I kind of went cheap with a Ruger American bolt in .450 BM with an older Pentax 4x and a bipod. No complaints.
I kind of went cheap with a Ruger American bolt in .450 BM with an older Pentax 4x and a bipod. No complaints.
3EE1F510-16CD-4621-B3C9-7FF4F9AC0075.jpeg
Here is my Steyr in 6.5 Creedmoor. Part of me wishes it was a .308. I really like it nonetheless. (A good excuse for another rifle) The Ching sling is so good, I’m not sure why it isn’t more popular.
I have a lot of rifles. I simply make hits easier in the field with this set up than anything else I have tried.
I think it will be going bear hunting with me in August.
Double tap...
Shooting slings are often misunderstood, toss in the tunnel vision on all things "tactical", it's not actually that surprising people do not understanding the Ching sling. But even as good a shooting sling as the Ching is, it comes up short as a carry sling. and scout rifles are rifles designed with A LOT of carrying in mind as you hike around your hunting grounds looking for game, a sling that doesn't function well as a carry sling can be a turn off to some.
An alternate sling that incorporates the positives of the Ching, but doubles as a carry is the Galco Riflemann sling. yes, two n in the name as it is named after scout rifle study author richard mann.
As much as I love the Ching sling, I am playing with the riflemann sling and very like will transition to it.
Re: the Riflemann, I’m aware of it, but it seems overly complicated. I’ll look it over if I ever find one in the wild.
I carry the scout several miles most weeks and don’t find the Ching nearly as lacking as a Rhodesian sling. I also often carry the scout at the action, as intended. Notice the grip tape over the action in the photo above. A modified left shoulder African carry can expedite the transition to sling up with the Ching as well.
I have also found the ching sling and African carry to be pretty compatible.
couple good videos to help anyone struggling with scout rifles and the traditionally used slings.
https://youtu.be/xa7jA5IJqrg
https://youtu.be/uf93qY1z7dE
certainly not the only ways, but some good food for thought to get you started if anyone is struggling with this.
and of course a video by the man him self, Richard, explaining the riflemann sling if anyone is not familiar with it.
https://youtu.be/6OI_aNbs294
Cartridge superiority is not 100% a fixed fact like the law of gravity. context matters, and within the context of scout rifles, it is not superior in every way. In fact the 308 still has some things going for it within the context of scout rifles that give it a slight edge. Enough that choosing 308 can still make a huge amount of sense.
308 has virtual world wide availability. So if you hunt around the world, 308 make sense over 6.5 creed. (I expect to see this advantage fade if 6.5creed catches on outside the US at the same level it did here)
308 has longer barrel life.
308 has wider range of bullet options allowing for a wider range of uses.
308 has a wider range of powders if you reload.
The really juicy attributes of the 6.5 creedmoor do not really kick in till you start talking uses that fall outside the context of scout rifles. But it does have one attribute over 308 given one goal of the scout rifle, to be as light as possible, and that is felt recoil. Though proper shooting technique does negate most if not all of the "ouch" factor of a 308 in a light rifle. If it hurts to shoot a scout, consider the possibility you have an error in mounting the rifle. on the other hand...if it never hurts...your either a master riflemen, or your scout rifle is too heavy.
if you chose a scout rifle in 6.5 creed, you didn't choose poorly. 6.5 creed can do a lot of the same things a 308 can hunting wise just fine.
if you chose a scout rifle in 308, you also didn't choose poorly. It can make the head of a 6.5 creed fanboy explode to hear, but the 308 does offer some advantages still in this context. and ballistics for scout rifle purposes are close enough that you are not at any disadvantage.
If you want to talk PRS style shooting, well that is a whole other context and brings out different thoughts and data points to consider when asking 308 or 6.5 creedmoor.
I think the above sums it up well.
My thoughts are:
6.5 has superior external ballistics and the difference increases with range and decreases with barrel length. For a similar bullet weight, it also has better sectional density. In other ways, .308 is advantageous.
Logistics- .308 is cheap, even now, and readily available just about everywhere.
.308 barrels last longer under similar circumstances.
The above mean you can practice more, and
practice matters more than caliber.
At typical hunting ranges, I’d like the option of a heavy bullet for large game, or bears. Think 180 grain Barnes….The biggest 6.5 bullet I have seen is 156 gr.
I have a .28 Nosler and a nice GAP 6.5 PRC for long range, and a 6mm and several other 6.5 creedmoors if I want to shoot PRS.
That’s not really what this gun is for. I’m not shooting steel or paper with it much. I’m carrying it, and throwing it in the truck.
Last edited by Rmorris; 07-16-21 at 23:12. Reason: Content
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