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Posted: 1/30/2021 7:47:21 PM EDT
[#1]
Try 120s. Ans yes it’ll recoil closer to a 243 than a 308.
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Posted: 1/30/2021 8:05:04 PM EDT
[#2]
They're both great cartridges. As a overall hunting round I think the .243 is more versatile than the 6.5 Creedmoor just because you can go down to 55gr for varmints and all the way up to over 100gr for deer sized game. The downside is there aren't a ton of options for the 243 when it comes to factory match ammo. If you reload, though, it's a different story.
If it's splitting time as a hunting and target rifle then I'd go with the Creedmoor. Lots of match ammo available for it and it has really taken off as a hunting round as well. |
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Posted: 1/30/2021 9:37:35 PM EDT
[#3]
Most 243 are rifled for lighter bullets. If you can get one in a faster twist or go with a 6mm creedmoor then you can run the heavier bullets 105 110 snd 115 gr.
I'd go 6.5 |
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Posted: 1/30/2021 9:40:24 PM EDT
[#4]
6.5 CM
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Posted: 1/30/2021 9:47:03 PM EDT
[#5]
243 Win
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Posted: 1/30/2021 9:54:43 PM EDT
[#6]
Quoted: Most 243 are rifled for lighter bullets. If you can get one in a faster twist or go with a 6mm creedmoor then you can run the heavier bullets 105 110 snd 115 gr. I'd go 6.5 Yup. Are you going to reload? If not 243 guns and ammo aren’t quite as easy to mix and match for your purposes as 6.5 Creedmoor. That being said 6mm Creedmoor is a thing and is basically the same as 243 but with more standardization like it’s 6.5 big brother. |
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Posted: 1/30/2021 10:00:32 PM EDT
[#7]
270
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Posted: 1/31/2021 12:44:36 PM EDT
[#8]
You probably can't go wrong either way. Assuming you will be buying factory ammo, I would guess that .243 will be easier to get than 6.5 Creedmoor when the market bounces back? I foresee all the guys that didn't stock up before this mess, will do so ASAP. With as big of a following as 6.5 Creedmoor has, I think it will be harder to get for a longer period of time. But I guess we shall have to wait and see.
Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I think a .243 will burn out a barrel much quicker than a 6.5 Creedmoor if that is a concern for you. The other questions I had have already been asked. Also, "in" before you get 100 recommendations for cartridges you didn't ask about! |
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Posted: 1/31/2021 2:01:52 PM EDT
[#9]
Quoted: You probably can't go wrong either way. Assuming you will be buying factory ammo, I would guess that .243 will be easier to get than 6.5 Creedmoor when the market bounces back? I foresee all the guys that didn't stock up before this mess, will do so ASAP. With as big of a following as 6.5 Creedmoor has, I think it will be harder to get for a longer period of time. But I guess we shall have to wait and see. Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I think a .243 will burn out a barrel much quicker than a 6.5 Creedmoor if that is a concern for you. The other questions I had have already been asked. Also, "in" before you get 100 recommendations for cartridges you didn't ask about! Yes the 243 will wear faster. It's a pretty similar case capacity but a smaller bore. As to which will be in stock I usually don't try and figure that out because it's almost impossible most of the time. I would venture a guess however that 6.5 Creedmoor is manufactured in far greater volume and I usually lean towards that as a reliable way to bet. As I mentioned before the 6mm Creedmoor is a better fit over 243 if target is going to be one of the main uses especially if one doesn't reload. It is a very similar situation to 260 vs 6.5 Creedmoor although the 260 did not have the foothold 243 does. Cartridges are better thought out now and it is nice to have rifles and ammo well thought out to work together with support across the board. I doubt that 6mm Creedmoor will dominate 243 like 6.5 did 260 but I don't think it's going away either and new shooters who like new stuff and aren't tied to old timers will see it as a good option. |
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Posted: 1/31/2021 7:03:27 PM EDT
[#10]
My take...
The clear winner is 6.5 Creedmoor. The 243 is a great cartridge. Its excellent on deer. However, there are limits to what it can do, by virtue of its bullet weight limits. The 6.5 Creedmoor is very similar on paper. However, its got a couple of SIGNIFICANT advantages. First and foremost, the 6.5 usually comes with a much faster bullet twist and this means you can effectively use a bullet that is MUCH heavier. And a 140 out of the 6.5 has some fairly big advantages over the typical 100, 105 out of the 243. You have two cartridges, with similar recoil, similar ballistics over all, however the 6.5 is much more versatile by virtue of its usefulness on larger gam In addition, the 6.5 is available in loads and with components that cannot be obtained in the 243. The creedmoor has accuracy advantages. I'm convinced the creed will outshoot the 243 in similar rifles. You'll also find a wider availability of 6.5 ammo loads than 243. |
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Posted: 1/31/2021 7:57:21 PM EDT
[#11]
Quoted: The creedmoor has accuracy advantages. I'm convinced the creed will outshoot the 243 in similar rifles. Care to elaborate? |
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Posted: 1/31/2021 8:21:50 PM EDT
[#12]
Smaller cartridges are more accurate, to some extent.
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Posted: 1/31/2021 9:04:47 PM EDT
[#13]
I was looking into the same a couple of years ago. I ultimately went with a howa 1500 action in 6.5 dropped into an HS precision stock. What decided it for me was that most of the 243 rifles were slower twist than what I would have wanted
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Posted: 1/31/2021 9:13:44 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Care to elaborate? Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: The creedmoor has accuracy advantages. I'm convinced the creed will outshoot the 243 in similar rifles. Care to elaborate? Tolerance levels. If you look at the +- specs on a 243 reamer vs 6.5 creed reamer the creed is spec’d to a tighter range. |
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Posted: 1/31/2021 9:25:11 PM EDT
[#15]
How do you like the Howa in the HS Precision Stock? That's exactly what I was looking to do.
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Posted: 2/1/2021 9:57:55 AM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted: How do you like the Howa in the HS Precision Stock? That's exactly what I was looking to do. I love it. It is my favorite rifle bar none. I've been a big Howa fan for years, and this fixes my one real complaint, which was the clunky houge stocks. Scoped, it's about 8 1/2 pounds give or take, I've not weighed it. Light enough to carry all day, but heavy enough to settle down quick. It balances and swings well in my hands and fits me good. 
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Posted: 2/1/2021 10:05:17 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Care to elaborate? 6.5CM was created for long range target shooting. Bullets are long and purposely built for low drag and less wind drift advantages. As usual under 300 yards though the differences are minimal. |
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Posted: 2/1/2021 10:11:45 AM EDT
[#18]
I vote 243 or how about 6 Creedmoor?
The twist rate in the 6 Creedmoor is 1:8 so you can shoot 105 grain bullets. The 243 is typically 1:9.5 or 1:10. ETA: My gunsmith shoots a 6mm and took a deer a few years back with a 105 Berger at 440 yards. |
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Posted: 2/1/2021 10:19:48 AM EDT
[#19]
Lol my teenaged sons say the more recoil it has, the better it is...
That said, both are fine cartridges. I’d rather shoot a deer with a 147gr ELD-x (6.5CM) than a 95 grain .243 at roughly the same velocity though. I must confess that I have shot a lot of deer with .243 and it’ll do the job just fine. IMO 6.5CM is in a sweet spot for velocity, projectile size/composition, and ballistics. |
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Posted: 2/1/2021 12:38:15 PM EDT
[#20]
No way those two bullets are going the same speed from similar cartridges. Are you talking about impact speed?
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Posted: 2/1/2021 5:11:29 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: No way those two bullets are going the same speed from similar cartridges. Are you talking about impact speed? Hornady .243 95gr SST muzzle velocity 2950 Hornady 6.5CM 143gr ELD-x muzzle velocity 2710 Not the same velocity, but in the same ballpark. I did say “roughly”, after all... |
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Posted: 2/1/2021 5:55:08 PM EDT
[#22]
200 FPS is a pretty big jump so I see why he mentioned it.
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Posted: 2/1/2021 6:48:14 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted: 200 FPS is a pretty big jump so I see why he mentioned it. Fair enough. I was shooting from the hip when I said it anyway, so I’m actually comfortable with being called out on it. My point is that, all other things being equal, I like putting 140 grains on a whitetail more than I like 95gr, even though I’ve used both effectively for that purpose. In that context, the difference in velocity is somewhat negligible... though I certainly wouldn’t fight to the death over that bit of minutiae. |
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Posted: 2/1/2021 7:05:00 PM EDT
[#24]
Regards the difference in velocity....
Personal opinion, based on research and experience: Any time you start pushing 3000 FPS, and the 243 will do that, impact speeds are often hard on bullets. Many will simply shed, wipe, or fragment away. Any time you get up into these speeds, bullet construction needs to be pretty stout if its going to hold together well. And in the case of the 243, it not like there is a lot of excess bullet you can afford to wipe away.... I dont shoot 243. However, I do shoot other fast rifles and I've seen moderate bullets fail. At modest speeds everything becomes easier. Impact speeds are milder, bullets aren't pushed as hard. With an appropriate bullet (that doesn't need to be bonded, monolithic or dual cored) the bullet can be relied on to open well, expand decently, retain sufficient weight and drive deeply. Case in point: I've been using 165 Nosler Ballistic Tip (regarded as a fragile bullet) in 308 Win. My short barreled carbine drives them about 2650 fps. Performance at these mild speeds is perfect. I've only taken two deer with the creed thus far, but muzzle speeds with my 20" Tikka are right in the same ball park. No need for a Barnes, or Partition. An ELD-X, Ballistic Tip, plain old cup and core interlock will all get it done very reliably.... |
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Posted: 2/1/2021 8:27:10 PM EDT
[#25]
If you do use .243, i think bullet choice becomes much more important. There are some really small bullets for .243... they are all capable of killing a deer, but the bigger projectiles are a superior choice. I recommend against the TTSX bullets, by the way. I bought some and use them for a cull/doe slaughter, as well as a couple of hunting trips with my boys.I guess I killed 20-25 deer that season with them... I saw very inconsistent performance- lots of clean pass throughs without a lot of internal damage or blood trail, some fragmentation, and sometimes the bullet blew the hell out of them. All the deer were recovered, and I was really shocked, because I had expected better. They knocked the shit out of a hog, but putting a pill right in Operations will kill just about anything. The .243 ammo I like is the Winchester 95 grain stuff. I’ve had good luck with my kids using it.
If you use a 6.5CM, I say just use whatever your rifle shoots the best. The 123gr hornady SST weren’t my favorite, but they worked. The ELD and ELD-x bullets performed better than I thought, and the 140gr soft points were hammers. I shot the Winchester “extreme point” (can’t remember bullet weight) and didn’t really like it (haven’t killed anything with it, so no opinion on terminal effects). I have some bonded bullets that I haven’t used yet. I also have some lighter AMax (?) that are sitting in my ammo stash. |
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Posted: 2/1/2021 11:58:26 PM EDT
[#26]
Quoted: If you do use .243, i think bullet choice becomes much more important. There are some really small bullets for .243... they are all capable of killing a deer, but the bigger projectiles are a superior choice. I recommend against the TTSX bullets, by the way. I bought some and use them for a cull/doe slaughter, as well as a couple of hunting trips with my boys.I guess I killed 20-25 deer that season with them... I saw very inconsistent performance- lots of clean pass throughs without a lot of internal damage or blood trail, some fragmentation, and sometimes the bullet blew the hell out of them. All the deer were recovered, and I was really shocked, because I had expected better. They knocked the shit out of a hog, but putting a pill right in Operations will kill just about anything. The .243 ammo I like is the Winchester 95 grain stuff. I’ve had good luck with my kids using it. If you use a 6.5CM, I say just use whatever your rifle shoots the best. The 123gr hornady SST weren’t my favorite, but they worked. The ELD and ELD-x bullets performed better than I thought, and the 140gr soft points were hammers. I shot the Winchester “extreme point” (can’t remember bullet weight) and didn’t really like it (haven’t killed anything with it, so no opinion on terminal effects). I have some bonded bullets that I haven’t used yet. I also have some lighter AMax (?) that are sitting in my ammo stash. It's weird how so many different people have such different experiences. Both in Alaska and here in Nevada I sold guns retail for several years and can't even count all the people that spoke highly of the 85gr Barnes 243 load on deer and antelope. Lot of them called it a hammer. I don't know the ins and outs of all the Barnes bullets so maybe the TTSX performs totally differently. |
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Posted: 2/2/2021 9:31:21 AM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted: It's weird how so many different people have such different experiences. Both in Alaska and here in Nevada I sold guns retail for several years and can't even count all the people that spoke highly of the 85gr Barnes 243 load on deer and antelope. Lot of them called it a hammer. I don't know the ins and outs of all the Barnes bullets so maybe the TTSX performs totally differently. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: If you do use .243, i think bullet choice becomes much more important. There are some really small bullets for .243... they are all capable of killing a deer, but the bigger projectiles are a superior choice. I recommend against the TTSX bullets, by the way. I bought some and use them for a cull/doe slaughter, as well as a couple of hunting trips with my boys.I guess I killed 20-25 deer that season with them... I saw very inconsistent performance- lots of clean pass throughs without a lot of internal damage or blood trail, some fragmentation, and sometimes the bullet blew the hell out of them. All the deer were recovered, and I was really shocked, because I had expected better. They knocked the shit out of a hog, but putting a pill right in Operations will kill just about anything. The .243 ammo I like is the Winchester 95 grain stuff. I’ve had good luck with my kids using it. If you use a 6.5CM, I say just use whatever your rifle shoots the best. The 123gr hornady SST weren’t my favorite, but they worked. The ELD and ELD-x bullets performed better than I thought, and the 140gr soft points were hammers. I shot the Winchester “extreme point” (can’t remember bullet weight) and didn’t really like it (haven’t killed anything with it, so no opinion on terminal effects). I have some bonded bullets that I haven’t used yet. I also have some lighter AMax (?) that are sitting in my ammo stash. It's weird how so many different people have such different experiences. Both in Alaska and here in Nevada I sold guns retail for several years and can't even count all the people that spoke highly of the 85gr Barnes 243 load on deer and antelope. Lot of them called it a hammer. I don't know the ins and outs of all the Barnes bullets so maybe the TTSX performs totally differently. I can only share my experience, but I killed a bunch of animals with the TTSX and saw widely variable results - I don't expect that from "quality" ammo, but there it is. Every round went bang (no chrono data, obviously), and were as accurate as I'd expect, but the terminal results were too varied for me to have any confidence in it. The TTSX rounds occasionally performed very well, occasionally performed very poorly, and varying degrees in between (mostly mediocre to bad)... far more so than I'd usually expect to see from ammo made by a reputable manufacturer. My conclusion was that those projectiles did not perform to my expectations, even though they were advertised as hunting rounds. In contrast, I've seen far more consistent performance from other bullets. I still think that .243 will kill deer just fine (as well as plenty of other critters). I just don't recommend that particular projectile. My kids still use it, and it kills deer just as dead as anything else. I just think that with .243 (actually with anything) it would be a wise choice to use ammunition that performs well for whatever you're shooting. A 58 grain v-max will blow the shit out of a jackrabbit or a coyote, but I don't think it's the best choice for, say, axis deer. I think that for deer sized game, a 80-100gr is a better choice, and even then there are some projectiles that perform better than others for that task. If you disagree, use whatever you want, and that's fine. I never claimed to be any kind of expert or guru, and am fully as capable of being full of shit as anyone else. There are certainly lots of ways to kill a whitetail, and they're good eating. |
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Posted: 2/2/2021 10:14:23 AM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Try 120s. Ans yes it’ll recoil closer to a 243 than a 308. +1 If you reload, try the 120gr NBT's...low recoil, very accurate and absolutely smash deer inside 300yrds. A case full of Varget will get ya north of 2950fps. |
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Posted: 2/22/2021 7:02:53 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I love it. It is my favorite rifle bar none. I've been a big Howa fan for years, and this fixes my one real complaint, which was the clunky houge stocks. Scoped, it's about 8 1/2 pounds give or take, I've not weighed it. Light enough to carry all day, but heavy enough to settle down quick. It balances and swings well in my hands and fits me good. https://i.imgur.com/vlWHOtz.jpg Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: How do you like the Howa in the HS Precision Stock? That's exactly what I was looking to do. I love it. It is my favorite rifle bar none. I've been a big Howa fan for years, and this fixes my one real complaint, which was the clunky houge stocks. Scoped, it's about 8 1/2 pounds give or take, I've not weighed it. Light enough to carry all day, but heavy enough to settle down quick. It balances and swings well in my hands and fits me good. https://i.imgur.com/vlWHOtz.jpg I actually just weighed this rifle and 8.5 is way off. Scoped, with a cheap web sling, and 5 rounds is 7lbs 7.7oz |
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Posted: 2/22/2021 7:15:17 PM EDT
[#30]
My first rifle was a 243. It was DRT every time behind shoulder blade.
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Posted: 2/22/2021 10:47:19 PM EDT
[#31]
Quoted: I already have a Bergara 308 with 20" barrel and Tikka T3x .30-06. I'm looking at building a Howa 1500. I'm looking a for a lighter recoiling round. One that my teenage son could occasionally shoot as well.This rifle would be strictly used mostly for deer and target shooting. I've been debating between the 6.5 Creedmor or 243 Winchester. Don't know which one I'll be better served with already owning two .30 Cals. I'm looking to see what round will make m collection more versatile for hunting. Is there really that much less recoil in a 6.5 Creedmor with a 140gr bullet in a 7.5-8lb hunting rifle compared to a .308? Seems like most factory 6.5 loads are in the 140 gr. weight range that I would use. I've been doing a lot of reading on these two cartridges. Any input would appreciated. Since no one else mentioned it, I will... Howa mini action in 6.5 Grendel  I have one, it’s pretty nice. Or Ruger American in 6.5 Grendel. Of the two the howa is a nicer built, fit and finished rifle, BUT the Ruger was surprisingly more accurate than the howa out of the box. The only problem I had with the Ruger was it was big for the caliber and it didn’t feed smoothly out of AR mags. Could have did some work on a dedicated mag for that rifle, but I liked the fit and finish of the howa better. If I had to choose between the 243 and 6.5 creedmore I would learn more towards the creedmore, maybe even go to the 6mm creedmore. |
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Posted: 8/19/2021 7:54:45 AM EDT
[#32]
I'm likely going to other way from the crowd. I like the .243 but my primary purpose is varmint hunting. To that end, I prefer the lighter bullets, but retain the ability to go larger should I go somewhere I can use it for deer. My Savage seems to have a very wide range of projectiles shooting to roughly the same POI out to 200. Twist in the savage is 1:9.25. The results are impressive so far. 120 and up projectiles seem a bit much for groundhog.
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Posted: 9/14/2021 12:18:18 AM EDT
[#33]
243 is a good round but most factory barrels are around 1:9.. 100 to 105 is the heavy end of what you can expect them to shoot reasonably well. 6mm cm barrels are generally faster and can go heavier.
If you are popping groundhogs....you can do it with a 6.5 but a 243 would be the way to go. If you are shooting long distance and hunting deer then I think 6.5 would be mo better. |
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Posted: 9/14/2021 3:18:56 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: 243 is a good round but most factory barrels are around 1:9.. 100 to 105 is the heavy end of what you can expect them to shoot reasonably well. 6mm cm barrels are generally faster and can go heavier. If you are popping groundhogs....you can do it with a 6.5 but a 243 would be the way to go. If you are shooting long distance and hunting deer then I think 6.5 would be mo better. Why wouldn’t a 123gr 6.5 or similar work on groundhogs? I am a .243 fan, but I can’t see it as any better (or worse). |
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Posted: 9/14/2021 3:33:00 PM EDT
[#35]
Quoted: Why wouldn’t a 123gr 6.5 or similar work on groundhogs? I am a .243 fan, but I can’t see it as any better (or worse). For most varmint guys it’s all about speed. Bullets with comparable BC’s are coming faster out of the 243. |
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Posted: 9/14/2021 3:56:24 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted: For most varmint guys it’s all about speed. Bullets with comparable BC’s are coming faster out of the 243. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Why wouldn’t a 123gr 6.5 or similar work on groundhogs? I am a .243 fan, but I can’t see it as any better (or worse). For most varmint guys it’s all about speed. Bullets with comparable BC’s are coming faster out of the 243. Ok. LOL all my .243 is about deer killing. 97gr BXR 100gr SGK 95gr SST 95gr BT Hm… pretty much all my 6.5CM is too, with some paper punching thrown in 140gr bthp 140gr SP 143gr ELDX 120gr GMX 120gr interbond 130gr SGK 140gr nos BT (Out of 123gr SST… wow) Oddly enough, my favorite deer hunting round is the 140gr soft point… relatively speaking, it has the ballistics of a loogie, but it shoots a ragged hole at 100 and kills the fuck out of stuff within reasonable hunting distance (shot ok at 500 on steel, but I wouldn’t shoot a deer that far with it). |
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Posted: 9/14/2021 4:50:57 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Why wouldn’t a 123gr 6.5 or similar work on groundhogs? I am a .243 fan, but I can’t see it as any better (or worse). I think i said it would work. But an 80 gr 243 is cheaper. A 556 rifle for groundhogs probably more economical... 556 243 6.5. ..... They all have alot of overlap between them |
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Posted: 9/16/2021 9:13:44 AM EDT
[#38]
I would take the 6.5cm. Can shoot 147s down to 120s for hunting.
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Posted: 9/16/2021 9:39:59 AM EDT
[#39]
Quoted: I think i said it would work. But an 80 gr 243 is cheaper. A 556 rifle for groundhogs probably more economical... 556 243 6.5. ..... They all have alot of overlap between them There’s really no overlap between 243 and 223/556 that I can think of. Shoots a 55gr at 3800-3900 and can shoot heavy target bullets near 3000 depending on barrel length. 22-250 and 243 are a lot closer. |
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Posted: 9/16/2021 9:48:05 AM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Why wouldn’t a 123gr 6.5 or similar work on groundhogs? I am a .243 fan, but I can’t see it as any better (or worse). With my preferred groundhog load, a 58gr Vmax moving about 3700fps, there is no hold over / under from 50yds to about 350yds. Hold dead on center mass. Unless it's a typhoon, really no windage hold either. 6.5 is too slow to accomplish this without dialing for $$$. |
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Posted: 9/16/2021 9:48:10 AM EDT
[#41]
I'll just tell you that my 6.0000000 CM did this five shot group at 1000 last Friday morning.
 Attached File |
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Posted: 9/18/2021 11:33:29 AM EDT
[#42]
If one is concerned about recoil and mentioning 243 and 6.5, I suggest rimfire guns
 6.5 man bun recoil  Attached File |
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Posted: 9/19/2021 9:27:36 AM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted: With my preferred groundhog load, a 58gr Vmax moving about 3700fps, there is no hold over / under from 50yds to about 350yds. Hold dead on center mass. Unless it's a typhoon, really no windage hold either. 6.5 is too slow to accomplish this without dialing for $$$. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Why wouldn’t a 123gr 6.5 or similar work on groundhogs? I am a .243 fan, but I can’t see it as any better (or worse). With my preferred groundhog load, a 58gr Vmax moving about 3700fps, there is no hold over / under from 50yds to about 350yds. Hold dead on center mass. Unless it's a typhoon, really no windage hold either. 6.5 is too slow to accomplish this without dialing for $$$. Fair enough. I need to remember that there’s a pretty broad spectrum in “varmint hunting” … most of mine is at night at less than 100y (foxes, coyotes, bobcats, maybe a lion). |
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Posted: 9/25/2021 9:34:14 PM EDT
[#44]
6.5 all day everyday.
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Posted: 9/25/2021 10:04:59 PM EDT
[#45]
If you already have a .308 I'd get a .243.
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Posted: 9/26/2021 5:54:18 PM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryQuoted: With my preferred groundhog load, a 58gr Vmax moving about 3700fps, there is no hold over / under from 50yds to about 350yds. Hold dead on center mass. Unless it's a typhoon, really no windage hold either. 6.5 is too slow to accomplish this without dialing for $$$. This is a great example of .243's varmint shooting superiority. On the flip side, I've killed a ton of deer with a .243 but prefer the 6.5. So much so that even with the 6.5 barrel cut back to 16", I feel it still out performs a longer barreled .243 for killing deer. My typical shot on a NWMO whitetail is 100-300 yards. Last year it was 270, 200, and 150yards. At the end of the day you have to decide what suit you best. A Varmint gun you can take deer hunting or a Deer rifle you can hunt varmints with. |
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Posted: 10/10/2021 10:46:34 PM EDT
[#47]
6.5 recoil is pretty similar to .308, but both are mild enough that an average teenager could handle shooting. .243 is pretty much the minimum for whitetail hunting and it's so light as to be somewhat limiting. If it's mostly for whitetail I'd go 6.5, more for target/coyote shooting by a person sensitive to recoil then .243
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Posted: 12/10/2021 10:15:48 AM EDT
[#48]
I have both 243 and 6.5 Creed. I like them both and both work well on deer. However, my favorite deer rifle right now is a Howa 1500, HS precision in 6mm Creedmoor. My 12 year old son used it last year and killed his mule deer at 70 yards. We both shot mule deer with it this year, his at 300 and mine at 429.
All three deer were one shot kills. Two took about 10 steps and folded. One dropped were he stood, lights out. We are shooting 108gr ELD-M Hornady factory loads. Sub MOA and all 3 have been complete pass thru shots. Antelope season next year...gonna shoot the same rifle. It just plain works.  Attached File |
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Posted: 12/24/2021 10:37:18 PM EDT
[#49]
I was in this same boat for my son, I went 243
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Posted: 12/25/2021 12:13:56 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I was in this same boat for my son, I went 243 I am right there with you... You do your part and the 243 will not fail you! I do love the Hornady American Whitetail - it just punches thru them. Out of 10+ deer harvested so for - only one did not exit - that was a front on quartering shot. The mangled up bullet was found under the skin of the opposite side shoulder....one hole left a phenomenal blood trail. When you start really looking at the different cartridges - they all are about the same. With the 243 - you have to pick a good bullet - one that will hold together. Red |
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