Why wouldn’t you use ether one past 200 yards???

I should have explained this a bit further in my initial post. First, I am not a hunter anymore. As such, hunting discussion is all academic for me these days. Second, in my area, a shot beyond a couple of hundred yards on a game animal is highly unlikely. You would have to be standing in the middle of a road shooting at an animal that is also standing in that roadway. Most hunting grounds around here are covered in dense brush. Only an open field shot might extend beyond brush gun territory.

As such, my previous comments were not in terms of the potential of either round to drop a game animal at distance. I am confident that both would do that job admirably. In fact, I would go so far as to say that if a person were having to hunt for survival... The possession of a rifle in either chambering would put that person in the top tier of survivors.

 

If you say so....

These are facts. I say so with certainty. I’m not saying all rifles out there do this but M24’s and FN SPR’s are doing it all day long. It was actually part of the specs in the build. Read up on them both. It’s actually pretty cool. Never be too proud to learn something.

 

Ni


Milspec on those rifles is 2 MOA right?

 

OP could have done what I did.
Get an LMT and then you can switch between calibers. It takes about 45 seconds.

 

I'd go with the .308. Wider range of bullets available and you can pretty much buy the ammo anywhere.

 

Come on. You know what the spec is. Maybe you don’t know what those rifles are? I think you are are trying to stir it up at this point but I will bite anyway. FN SPR is 1/2 inch after 10,000 rounds. M24 I believe is an inch at 20,000. At this point you just want to go down with the ship so to speak.


Anyway, 6.5 Creedmoor is better all the way around. Prices are on par of slightly better then 308. It’s close though. Both are solid. 6.5 starts to get better at at about 400 and it just gets better from there. I am more of a 308 guy but only because I don’t want to add a caliber. In PRS matches 308’s will not hang with 6.5.

I've shot out my fair share of .308 barrels including an Stainless 416R Obermyer 5R barrel made by Boots himself in my highpower career and of course have been exposed to lots of other master and high master class shooters who know their way around a rifle. If you say the Army is getting Sub-moa from guns with 20,000 rounds through them...then by all means they have something very special.

The shooter is 90% of the long range game and you cannot buy a better game...you have to learn it. The lowly .243 Winchester has been winning a lot of long range matches lately and taken the top spot at Perry for the last few years. Why aren't they shooting the 6.5?

 

I've shot out my fair share of .308 barrels including an Stainless 416R Obermyer 5R barrel made by Boots himself in my highpower career and of course have been exposed to lots of other master and high master class shooters who know their way around a rifle. If you say the Army is getting Sub-moa from guns with 20,000 rounds through them...then by all means they have something very special.

The shooter is 90% of the long range game and you cannot buy a better game...you have to learn it. The lowly .243 Winchester has been winning a lot of long range matches lately and taken the top spot at Perry for the last few years. Why aren't they shooting the 6.5?

They are shooting 6.5. Most competitors are.6mm as well. You will always get the oddball. Thanks for letting me know about 243. It has nothing to do with this post. We were talking about 308-6.5. You can start a 243 vs 6.5 thread. I’d love to be part of it. Just trying to keep on topic.

 

I'd go with the .308. Wider range of bullets available and you can pretty much buy the ammo anywhere.

Have you shopped for 6.5 CM? Curious if every store in your area is not selling like they do here.

 

I don’t get these peeps acting like 6.5 isn’t around and it’s more expensive. It’s everywhere and price is on par or cheaper. I get some don’t like the 6.5 or are to stubborn to try it and tell fibs to justify not using it (price, availability, bullet choices)

 

The 6.5 "Creed" is an interesting round/caliber.

I own so many different rifles in so many different calibers, and at my age, I don't have enough interest in the 6.5 to warrant buying another rifle in that caliber.

I'm old school.
.308/7.62x51mm; .30-'06; .223/5.56x45mm; .45-70 "Gummint"; and my latest acquisition .458 SOCOM are keeping me busy.

Get the .308/7.62x51mm.

 

SOCOM liked the 6.5 Creedmoor well enough to replace the .308/7.62x51 NATO with it in precision roles. From their testing, they noted significant reduction in recoil and a significantly higher liklihood of making hits at 1,000 yards.

The .308 is an awesome round and will get the job done. The 6.5 Creedmoor is the new hotness.

 

SOCOM liked the 6.5 Creedmoor well enough to replace the .308/7.62x52 NATO with it in precision roles. From their testing, they noted significant reduction in recoil and a significantly higher liklihood of making hits at 1,000 yards.

The .308 is an awesome round and will get the job done. The 6.5 Creedmoor is the new hotness.

Its not new...been around since 2008 IIRC....the marketing departments just go around to doing a better job with it.

The primary advantage to the CM is its case is shorter allowing you to seat longer high BC bullets out farther in the case and still fit the damn thing in the magazine box of most short action rifles. The US M24 sniper rifle is built off a Remington 700 long action for this very reason which will allow you to seat long high BC bullets like the Berger to a longer profile than a short action magazine box would allow. Same reason I built my .308 across the course bolt gun on a long action--you could seat 190 grain match kings way out there. Again....this is all pie in the sky stuff for most people. I've seen too many people on the 1,000 yard line shooting 7mm Rem Mags etc get their clock's cleaned by a guy who shot his trusty boring .308 load that he's probably clocked 20,000 rounds with in matches over the years... The shooter is the weakest link in this whole equation not the cartridge. But people get all fired up about 1,000 yard ballistics and most of you couldn't even tell us how much to correct for a 5 mph breeze with any rifle you own at 1,000 yards let alone read the wind well enough to know what a 5 mph breeze looks like. And the answer at 300 yards is you don't correct for it at all...not with a .308 or a 6.5CM...lol Because both will hold the 10 ring at 300 with a 5 mph breeze....

 

Thanks for all the great input dudes, I didn't mean to start a caliber war but a lot of good information and I appreciate all the helpful knowledge that has been shared.

It is a great thing to live in the good ole' USA and have choices like this

Trump 2020!!

 

Enjoy your .308 and when you wear it out you can have the thing rebarreled to a 6.5! Jackpot! LOL

 

Based on conversations with my neighbor who shoots a 6.5 Creedmoor, barrel life is short. At least for the accuracy he is striving for. He is having his barrel replaced after only having it about a year or two.

 

You chose well. The 6.5 beats the 308 soundly. All things being equal the 6.5 is a better round ballistically. The problem with gun threads is some people base their choices on feelings and not on data. On paper and in precision matches the 308 Cannot contend with the 6.5. That is a fact like it or not.

I have two 6.5's. I like em. In truth my .260 is a better cartridge...it shoots the same bullet as a 6.5 and I can load it hotter than a 6.5...because it has more case capacity. But its splitting hairs. If you can't hit a target or kill an animal with a .308 its doubtful a 6.5 will work for you either. And you don't need any data to know that....not a bit...

 

Reminds me of a former co worker, CAD tech extraordinaire and farmer. He came in one Monday with a nice smoked backstrap to share for lunch, had taken a nice 8 point the previous Saturday. He then came in Tuesday, ranting about how much ammo costs had jumped. Last box of .270 he had bought was around 12 bucks, the box he had bought on the way home was almost 40!

I asked him, how long has it been since you've bought ammo? This was 2010, he started backing up, let's see, took two deer and a hog last year, didn't hunt the year before, etc.

He figured around 2002, had put meat in the freezer with every round. I had to laugh, thinking about some of my 200+ round range days.

Did I mention he was also a Marine?

Marines don’t need to shoot as often to be deadly..lol

 

I never said there weren't some really good shooters or extremely accurate rifles out there. Your average deer hunter who shoots a box and and a half of ammo a year probably isn't that good. Most still manage to put meat in the freezer though.

Reminds me of a former co worker, CAD tech extraordinaire and farmer. He came in one Monday with a nice smoked backstrap to share for lunch, had taken a nice 8 point the previous Saturday. He then came in Tuesday, ranting about how much ammo costs had jumped. Last box of .270 he had bought was around 12 bucks, the box he had bought on the way home was almost 40!

I asked him, how long has it been since you've bought ammo? This was 2010, he started backing up, let's see, took two deer and a hog last year, didn't hunt the year before, etc.

He figured around 2002, had put meat in the freezer with every round. I had to laugh, thinking about some of my 200+ round range days.

Did I mention he was also a Marine?

 

The Ruger American comes with a Vortex crossfire II 3X9, or should I just get the rifle and top it off with a Leupold or a Nikon? I dont have much experience with
the Vortex Line.

 

The Ruger American comes with a Vortex crossfire II 3X9, or should I just get the rifle and top it off with a Leupold or a Nikon? I dont have much experience with
the Vortex Line.

Vortex Crossfire is Vortex’s budget scope but it’s pretty decent. I would say it is on par with with a Leupold Rifleman and better than a Nikon Prostaff I or Buckmaster II.

 

I am wondering if the 4x12 would be a better overall choice for the 308

 

You should be fine out to 200 and then some with a 3-9.

 

I have a 2x7x33 on mine but I think the 3x9x40 is probably the best all around scope for a rifle like this. I like the 2x7 because it's a little more compact plus I doubt I will ever shoot past 200 yards. If I did have a 300 yard shot the 2x7 should be good enough.

 

What I usually do with a hunting type rifle and variable scope is to set it at a certain power and leave it. For a 3x9 I would set it at 7 power and leave it. I set my 2x7 at 6 power and leave it. I will move it if necessary but for the most part I leave it at one setting. I do understand that a tactical rifle is different though.

 

I do the same when deer hunting usually leave mine on 6X-7X

 

OK dudes So I have decided on a 308 caliber Ruger American. Now.......the Standard version/Vortex package deal??
or the Predator model

 

Didn't you get the package deal with the 223? If you are happy with the scope why not do it again.

 

The .308 is probably the best all around, hunting and military round ever designed.. You can shoot fast 150s on light game or heavy 180’s or 200s for hogs and elk.. The ammo is available everywhere, and follows the ubiquitous 30’06 with about 6% less performance, which no game animal ever noticed when being shot. You can also shoot hotter ammo like 308 Hornady light magnums and achieve 30’06 performance as well.. My circa 1990 Remington model seven with walnut stock and 18 inch barrel in.308 is by far my favorite hunting rifle. It is the size and weight of the 3030 I grew up shooting, but way more powerful and accurate.

 

What's the differences? I know the Ranch model has an 18 inch threaded barrel but I'm not familiar with the Predator model. Either way I would get the 22 inch barrel to get the full benefit of the 308 cartridge.

Ok, done a little checking on the net and it looks like the RAR comes in 223 and a 16" barrel. The Predator comes in larger calibers with either 18 or 22 inch barrels and a different mag system. Personally I would want a 22 inch barrel and the flush fitting mag of the standard model although a lot of the reviews like the Predator model.

I admit that I may be biased though as I own the standard model and like it a lot but I am an old school type of guy.

The predator has a heavier threaded barrell, I agree I want the 22" barrel and the flush fit magazine for hunting, I do not like the AR style mags that stick out and get in the way