243 Win vs. 6mm CM... Another redundant Cartridge from Hornady?
- Thread starter Meroh
- Start date
100% agree
243 is a bit overbore, that's the only reason for throat erosion.
Weatherby shoulder is sharper and more efficient then any of these 40 degree affairs, don't see any of those shoulders on new cartridges.
308 doesn't have a sharp shoulder, and those barrels will out last a 6cm by 2 or 3 times, but it's not overbore.
Yes 243 - thru to 358 Win . RJ
Yes. And the 25 Souper and 7mm-08 and 358 Win. - dan
Stevens 334 is an 8 twist 243 iirc. Nice to have an affordable option. Factory ammo is still an issue though.
To be fair you never saw a lot of 260s around. 264cals never really caught on until recently.
I still have mine, and it shoots very well. No longer have it's direct predecessor though, the 6.5 Panther. I also still have a 6.5x55, and a 6.5-06 and a 6.5x54. I've owned many 6.5 Swedes over the years, and they really opened my eyes to what those 6.5 bullets can do. In the past I have also owned 6.5 TCU, 6.5x68, 264 Win and 6.5 STW. You are correct that it the bore was never as popular as the 30's and 7mm's though. - dan
Boooo. The dealer I was looking at had it listed as 1:8. Happy I didn't pull the trigger now, already have a 10 twist 243.Lookin at their websites they're 1:10"
It's absolutely wild how many people look at a new bench rest cartridge and go "this is redundant" or "the gain is only a couple hundred FPS" without realizing that the target market is not replacing every 243, 260, 6.5 creed or whatever else. While we're on the subject it's ridiculous just how many people try to put down the 6.5 creed because "the 6.5x55 exists" totally ignoring it's a higher pressure cartridge that neatly fits perfectly into short actions.
These calibers are for bench rest shooters who rebarrel every single season as a rule and spend thousands of dollars each year trying to not just get get decent groups but send every round through the same exact hole.
They're living in a world where the dies they use cost almost an order of magnitude more than Lee's that will get the job done for 99% of shooters out there, use laboratory analytical balances that go to four decimal points, already match grade brass and bullets are hand sorted for weight/concentricity, and use all manner of black magic rituals and blood sacrifices to get their rifles shooting the way they do. Things most people don't even think about like the case capacity, geometry, and shoulder angles are all fussed over.
At the point when you're already rebarreling frequently getting into a new caliber is just a new set of dies and some brass. With all the time, effort, and money that already goes into competitive accuracy shooting it's frankly trivial to switch to the new latest and greatest chambering offered.
The goal isn't to replace the 243, it's chasing the ultimate in accuracy competing with other guys trying just as hard to do the same.
These calibers are for bench rest shooters who rebarrel every single season as a rule and spend thousands of dollars each year trying to not just get get decent groups but send every round through the same exact hole.
They're living in a world where the dies they use cost almost an order of magnitude more than Lee's that will get the job done for 99% of shooters out there, use laboratory analytical balances that go to four decimal points, already match grade brass and bullets are hand sorted for weight/concentricity, and use all manner of black magic rituals and blood sacrifices to get their rifles shooting the way they do. Things most people don't even think about like the case capacity, geometry, and shoulder angles are all fussed over.
At the point when you're already rebarreling frequently getting into a new caliber is just a new set of dies and some brass. With all the time, effort, and money that already goes into competitive accuracy shooting it's frankly trivial to switch to the new latest and greatest chambering offered.
The goal isn't to replace the 243, it's chasing the ultimate in accuracy competing with other guys trying just as hard to do the same.
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Just put together a new rifle a few years ago and went through these same thoughts. I went with the .243 mainly because I had a set of dies and a bunch of reloading components from previous .243's, both of those .243's seemed to shoot exceptionally well. I did have the luxury of ordering a barrel with my choice of 8 twist so that is a big factor there. AT the time I was also looking at the 6mm Sherman which is still on my one day/ maybe/that's a cool cartridge list. If i was buying a factory rifle in 6mm caliber for target shooting I probably would have chose the 6 creed.
Yep. And, typically those same individuals also recognize that modern cartridge design isn’t just about ‘capacity/velocity’.
