I've been wanting to start longer range shooting. I have been shooting .223/5.56 in AR's for a short while, but nothing in larger calibers.

After some research, I've settled on a Tikka T3x CTR.

I am just undecided on the caliber. As of right now, I have zero ammo and/or reloading components for either .308 or 6.5 CM.

I do know .308 is widely available, and has been around for a long time. I did also read about the advantages of the 6.5 CM when it comes to performance. I'm just not completely sure on the logistics side of things.

Is 6.5 CM really that widely available and cost effective as it sounds? I honestly haven't monitored ammo availability and pricing on .308 or 6.5 CM lately, so I don't really have a good idea of which is more economical. I do also buy all of my ammo online, if that makes any difference. I am getting into reloading, so I still have yet to buy components for either .308 or 6.5 CM.

Would there be any reason at all to believe that the 6.5 CM would become a boutique caliber in the near future? Or would it be safe to say that it is catching on at this point?

Another consideration is that eventually I would like to get into a semi auto .308 or 6.5 CM. Most likely an LMT MWS. Barrels in 6.5 are available for it, but it is an extra ~$600. I know that I can sell the .308 barrel to offset costs. I'm not 100% sure on whether I would sell the .308 barrel though. And of course, whether I buy the 6.5 LMT barrel would depend heavily on whether I go into 6.5 to begin with.

To sum it up, is 6.5 all that it's hyped up to be in regards to ballistics/performance, and price/availability?

Or would you say for a beginner it would be better to just start out with the proven .308 round?

Thanks for any advice