What cal? .243 or 6mm x 47 Lapua??

scott_r

scott_r

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Im looking at doing at a custom build and can find a Bartlien 6mm barrel and am wondering what would be the better choice for a long range coyote cal. the 6mm x47 or .243..the local smith can do both but doesn't have the 6 mm creed reamer. I have some Redding .243 dies and a bunch of brass but am intrigued by the 6mm x 47 Lapua as Ive heard of extended barrel life and accuracy vs .243 . I do enjoy target shooting but my primary passion is long range varmint hunting if this helps. Typically I wil shoot approx 100 rounds a week at the local range if this helps. I will not be in any shooting competitions, just enjoy shooting varmints (especially coyotes) at long ranges and banging off the odd steel gong i have at 1000 yards.

Cheers!!
 
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Excellent question. I have several 243's and have wondered about other options including 6PPC, 6x47, 260R etc yadayada...
I have stayed with 243 for a couple of reasons...a number of years ago I watched a fellow shoot an F class match against some pretty reasonable shooters...this was early days for F class and he was shooting a 'box stock' .243W Ruger with a harris bipod. Match was shot back to a 1000 IRRC. He won convincingly while his wife watched...nagging him the whole time that she wanted to go home...so 'under pressure'! Second..I recall a pretty well written article in either 'Rifle' or 'Handloader' where the author was a committed 6ppc shooter and discovered that the .243W, using good brass etc etc - and with lighter loads that were a little closer to the 6ppc could perform on a paper target 'almost' as well as the PPC ... for which he expressed some surprise. And finally despite all the naysayers...the 243w is a very adequate white tail cartridge (and maybe more)...based on my limited - but successful - experience. Personally I would recommend the 243w to you....it would be hard to go wrong imo. ...fwiw
 
243 sounds like it will do what you are intending, one thing I would look at is the 6XC. It's basically a necked up 22-250 and just a beauty of a little cartridge! A 1:8 barrel will push 105g hybrids over 3000fps with ease.
 
6x47 or 6xc for sure.
The 6x47 getting the edge just because of lapua brass being available for it.
Both are more inherently accurate and easier to precision reload for due to the neck/shoulder design.
They feed well from a typical short action/aics mag, and don't give up performance to the .243.
3200+ fps can be achieved with Berger 105 hybrids and rl17 in the 6xc.
 
6X47 Lapua, can neck down lapua 6.5 brass
6 Creedmore, can neck down 6.5 brass (Lapua is said to have some in production now, small rifle primer)
6XC, little higher velocities
6 SLR, similar to the XC, I just sized and neck turned Lapua 243 brass for mine last night. Little longer neck length, might provide better neck consistency and barrel life. I am at around 3100 FPS with 105 Berger Hybrids and H4831SC but I have been upwards of 3200 with no pressure signs with Lapua Brass (Hornady brass, 3150 was max in my rifle). I have a BAT action, Bartlein 5R 1 in 7.5 twist barrel chambered in 6mm SLR with a .272 neck (neck turning is required with Lapua Brass)
243 is simpler and cheaper, barrel life might not be quite as good due to shoulder angle but it will do basically the same as the others. depending on the bullet you want to use you might want a longer throat or even the 243 AI can get you a bit more velocity/life.

I tried to compare all the 6mm options and went with this as it can be very easy to size domestic brass, little higher velocity, longer neck and no neck turning required with a .274 neck and I like having things that are different.
Nothing wrong with any of them, take your pick with whatever suits your budget or component availability (all of which are fairly easy to find now adays)
 
You can buy ammo for the 243 and not for the 6x47L. I you ever want to use factory ammo, that is a consideration.

If you will only reload, go with the 6x47L. It will do everything the 243 will in a smaller, more efficient case that has a longer neck. It will allow you to chase the lands for a lot longer than the short necked 243 and you will never run out of room in the mag when doing so.
 
Another one for the 6xc, I have all of the above mentioned 243, 6slr, 6x47, 243imp, and 3 6xc's. The xc is by far my favorite and I find the easiest to load for, I run 115 dtacs at 3100fps with no issues out of a 7.75t benchmark finished at 26", gun just plain shoots! I'm in the process of building a new prs gun and as soon as I get home from work I'll finish it up but I expect the results to be the same.
 
dan belisle said:
I shoot 6x47 Rem, 6 PPC, 243, 243 AI, 6mm Rem, 6mm Rem AI, 240 Gibbs. If ease of ammo is important, go with the 243. Usually for coyotes I use a fast 22, but it really won't make much difference for most coyote hunting. - dan
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For most of my coyote hunting season I use the .204 as I put up all my fur but there is that late season that they hang up in the 600 yard mark,sitting perfectly still that Id like to take a poke at them. A 6mm cartridge would fit that scenario well :) Ease of ammo isnt a huge factor as Ive been reloading for well over a decade.
 
7 twist 22-250 with 90 gr vld's will hammer a yote at 800 plus and is very good on the pelts. lapua brass to boot but that being said the norma brass in the 6 xc will run 20 plus firings if its kept up and its very competent out to 1000 with the 105 bergers or 115 detacs. Tuff choice to make but no bad ones really.
 
furtaker said:
7 twist 22-250 with 90 gr vld's will hammer a yote at 800 plus and is very good on the pelts. lapua brass to boot but that being said the norma brass in the 6 xc will run 20 plus firings if its kept up and its very competent out to 1000 with the 105 bergers or 115 detacs. Tuff choice to make but no bad ones really.
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Thought about that, I have a 1 in 8 .223 that I shoot out to 1000 yards with 82 bergers...22-250 would get there a bit quicker but wouldn't mind also having it for whitetails and possible wildboar if I ever run into them.
 
I wanted a varmit caliber and in my rifle model likes had three real coices .244 .243 and 6mm rem. All having some different qualities but very similar I fell for the .244. But 6mm is next on the list and being that the .243 is easiest to find ill leave that to last.
There did happen to be a few made a little later in a 7mm-08 which would be nice due to the coices in brass. So im my world it came down to barrel twist and availability of brass, the ouuuuu factor in the rarety, and the bullets all being the same cal. And in the 760's it was kind of a take what you can get when you get it šŸ˜‚šŸ¤” haha
 
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