6.5 creed for goats?

[thinhorn_AK]

Kimber knock is more of shooter not knowing how to shoot a light weight rifle IMO.

I tend to agree, I think there were probably some issues in the past but those seem to be fixed mostly.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

OK - the gauntlet has been thrown. If folks are having good experiences with Kimber Rifles, that’s great. However, my actual experience was very different and the worst I’ve ever experienced with what is considered a “premium“ rifle brand. No matter what I did - changing scopes, mounts, loads, re-bedding, and gunsmith accurizing service - the best I average group size I ever got from it were 2+MOA. Of course, when trying different loads I’d get excited with a near 1 MOA group, but it was always followed by a 2 1/2 or so.

I tried everything and sunk a ton of $ into my Kimber Montana .300WSM and could just never get it to shoot. During this process I contacted Hill Country Rifles and wanted to have them accurize it, to which I got a response that due to inconsistent results they could not stand behind their 1MOA guarantee on Kimbers and would not work on them. Then I contacted a famous barrel maker to have it re-barreled. They immediately took issue with rebarreling a Kimber action and on their advice went in a completely different direction. Now I have a beautiful semi-custom on a non-Kimber action.

Have several hunting rifles that print 1/2 MOA groups and average ~3/4, including an H-S Precision PHL. So, the notion that it‘s a shooter issue as posted by YC is simply absurd. My opinion on Kimber rifles is based on my actual experience and that of volumes of others. A tiny bit of research would uncover a volume of well documented issues with Kimber rifle accuracy. If you‘re actual experience with Kimber rifles was different that’s great, but that doesn’t negate the terrible experience I and many others have had with Kimber.

The “it‘s the shooter” notion is something perpetuated by Kimber as that language is in their SUB-MOA Standard (which curiously never mentions any kind of accuracy “guarantee”). Gunsmiths and barrel makers well known for accuracy want nothing to do with them. If you have a Kimber that shoots, that’s great. But if yours doesn’t, good luck getting it to shoot. Anyway, if anyone is interested in a Kimber Montana 300WSM I’m willing to give a good deal on mine - just make an offer, as there’s a motivated seller here.

I think you are getting your feelings hurt over a non issue. Most people I know that knock kimbers can not shoot light weight rifles. Or they go with heavier calibers in a light weight platform.
my statement wasn’t an attack against your ability. It’s a statement based off what I know.
To be honest, I shoot my heavier rifles much better than my lightweight rifles. The kimber I owned was amazing in a sled. When I decided to shoot it without, I realized my form wasn’t as well. More trigger time and all of a sudden (actually it wasn’t all of a sudden, it was over a course of time, my groups got better and better).
I sold that kimber because I hit some hard times financially.
my comment wasn’t an attack against you personally, so you can chill on the feelings being hurt.
You state my opinion (IMO is in my opinion) is unfounded and not based on facts. However, your blanket statement is pretty much the same as mine.
Step away from the keyboard warrior status and enjoy the conversation. Even if it goes against what you believe.

 

[Spiral Horn]

OK YC. To help refocus the thread, please share with us your personal experience with 6.5 CM bullets on Mountain Goat or similar game.

 

[npm352]

I have a sample size of one and it was before 6.5 CM, so take this for what itnis worth. But, I recommend shooting and shooting again if the goat is near a cliff...take its shoulder blade out if commission. In my one experience, and after reading of others, they can go right for a cliff and jump off...so anchor the thing. I had to put a couple in mine as it was trying to get to a cliff to jump/fall off.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

OK YC. To help refocus the thread, please share with us your personal experience with 6.5 CM bullets on Mountain Goat or similar game.

I’ve got one moose and two caribou with my 6.5cm. I used 143 grain nosler and each caribou was one shot. The moose was a one shot drop but I put one more into him to be safe. Never hunted goat or sheep. Mainly because of cost and where I’ve lived, moose and caribou were plentiful. I’ll continue hunting with the 6.5 because it does what I want it to on the game I use it on.
Hopefully I get to test it out on a black Bear this spring.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

I understand. Take whichever rifle you want. Either will do the trick.
Heck, I got a Friend, who’s daughter just dropped a 8’ brownie this past weekend using 150grain partition in 308. Shot placement.

I just traded off my Tikka t3 super light 6.5 for a browning xbolt 308. Why? I shoot the ruger American 6.5 much better than the lighter weight Tikka. Imagine that...I know how light weight rifles impact shooting. Lol

 

[Formidilosus]

Kimber knock is more of shooter not knowing how to shoot a light weight rifle IMO.

I tend to agree, I think there were probably some issues in the past but those seem to be fixed mostly.

So if it’s a light rifle and people not being able to shoot light rifles problem- where are all the “My Barrett Fieldcraft doesn’t shoot” threads?


Yes, lighter rifles are more finicky in regards to shooter consistency, but they aren’t THAT hard to shoot from a bench. Kimber makes neat rifles, but saying that their isssues are mostly shooter issues is just being intellectually dishonest.
I’ve shot and used, and seen others shoot and use multiple dozens of Kimbers, and very few (maybe 2-3 out of 10) were acceptable from the factory. The rest had significant issues that had to be addressed if consistent precision and accuracy was desired. Some (again 2-3 out of every 10) could never be fixed and had to be rebarreled... which amazingly apparently in every single case also taught the owners how to shoot light rifles, because when they came back with new barrels they shot just fine....


Now if your definition of “accuracy” is the occasional 3 shot group, and you believe any “wild” shots are you not doing your part- then the success rate of Kimbers goes way up. However if you measure what the rifle is consistently truly capable of, and do not give excuses for poor performance, Kimbers rapidly loose their luster. Now I haven’t much experience with Kimbers in the last couple of years and maybe for the first 15 years they couldn’t figure out how to, or didn’t care to, build a rifle with any QC at all and the last two years they are building great guns, but I doubt it.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

So if it’s a light rifle and people not being able to shoot light rifles problem- where are all the “My Barrett Fieldcraft doesn’t shoot” threads?


Yes, lighter rifles are more finicky in regards to shooter consistency, but they aren’t THAT hard to shoot from a bench. Kimber makes neat rifles, but saying that their isssues are mostly shooter issues is just being intellectually dishonest.
I’ve shot and used, and seen others shoot and use multiple dozens of Kimbers, and very few (maybe 2-3 out of 10) were acceptable from the factory. The rest had significant issues that had to be addressed if consistent precision and accuracy was desired. Some (again 2-3 out of every 10) could never be fixed and had to be rebarreled... which amazingly apparently in every single case also taught the owners how to shoot light rifles, because when they came back with new barrels they shot just fine....


Now if your definition of “accuracy” is the occasional 3 shot group, and you believe any “wild” shots are you not doing your part- then the success rate of Kimbers goes way up. However if you measure what the rifle is consistently truly capable of, and do not give excuses for poor performance, Kimbers rapidly loose their luster. Now I haven’t much experience with Kimbers in the last couple of years and maybe for the first 15 years they couldn’t figure out how to, or didn’t care to, build a rifle with any QC at all and the last two years they are building great guns, but I doubt it.

our experiences are totally different. Everyone I know with a kimber love it, and they shoot wonderful. That’s a range from Accent all the way down to hunters.
I know what I’ve read on the inter webs and it caused me to be very reluctant to buy my first Kimber. I took a pretty good loss when I sold it, but it shot as good as my Tikka. It shot as good as my Browning’s.
We can debate kimbers all day. It doesn’t bother me. I am NOT a kimber fanboy. My limited experience with their rifles have been good. The “they can’t shoot” issues were shooter error. Now their pistols...that’s a whole nother topic. Lol

 

[SkunkCabbage]

I'll say my 6.5 adirondack is my best shooting rifle at this point with 140gr accubonds going 2635fps out of the little 18" barrel. Its been consistently sub 0.5moa. Dialed in the load to 0.28MOA at 100yrd.
A proper bedding job is key in my opinion with these rifles. They shoot if you know how to shoot ultralights.

 

[tunaorlater]

A lot of Tahr in nz the last few years have met their demise via 147gr eld-m out of a tikka.. (2650fps likely launch speed)

Be hard to look elsewhere

The 147's are hammers...I would not hesitate to use it!!

 

[Tbeck]

My son (12 year old) took his first bull elk with a 6.5 Cm this year. It didn’t take a step. Excellent caliber of goats.

 

[Bighorse]

I've been on 25 goat kills. The most egregious error isn't picking the wrong caliber. It isn't shooting it in the wrong body part. It's shooting it in the wrong location on the mountain! Look out for your safety first. Look out for the recovery phase of your animal second. It's really difficult to fathom that your goat could roll and roll and roll into the abyss. Have a good idea of the terrain before you decide to drop the pin.

 

[lukerville]

What is up with the big craze over the 6.5 Creed?

 

[brsnow]

What is up with the big craze over the 6.5 Creed?

I have a .308 and a 6.5 CM and for elk and down prefer the 6.5.They are both accurate rifles, but the 6.5 shooting off hand is amazing for me. Effective, fun, and easy to shoot.

 

[SDHNTR]

143 ELD X leaving the barrel at 2875fps hit my goat at 200yds and dropped straight down.

Holy smokes that is a screaming fast load.

 

[ramhunter]

My wife shot this goat at 198 yds with a 143 ELD out of her 6.5x284, just a little faster than the 6.5 creed, which I have a 6.5 creed too. her goat dropped in his tracks! Bullets matter, way much more than headstamps!

 

[1shotgear]

We have had great luck with the 156 Berger EOl out of the 6.5 Creed and other 6.5 cartridges. We have been able to push this bullet to about 2700 fps out of the Creed with IMR 4451 in a 24" barrel. Terminal performance has been stellar. We have found that starting the EOLs 0.02" from the lands usually results in exceptional consistency!

 

[Bighorse]

My wife shot this goat at 198 yds with a 143 ELD out of her 6.5x284, just a little faster than the 6.5 creed, which I have a 6.5 creed too. her goat dropped in his tracks! Bullets matter, way much more than headstamps!

View attachment 183157

That's classic high mountain terrain, It's almost like I've been on that hill. Revilla?

 

[ramhunter]

That's classic high mountain terrain, It's almost like I've been on that hill. Revilla?

Yup! Achilles Mtn DG005

 

[Bighorse]

What is up with the big craze over the 6.5 Creed?

I have one and use it for deer and goat. I like the concept of just enough. It provides just enough energy for practical distances. It provides just enough accuracy for efficient shooting. It provides just enough action size and case size to be light. It's just enough in the right hands to do the job. It's not a round for a sloppy marksman. It's not carrying enough energy to be careless so-to-speak.
All that being said, plenty of other rounds will do the job of dispatching a goat. The most valuable thing you have on a mountain is time. The next is oxygen!