re: Looking for recos. Should I buy into the 6.5 Creedmore hype?

How old is your son and how big is he?

Answer that, first.

If he is 12 on up or a little under and a stout kid, get him a .308. It's a lifetime rifle and ammo is plentiful. There is not a whitetail out there that a .308 won't kill cleanly if shot correctly. I started with a sporterized M1917 30-06 at age 12, and have never regretted beginning even with that round.

If he is under 12 or on the small side, get him a .243 or 7mm-08. Ammo is not as available, but their recoil is generally less than .308, they can be lifetime rifles, or he can graduate to a larger caliber later.

A 30-30 lever gun also wouldn't be a bad first rifle option for a smaller child. My sister still stacks deer with hers. I have offered to buy her a .308 but she flat refuses.

I'm not a ballistics expert, but here is my uneducated theory on the 6.5 Creedmore:

The 6.5 Creedmore was designed as a long range target round. Its BC lends to great penetration and probably over-penetration without expansion at traditional hunting ranges in the South (50-250 yards) and with today's trend in faster rounds. Couple this with folks that may not have a lot of trigger time on the trendy and (relatively) new cartridge, and it has gained the nickname 6.5 Cripplemore.