Because car doors and full framed buildings stop 22s. They are not in the Vietnamese jungles anymore. So they upped to .26
Actually the .308 should be moved back into first place.
Does the .308 add any significant weight for a packout in comparison? Could the .26 be a compromise for that reason?
Why should it be in first place? It will give more recoil, penetrate less, and have less at long range than the 6.5, which is why the military is using it.
The 6.5 Creedmoor is a better choice than .308, IMHO. It is ballistically superior, but kicks about like a .243.
There really is no downside.
“Because car doors and full framed buildings stop 22s. They are not in the Vietnamese jungles anymore. So they upped to .26. “
“Actually the .308 should be moved back into first place.”
I started out with the M-14 7.62/308 switched to the M-16 once in country (Nam). Anyway, the 7.62/308 excellent round but heavy to pack. Appears that the 6.5mm/256cal round has a shorter cartridge than the NATO round. Don’t know about the ballistics though. Personally, my favorite round is the 270. Shoots flat, great ballistics. I have taken several deer at 200 yards or there abouts and my longest was 325 yards, dropped it on the spot. And, this was with a stock Remington 700 BDL, no modifications. However, the 270 cartridge is long, about as long as the 30-06, which would make it weight prohibitive for infantry use.