Posted on 02/19/2018 7:05:30 AM PST by w1n1
There are some talks in the long range community of how well does the 6.5 Creedmoor perform against the .243.
From a ballistics view the 243 and 6.5 are almost identical out to 1100 meters. The 243 has an edge as far as bullet drop is concern. If you’re a numbers guy/gal, take a look at this:
.243 Nosler 105gr BC .571 Muzzle FPS 2846 Tansonic 1359 at 1100 yd total drop 383 inches.
6.5 Nosler 140gr BC .658 Muzzle FPS 2598 Transonic 1352 at 1100 yd total drop 429 inches.
Some precision shooters make claims to barrel life can be a difference. For example, the 6.5 barrel life is in the 2500-3000FPS range and the .243 is usually under 2000FPS. Not much of a differences to see in terms of performances only in numbers. Either way, you're probably going to hit that deer from any range.
The 6.5 Creedmoor has become a hot commodity in the shooting range and the hunting arena. The cartridge was originally designed for competitive shooting, before hunters took notice. The hunters were drawn to the cartridge because hunting specific loads did not exist and also due to its superbly accurate performance in shooting competitions. The other factor is the affordable rates of rifles in the market. Read the rest of the 6.5 Creedmoor vs 243 story here. Which cartridge do you use?
I find the Creedmore an interesting round and worthy of checking out but, financially speaking, I just can’t afford another caliber of ammo to stock up on. Looks like I’ll be sticking with the 308. The price of 308 ammo is definitely coming down. Three years ago is was almost impossible to find it for under a buck a round for off the shelf ball ammo. Now I’m finding it for 40 cents a round.
ya....well, all of my 1100 yard hunting shots require Hubble telescope downloads to my iPod, so.......
For deer sized game the creedmore is more efficient. Bullet construction is heavier and will give better penetration while retaining weight. The 243 bullets are more lightly constructed and tend to fragment more when striking bone. The creedmore will be less susceptible to wind drift than the 243. On the other hand the 243 will have less recoil making it more accurate for those who are sensitive to recoil and it will shot a little flatter. 243 really excels on varmint hunting. I like the creedmore but there are other cartridges in the 6.5 to 7mm class that will do everything the creedmore does and more. Most however require reloading. The creedmore has exploded on the scene and ammo is commercially available most everywhere. Like the previous poster i like the 308. Cheaper to shoot and barrel last forever. The deer won’t be able to tell any difference if shot by a 308 or a 6.5.
My wife uses a .243 for deer hunting. That little peashooter is absolutely lethal. When it hits the shoulder joint the damage is ridiculous.
In the 20 years she’s been deer hunting I’ve only had to track one deer for her, and that one was due to poor shot placement.
When she puts it in the wheelhouse they just fall over.
I totally agree with your sentiments.....
The 243 with good shot placement is an adequate deer caliber.
Where I grew up in Western PA, a lot of people considered the .257 Roberts the poor man’s one size fits all. With proper bullet selection, it worked just fine for anything likely to be encountered in PA from groundhogs to black bear.
Two observations, for one, the Creedmoor load he’s comparing is anemic, less than 2600 fps, it can easily be driven 150-200 fps faster. Second, the .243 will have to be a custom barrel twist to handle the long 105 type projectiles to compare favorably. The 6 Creed addresses these issues, there really isn’t a lot of difference if both are loaded identically and the proper twist is used. That said 99% if not all factory rifles in .243 are 1 in 10 twist which will have problems with the long match projectiles. I have a 6.5 Creedmoor and it is a very nice rifle, it will shoot groups the size of a baseball at 700 yards, which is as far as I’ve been able to test it.
I envy that. That's about as good as it gets.
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