A lot less respect for American Hunter online magazine

I'm not usually one to get wrapped up in an internet article, but this one really rubbed me the wrong way, mostly because it is from an NRA publication and I expect more from them. Poorly written with false facts just to stir the pot.

I'd like to know which ballistics table this writer was looking at to make this erroneous statement: "Consider the 6.5 Creedmoor. Comparing similar bullet weights, the Creedmoor will shoot flatter and just as hard as the ought-six." The 6.5 creedmoor is a fine cartridge and really all that anyone "needs" for deer, maybe, but it will not fire a 150gr bullet at 3100+ fps, nor a 165gr bullet at 2950fps, both of which carry more terminal energy than the 140gr bullet at 2700 fps out of the 6.5 Creedmoor. Trajectory may be similar at all ranges well beyond what most sane hunters should take, but the Creedmore only really shines in this category on truly long ranges. Even then, the heavier bullet at higher starting velocity carries more energy waaaayyyy down range beyond any effective hunting distance.

BTW, my 10 year old ballerina daughter will be hunting with a 30-06 this year for deer, albeit with 125 NAB handloads at a little over 3000fps. She will work into full power loads in time, and wants to hunt elk in the future. The 30-06 does not have unreasonable recoil with 150 or 165gr bullets, even at full power.

https://www.americanhunter.org/articles ... -06-sucks/

I laugh at most hunting articles now days. Read a bunch when younger and over the years they have become really annoying in some respects. Back when the short mags were being launched we heard about how much more accurate and how we all needed big old magnums to shoot elk and super fast flat cartridges to shoot deer at long range. Now that the Creedmoor is being "pushed", it is all that and a bag of chips.

Oh, that's just Richard Mann, stirring the pot.

He likes to do that.

It's no secret that I enjoy the .30-06 and trust it tremendously. But I'd also like to re-barrel my .308 Win "Green Machine" to a 6.5 Creedmoor someday.

I'll have to write to Mann, that I sure was glad I had my .30-06 in hand, not his 6.5 Creedmoor, when I shot the grizzly at 40 yards...

Guy

Mann likely wrote that article just to get guys like us all worked up.

Appears he succeeded! :grin:

Guy

I knew we could count on you Guy to keep the media straight... The '06 has been my go to rifle since embarking on the trips west in pursuit of elk and mule deer, and glad to have made that choice.

Have, up to now, resisted the temptation to "upgrade" to a 35 Whelen as suggested by a noble group here on the forum.. :grin: But may weaken in the future...

He has a big spoon and loves to stir the s***..Most likely an attempt to get the forums buzzing, mentioning his name, so he'll pop up on top of Google searches...Seriously, could he have picked a more "Favorited" cartridge to bash than the '06?

Don't get me wrong I love the 6.5 CM. But if I had to choose between it and the old 06 for something nasty the choice is simple. Even though the long 6.5's have tremendous sectional density, I prolly rather have a hot loaded 06 at around 200 grain projectile.


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Not very many modern gun writers I enjoy reading much anymore. Still a fan of John Barnes and Craig Boddington though. I still consider Jim Carmichael the last of the truly great writers though.
I do enjoy some of Wayne Van Zwoll stuff too.

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Rol_P":fb8s3qhr said:

I knew we could count on you Guy to keep the media straight... The '06 has been my go to rifle since embarking on the trips west in pursuit of elk and mule deer, and glad to have made that choice.

Have, up to now, resisted the temptation to "upgrade" to a 35 Whelen as suggested by a noble group here on the forum.. :grin: But may weaken in the future...

Click to expand...

Well, I sent off an unfired M70 30-06 to be rebarreled into a 35 Whelen. I don't have a single 30-06, and never have, for some reason.

Resistance is futile!

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I own three 30-06's. Love the caliber, but I don't get into urination matches with people over which cartridge is best (or worst). I jut don't like a reputable group like the NRA to use false facts to drum up hits. This writer based his article on opinion and feelings (disdain for the caliber because he disliked his uncle and can't handle felt recoil), used false facts, then told us not to use feelings to determine the caliber. Just really made no sense in a poorly written article.

Have, up to now, resisted the temptation to "upgrade" to a 35 Whelen as suggested by a noble group here on the forum.. :grin: But may weaken in the future...[/quote]I sure tried my best by giving you two fine examples of both the 35 Whelen and 35 Whelen/AI to fondle. :wink: :roll: :lol: :lol: :lol: :grin:

There is a reason that the 30-06 and also the 270 have been around so long, it is because they just plain work.

Richard Mann,"Opinion: The .30-06 Sucks", August 3, 2017

I'm with the OP:

No expert gun writer should ever write such an article! Ever!!!

The whole premise behind the "This vs. That" sort of article is all about controversy and media buzz.

I am quickly falling in love with the 6.5CM- accurate and charismatic in a svelte and handy rifle. But I can't say it's better than the 7-08 and I definitely don't like it better than an '06. I even write that as not that big of a fan of the '06.

The 6.5 is being pushed as a long range cartridge...but if I can only tell performance enhancements via a calculator and a spreadsheet, it kind of leaves me shaking my head. I think the 6.5CM is a fantastic deer cartridge up to caribou...sort of a super featherweight 6.5x55 Swedish if you will.

Caribou didn't cooperate this weekend, hopefully soon I can have some field reports involving meat.

That was well said hodgeman.

I guess I could buy the "ballistic " argument that the Creedmoor would outperform the 06 in a long range steel ringing shoot due to better b.c. bullets etc. less drop and such. But I think for the majority of American Hunter readers I feel that's a specious stance or argument.
IMO the larger group of readers are not buying a rifle to ring steel at 1000 yards. They're figuring on what works best to get whatever it is they're hunting. To categorically state the Creed does that better than an 06 is a pretty long stretch. Maybe some empirical evidence would be convincing but I doubt that will be coming.
While I do find the Creedmoor interesting (actually the 6mm version currently interests me more :grin: ) and I know it's the "latest/greatest", to dis a 100 plus year old cartridge with the resume the 06 has in a national publication seems to speak to it being more about author and the sensationalism it creates for him than about sound hunting advice. Hope he gets all the tweets, Facebook flow or whatever it is he was seeking. I hope somebody doesn't read that and try to blow a 6.5 match bullet through an elk shoulder at 400+ yards as a result. That would be a shame, again imo.
Man, I'm defending a 30-06! Is this a parallel universe or something? Next I'll stand up for a 270. :lol:

I would agree with those who are saying it is basically a click bait kind of article designed for the sole purpose of getting lots of hits for their online article.

In the article he states he doesn't like the 30-06 because of his Uncle, so his objectivity would be questioned right away. He also looks to being doing an apples to oranges type of comparison using sleek bullets in the 6.5 Creedmoor and blunt projectiles in the 30-06. In that case then yes the 30-06 can be outperformed by the little 6.5's at longer ranges.

Of course the 30-06 can also be loaded with sleek high b.c. bullets as well and will outperform the little 6.5's when it comes to energy at all ranges. I really like the 260 and 6.5x55 we have in the house for a lot of hunting but for moose and elk I would prefer the 30-06, if grizzlies are on the menu then I most definitely would like the 30-06 with one of those so called "obsolete" 200 or 220 gr bullets he mentioned in the article.

I'm sure the guy knows better but he is using a cheap method to get his stories noticed, the only problem with that is you end up turning off people and lose in the end when no one takes you seriously anymore.

Lot rather wade in on a grizzly with an 06 with heavy bullets than my 6.5 cm with 140 grainers, the creedmore would kill one dead shooting him tight to the shoulders in open country but would be a little lite one coming straight on in the brush

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