Going smaller!

[TechsanHunter]

I’m going smaller with my hunting rifle and committing to being a better shot with range time and instruction. I currently shoot a suppressed .30-06 custom rifle from APR with S&B glass. Beautiful rig, but I have an ugly flinch when pulling the trigger. I need help with caliber selection for a new rifle. It will mostly be a range/whitetail gun inside of 300 yds- maybe a trip to Alaska for bigger game or an elk hunt once or twice in my life.

My q. I do not hand load my own ammo. For factory load options, which would you choose:
1) 6mm creed
2) .243 (1:8 twist barrel)
3) 6.5 creed

Rifle will be Seekins ph3,Sako 90 hunter, or custom. It will be suppressed, and have atacr glass.

I’d be grateful for your recs on factory cartridges as well. Please and thank you.

 

[nm.otter]

6.5 Creedmoor handily wins for factory load options.

Practice: Hornady 140gr American Gunner, Norma 130gr Golden Target
Hunting: Hornady Match 140gr (or 147 gr), Precision Hunter 143gr

 

[jimh406]

I believe you should work on getting rid of the flinch instead of just shopping for another big game rifle. I don't think simply swapping rifles will fix your issue. Your suppressed 30'06 shouldn't be kicking that bad unless it's extremely light. There are lots of techniques to help you work on the flinch.

However, a rifle with less kick will be more fun to shoot. You can get there a lot of different ways. I'd consider a 308 as well with 130-150 gr bullets. If you don't reload, I don't think you need a 1in8 243. Any 243 will work. Most factory loads don't have that heavy of bullets. I believe 243 ammo is a lot less than the Creeds.

 

[Marbles]

If you don't hand load, 6 creed. If you do hand load 6 creed for ease of handling brass.

I will probably stick with 243 because I handload and already have brass and dies.

 

[Dave Thomas]

For factory ammo I would get one of the creedmoors. I would also look into a 7mm08.

 

[Dave0317]

I imagine by your scope choice you do intend for a good bit of your practice to be longer range?

My opinion would be 6 creedmoor considering your use is primarily whitetail, though it is reportedly plenty capable for the larger game as well. And also if you are working on a flinch issue, dropping significantly in recoil will probably help a good bit.

6.5 creedmoor would buy you slightly better BC and longer barrel life, at the expense of more recoil than the 6.

If you aren’t shooting much long range, get a .223 tikka for training and for deer. Re-work your custom rifle to shoot 6 or 6.5 later on when you have fixed your flinch and know what you need.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I believe you should work on getting rid of the flinch instead of just shopping for another big game rifle. I don't think simply swapping rifles will fix your issue. Your suppressed 30'06 shouldn't be kicking that bad unless it's extremely light. There are lots of techniques to help you work on the flinch.

However, a rifle with less kick will be more fun to shoot. You can get there a lot of different ways. I'd consider a 308 as well with 130-150 gr bullets. If you don't reload, I don't think you need a 1in8 243. Any 243 will work. Most factory loads don't have that heavy of bullets. I believe 243 ammo is a lot less than the Creeds.

You are 100% correct.

 

[TechsanHunter]

I believe you should work on getting rid of the flinch instead of just shopping for another big game rifle. I don't think simply swapping rifles will fix your issue. Your suppressed 30'06 shouldn't be kicking that bad unless it's extremely light. There are lots of techniques to help you work on the flinch.

However, a rifle with less kick will be more fun to shoot. You can get there a lot of different ways. I'd consider a 308 as well with 130-150 gr bullets. If you don't reload, I don't think you need a 1in8 243. Any 243 will work. Most factory loads don't have that heavy of bullets. I believe 243 ammo is a lot less than the Creeds.

Agreed. Thus the mention of range time and training. I think 6.5 creed recoil will be my upper ceiling.

 

[nm.otter]

It's definitely my upper ceiling.

Not unpleasant at all in a just-under-8-pound package suppressed. Sending 50 rounds downrange in an hour or two is a cakewalk, and I can easily get back in the scope fast enough to spot impacts at 400+ yards.

To spot shorter impacts and traces I need dead perfect form, which I'm not consistently able to pull off at this point.

 

[TechsanHunter]

It's definitely mine.

Not unpleasant at all in a just-under-8-pound package suppressed. Sending 50 rounds downrange in an hour or two is a cakewalk, and I can easily get back in the scope fast enough to spot impacts at 400+ yards.

To spot shorter impacts and traces I need dead perfect form, which I'm not consistently able to pull off at this point.

Pardon the follow up and thanks for the response, but I’m not understanding your reply? When you say “It’s definitely mine” - what do you mean by that?

 

[nm.otter]

...my upper ceiling (corrected).

I bought it thinking it would be my starter gun, with an eye towards an eventual 7mm "elk rifle." Now it's my boomer

Looking at 6mm GT (or perhaps .22 GT) once I get through all the factory ammo I have (and put a reload or two on the brass).

 

[Brap01]

I’m going smaller with my hunting rifle and committing to being a better shot with range time and instruction. I currently shoot a suppressed .30-06 custom rifle from APR with S&B glass. Beautiful rig, but I have an ugly flinch when pulling the trigger. I need help with caliber selection for a new rifle. It will mostly be a range/whitetail gun inside of 300 yds- maybe a trip to Alaska for bigger game or an elk hunt once or twice in my life.

My q. I do not hand load my own ammo. For factory load options, which would you choose:
1) 6mm creed
2) .243 (1:8 twist barrel)
3) 6.5 creed

Rifle will be Seekins ph3,Sako 90 hunter, or custom. It will be suppressed, and have atacr glass.

I’d be grateful for your recs on factory cartridges as well. Please and thank you.

Take a look at all the dead animals in the 6mm/243 thread. They kill great and they kick less than a 6.5 CM.

I recently switched from 308/30-06/300 WSM to killing deer and elk with 6mm CM and 6 ARC for my kids. We've got 3 mule deer, 1 whitetail and a spike elk from 82 yards to 405 yards. Everything died just like they did with 30 cals, practice is more fun/lasts longer and I can watch the hit/reaction of the animal.

We hope to shoot another 2 whitetail and cow elk this year. We are still hunting with the 6mm bullets, my 30 cals are gathering dust.

I went 6 CM because it has good factory ammo options. I hand load but it's nice to have the option to shoot factory ammo.

 

[liv3mind]

Consider 6gt or even 6arc? I have been loving shooting 6arc this year and plan to build a 6gt in the spring, 6mm seems a really sweet spot but I want a more barrel life than the 6 creed provides cause I target shoot as well. I took a WT at 316y 2 days ago with 103eldx out of a 16" 6arc, no fuss.

 

[mtnbound]

I’m going smaller with my hunting rifle and committing to being a better shot with range time and instruction. I currently shoot a suppressed .30-06 custom rifle from APR with S&B glass. Beautiful rig, but I have an ugly flinch when pulling the trigger. I need help with caliber selection for a new rifle. It will mostly be a range/whitetail gun inside of 300 yds- maybe a trip to Alaska for bigger game or an elk hunt once or twice in my life.

My q. I do not hand load my own ammo. For factory load options, which would you choose:
1) 6mm creed
2) .243 (1:8 twist barrel)
3) 6.5 creed

Rifle will be Seekins ph3,Sako 90 hunter, or custom. It will be suppressed, and have atacr glass.

I’d be grateful for your recs on factory cartridges as well. Please and thank you.

6CM is the easy button and my first choice. 103gr and up for bullet weights and use which one is the most accurate.

A 243 with a 1-8 twist is great if you can find factory loaded ammo with the 103gr and up bullets, but at the listed range of sub 300y the 1-10 twist would be ok.

6.5CM is the other easy button especially if you want heavier bullets and plentiful practice ammo.