You have a lot of options here. 6.5CM is fine for hunting, however ammo selection is key. It will satisfy your need for shooting steel "at distance" as well. I use a lot of calibers for white-tail here, but if I am wanting something that with a little reach, I use my .243 There are threads on here that compare the two calibers. For hunting, you will want to limit weight, so keep that in mind. The best rifle to shoot steel at the range is usually not something I want to hike with. Guys on here more into the precision game can give you better guidance on that aspect, but with hunting in mind, on the 6.5cm, I would stay close to 24" on the barrel. I'm not sure if you are going with a factory barreled action or having a custom build. That stock seems a little expensive to slap factory parts on. Not sure if this helps at all, but there are a lot of variables and opinions out there that will differ if you are wanting someone to recommend the "best" hunting/range combo out there.