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Did I choose the right caliber ?

Anointed1

Anointed1

It's the pills I swear
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Full Member
Minuteman
    • Mar 13, 2021
    361
    345
    Pacific Northwest
    Bah...thought I had this figured out but maybe not. Here's as much background info as I can give you without a novel. Never shot a rifle with a scope on it my entire life...an M16 at camp Pendleton in boot, and a tommy gun a friend bought a few years back for a few minutes...that's it...been a bowhunter all my life. Own a bunch of pistols but no rifles until recently other than what my dad left me when he passed. I'm 60, just went thru chemo and stem cell transplant, cancer free right now but who knows what the future holds time wise. Only a few things in my bucket list, PRS is one of them. Ordered an MPA PMR Pro initially in 6.5 creedmoor...for two months I tossed around that decision between it and 6mm creedmoor. I read about the advantages of less recoil with the 6mm and seeing hits and making corrections...and you can hunt with it just as well as the 6.5 except Elk really. Factory ammo is available for the 6mm creed...and I eventually want to load my own anyhow as I want the full experience. Is there enough time before I die to learn everything ?...I don't really know but... after seeing this chart...last week I got ahold of Woody at MPA and changed the caliber on my build to 6mm Creedmoor from 6.5 Creedmoor.

    Rifle-Calibers.png

    Felt good about it for a couple days figuring the only real compromise was if I wanted to hunt elk but, who says I can only have one gun....maybe I buy another one for really big game like elk and moose...not that I would ever go moose hunting but who knows. Then I read this thread here on the hide and it put me right back on the fence about my caliber choice.

    www.snipershide.com

    Factory ammo shooter, cant decide between 6mm or 6.5mm creedmoor

    I'm finally having my first semi-custom rifle built. I ordered a Bighorn Origin the other day, and soon I'll be ordering a prefit from PVA. I cant decide between a 6.5 creed or 6 creed (ELD-M reamer). I dont handload, but I understand the implications and I'm willing to accept the additional...
    www.snipershide.com www.snipershide.com

    I wasn't even looking for a thread like this but once I read it...crap...did I make the right call ?...it's not too late to get ahold of Woody and change it back if I do it soon...I feel like I've thought about it so much now that I can't even figure out how to think about it anymore 🤯 ....short barrel life and the additional cost...recoil is actually a good thing in that it helps you lock in the fundamentals better as far as position while shooting...availability of ammo...just looked on Gunbroker...5 pages of ammo for 6mm Creedmoor...25 pages for 6.5....how long does it take to learn how to load your own and get good enough so your stuff is better than factory ?...unknown to me...I have enough money where the extra barrels wont shortchange the ammo and force me to practice less.

    What I want is to bang some steel out to 1200 yards and beyond in windy conditions by using things to factor in the right environmentals and get correct dope, apply it and be successful using it...and I know I got a lot to learn. I also want to get involved with PRS, hunt some stuff with my father-in-law which may include Elk which then may require a different rifle and probably another scope...I don't think with my level of experience I would want to be moving a good scope back and forth on rifles. The scope I just bought is the Razor 4.5-27X56 MRAD with EBR-7C reticle. Super excited to get my first scope...now if I can just feel settled with the caliber choice. What you guys think ?
     
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    • Haha
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    Bro. Breathe. Lol. You have wants and that helps people live longer. Reloading is awesome and one of my favorite parts of shooting, its the yin to the yang of shooting. Its calm and quiet, very deliberate and exaclty the same each time. Its my quiet time. Its not magic or wizardry either unless your talking about buying primers right now and im sure you can get some for somebody. Dont let all of the choices lock you up, just go with your gut. Either caliber is fine. :)
     
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    If recoil and spotting impacts/misses is the alure of the 6 Creed, you could just run the 108-123 class 6.5s for PRS and practice.

    Not sure if they have factory offerings in the lower weights, but once you get into loading you'll be fine.

    BC takes a hit when compared to the 140 class 6.5s, but they are still comparable to the 6mms. Most of us can't shoot the difference in BC anyway.

    As you mentioned the 6.5 gives some more versatility for hunting, so just pick a quality bullet and run with it.
     
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    Anointed1 said:
    Bah...thought I had this figured out but maybe not. Here's as much background info as I can give you without a novel. Never shot a rifle with a scope on it my entire life...an M16 at camp Pendleton in boot, and a tommy gun a friend bought a few years back for a few minutes...that's it...been a bowhunter all my life. Own a bunch of pistols but no rifles until recently other than what my dad left me when he passed. I'm 60, just went thru chemo and stem cell transplant, cancer free right now but who knows what the future holds time wise. Only a few things in my bucket list, PRS is one of them. Ordered an MPA PMR Pro initially in 6.5 creedmoor...for two months I tossed around that decision between it and 6mm creedmoor. I read about the advantages of less recoil with the 6mm and seeing hits and making corrections...and you can hunt with it just as well as the 6.5 except Elk really. Factory ammo is available for the 6mm creed...and I eventually want to load my own anyhow as I want the full experience. Is there enough time before I die to learn everything ?...I don't really know but... after seeing this chart...last week I got ahold of Woody at MPA and changed the caliber on my build to 6mm Creedmoor from 6.5 Creedmoor.

    View attachment 7612736

    Felt good about it for a couple days figuring the only real compromise was if I wanted to hunt elk but, who says I can only have one gun....maybe I buy another one for really big game like elk and moose...not that I would ever go moose hunting but who knows. Then I read this thread here on the hide and it put me right back on the fence about my caliber choice.

    www.snipershide.com

    Factory ammo shooter, cant decide between 6mm or 6.5mm creedmoor

    I'm finally having my first semi-custom rifle built. I ordered a Bighorn Origin the other day, and soon I'll be ordering a prefit from PVA. I cant decide between a 6.5 creed or 6 creed (ELD-M reamer). I dont handload, but I understand the implications and I'm willing to accept the additional...
    www.snipershide.com www.snipershide.com

    I wasn't even looking for a thread like this but once I read it...crap...did I make the right call ?...it's not too late to get ahold of Woody and change it back if I do it soon...I feel like I've thought about it so much now that I can't even figure out how to think about it anymore 🤯 ....short barrel life and the additional cost...recoil is actually a good thing in that it helps you lock in the fundamentals better as far as position while shooting...availability of ammo...just looked on Gunbroker...5 pages of ammo for 6mm Creedmoor...25 pages for 6.5....how long does it take to learn how to load your own and get good enough so your stuff is better than factory ?...unknown to me...I have enough money where the extra barrels wont shortchange the ammo and force me to practice less.

    What I want is to bang some steel out to 1200 yards and beyond in windy conditions by using things to factor in the right environmentals and get correct dope, apply it and be successful using it...and I know I got a lot to learn. I also want to get involved with PRS, hunt some stuff with my father-in-law which may include Elk which then may require a different rifle and probably another scope...I don't think with my level of experience I would want to be moving a good scope back and forth on rifles. The scope I just bought is the Razor 4.5-27X56 MRAD with EBR-7C reticle. Super excited to get my first scope...now if I can just feel settled with the caliber choice. What you guys think ?
    Click to expand...



    I like your research style

    citizen-kane-slow-clap-gif-6.gif


    Platform and optics are well chosen.

    The 6.5 is nice because it available everywhere if needed, seems 6 dasher is one of the favorites of PRS, but if I end up in BFE you ain’t finding it at Walmart or bubbas gun shop.

    Heck for 1k or so you could get away with 308/762x51 and have a ton to pick from more or less anywhere on earth. 6.5 shoots a better line, I get that, so in your case I’d go 6.5 and settle for a good Swiss army cartridge
     
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    Get what you want to shoot now. If an elk hunt comes into the picture, get what you need for that and sell it. Don't limit yourself to something you may never need.
     
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    Not sure what actions MPA run but I betcha you can switch barrels on it pretty easily. Get a 6 or 6.5 to target shoot and a 7 or 30 or whatever you want for the elk hunting....or a different rifle. Most PRS guns and elk hunts wouldn't work well just due to weight.
     
    Last edited:
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    Texasflyer said:
    Bro. Breathe. Lol. You have wants and that helps people live longer. Reloading is awesome and one of my favorite parts of shooting, its the yin to the yang of shooting. Its calm and quiet, very deliberate and exaclty the same each time. Its my quiet time. Its not magic or wizardry either unless your talking about buying primers right now and im sure you can get some for somebody. Dont let all of the choices lock you up, just go with your gut. Either caliber is fine. :)
    Click to expand...
    You know I can visualize the quiet time reloading and that alone has a big appeal to me 👍
     
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    Anointed1 said:
    You know I can visualize the quiet time reloading and that alone has a big appeal to me 👍
    Click to expand...
    It really is a positive thing. And you get to see what kind of change it brings. You really have alot of control over how things end up. Nothing in the world beats hitting what you want to with a round that you made. Its all you at that point.
     
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    Aftermath said:
    Sounds to me like you NEED a 6CM AND a 6.5CM AND several others. It's only money and you can't take it with you. Guns and ammo are likely to more appreciated in the end.
    Click to expand...
    A lot of truth in what you said...heck in every post so far is full of truth...like @uffduh said buy it when you need it and I think that's exactly right inline with what your saying...I'll end up with more than one so why am I looking at this as if I have to choose one that does it all...that's not the case !
     
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    OP: Get out and dry fire! You wanna shoot matches? Build some props and build some muscle memory, use a timer at 90+120 second stages, find some old COFs, steal the NRL22 cofs if you need something to start. Watch the online training videos and practice building positions quickly, you'll learn a lot and not waste ammo while you're waiting for it!
    I've had 14 rounds of chemo in my life, F-that noise, dry fire as much as you can and get a spare firing fin for peace of mind.
    And if you can't do it outside, get a DFAT and do it inside.
    Then, when the ammo arrives, you'll be kickin ass. Fuck Cancer!!
     
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    StrayDog said:
    OP: Get out and dry fire! You wanna shoot matches? Build some props and build some muscle memory, use a timer at 90+120 second stages, find some old COFs, steal the NRL22 cofs if you need something to start. Watch the online training videos and practice building positions quickly, you'll learn a lot and not waste ammo while you're waiting for it!
    I've had 14 rounds of chemo in my life, F-that noise, dry fire as much as you can and get a spare firing fin for peace of mind.
    And if you can't do it outside, get a DFAT and do it inside.
    Then, when the ammo arrives, you'll be kickin ass. Fuck Cancer!!
    Click to expand...
    Planning on it bud...just waiting of the rifle...another 4 weeks or so 👍
     
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    Yeah I had 9 months of 3 different kinds of chemo...then the stem cell switcheroo...tore my sh*t up to say the least =/
     
    Texasflyer said:
    .22 is where its at for training though. All fundamentals apply. My .22 is my most shot rifle.
    Click to expand...
    Thats actually interesting and of course I've read a little about it...but correct me if I'm wrong...the concept is like shooting long range but on actually shorter distances because of the drop of the 22 cal. ?
     
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    Anointed1 said:
    Damn...that's a lot to keep track of but right on lol 👍
    Click to expand...
    I reload for each. Each has its own reloading journal, i just buy the cheap leather bound journals from walmart. There is a round count, i draw pictures of the targets and where my hits were in relation. Info like time of day and temp ect. When i dont shoot one for awhile i bring the book out and it all comes right back fresh. It actually takes up way more time than i really spend shooting at this point, but to me its the fun part.
     
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    Anointed1 said:
    Thats actually interesting and of course I've read a little about it...but correct me if I'm wrong...the concept is like shooting long range but on actually shorter distances because of the drop of the 22 cal. ?
    Click to expand...
    I dont shoot matches or anything. There are guys on here who mostly shoot .22 and know way more about it than me. Ive just always shot .22 since i was a kid. I plink out to around 200 yds. Its just always fun, no stress, no thinking, no mad about a miss shooting.
     
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    StrayDog said:
    dry fire as much as you can and get a spare firing fin for peace of mind.
    Click to expand...
    So question about that...is that because dry firing puts excessive "load" on the firing pin...similarly to how dry firing a bow puts excessive stress on the limbs and string when no arrow is involved to load things up...which could compromise it over time ?
     
    Anointed1 said:
    So question about that...is that because dry firing puts excessive "load" on the firing pin...similarly to how dry firing a bow puts excessive stress on the limbs and string when no arrow is involved to load things up...which could compromise it over time ?
    Click to expand...
    Just buy some snap caps, the replicate the primer and save the firing pin. They are cheap and help practice as well.
     
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    If i put a match saver on my rifle cause it just looks sooooo freakin tacticool.... i would have to practice with snap caps so i looked like a boss when i did it for real....
     
    Anointed1 said:
    Oh cool...right on...thanks bud 👍👍
    Click to expand...
    I carry everyday. I dont leave my house without practicing a few draws on a light switch every day. I have a mag just for snap caps in the pistols i carry. If something is a good habit its important to make it a habit.
     
    S3th said:
    Get both barrels spun up.
    Click to expand...
    So does that mean...well a couple things...one that MPA would build both barrels and that they would both fit and function on the one chassis?....man...i dont know if you guys realize how much I dont know LOL...there's a song in there somewhere 🤣
     
    Anointed1 said:
    So does that mean...well a couple things...one that MPA would build both barrels and that they would both fit and function on the one chassis?....man...i dont know if you guys realize how much I dont know LOL...there's a song in there somewhere 🤣
    Click to expand...
    They will and yes. You'll just need to get a vice and action wrench. MPA can assist you.
     
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    Get the MPA in 6mm and I think you’ll be very happy

    When you decide to elk hunt get a nice lightweight 308 or a 300. You’ll find the gun your buying will be the cats ass for what you want to do. Not so much for the lugging around portion tho

    If I ever get out elk hunting it would be with my M70 coyote light in 325 WSM or I’ll sell that and purchase a Ruger American predator in 308. Short and light. In my opinion from killing a lot of deer with the 6.5/308/300/338 class rifles the 30 cal and up just do the job better
     
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    hafejd30 said:
    Get the MPA in 6mm and I think you’ll be very happy
    Click to expand...
    I agree...I think you're right and I'm going to leave my MPA order as it stands for 6mm Creedmoor. When I get ready for Elk hunting if that time comes I'll be looking for something better suited for that. 👍
     
    For target shooting it’s hard to beat the 6mm as they are so pleasant to shoot.
    At further distances the 6.5 is easier to spot but that’s not a game changer 95% of time for most.
    For elk I’d prefer 7mm or larger.
     
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    6mm creedmooor > 6.5 creedmoor.
    Life is short: given the choice, there's no reason to not pick the one that has less recoil, is easier to spot, and has better ballistics.
     
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