6.5 Creedmoor vs. 7mm -08

[ratsnakeboogy]

I get that people want a rifle that can shoot half a mile, I want things like that as well.

What I finally realized for me is most of my shots are well under 200yards and most under 100. I think I have come full circle and will be going back to the big caliber heavy Bullets.

Not saying some people don't shoot these long distances at deer, it just hasn't been the case for me and I'd say the percentage of guys that do shoot true long range when hunting is quite low.

 

[Snowwolfe]

I get that people want a rifle that can shoot half a mile, I want things like that as well.
What I finally realized for me is most of my shots are well under 200yards and most under 100. I think I have come full circle and will be going back to the big caliber heavy Bullets.
Not saying some people don't shoot these long distances at deer, it just hasn't been the case for me and I'd say the percentage of guys that do shoot true long range when hunting is quite low.

Good points, between the wife and I the longest shot on any Tennessee deer was 40 yards as our property is all old growth oaks. But some people have access to fields and then longer range shots can become the normal.

 

[Riverday]

I get that people want a rifle that can shoot half a mile, I want things like that as well.
What I finally realized for me is most of my shots are well under 200yards and most under 100. I think I have come full circle and will be going back to the big caliber heavy Bullets.
Not saying some people don't shoot these long distances at deer, it just hasn't been the case for me and I'd say the percentage of guys that do shoot true long range when hunting is quite low.

Good points, between the wife and I the longest shot on any Tennessee deer was 40 yards as our property is all old growth oaks. But some people have access to fields and then longer range shots can become the normal.

It really doesn't have anything to do with shooting a mile...what your doing is shooting a flatter shooting gun , which will cause you less margin for error to target or animal your shooting...you can take a short action gun and shoot with a 300 mag...and have a lot less recoil than a long action and a lot more fun to shoot for kids, women and yourself...it doesn't matter 40 -100 yards or 200 yards...

 

[ratsnakeboogy]

I get that people want a rifle that can shoot half a mile, I want things like that as well.
What I finally realized for me is most of my shots are well under 200yards and most under 100. I think I have come full circle and will be going back to the big caliber heavy Bullets.
Not saying some people don't shoot these long distances at deer, it just hasn't been the case for me and I'd say the percentage of guys that do shoot true long range when hunting is quite low.

Good points, between the wife and I the longest shot on any Tennessee deer was 40 yards as our property is all old growth oaks. But some people have access to fields and then longer range shots can become the normal.

It really doesn't have anything to do with shooting a mile...what your your doing is shooting a flatter shooting gun , which will cause you less margin for error to target or animal your shooting...you can take a short action gun and shoot with a 300 mag...and have a lot less recoil than a long action and a lot more fun to shoot for kids, women and yourself...it doesn't matter 40 -100 yards or 200 yards...

I get part of what your saying, and I own several of the short action calibers 7-08, .260, 6mm etc.
like I posted before, for me it seems to be unnecessary. That margin of error you refer to makes little to no difference at 100 and 200 and only slightly comes into play at 300 between the calibers we are discussing here. I get the 300 WinMag argument, but that's not what's being discussed here unless I missed something.

Just for the record I'm not bashing anyone, just over the last 30 years I've only shot 3 deer over 200 yards and only 1of those was approaching 300 yards. I could probably get by with a 30-30 for most of the places I hunt now days.

There really doesn't need to be a reason to buy a new rifle, everyone knows that. I was just giving my thoughts on how it would effect me, it wouldn't.

 

[jakeway]

I've used several cartridges for deer, from 243 WIN to 308 WIN in short action, and 270 WIN in Long action. Although I don't have two exact rifles in the same caliber anymore (I used to have identical Ruger M77 in 243 and 260 REM, but sold the 243) I'd say my favorite caliber is .264 (I still have the 260 REM and a 6.5 Creedmoor) with the 7mm-08 a close third. I like how easy the 260 and Creedmoor are to reload.

If you want to shoot coyotes to whitetail, choose the Creedmoor. If you want to shoot Deer to Elk, then the 7mm-08. It's true that the 7mm has a wider range of bullets available, but for deer you need nothing heavier than 140 gr, so the larger weight 7mm mean nothing to me.

As for rifle choice, I've never been a fan of the Savage. My Creedmoor is in a Ruger American Predator. It looks almost identical to the Savage Axis, but up close the little details seem to point to the Ruger as the better choice.

I'm sure there will soon be more factory ammo choices for the Creedmoor, but I found several boxes of Hornady American Whitetail with 129 gr Interlock bullets for $17.88 a box. They shot 1.5" groups at 200 yards in my rifle, and I shot two deer an a coyote in 15 minutes with that round this fall. Recoil is very mild, especially with the very good recoil pad on the Ruger American.

My 7MM-08 is a CVA Hunter single shot. It';s a fun, easy to carry rifle that works great in brush with a 2-7X32 scope. I've shot a couple deer with it with 120 gr Sierra Pro Hunter bullets, and also get sub-MOA groups with it. That would be a great gun for youth, and it can be had for less than $200 off the shelf. (I don't think it's avail in 6.5 Creedmoor though.)

 

[Headhunter]

I have been looking at 7mm-08 for a while. I believe I am getting a Remington 700 stainless in that caliber soon.

 

[lungpuncher1]

I too have been on the fence on my next rifle. I was at first stuck on getting a large caliber like a 300 win mag for Western adventures or a smaller caliber for carrying and actually using around here. So i did some research and i settled on a 7mm08. Its a great deer rifle, but i can also shoot an elk or mulie if that chance ever comes up.

My buddies have been building 6.5 creedmoors on a savage action and they shoot great at 400+. However i kill deer, not paper. If i can't get within 300 of a deer somethings wrong. I do think it's awesome to make those long shots, just not for me.

Now my next decision is what rifle to buy. Another tikka or a 700 sps, even thought about one of the low end rugers or axis.

 

[Nsghunter]

If I was going to hunt out west I do believe I would go with some type of 7mm magnum. I like the 7mm bullet selection for deer/elk/moose I also like the greater punch it can provide for long distances, but I may be wrong so don't berate me.

I do want a large bore for bear. I think I will trade a sxs 16ga for a 45-70. They claim greater than .40 helps leave a better blood trail.

 

[lungpuncher1]

If I was going to hunt out west I do believe I would go with some type of 7mm magnum. I like the 7mm bullet selection for deer/elk/moose I also like the greater punch it can provide for long distances, but I may be wrong so don't berate me.

That's why the 7mm08 seems like such a great choice for someone in this area. Its great for deer and good enough for a western hunt. If i lived out west sure a 30 caliber would be my choice without Whitetail being the main target.

But with Whitetail being the #1 target for reasonable distsnces the 7mm08 is a fantastic choice.

 

[stringtalker]

I went with the axis 2 xp in 7mm-08. I wanted the trophy hunter Mosel but I couldn't afford the extra cash up front. I love the way it felt at the shoulder and my son liked it. I'm excited to get it to the range and start working on some loads.

The best load for a 7mm-08 that i have found is the federal fusions. Either 140 or 120 grain. I shoot both. To me the 120 has more thump or hits the deer harder. Amazing accuracy in those fusions