Which 6.5?

[MT Gianni]

Don't over look the 256 Newton/6.5x06.

[tygar]

Still to short. Probably lose 100'.

But that's just me. I want to get all I can out of them.

Is it a medium or heavier brl? That would help.

[Norske]

I own a Tikka T3 Swede. Accurate handloads were boringly easy to find. With either a 140gr Hornady SST or a Hornady 129 SP, there is no paper between the bullet holes at 100 yards using a benchrest and sandbags. With the 140, I use about 47 gr H4831SC; with the 129, I use the same charge of Alliant Reloader 19. You may notice one of those powder charges/bullet is listed for the Creedmore. The bullets are seated out to take advantage of the Tikka's long, tapered throat.

No one has mentioned rifling twist. A 26 caliber barrel should have a twist of 1:8. When Remington first built 260's, they used a slower twist which didn't stabilize heavier bullets, and even 140 gr bullets were iffy (they must have forgotten their similar error with the 244Rem decades earlier). So, for a hunting rifle the Creedmore and the Swede perform very much the same. The 260 uses a larger volume case so should outperform the other two, but because of shorter throating, doesn't offer much advantage.
Just buy a decent rifle whose stock fits your wife like a well-fitted shotgun. She should find the scope aligned with her eye when she shoulders the rifle when wearing her hunting clothes. My experience with game animals is they seldom stand around while the hunter is searching for an image in the scope. Now buy a 6.5 whatever in the rifle that fits both your wife and your budget.

[1187Shooter]

Still to short. Probably lose 100'.

But that's just me. I want to get all I can out of them.

Is it a medium or heavier brl? That would help.

Ruger describes it as a "Heavier tapered, threaded barrel," whatever that actually means.
Understanding that it means a loss of some belocity, I am a fan of shorter barrels in a hunting rifle. 22" seems a decent compromise to me. It would be interesting to put it to the test with two otherwise identical rifles of different barrel lengths, though.
The Spec Sheet lists a twist rate of 1 in 8"