I went to look at a x-bolt hunter today in a 7mm-08 and fell in love with the savage lightweight hunter! they have 2 cartridge sizes in stock 7mm-08 or 6.5 creedmoore. What is every ones take between the two? longest shot I could ever take would be 150-200 yards. I have leupold vx-1 sitting in the safe that I would mount on top. I plan on using this rifle as my primary whitetail rifle.
would love to hear any thoughts or opinions?
thank you in advance
308 can't beat it
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If you reload maybe the 7-08 if you don't then go with the 6.5 creed... Down range performance is almost a wash.
For a hunting rifle I would go with the 7mm-08 as it has more options available in terms of factory hunting ammunition. Midway has 34 factory loads listed for 7mm-08 - all designed for hunting. The 6.5 Creedmoor has been the most recent flash in the pan cartridge and it's a very good round, but of the 32 factory loads Midway currently lists 11 are match loads with bullets that aren't designed for penetration or expansion. On the reloading side I would say the 7mm also has an advantage over the 6.5mm in terms of bullet selection.Originally Posted by SageRat Shooter
"Life' is tough. It's even tougher if you're stupid." ~ John Wayne
“Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer.” —Mark Twain
I would go with the 6.5 Creedmoor. The 20" barrel on the LWH is very thin and 7mm-08 will give you not only a real shot to the shoulder but the muzzle jump is just too much. Been there done that. Would go with 7mm-08 if the LWH had a standard sporter 22" Barrel. Alas. It don't.
I eventually replaced the 20" Creedmoor barrel with a 22" barrel off a Hunter. Made all the difference in both accuracy and second shot recovery.
Light weight is kind of the point of a Lightweight Hunter model, and anything light weight is going to have more muzzel jump - that's just the nature of things. Recoil for both the 7mm-08 and 6.5 CM is minimal to start with so it's really a non-issue. Again - it's a trade-off for the lighter weight. If those two things are concerns just avoid the cause and get a non-lightweight model from the get-go.
"Life' is tough. It's even tougher if you're stupid." ~ John Wayne
“Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer.” —Mark Twain
I recently bought a Savage 10T in 6.5 CM but my hunting buddy has a Remington in 7-08. It is a toss up to me I have had so many magnum calibers I now what to try to keep it light but also accurate.
I've owned several Savage LWH rifles in .260, 7mm08, and 6.5 Creedmoor. I've owned a Remington Model 7 in .308 and load development was tolerable, but not pleasant in a LW rifle. IMO, felt recoil, accuracy and down range performance is a mute point between the 6.5 Creedmoor and the 7mm08 in the Savage LWH platform. I consistently get under 0.75" MOA 3-shot accuracy with either caliber after developing loads and bedding the stock. The 20" FW barrel heats quickly and you start getting fliers after 3-shot. With factory ammo, 1" 3-shot groups were about the average. There are a greater selection of 7mm bullets for hunting when compared to 6.5mm bullet offerings. Either caliber in the Savage LWH is a compact, light weight deer slayer that handles nicely.
I don't think there is a wrong choice here. I would look at local shops to see how much of which ammo they carry and then decide.
In my are of Canada,... Gun shops have lot more different 6.5 Creedmoor loadings compared to the 7mm-08.
This is the very close to the right answer but I lean on the 7mm08. From 120 to 168 at your range is dope.
The Dunning-Kruger effect is alive and well.
Why pick between just those two calibers unless they are on clearance?
I'm sure they can order any caliber you want.
If not, I'd bet you can find what you want at a good price on the big auction site and pay shipping/transfer fee.
Personally I like the model 16LWH in stainless and .308.
Stainless because of it's resistance to field conditions and .308 for it's versatility.
If there was a good reason to pick from the 2 calibers you mentioned I'd probably go with the 6.5 with a lighter bullet as a white tail cartridge. (pretty close to the 25-06 one of my favorites) The 7-08 is just too close to the .308 (140gr vs 150gr almost identical at practical ranges in performance and recoil) without being the .308.
Just another $.02 to muddy the water :) It's gonna come down to personal preference.
A good wife and a steady job has ruined many a great hunter.
I'm partial to the 7mm-08. It's just about an ideal cartridge with a good following. 6.5 creedmoor is great on paper but that is what it was designed for. Either would be fine but my vote goes to 7mm-08
Thank you for all the feed back. As for recoil, this will replace and old .270 game master carbine I had. I can't imagine the recoil be any different from a 7mm-08 on the lightweight hunter vs the .270 game master. I am not as concerned with recoil as I am having a light rifle for the days we walk far and having one that I can pull up and shoulder and shoot fast. These two cartridges mentioned are want is currently available at my local dealer.
I was looking at a similar situation but opted for the 6.5 Creedmoor as that is what my Grandsons are using so I thought it would be easier to work up some loads for them.
A couple of months later, I couldn't resist and went back for the 7mm-08. I'm having fun with both of them and don't know which one I would give up first.
I haven't had any difficulty finding ammo or components for either one but the Creedmoor dies were a bit more costly.
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7mm08 is time tested and has a number of huntingloads, nothing wrong with 6.5 creedmoor. It is new and well received in the public. Gun writers will move on to other guns and loads as time passes on. Either will work great for whitetail, but larger game the 7mm08 wins out with heavier bullets. Flipp a coin. 260 was hot 20 years ago. If hornady pulls it support for another favorable round, it will be in same place as 260, 257 roberts etc etc. It is not about greatness but selling more rifles... !
Ackley was right all along
In my area of Ontario Canada we have a caliber restriction on small game rifle hunting-nothing bigger than .275.
With that in mind the creedmoor is the choice for both large and small game here or anywhere.
That just seems crazy, no 7mm rifles. That is the best universal cartridge there is IMO.
Agreed,both 6.5 creedmoor and 7mm08 are great imho but yea it seems like splitting hairs that 7mm is too large to use in this area-now we have bow/muzzle loader/shotgun deer season,no rifles of any caliber for deer as well but I have to get confirmation on this but imho black bear is not small game so the restriction should not apply to it-likewise no moose,elk or other big game in this area.
I assume you're in the same area as me, South Western Ontario. And yes anything bigger than 277 cal is not allowed for small game and for deer hunting we can only use bows, muzzle loaders or shotguns. No centerfire rifles of any kind unless it's a control hunt.
Area between London and Tillsonburg might be the densest deer population in the world. I've seen plenty of monsters, tho I only hunt deer farther north where I can use my rifles.
I have been reading reviews on this rifle and they don't seem to be good? I have read they are too light to be accurate for off hand shooting? I have never owned a light rifle (30-30 marlin, 30-30 HR, 300 win model 70, .270 game master 760) In the store the rifle shouldered perfectly! I would hate to spend coin just to find out its not a good shooting rifle.
Not too sure what that really means?
When recoil is felt the bullet has already left the weapon and accuracy is out of the shooters hands at that point-follow up shots are another matter however.
Weight in a weapon helps tame recoil.
Perhaps the reviews are more to do with follow up shots whereas when hunting one and done is the name of the game.
As for building skills to get to that point-take your time between shots to be as prepared as you can get-neither caliber mentioned has much recoil in an average weighted gun-can't speak to the lightweight hunter though myself?
racer55, the reviews i have read are directed mostly to the barrel length being too short or too thin causing whip? i just want a riffle to hunt with, far from being a marksman and not sure what whip is! lol
I expect that it would be just fine for hunting,people are critical of the Axis series but I bet they have dropped a tremendous amount of game none the less.
Most every rifle is capable of better accuracy than most shooters.
I have been around firearms my entire life.... but I have never heard of whip. What is that?
Barrel harmonics. When you fire a gun the barrel literally whips up and down. Not as much on a heavy barrel. Watch a slow motion video of an ak47 firing.
But I have seen .25 moa groups from skinny sporter barrels They just start to wander once they heat up.
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