Real world 6.5 Creedmoor

Trying to decide on a new rifle for my daughter and debating between a 308 and a 6.5 Creedmoor. Looking at some online recoil calculators there doesn't seem there is a whole lot of difference in a 143g 6.5 moving @2700 fps and a mild loaded 150g 308 @the same 2700 fps. Same with the 123g 6.5 and a handloaded 130g 308. Can anybody who has experience with the 6.5 shed some light on this for me. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't see where the 6.5 will be any better than the 308. She is almost 11 yr old and big and stout for her age.

Thanks

You cannot defy the laws of physics. Recoil comes down to mass of projectile, velocity, and mass of rifle.

It won't be much different at the ranges you'd expect her to shoot in the real world.

This is a good chart for real world felt recoil. Creed isnt in it but there are some 6.5 that are close. Rifle weight is a big part of it.
http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

If you hand load go with the Creedmoor as the 6.5 bullet selection is great. If you don’t then flip a coin.

I prefer the creedmoor because I like velocity and I can push 6.5mm bullets a little faster in the creed. But when it comes to dead deer there is negligible difference

As mentioned, rifle weight has a lot to do with it. In the 6.5 creed I have shot a Ruger Precision on a bipod and my Ruger American. The Precision was a dream to shoot. The American has considerably more recoil. You could buy a Ruger American in either caliber and put a Boyds stock on it to help with recoil.

Won't knock the 30 cal (I own a few) but i've come to really love the 6.5 rounds...

I’ve own a few creedmoors and 308’s. The creedmoors have less felt recoil to me. Neither one is bad but I do feel the recoil more with the 308’s. Both kill deer. If I could only own one caliber rifle it would be a 6.5 Creedmoor

I'm mostly looking at recoil in identical rifles. I reload so that isn't a problem, hence the mild load 130gr 308s mentioned. I've only shot 1 creedmoor 2 shots so I have no basis to go on there. I own a couple 308s but they are light rifles shooting hot 150s or 165s and are definitely more than she can handle. I wonder how a 8-8.5lb 308 with a mild 130gr would be. Similar to a 6.5lb Savage 11 synthetic 243 shooting 100gr loads maybe?

Since you reload,you can build her a nice light load in either one. Get her the gun she wants,that she handles best and don't be afraid to make her a light load to shoot close range.

I figure there's more good published light loads for the 308 since it's been around longer,but I'm just guessing. I know when I looked into this a while back there were some sure enough light loads for 308 using pistol powder,and folks were killing deer just fine with them.

I think, since you hand load, you could work up a light recoiling load with a 120g 6.5 bullet. It would be a better bullet than a .308 sub 150 g bullet. Just my opinion though.

I have had a ruger American predator in 308 and I currently have the 6.5cm American Predator. Imo, the 6.5 feels like it has significantly less recoil than the 308. Granted 308 doesn't have much recoil either but the 6.5 feels like it has less, at least to me it does.

I would think 6.5 would absolutely have less recoil in factory ammo,especially with 120's. I think you could load light loads for either one but I do think the 6.5 was designed to work better with lighter bullets than the 308 which should give it the edge in low recoil even with handloads.

I've had both calibers in same model gun and the Creedmoor definitely has less felt recoil when comparing 143gr factory loads vs 150gr loads.

You can buy 125gr factory ammo at Walmart for the creed now which would have even less recoil.

For around $18.50 or $19 if memory serves. Try doing that with any other 6.5mm round

Seems as of late Walmart has more 6.5Creedmoor(3 or so) offerings than 7MM08(1 maybe 2 options).
I love my Tikka in 7MM08 but 6.5Creedmoor I think is a great round.

Academy has 140gr bthp Hornady black for 19.99. I shot it out to 700 yards on steel plates Friday and was very pleased

the winchester 125 grain extreme point shoots very well in my predator ...

If you look at that recoil table someone posted earlier it will tell you everything you need to know.

The comparable to a 6.5 Creed is the .260.

Not much recoil to speak of. Only think I'd consider with less is .243 for a food plot or maybe 7.62x39 if you are hunting in the woods.

I just used my 6.5creedmore for the second time to take my second cow elk this as well as the first one was 400+ lb ruffly 200yds 140gr accubonds on the first one and 150yds using the eldx 143gr put two shots in the shoulder second one was just for good measure. Like stated before less recoil than my 308 seems to be more accurate as well bout all i use anymore.

Echoing what was said above, if you reload, then it doesn't matter. Research reduced or subsonic loads for either and have fun developing your own load in it (good practice for her, testing the loads, getting used to the rifle). I saw some subsonic loads listed for 308 last week. I'm dying to try some of them.

Thanks guys. I bought her a Creedmoor yesterday. We'll give it a try and see how it goes.

What rifle did you go With?

TC Compass. Have one in 223 that she'll be shooting so this will be a smooth transition for deer season next year. The $229 OTD after rebate price helped make the decision a bit too. I will be putting a Boyds stock on it.

I had always loaded 120/125gr Nosler in 7 & 308, for a light recoiling deer load for my son and myself. I also used to use some 243s, and sacrifice some short barrel performance, but the blast gets nastier than the recoil, in small guns. ...now I can just buy a box of creedmoors and go shoot, at the same recoil level or less, than my others that I HAVE to load them for. The creedmoor is the simple solution.

I really hope the 6.5 Creedmoor craze isn't just a "next-greatest" fad. I broke down and ordered a Weatherby Weatherguard Heavy Barrel in that caliber yesterday.

Time will tell but it's been out for 10 years now and just about every single manufacture is producing AND selling rifles in that caliber.
Ammo is being produced by multiple companies, both big and small.

Go to Sierra's web site, the have plenty of load data on the 6.5 creedmoor.