Help me pick my new toy! 6.5 or 338???

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dmpowder

New member
Got my eye on two rifles both from Savage just cant decide on which one to go with??
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I reload so ammo is not a factor. Both will be for long range shooting/hunting. I don't hunt big game a lot so the biggest thing will be deer but mostly coyotes and steel. I know it's not a apples to apples as they are two completely different rounds but which would you guys go with???



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338 LAPUA MAG


OR

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6.5 CREEDMOOR


I know the brass for the Lapua is going to be pricey BUT for some reason I want it!
 
Get the creedmore it would make more sense unless your shooting things at 1500 yards or more then the 338 would be fine
 
i'll agree; .338 for deer under 1000yds isn't really necessary. it's also heavier and more expensive to shoot. (and that mag box will poke you in the back unless it has the side swivels) if you want to shoot elk to 1500yds then by all means go with the 338. the 6.5c should do everything you're looking for.

unless of course you really want the 338! then get that one!
 
If you want to get to 1500 without completely breaking the bank, look into the 7WSM. It can push the super slippery 180vld's to around 3000fps, which should stay supersonic to about 1600-1700.
 
Unless you paticularly like having the "hail" beat out of you & constant ringing in your ears, go with the 6.5. It will take you to 1K.
 
I have a .338 Lapua Mag.With the brake it is pleasant to shoot except it is LOUD.For the shooter it is not bad,but for everyone else,well just plan to shoot alone when shooting it.It is a remarkable round I think.Flat shooting,tremendous power.In other words the most wonderful most useless rifle I own,but I don't want to give it up. The only game I ever shot with it was a deer at 360 yards.Shot with a 225 grain solid it still almost blew the deer in two,ruined everything from shoulders to hams.It would be hard to describe how devastating this round could be made to be. When you shoot this rifle,know your backstop takes on a new meaning. I know it's not a .50BMG but it's still quite a round.
 
I have other guns that I would use for deer (.243,264LBC) so I won't be using the 338 for deer just steel and looong range coyotes.

I have heard the 338LM wasn't bad to shoot with the brake but I won't be carrying to hunt more or less sit and wait kinda thing. It's the type of gun like tnshootist says kinda useless but you just love it! More or less you buy it just to say you have it gun.

The 6.5 Creedmore I know will get me to 1000 and I have places to shoot where they are open as far as one can see and then some. The bump for the Creedmore is for the fact I have a .243 so what does it do so much better? I already load for a 6.5 so I would be buying one bullet for two guns type of thing.

But the pure power of the LM is what floats my boat!
 
Sounds like your mind was made up before you asked (grin)

Having played with the 338lm to 1000yds , I don't see the need for that range and closer. If long range deer, or bigger, were on the menu I'd run a 7wsm and 180vlds. Just my opinion.
 
I got a savage 110ba in 338 lapua a little over a month ago. I got to reloading for it and have taken it deer hunting for the last couple of weekends. Its a heavy hog but its so much fun to shoot. The bare gun weighs 15.75lbs. Add a scope,rings and bi-pod and i have to think its somewhere around 18lbs or a little more. It is definitely a sit and wait kind on gun. I did do some walking with it, but its hard to maneuver through thick cover, its very long, but its doable. I ended up shooting a deer with it at 225 yds last Sunday. Wow what a mess it made, I tried to just clip the animal in the back well i got a little low and blew out a section of the spine about 7" wound channel. The bone vaporized and cause collateral damage throughout the whole front half of the animal, but didnt lose any more meat. I lost about a foot of back strap on both sides. If you get a 338 and want to shoot deer with it make sure its out there further than 225yds. Its a blast to shoot, hardly any recoil(at least in my heavy beast) Is it over kill? Absolutely! Will I hunt with it? Yes. When ever I can. I compare it to be like holding awsome, if awsome was something you could hold!
 
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The .338 BA is one heavy rifle and you'll burn a lot of powder.

The Creedmore was designed to fit in a semi-autos. Why would you narrow the choice of a 6.5 to that cartridge when the king is the 6.5/284 in a bolt gun (what you are thinking of getting)?

I say neither and would go with the 6.5/284!

I like your choice of Savage rifles for economy/versatility sake and would build one rather than buy so many bells and whistles.

Now, if you get to really wanting a .338 Lapua ..... there is only one real choice and it will set you back 3700 smackers ........... and that is an HS Precision! Now, you got a relatively portable rifle that will go where you want to go! It weights a little more than standard rifles but all the muscle mass you build earning those big bucks and you'll be able to pack it up mountain faces ........... LOL!!


Best regards


Three 44s
 
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Originally Posted By: REDOTIf you want to get to 1500 without completely breaking the bank, look into the 7WSM. It can push the super slippery 180vld's to around 3000fps, which should stay supersonic to about 1600-1700.

Would you care to share the load info? What powder/amount are you using to push a 180gr VLD to 3000+ fps out of anything less than a 26" barrel?
 
1.) The 338LM, when properly braked, is very easy to shoot. I have some video of a 16yr old girl shooting the very same gun you have posted in the pic. Anyone who says they "beat the [beeep] out of you" is just spreading misinformation. Yes, they are loud, but you should have ear protection on anyway, hunting or range shooting.

2.) If you reload, you can easily load 338LM for under $3 a round. You can't calculate the full cost of brass into every reload. Once its bought and paid for, it's no longer a "per shot" cost, only the bullet, powder, and primer.

3.) Ever notice how you see so many 338LM for sale? It's because people just like you buy them thinking they will be fun. Once the novelty of it is gone, they never get shot. I'm not knocking you, I bought a 50bmg way before I possessed the skill level to utilize it (still don't honestly). I sold it not long after I bought it.

4.) Hunting with a 338LM is a total waste practically speaking. Yes, you can do it, but why? Are you shooting game at 1000-1500 yards? Do you posses the skill level to shoot game (even a coyote) at that distance? Have you ever shot where you had to calculate for spin drift and Coriolis effect? My reason for asking is the 338LM's ability typically far exceeds the shooter's skill level.

5.) My vote would go to the 6.5 Creed pushing a 140gr VLD around 2800fps. It's capable to 1000yds and beyond. Yes, the 6.5x284 is the big dog in the 6.5 world, but it does it at the cost of barrel life. You'll get twice (or more) the amount of barrel life from the Creed as you would a 6.5x284. The benefit(s) certainly doesn't outweigh the negatives when looking at what your planning to do with the rifle specifically.

6.) It's hard to beat the 6.5mm's right now. Just look at any comp, tac shoot, range day, etc....your gonna see the majority shooting the 6.5mm or .260 (both shooting 6.5mm".264" bullets).

It's all a matter of personal opinion and in the end it's your money.
 
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