243 vs 6.5 Creedmoor
- Thread starter St Pauli
- Start date
The 243 is noted for short barrel life, and has a more limited choice for bullets unless you have a faster than 1 in 10 twist barrel.
I have both calibers.
The 6.5 is the current "flavour of the month", and for good reason.
What is your intended use for the rifle going to be?
I have both calibers.
The 6.5 is the current "flavour of the month", and for good reason.
What is your intended use for the rifle going to be?
Ha! Best of both worlds
The 243 is noted for short barrel life 
Is it Now ???????????????????????????? RJ
Is it Now ????????????????????????????
RJ
A 260 Rem is very similar to a Creed.
If deer is a regular use, I would choose the 6.5 over the 6mm (243). Both the Creed and the 260 Rem are good choices. I would check the local ammo store to see which ammo is readily available (unless someone is loading ammo)
If deer is a regular use, I would choose the 6.5 over the 6mm (243). Both the Creed and the 260 Rem are good choices. I would check the local ammo store to see which ammo is readily available (unless someone is loading ammo)
My friend want to learn reloading, I load 30/30, 6.5x55 & 300 blackout. 303 in the future.
I have no experience with 243 or 6.5 Creedmoor
That is why I'm asking pros/cons of each
Brass price, bullet scarcity or if common. I'm a novice reloaded. What I've noticed so far
30/30 & 6.5x55 are easy to reload. I had some problems with 300 blackout . Might have been the dies.
I bought another set. Lee set. I like Lee dies. They seem to be more user friendly.
I have no experience with 243 or 6.5 Creedmoor
That is why I'm asking pros/cons of each
Brass price, bullet scarcity or if common. I'm a novice reloaded. What I've noticed so far
30/30 & 6.5x55 are easy to reload. I had some problems with 300 blackout . Might have been the dies.
I bought another set. Lee set. I like Lee dies. They seem to be more user friendly.
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There are plenty of bullet options - soft points, bonded bullets and mono metals in the 80-100gr range, varmint bullets lighter than that... Basically anything you'd ever want for hunting purposes. A 1:10 twist generally isn't well suited for the heavier VLD bullets but they're generally target bullets anyways.
Generally speaking the 243 will recoil less, and the on-game potential between the two are so close as to not matter. Both have pretty available ammo too, but in my area the 6.5 is less common in the big box stores - gun stores will have 6.5 but Walmart might not here.
The 243 is noted for short barrel life
Is it Now ????????????????????????????
I guess it depends. I would think if you pick a light varmint bullet and push it at fast as you can go, you'll get pretty short barrel life - Nosler lists 3900+ fps on a bunch of powders with 55gr bullets. Even normal hunting leads (100gr 243 vs 140gr 6.5cm) the 243 is going faster at the muzzle, so that would make me think it will have less barrel life, but for most people the difference is unimportant as either caliber won't be shot out in a lifetime of hunting use.
Pro's for the 6.5 (or 260 rem if you decide to go that route) you have a projectile range from 85 gr Sierra HP's up to Hornady 160 gr RN, I choose the 260 over the 243 16 years ago because of the heavier weights for deer, Bear, moose, whilst I could still load light for coyotes and fox, my rifle likes the 130gr Accubonds, so I stick to that load now, and am happy with performance on deer and bear,
243 has proven itself on deer, however I myself wanted a cal. With some more energy to float my boat, and still maintain less recoil as I'm smaller, hope that sheds some light on the decision, between the two id go 6.5 cm or 260 rem, pending the deal you find in the rifle platform you prefer.
243 has proven itself on deer, however I myself wanted a cal. With some more energy to float my boat, and still maintain less recoil as I'm smaller, hope that sheds some light on the decision, between the two id go 6.5 cm or 260 rem, pending the deal you find in the rifle platform you prefer.
So, maybe it's more accurate to say the 243 will erode the throat faster than a 6.5 will.
I don't see much difference in reloading the two calibers.
As the 6.5 gets more popular, brass is becoming easier to find. Hornady, Lapua, Petersen, all offer 6.5 CM brass. Buy 2 boxes of Hornady ELD-X factory loads and you'll have 40 pieces of brass to play with after sighting and breaking in the new rifle. That's more than enough for hunting use.
I agree with many that the 6.5 is a more versatile rifle. More energy for larger game if necessary, plus you can still get lighter bullets for coyotes and other varmints.
Recoil is heavier than the 243, but less than a 308.
Most 6.5's are 1 in 8 twist, they'll shoot all but the heaviest match bullets.
If you go the 243 route, look for a faster twist than 1 in 10 if at all possible.
I shoot 90 gr Accubonds from my Tikka (1 in 10), heavier bullets often recommend a faster twist.
Savage 243 barrels are usually 1 in 9.25"
I'd hunt deer with my 243, but in the back of my mind is that shot placement is more critical with the lighter bullet. Heavier bullets do better through bone and brush if the shot is less than perfect.
I think a 243 is an ideal coyote rifle that within limits can do double duty on deer.
Wounded animals are a nightmare none of us need to deal with.
I don't see much difference in reloading the two calibers.
As the 6.5 gets more popular, brass is becoming easier to find. Hornady, Lapua, Petersen, all offer 6.5 CM brass. Buy 2 boxes of Hornady ELD-X factory loads and you'll have 40 pieces of brass to play with after sighting and breaking in the new rifle. That's more than enough for hunting use.
I agree with many that the 6.5 is a more versatile rifle. More energy for larger game if necessary, plus you can still get lighter bullets for coyotes and other varmints.
Recoil is heavier than the 243, but less than a 308.
Most 6.5's are 1 in 8 twist, they'll shoot all but the heaviest match bullets.
If you go the 243 route, look for a faster twist than 1 in 10 if at all possible.
I shoot 90 gr Accubonds from my Tikka (1 in 10), heavier bullets often recommend a faster twist.
Savage 243 barrels are usually 1 in 9.25"
I'd hunt deer with my 243, but in the back of my mind is that shot placement is more critical with the lighter bullet. Heavier bullets do better through bone and brush if the shot is less than perfect.
I think a 243 is an ideal coyote rifle that within limits can do double duty on deer.
Wounded animals are a nightmare none of us need to deal with.
So much knowledge is passed on based on -- "they say" or " I heard " or " I read " . Very little based on real world practical experience. In a hunting rifle pick whichever appeals to you. A handloader has a good selection of bullets to choose from that can make either bore size / cartridge work for you .
In my own experience I have had the opportunity to take game with quite a few different cartridges . If you are placing the shot in a vital area such as the lungs then most every hunting round will suffice . If however you are the sort who feels the need to push a bullet from the hind-quarter length-ways out through the brisket then you should choose a larger bore and heavier bullet with the best sectional density you can get.
As far as bore life is concerned I had the well informed opinion based on second hand knowledge that a 243 was only good for at most 1400 rounds before replacing the barrel. Then I had one of my children who was a bit small to shoot a 308 so I set up a Remington 788 rifle with the original barrel ,243 Winchester . Shooting 85 grain Hornady's BT. It started as a half minute rifle and when it got up to almost 4000 rounds it started to slip out to about one inch. It got retired to a hunting rifle status and we shot another 500 plus rounds out of it before putting on a new barrel. Even then it was capable of 1.75 minute of angle.. Certainly "minute of deer " for hunting in the Eastern part of Canada.
And yes the inside of the bore looked poorly when it was removed but because it had always been well cleaned and maintained it would still have been serviceable as a hunting rifle .
In my own experience I have had the opportunity to take game with quite a few different cartridges . If you are placing the shot in a vital area such as the lungs then most every hunting round will suffice . If however you are the sort who feels the need to push a bullet from the hind-quarter length-ways out through the brisket then you should choose a larger bore and heavier bullet with the best sectional density you can get.
As far as bore life is concerned I had the well informed opinion based on second hand knowledge that a 243 was only good for at most 1400 rounds before replacing the barrel. Then I had one of my children who was a bit small to shoot a 308 so I set up a Remington 788 rifle with the original barrel ,243 Winchester . Shooting 85 grain Hornady's BT. It started as a half minute rifle and when it got up to almost 4000 rounds it started to slip out to about one inch. It got retired to a hunting rifle status and we shot another 500 plus rounds out of it before putting on a new barrel. Even then it was capable of 1.75 minute of angle.. Certainly "minute of deer " for hunting in the Eastern part of Canada.
And yes the inside of the bore looked poorly when it was removed but because it had always been well cleaned and maintained it would still have been serviceable as a hunting rifle .
what erodes the barrel in the 243 is the angle of the neck - its pushing all the gases into the barrel at high pressure - when you take a few shots in a row the barrel heats up also - as I mentioned in another post - a good solution to the 243 would be the 240 wby round - as for the 6.5 creed it was designed as a paper punching out to the next county - brass isn't cheap for the 240wby but you will enjoy reloading them at a fraction of the cost
