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The 6.5 Creedmoor Lover’s (and Hater’s) Gift Guide

Need some last-minute help for hunting and shooting holiday gifts? We’ve got you covered—no matter what you think of the 6.5 CM
Collage of hunting gear

Need some last-minute help for hunting and shooting holiday gifts? We’ve got you covered—no matter what you think of the 6.5 CM

The 6.5 Creedmoor Lover’s (and Hater’s) Gift Guide

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In politics, if you strike a deal that makes everyone mad, then you’ve probably done a good job. By that yardstick, I think that Will Brantley and I hit it out of the park here.

There are two types of people in the world: Those, like me, who like to shoot and hunt with the 6.5 Creedmoor and other well-designed modern cartridges. And those, like Brantley, who’d as soon endure a week’s worth of sensitivity training as admit to using one of these hyper-trendy ballistic newcomers. The one thing both sides agree on is that we’re all stubborn, opinionated cranks when it comes to such matters. But hunters are also a forgiving lot, and so if you find yourself needing to come up with a last-minute gift for someone who either loves or hates the 6.5 Creedmoor, we put together this little guide. —J.B.S.

Rifles to Give as Holiday Gifts

Last time I checked, we’re still allowed to give each other guns for Christmas in the U.S. of A., so if there’s someone you love who deserves a fun toy, consider one of these. And if you’ve gotten through the last year, you probably deserve one too. —J.B.S.

Springfield Armory Waypoint 2020

The Model 2020 Waypoint from Springfield Armory.

The Model 2020 Waypoint from Springfield Armory. Springfield Armory

Life’s too short to shoot ugly guns. The same goes for rifles with piss-poor accuracy. This freshly minted offering from Springfield Armory

is the company’s first foray into the bolt-gun hunting market and they got it right. I spent the fall shooting and hunting with mine and it is a tack-driving, deer-killing SOB. It can be had with either a steel or carbon-fiber barrel and a stock that is fixed or with an adjustable cheekpiece. My favorite configuration is the carbon-fiber barrel with the fixed stock. It’s well balanced, lightweight, and will take down deer at any reasonable distance. Mine’s in 6.5 PRC, but it can be had in 6.5 Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor, and .308 Win. if you prefer. —J.B.S.

Thompson Center Compass II

The T/C Compass II.

The T/C Compass II. Thompson Center

This sub-$400 rifle might be the best-shooting centerfire in my safe. It comes from the factory with a 1 MOA guarantee and a lifetime warranty. Granted, this gun won’t win any beauty pageants, but I took mine to Wyoming and shot one of my best pronghorn bucks ever with it, plus a pile of prairie dogs. What caliber is it? Don’t you worry about it, since the Compass II

is available in the good stuff like .308, .30/06, and .300 Win Mag. —W.B.

Hunting Ammo Gift Ideas for Hunters

Not that you can actually find any ammunition on shelves right now

, but if you could, we’d argue about it, since good old-fashioned class warfare applies to your favorite box of 20 as much as anything else. —W.B.

Nosler Trophy Grade Long Range 129-grain 6.5 Creedmoor

While we spend a lot of time ballyhooing the accuracy of today’s hunting rifles, it’s the ammo that actually gets the job done. Advances in bullet design have created a category of accurate, lethal projectiles and one of the best examples of that for 6.5 fans is Nosler’s 129-grain AccuBond Long Range

. The boat-tail profile, polymer tip, and geometry of the ogive make it accurate, while the bonded construction and tapered jacket help it expand reliably while retaining weight for top-notch terminal performance. It’s an accurate killer. —J.B.S.

Winchester Super X Power Point 180-Grain .30-06

The first deer rifle I ever owned was a Ruger Model 77 Mark 2 .30/06 with the skeletonized “Zytel” stock—a setup apparently designed to channel the entire force of the rifle’s recoil into the shooter’s jaw and collar bone. Mine is particularly good at it with the 180-grain bullets that it has always preferred, and it’s still my go-to deer rifle. Of all the ammo I’ve tried through it—and there’s been a bunch of premium stuff—it shoots the classic Super X Power Point

as well as anything. Those soft-point bullets, cheap and humble though they are, work exceptionally well on whitetails, and I once watched my dad drop a bull elk with one, too. —W.B.

Scope Suggestions for Rifles Chambered in 6.5 CM

I’ll confess that some reticles and scopes are overly complicated, and that a lot of hunters just aren’t interested in putting in the time to master the ins and outs of holdover reticles and dialing turrets. But for sportsmen willing to look beyond basic duplex crosshairs, there’s an amazing world of capable scopes for the choosing. —J.B.S.

Nightforce NX8 2.5-20 F1

The Nightforce NX8 2.5-20 F1 scope.

SEE IT

The Nightforce NX8 2.5-20 F1 scope. Nightforce

Shooting a traditional duplex reticle is as exciting as peddling a single-speed cruiser to and from the grocery store. And that’s a fine choice for many hunters. But if you want to step it up and get the most out of your accurate rifle, an optic like this new Nightforce

is the way to go. The magnification range on this scope covers everything you’ll need—from close shots in cover to stretching it out if and when needed. The first-focal plane design lets the shooter take maximum advantage of the reference marks in the reticle. Yes, it’ll take practice to learn to use it under pressure, but this scope is a step above the traditional hunting optic. ($1,950; amazon.com

) —J.B.S.

Leupold VX3i 3-10×40 CDS

The Leupold VX3i 3-10x40 CDS

SEE IT

The Leupold VX3i 3-10×40 CDS Leupold

Leupold makes the best hunting scope out there for the money, and the VX3i 3.5-10×40 CDS ZL

is the one I have on my .30/06. It’s proof that 3-10 is enough magnification to hunt anything, and that an inch around is still plenty of tube. It weighs 13 ounces, doesn’t require a single battery, and has a simple Duplex reticle. There are cheaper Leupold scopes available, but this one comes with the CDS turret system, and you should splurge a bit for that. —W.B.

These Two Hunting Bullets Make Great Holiday Gifts

Getting close to critters is what I enjoy above all else, no matter what I’m hunting. I appreciate a good bullet that does the job, but I’m most interested in bullets that address a need. For me, 400-yard performance has rarely been a need—even on Western critters. But turning a lightweight, pistol-caliber lever gun into a legitimate deer rifle so that I can use it in a shotgun state—or hand it to my 6-year-old to shoot his first deer? Problem(s) solved. —W.B.

Federal Terminal Ascent 130-grain 6.5mm

Federal Terminal Accent in 6.5 Creedmoor.

Federal Terminal Accent in 6.5 Creedmoor. Federal Premium

This bullet

has generated its share of buzz, and for good reason. It’s a smart example of the latest generation of hunting bullets. It’s accurate and the jacket and core are bonded to help ensure good penetration and weight retention. It’s also designed to mushroom reliably at lower impact velocities (i.e. longer distances). You can use this with confidence on any animal short of dangerous game. —J.B.S.

Federal Hammer Down 170-Grain .357 Magnum

Federal Premium’s new Hammer Down ammo.

Federal Premium’s new Hammer Down ammo. Federal Premium

I haven’t seen long-range message boards light up with conversations about the ballistic coefficient of this bullet

. But just this fall, I have seen it drop a big pronghorn buck

and several deer flat on their white asses at ranges of 40 to 90 yards. A .357 lever gun is legal to use on whitetails just about everywhere, since most traditional slug-gun states also allow straight-wall pistol cartridges, and the mild report and lack of recoil could impress even the daintiest 6.5 shooter. My 6-year-old killed two of those deer mentioned above, and he handles it well. —W.B.

Last-Minute Gift Ideas for Hunting Outerwear

One of my hunting buddies here in Montana told me there’s no such thing as bad weather…just bad clothing. I can attest that I’ve been on many hunts in frigid remote areas where the only thing that kept me alive was the gear I was wearing. So this isn’t the place to go cheap. —J.B.S.

Stone Glacier De Havilland Jacket

The De Havilland Jacket from Stone Glacier.

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The De Havilland Jacket from Stone Glacier. Stone Glacier

Camo patterns are so 2018. Solids are back and that’s what the fashion-forward Creed-shooting hunter is sporting these days. In all seriousness, camo is one of those things we tend to overthink for big game, and a solid neutral fabric

will work just as well as your favorite stick-and-leaf pattern. Don’t believe me? Look at any picture of a deer hunter before the 1980s. —J.B.S.

Banded Northwind Nano PrimaLoft Jacket

The Banded Northwind Nano PrimaLoft Jacket.

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The Banded Northwind Nano PrimaLoft Jacket. Banded

See that guy standing in the corner, wearing a faded camo coat to his brother’s third wedding reception? Know what he’d like, now that he’s three beers in and Copperhead Road is playing? For a “fashion-forward” hunter to tell him his camouflage is stupid, and, by God, so is his .30/06. Hell, I’d like that too, just to watch. Meanwhile, this coat

right here will keep you warm all deer season, and it’s available in the classics—Realtree and Mossy Oak—so your affiliation will never be questioned. —W.B.

Health and Beauty Gift Ideas for Hunters (Seriously)

The practical .30/06 shooter wouldn’t dare waste money on a personal care product if he’s already got a suitable substitute on hand. There is, after all, a fine line between fragrance and cover scent. —W.B.

Nose Jammer Personal Care Products

Give your loved ones this personal-care 4 pack this holiday season.

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Give your loved ones this personal-care 4 pack this holiday season. Nose Jammer

If you want to know how fine that line really is, Nose Jammer

is available in an aerosol spray can (I bring one to the woods with me and use it often), but if you simply can’t make it through the day without that intoxicating baked-goods-and-noxious-chemical smell, Nose Jammer sells a fine bar of soap, bottle of shampoo, and deodorant too. I’ve only used it in quarantine, but I’m excited to see how it performs in public. ($35; amazon.com

) —W.B.

Viking Revolution Beard Oil

A bottle of Viking Revolution beard oil.

SEE IT

Do you even oil your 6.5 beard, bro? Viking Revolution

If we’re going to play up the 6.5 Creed stereotype, we might as well go all in. You can see it now—a beautiful buck on the ground, tag punched. All that’s left is to get that juicy shot for the ‘gram. You don’t want to give up any likes because your beard lacked a certain luster. And though I’ve never used beard oil, if I were to, I’d want it to have a manly (and unpretentious) name like Viking Revolution

. —J.B.S.

Gift Ideas for Spirits to Drink at Hunting Camp

This is what I’m talking about. I’m trying to celebrate a successful hunt with something that’s equal to the moment, and Brantley is fixin’ to guzzle the biggest container of swill he can get his hands on. Nonetheless, in the spirit of deer-camp camaraderie, I’ll hoist my glass and sip my liquor while he takes a straw to his Costco-sized bottle. —J.B.S.

W. L. Weller’s Special Reserve Bourbon

This is the real deal. It’s got the deep color. The right amount of fire. A smooth finish. And it’s 90 proof. It tastes great neat, poured over a large cube of ice, or as the foundation to the best Old Fashioned you’ve ever had. It can be as elusive as a 150-inch deer, so you might have to hunt around to find it—but man is it worth it. —J.B.S.

Early Times 1.75L

Early Time doesn’t quite check all the boxes to qualify as authentic bourbon, and so it’s labeled as “Kentucky Whiskey.” I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily the best 80-proof brown liquor out there, but it does come in one of the biggest bottles—and that’s not nothing. The 1.75-liter “family jug” will last you through a long weekend at deer camp, and if doesn’t, you have a problem. —W.B.

The Best Stocking Stuffers for Hunters

This is a bonus category to make your hunting buddy’s Christmas morning that much brighter. And a final chance to get in another good dig. —J.B.S.

Recoil Pad and Ibuprofen

Take pity on your magnum-shooting friend. He doesn’t buy into all this trendy nonsense about “shot placement” and rifles that are “comfortable” to shoot. No, every doe he culls is going to be on the receiving end of a 180-grain slug from his .300 Win. Mag. Of course, the deer aren’t the only ones taking a beating. His shoulder is bruised, he’s got a 24/7 headache, and he flinches like an abused puppy with every pull of the trigger. While you can’t cure stupid, you can help ease the sting with a Pachmayr Decelerator Slip-On Recoil Pad—and a bottle of ibuprofen. —J.B.S.

Tracking Dog Gift Certificate

The dozen or so animals I’ve seen killed with the 6.5 CM didn’t take more than a few steps before tipping over dead but had they run off, I’d have expected shitty blood trails. Some of my friends just can’t shut the f___ up about sectional densities, and for them, a tracking dog gift certificate seems appropriate. Sooner or later, this bowhunter says, they’ll need it. —W.B.