Henry Long Ranger 308 or 6.5

[ShamrockShooter]

I have always loved my lever guns, and have fallen in love with the new Henry Long Ranger. I can't decide should I get the .308 with a 20 inch barrel, or the 6.5 Creedmoor with a 22 inch barrel? I realize this is a nosler forum but I will be reloading nosler accubonds for this gun. My main concern is how much will the 20 inch barrel on the 308 version hurt my velocity compared to the 22 inch barrel on the 6.5?

I will be using it primarily as a 150 yd and under northeast whitetail gun, but will also be taking it out west to Wyoming for antelope, mule deer, and cow elk next year, where my self imposed maximum shot is 300 yds.

I already have 308 and 6.5 dies, bullets and cases.

Any thoughts on the performance of a 308 with 150 or 165 AccuBond from a 20 inch barrel vs a 130 or 140 AccuBond from a 6.5 with a 22 inch barrel? 300 yards and under.

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[gbflyer]

You won’t be losing much with that barrel length in either of those cartridges. Both powder columns are short and efficient. The .308 would suffer the least. If put to the test, I doubt the 6.5 would be an improvement until you get past 300 yards.

I’d probably be leaning towards the .308 in a lever gun. I think the sharp shoulder on the Creedmoor is an invitation for cycling issues.

 

[ShamrockShooter]

You won’t be losing much with that barrel length in either of those cartridges. Both powder columns are short and efficient. The .308 would suffer the least. If put to the test, I doubt the 6.5 would be an improvement until you get past 300 yards.

I’d probably be leaning towards the .308 in a lever gun. I think the sharp shoulder on the Creedmoor is an invitation to feed issues.

Thanks. The Henry long ranger is a box mag feed not a tube feed so hopefully there won't be any feed issues. I have not had any in my bolt action 6.5

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[coop22250]

I shoot a 20” 308, have taken Alaskan game up to 300 yards. It’s a good round, can’t go wrong with a lever gun


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[ShamrockShooter]

I shoot a 20” 308, have taken Alaskan game up to 300 yards. It’s a good round, can’t go wrong with a lever gun


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Did you shoot any through the Chrono with the 20 inch barrel?

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[coop22250]

No I didn’t myself, here’s a great article that the test barrel lost 22.7 FPS per inch. Screen shot of the graph

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[ShamrockShooter]

No I didn’t myself, here’s a great article that the test barrel lost 22.7 FPS per inch. Screen shot of the graph

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That's good info. I'm guessing with the 20 inch on the 308, roughly 150 fps slower than ammo box published fps is probably what I'd be looking at. My bolt 6.5 with a 22 inch chronos about 60 to 70 fps less than what most factory boxes list.


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[Gunner46]

You may claim me a crazy old man, who have lost his facilities, but I'll toss this out to you because I Know it works far better than most folks will admit. With this codicil, the elk mayyyybeee not included (you have to get the tag 1st), I'd seriously, seriously look at the 125 gr BT/AB in the 308. It's a freakin' HAMMER !

With over 40 punched tags, on a dozen different game, I wouldn't say this if I didn't believe it was a very good choice.

 

[FOTIS]

Flip a coin! I would go Creed

 

[Anonymous]

I've shot quite a few critters with the .308 and the 6.5 in rifles with barrels from 18" to 24" out to 400 yards.

If there's a nickel's worth of practical difference between any of them, I couldn't find it. I'd be happy with either of those rigs for most hunting on this continent.

 

[PJGunner]

" My main concern is how much will the 20 inch barrel on the 308 version hurt my velocity compared to the 22 inch barrel on the 6.5?"

Back in 1973 I bought a Remington 660 with a 20" Barrel. I worked up a load with the 150 gr. Sierra Pro-Hunter, sighted in 3" high at 100 yards. One of my hunting partners wounded a fairly decent size Mule Deer buck and it was getting away. I was a couple hundred yards off to the left of them when the deer ran past me way out yonder. At the shot the deer went down and stayed down. My buds and I paced off the shot and the average of the paces was 427. I never doubted the .308 with the 20" barrel after that shot. Years later I bought a Ruger RSI in .308 and it only has an 18.5" barrel. I've gone to using 165 gr. bullets in the .308 and from that short barrel velocity is only 2550 FPS. It's 2610 FPS from a 22" barrel for whatever that's worth. Oh that RSI has take about a dozen deer from 35 feet to 250 yards with that 165 gr. Speer Hot Core.
My choice would be the .308. It's accurate, gives decent velocity from short barrels and out in the "sticks" you'll have a lot better chance of finding some ammo. I vote for the .308.
Paul B.

 

[preacher]

One of my hunting buddies still uses his "bought it back in High School 1970) Browning BLR .308. He uses the 150 Corlokt on everything, from coyotes to Bison, with wads of Muleys and elk in between! A 308 levergun is handy indeed.

 

[MZ5]

Flip a coin! I would go Creed

Same thought here.

 

[walkinhorseman]

I would favor the 308. I have had a couple 6.5 cms and just rebarreled one of 308's to the 6.5 cm. However, my most recent rebarreling was a 308 win Brux at 22" on a deer rifle. Shot both in good match rifles but prefer the 308. You can't load 180 gr RN in a 6.5 for woods work like you can in a 308.

 

[KinleyWater]

Buy both

I would actually look at magazine length of both prior to making a decision, if you intend to experiment with a variety of bullet weights. Also, I have seen a few complaints about Henrys not liking to cycle with longer pistol bullets (44 Mag BB heavy bullets), so again, it may impede your reloading aspirations. Then I would ask why the 6.5 over the 308? (or vice versa) I have not shot the Creed (though I have a 6.5 Swede), but I am uncertain that there would be much accuracy advantage in that particular platform.

Just a couple of thoughts.

 

[Blkram]

If you cannot decide, as stated above, get both! LOL
In either rifle you are not going to be losing any appreciable amount of performance with the shorter barrels, and no animal is going to be able to tell the difference in being harvested with a bullet moving about 50 fps slower than out of a barrel that is 2" longer.
Pick whichever you like better. (Me, I am a 6.5 fan!) I think it's cool that they are offering a lever action in the 6.5 CM. Would love to hear your review!
Elk are extremely tough/tenacious animals, with the highest bone density of any animal in north america and I would only take a shot at an unwary cow, broadside or slightly quartering away at 300 yards with a 6.5 CM. 200 yards would be preferable. I would also choose the 140 AB over the 143 ELD-X for elk, but that's just my opinion, having taken numerous animals with AB's over the years in various calibers, and only one moose with the 143 ELD-X at 20 yards with my 6.5 CM.
This is where the extra bullet diameter and weight of the 308 could be an advantage.
That being said, the higher sectional density of the 140 gr 6.5 cal bullet does penetrate very well!
Just stay away from that onside shoulder bone! A solid double lung hit will keep her from going very far.

 

[ShamrockShooter]

Thanks for all the insight. I actually brought my trusty 7 mag and my 6.5 bolt to Wyoming last year for mule deer and cow elk and wanted to try the 6.5. My hunting guide told me to put my little toy gun away and take my 7 mag once he saw I could shoot the more powerful gun from a bipod just fine on the target range. I made a nice 1 shot kills on a Muley 4x4 and cow elk at 200 yards with 140 accubonds from the 7 mag.

I will probably make the same decision again this year. But if I get the 308 or 6.5 Henry long ranger and it shoots good I'll probably try it on an antelope, and grab the trusty 7 mag with 140 accubonds for the cow elk tag.

I think I'm leaning towards the lever 308 for it's shorter barrel which is a bonus in the treestands and blinds we gun hunt from in New York where 150 yds is a long shot.



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