Let me put my 2 cents in.......don't take the shot.

My answer to your question: whichever one has not drawn blood lately. Both are well suited to the task at hand.

As far as the 500 yards goes and should the shot be taken: it depends on the situation.
1) Does the terrain allow for me to get closer and still see the deer?
2) Do I have a steady rest?
3) How are the environmental especially wind? Speed? Direction? Steady? Gusting?
4) How many legal animals am I seeing?
5) How am I feeling? Anything going on that will impact my focus?
6) Is the animal stationary or moving?

Too me, this changes nothing. An ethical shot is an ethical shot.

It appears the original poster is wanting opinions on which rifle will best get the job done IF you take the shot instead of WOULD you take the shot. Im sure it would depend a lot on the specifics of the load etc and im not enough of a ballistics guy to offer a good opinion. Most guys are saying WOULD they take the shot so ill chime in on that. Im a little old school and claim to be way more of a hunter than a shooter but my personal ethics say I wouldn't attempt a shot unless I feel extremely sure(maybe 95%) the deer will die close by with one shot. That would apply to whatever weapon and whatever range. Im not personally capable at this time(don't really want to be) at making that 95% killing shot at over 250 to 300 and that would have to be under real good conditions. Hog or coyote I would be ok to let it fly but I would have to be bored to try and not during deer season. To each his own.

I believe I could make that shot with my 6.5 within the "sweet" spot of the animal, but I don't know enough about my bullets (expansion/energy) to know if it's enough. I'd likely have 20+ other targets within 100-200 yards at any given moment so there'd never be a situation for me to consider taking said shot.

I would not have see it at 500 yards anyways so it would not even been an issue.

It was directed more toward the OP. Just seems like quite a few long distance shooting threads recently, but probably just me and my lack of clarity in my old age.

It’s not to get anybody riled up or mad, it’s just to shoot the chit with the guys. Can’t find sincerity or ruggedness on Facebook lol. Since I’ve joined you guys, I’ve enjoyed the rib rocking and honesty. I wouldn’t take the shot either, just to get some participation and some back and forth

Wooderson says it all...

I getcha......

Most wouldn't take the shot, including me with any of my current setups. But I know several who wouldn't think twice about it and can do it ethically. It's a matter of equipment, skill, practice, and conditions. I respect those who can put the effort in and those who realize there's no need to do so.

Many times I have seen deer that far out and the thought never crossed my mind to take a shot. I don't have the necessary skills, equipment or interest in long range shooting to make that kill.

I don't know the ballistics of the 6.5, but would think that the 7 mag is going to have more energy that far away. I'm not a fan of owning a lot of guns, or a lot of different calibers. My 30-06 does everything that I want it to and I can shoot 1 inch groups with it using 165 grain bullets at 100 yards. To me, it's not the caliber, it's putting in the time to be able to shoot one rifle the very best you possibly can. I've replaced the trigger on it, the stock and I'm using a nice Zeiss scope. I have more money into it then most have in 3 rifles, but what would I do with two more rifles?

If you can shoot either caliber equally, and they both have the same quality of scopes, then I would chose the 7 mag.

So I ran the numbers on my handloads for the 6.5 and the 7 mag

6.5 143 ELD-X muzzle velocity 2825 fps from my target rifle
500 yards velocity is 2125 fps, time of flight to the target is 0.611 seconds and energy is 1433 ft-lbs

7mm 180 ELD-M muzzle velocity 2910 fps from my target rifle
500 yards velocity is 2343 fps, time of flight to the target is 0.574 seconds and energy is 2195 ft-lbs

Both will cleanly kill the deer if the shooter can do his part. 7mm has a slight advantage in time of flight and significantly more energy on impact. I would choose my 7 mag for the job if I were going to take the shot mentioned in the OP.

Take a sip of my vodka drink and say .....it's not your turn young lady.

7 mag, because i wouldn't shoot someone else's gun. i wouldn't own a 6.5 cm.

I would agree that 7mag has a slight advantage, but either is capable. The limitation largely rests with the shooter's skills and decision making.

I don't have a 7mm RM (yet), but I do have a 6.5 Creedmoor that I'm very comfortable with. I've shot steel out to 1,000 yards with it, but the longest shot on an animal was a pig at 380 yards. I'm perfectly comfortable with my ability to kill a deer cleanly with it at 500 yards, the only variable for me is wind. If the mood struck me and there was very light to no wind, I would be comfortable taking the shot. Any more wind than that and I would pass. Reading wind and correcting for it is an art and I'm not comfortable taking a chance on a deer yet. Put another one of my rifles in my hand that I don't shoot much and I wouldn't even consider it.
This is obviously assuming I have a good solid rest.

I have been carrying a 7mm Mag since I was 14. I am 55 now. So the choice of gun is easy for me, 7mm Mag shooting a handloaded 160 gr Nosler Accubond. However I don't believe in shooting game at that distance so I'm not taking the shot. Now if I could slip up to about 200 yards on her you can get the skinning knife out.

Let's change one parameter of the OP's post. Instead of a big doe, what would be your answer if it was a big HOG? Would that change your answer?

Don’t know but I think a light beer would have better trajectory

Interesting switch, its a hog not a deer. For those who have said no to taking a shot on the deer, would you let one fly on a hog?

most would. For most people, if they wound a hog and it gets away, its no big deal, but a whitetail doe is a much more nobler animal in their minds and commands more respect.


I fall into the " why would you shoot a doe at that range" category, but if you were going to target practice on a live animal, a whitetail doe would be the one to do it on if hogs were not available.


I've shot targets at 500 yards, and while its not all that difficult to make a hit at that range, so many factors come into play that its just not a responsible thing for MOST people to shoot whitetail sized game at that distance if hunting solo. With a spotter, things change.


That being said, I have been hunting for 24 years now and I've never had one scenario, ever, where I would have been forced into taking a 500 yard shot. 300 and 400 yards, yes, but not 500 yards. its just not a common scenario.

That’s right. It’s not. You can nearly always get closer. 95% of shots at game taken at over 500 are just stunting.

Nope. I believe in ethical and clean shots on everything, including a hog. 500 yards is not a shot I will take on anything unless it is wounded and leaving the countryside in which case I am laying lead. For a first shot at an unwounded animal it isn't a shot I would take without regard to what species it is.