- Messages
- 1,917
- Reactions
- 4,789
Recently decided that I wanted to replace my 90's Ruger M77 in .30-06 with a shorter and lighter bolt gun in .308.
I stopped by the LGS the other day (the only one for 50 miles and in an area dominated by elk hunting) to see what they had. This store has been around since the 50's and is staffed by some pretty knowledgeable hunters and good ol' boys. It also has a rifle selection that rivals the Sportsman's Warehouse 50 miles away. My dad worked at this store when I was born and then started his own gun store, which led to him owning a chain of three gun shops in the region. He sold the last one in 2006 and retired.
Anyway, I go in and start looking at the rack of Ruger American rifles. None in .308. One in .350 Legend, one in .223, and the rest all 6.5 CM. Weird. I go to the rack of Tikka rifles. One in .243, one in .22-50, one in .270, a couple in 6.5 PRC, and the rest all 6.5 CM. Again, weird. I see a rack of "tactical" bolt guns with Ruger RPRs, Savage chassis rifles, and a Mossberg MVP Scout. All were in 6.5 CM.
They then had a rack of high end bolt guns like the Christiansen Arms and Bergara rifles. All were 6.5 CM or 6.5 PRC.
I have nothing against the 6.5 Creedmoor, but I do like the ability to have a choice in what caliber I decide on for a hunting rifle.
I just found it odd that the overwhelming majority of rifles in a store in an area where elk hunting reigns supreme, was a caliber that is mediocre for elk. I grew up working in one of my dad's shops and have never seen such domination by a caliber like this.
Is anyone else seeing this in their LGS? Even online it seems most of the small and handy bolt guns I look at are in 6.5 CM. Is there a cult or something we should be concerned about?
I stopped by the LGS the other day (the only one for 50 miles and in an area dominated by elk hunting) to see what they had. This store has been around since the 50's and is staffed by some pretty knowledgeable hunters and good ol' boys. It also has a rifle selection that rivals the Sportsman's Warehouse 50 miles away. My dad worked at this store when I was born and then started his own gun store, which led to him owning a chain of three gun shops in the region. He sold the last one in 2006 and retired.
Anyway, I go in and start looking at the rack of Ruger American rifles. None in .308. One in .350 Legend, one in .223, and the rest all 6.5 CM. Weird. I go to the rack of Tikka rifles. One in .243, one in .22-50, one in .270, a couple in 6.5 PRC, and the rest all 6.5 CM. Again, weird. I see a rack of "tactical" bolt guns with Ruger RPRs, Savage chassis rifles, and a Mossberg MVP Scout. All were in 6.5 CM.
They then had a rack of high end bolt guns like the Christiansen Arms and Bergara rifles. All were 6.5 CM or 6.5 PRC.
I have nothing against the 6.5 Creedmoor, but I do like the ability to have a choice in what caliber I decide on for a hunting rifle.
I just found it odd that the overwhelming majority of rifles in a store in an area where elk hunting reigns supreme, was a caliber that is mediocre for elk. I grew up working in one of my dad's shops and have never seen such domination by a caliber like this.
Is anyone else seeing this in their LGS? Even online it seems most of the small and handy bolt guns I look at are in 6.5 CM. Is there a cult or something we should be concerned about?