Hornady American WT's this year and none have taken a step. Maybe need a bigger sample size but so far I'm very pleased.

Anecdotal:

I have killed 6 animals this year with 143 precision hunters and none have run more than 5-10 yards... actually, only one ran that far. The rest dropped.

I have never shot an animal with anything other than those bullets in the 6.5 and from 60lb pigs to 300lb+ aoudad, it has demolished everything.

This probably goes back to the shooter and not the bullet.

highvelocity said:

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ive been shooting 6.5 for about 6 months now and i have to say - not a fan. 6 animals have been killed with the rifle and aside from me blowing the face off a coyote there has not been any blood trail. the internal damage is extensive, but no blood. i've been lucky enough to have animals die in the field in which they have been shot, but being i hunt in south texas with heavy cover, i dont find the 6.5 very acceptable for hunting applications. will probably sell the rifle and go back to 308.

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Same here.

I don't doubt that at all! I have a few boxes and plan on shooting them, just at the time I was chasing a 180" whitetail and wanted to do whatever the guide told me to do lol.

txags92 said:

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BrazosDog02 said:

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These threads are the best! Guaranteed to generate 5 pages of opinions. You all realize that these threads are nothing more than self justification and validation of the firearms you already bought, right? LOL. I'm just kidding. Kind of. In that vein, I shoot a .30-06 with a 180 grain bullet because....that's the gun I have and the round my dad shot and I never felt like changing from it. Everything seems to drop very close to where it was standing. Oh...and I can buy the ammo pretty much anywhere...well...I used to be able to...Thank Obama.

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I just think it is funny to see people claim that a 140+ grain bullet travelling over 2500 ft per second won't kill a deer reliably while another 140+ grain bullet travelling over 2500 ft per sec will, just because the caliber of the bullet is different by a few hundredths of an inch. If you were making an argument for defective ammo that wasn't expanding, I could see the claim. Otherwise, such an argument is ridiculous.

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I know you've been here for the 9mm vs .40 vs .45 arguments. And for the record, I completely agree with you.

txags92 said:

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BrazosDog02 said:

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These threads are the best! Guaranteed to generate 5 pages of opinions. You all realize that these threads are nothing more than self justification and validation of the firearms you already bought, right? LOL. I'm just kidding. Kind of. In that vein, I shoot a .30-06 with a 180 grain bullet because....that's the gun I have and the round my dad shot and I never felt like changing from it. Everything seems to drop very close to where it was standing. Oh...and I can buy the ammo pretty much anywhere...well...I used to be able to...Thank Obama.

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I just think it is funny to see people claim that a 140+ grain bullet travelling over 2500 ft per second won't kill a deer reliably while another 140+ grain bullet travelling over 2500 ft per sec will, just because the caliber of the bullet is different by a few hundredths of an inch. If you were making an argument for defective ammo that wasn't expanding, I could see the claim. Otherwise, such an argument is ridiculous.

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very much this!!!!!! EOT

I personally would get a 30-06 before anything else, and it would be the last rifle I'd part ways with.

Lots of great opinions and was wanting to hear thoughts to help me decide. As I was typing up the question and I had this feeling that it would turn into the thread it has but proceeded because I wanted to hear the opinions.

It may come down to what I can find in a store.

To the OP - At the end of the day, your son has to be confident in the gun. If he has a strong opinion about either of the cartridges, it's probably not worth trying to dissuade him. Being confident in the gun will do wonders for accuracy and shot placement. Both of these calibers have put a lot of meat on tables.

highvelocity said:

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ive been shooting 6.5 for about 6 months now and i have to say - not a fan. 6 animals have been killed with the rifle and aside from me blowing the face off a coyote there has not been any blood trail. the internal damage is extensive, but no blood. i've been lucky enough to have animals die in the field in which they have been shot, but being i hunt in south texas with heavy cover, i dont find the 6.5 very acceptable for hunting applications. will probably sell the rifle and go back to 308.

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I have both the 6.5 and the .308...it's all the type of bullet that you use. I was given some .308 FMJ bullets in 150 grain bullets to shoot on pigs mainly to see if I could get multiples with a single shot. I shot a spike with it and the bullet went all the way through without killing it on the first shot...or the second shot...I thought there was no way I was missing but figured that I had to be since it didn't die on the spot. Finally on my third shot it dropped...during the cleaning process I found all three holes. Same gun and I used the Hornady Precision Hunter 178 ELD-X and blood everywhere and the deer dropped in it's track.

My 6.5 doesn't always exit but more than half the times it has but I have never had a deer run more than 20-30 yards tops. I shoot the 6.5 90% of the time.

gibberish said:

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Accurate

Rolling up with my 6.5 like:

I think you have the lower end covered. I am admittedly a 6.5 hater but I would recommend it now for a first rifle for anyone in Texas. It has replaced 25-06 (25-06 beats out the 6.5 is most aspects other than recoil.) on most ammo shelves.

I think you need a 30 caliber. .308 is my favorite but no real gain over the .270. 300WM would completely cover the high end but I don't know how you handle recoil and ammo is more expensive. That leaves .30-06 as the best pick in my opinion.

6.5PRC beats out the 25-06. But under creed, I don't think so. The 6.5Creed beats it after 500 yards. If they would have made the PRC first, the creed wouldn't exist. That is the better 6.5

I would suggest a 300WM as well.

Nvm

I can agree with that.

Ag 11 said:

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.25-06

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LOVE my 25-06! Plenty of knock down power, very little kick. Awesome gun.

WestTexasAg said:

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Ag 11 said:

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.25-06

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LOVE my 25-06! Plenty of knock down power, very little kick. Awesome gun.

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My go to but he has it bracketed with .243 and .270.

If we are honest a .25-06 with a 117 bullet is a .270 that cost $0.50 more a round. At least for whitetail.

aggie1819 said:

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Heard lots of cases where ELD-X fail to expand. Work most of the time but it does happen. I'd try a different bullet like the Nolsers or Berger

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I've heard the same. I believe that bullet was designed for long range expansion. The bullet doesn't expand well on closer shots.
I'm no expert however

Not sure what came about with the other poster, but is this still available? I'd be interested if You still have it

Hey PDTNation are you a Phi?