Your deer rifle--why'd you choose .243 or 6.5 CM?

[hereinaz]

To go along with this thread, what would be the choice between 6cm and a 8” twist .243? The rifle will be cut to 16.5” for a suppressor.


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The 6 creed is designed from the factory for long range. The .243 guarantees handloading. When handloading, it is easier to get good consistent loads with the 6 creed case than the .243. Case design in the creedmoor case is more efficient and have to do less trimming because of the case taper and shoulder angle.

 

[PNWGATOR]

How far do you intend to kill eastern white tails?

 

[hereinaz]

I make the choice based upon the expected range, and then use a good match bullet that I can put behind the shoulder. I go with the lightest recoil with the weight of the bullet that keeps wind drift inside tolerable margin of error based on the expected range and typical conditions.

I actually run a 6mm BRA with 95 as my little rifle, which is right between the .223 and the 6mm creed/.243. Suppressed I don't know that you could tell the difference with a .223 vs the 6 BRA.

If a .223 ballistically will put it in the sweet spot, it will usually have the needed velocity for terminal damage. No reason to go bigger unless your want a rifle to do more, or feel the need for more "knock down".

 

[Floridave]

I recently rebarreled a 30/06 to 243. Couldn’t be happier with it.
I am handloading and shooting heavy bullets. and able to load them long in my long action Remington.
I considered MANY long and short action rounds but with current bullets I felt like the 243/6mm did everything I needed and wanted. It’s such a pleasure to shoot at the range And at this point it’s my ‘big’ bolt action rifle.

If I didn’t handload and hadn’t been given a pretty much lifetime supply of 243 brass I would have more seriously considered going 6 creedmoor. (not 6.5)


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[Gstew1930]

A lot of guys I hunt with use .243’s with the 95 grain Nosler ballistic tip. It’s a pretty damn good combo

 

[Wyo_hntr]

The correct answer is 6 creedmoor.

 

[dutch_henry]

I went 6.5 creed, because tikka didn't make a 6 creed and their 243s were 10 twist 2 years ago. Still might make the same choice factory, but next barrel will be 6 creed.

Yeah, was pleased to see that the T3x 243 is now a 1:8. That and the 22.4" bbl is a pretty compelling package.

 

[roosiebull]

I too would go 6 creed, but between the two today, I’d go with a 243

 

[SloppyJ]

I've got an old 243 in the safe and a single shot Rossi in 243 that someone gave me for my son. With that said, I still have the itch to build a 6CM for myself. I've had more than outstanding luck with a .243 on deer here in the south where my shots could be anywhere between 10 and 300yds. Most often 75yds and in. The recoil is extremely manageable and the performance is all you could ask for. I wish the barrel life was a little better but rebarreling a rifle is fun too.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I make the choice based upon the expected range, and then use a good match bullet that I can put behind the shoulder. I go with the lightest recoil with the weight of the bullet that keeps wind drift inside tolerable margin of error based on the expected range and typical conditions.

I actually run a 6mm BRA with 95 as my little rifle, which is right between the .223 and the 6mm creed/.243. Suppressed I don't know that you could tell the difference with a .223 vs the 6 BRA.

If a .223 ballistically will put it in the sweet spot, it will usually have the needed velocity for terminal damage. No reason to go bigger unless your want a rifle to do more, or feel the need for more "knock down".

Agree, but .223 is not legal everywhere, that is the key constraint.

 

[Shootinsurveyor]

I will throw in that my Tikka 6.5CM has less recoil and less muzzle blast than my Savage 243. The recoil impulse is sharper in the 243. Neither is bad, but I would pick the 6.5CM for shooting comfort any day over the 243.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I do reload.


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In that case, it's a no brainer to go with the 6 Creed.

• More efficient case uses less powder to achieve the same performance as .243
• Less powder means less muzzle blast, less recoil, and longer barrel life (recoil is already very low for either so less significant)
• Shoulder geometry provides improved case life (less trimming)
• Cartridge was designed for heavy, high BC bullets

If you want to get old-school fancy and level the playing field, you could go with .243AI, but this really adds unnecessary extra steps to the process to fireform your brass. Honestly, the 6 Creed is the easy button in this example.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I’d argue the opposite. 6 creed has factory ammo with better bullets than 243 does. May not be flush on the shelves but I’ve now had 5 different good options of factory 6 creed ammo and not paid more than $30/box. Just bought offline. The only real benefit to 243 imo is more rifle options are chambered in it.

Agree, and I was talking about your literal Walmart, Scheels, etc..., physical shelves. If comfortable buyin online, than definitely a toss up.

Our local Walmarts regularly have .243, 6.5 Creed, .270, .30-30, .308, and .30-06. Once in a while they have a couple boxes of 7 mag or .300 mag. They rarely have any "exotics" like .25-06, 6 Creed, etc... LOL!

 

[Loper]

I will throw in that my Tikka 6.5CM has less recoil and less muzzle blast than my Savage 243. The recoil impulse is sharper in the 243. Neither is bad, but I would pick the 6.5CM for shooting comfort any day over the 243.

The part about the muzzle blast being increased with the 243 Savage over the Tikka 6.5CM could be because the Tikka has a longer barrel. i know that a lot of Tikkas have a 24 inch barrel with the 6.5CM.

 

[wind gypsy]

Agree, and I was talking about your literal Walmart, Scheels, etc..., physical shelves. If comfortable buyin online, than definitely a toss up.

Our local Walmarts regularly have .243, 6.5 Creed, .270, .30-30, .308, and .30-06. Once in a while they have a couple boxes of 7 mag or .300 mag. They rarely have any "exotics" like .25-06, 6 Creed, etc... LOL!

I think we were just looking at it different. 243 is absolutely more available on the shelf but it doesn't matter if you can get it cheaper online anyway. I was looking at it more from the angle that you get better factory ammo options with creed with bullets that dont exist in factory 243 ammo, readily available for decent prices, just comes from the internet. If a 243 has an 8 twist you can close the gap with handloads but I dont see why one would want to go with the option that has more brass growth and a lesser throat design.

 

[wind gypsy]

The part about the muzzle blast being increased with the 243 Savage over the Tikka 6.5CM could be because the Tikka has a longer barrel. i know that a lot of Tikkas have a 24 inch barrel with the 6.5CM.

Yeah, apples to apples in the same rifle i see no way a 243 recoils more than a 6.5 using same heavy for caliber bullets at similar pressures.

 

[hereinaz]

Yeah, apples to apples in the same rifle i see no way a 243 recoils more than a 6.5 using same heavy for caliber bullets at similar pressures.

The recoil impulse can be/feel a little different, "sharper" with smaller overbore cartridges IMO. But, my limited experience shooting both is in agreement with WG. Controlling the recoil feels different to me.

As for muzzle flash and unburned powder, I could see a smaller bore producing more unburned powder, all things being equal. The total volume of the barrel interior is just that much larger in a .5mm bigger bore.

 

[Lawnboi]

Having shot all of what’s mentioned, if legal, and for deer in broken terrain sub 350 yards, I’m taking the 223/77tmk combo every time.

And with options available. The 243 wouldn’t even be on my radar.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I think we were just looking at it different. 243 is absolutely more available on the shelf but it doesn't matter if you can get it cheaper online anyway. I was looking at it more from the angle that you get better factory ammo options with creed with bullets that dont exist in factory 243 ammo, readily available for decent prices, just comes from the internet. If a 243 has an 8 twist you can close the gap with handloads but I dont see why one would want to go with the option that has more brass growth and a lesser throat design.

 

[wind gypsy]

It doesnt make sense. However....

I have 2 tikkas. Same recoil pad, rings, scope. With the exception of that 6.5x55 being cut to 18" they are identical

243 running 105's fairly warm, and the 6.5x55 running 123's fairly warm. That 243 kicks more. I dont get it, but it does

Interesting. The swede is loaded to modern pressures warm not book 96 mauser warm?