my buddy is trying to decide whether to get a .243 or a 6.5 creedmoore for deer hunting everything I have read is they are really close in comparison except for the creedmoore is better at long range but a long shot for him will be 300 yards what do you guys think
6.5 creedmoore vs .243
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CraigC
Sixgun Nut
IMHO, they are not close at all. The .243 is a glorified varmint cartridge. The 6.5CM is a viable big game cartridge. The big difference is twist rate and bullet weight.
CarJunkieLS1
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7mm08...but of the 2 listed and deer being the only concern I'd pick the Creedmoor over the .243 everytime. Myself personally I just don't see any reason for people to buy a .243 for medium game.
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The 243 is a good varmint/deer combo cartridge. It is borderline for anything bigger than deer, but if deer are the biggest thing he'll ever hunt then it is an option. The 6.5 is a viable big game cartridge for deer up to black bear, moose or elk with recoil closer to 243 than 308 or 270. It shoots the same bullet weights as 270 slightly slightly slower at the muzzle, and only .3mm smaller in diameter. But because of the better aerodynamics will pull closer to 270 speeds as ranges increase beyond the muzzle.
In a nutshell as a hunting cartridge the 6.5 will is suitable for anything 270 or 308 is suitable for. And if you ever want to play around at longer range target shooting is vastly better than the others
In a nutshell as a hunting cartridge the 6.5 will is suitable for anything 270 or 308 is suitable for. And if you ever want to play around at longer range target shooting is vastly better than the others
Varminterror
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Deer aren’t really big game, and there’s not a deer in our country the 243win won’t cleanly kill at 300yrds. If he needs to do more than deer at 300 (or 600 really), then there are better choices than the 6.5 creed.
For the stated application, it’s really a coin flip, but I’d personally get the 243win - or better still, the 6mm Creedmoor.
For the stated application, it’s really a coin flip, but I’d personally get the 243win - or better still, the 6mm Creedmoor.
someguy2800
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I don't see any advantage that would make me pick the 243 except maybe as a coyote rifle. I really like the 6.5C.
Dr T
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6.5 CM. I have killed 30+ deer with the 6mm Rem and 243, but I have found that the bullet performance of the 6.5 CM is far, far superior.
Mn Fats
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6.5 Swede. Sorry, had to be the one to say it 
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For just plain whitetail hunting, between those two choices, it'd just come down to whatever rifle I was looking at that I liked better. If the rifle I was looking at was offered in both chamberings, I'd flip a coin.
.For just plain whitetail hunting, between those two choices, it'd just come down to whatever rifle I was looking at that I liked better. If the rifle I was looking at was offered in both chamberings, I'd flip a coin.
All you are doing with either cartridge is poking a hole in an animal. I am of the opinion that the bullet that creates the largest through hole is the most lethal bullet. Now this is something that cannot be calculated with a desk calculator, it requires shooting something that has been calibrated to simulate real tissue. To date, ballistic gellatin is the accepted tissue simulator.
I found a YouTube video on Creedmore Tests:
6.5 Creedmore ballistic tests
I did not watch the video. Unfortunately http://www.brassfetcher.com/Rifles/Rifles.html does not have a 243 Win or 6.5 Creedmore test report on the web, but you can examine what he has posted. If that might help.
One criticism I have of some ballistic tests is that they are conducted within 25 yards of the muzzle and the cartridge is not downloaded. If someone is claiming that cartridge "A " is a good 600 yard, 800 yard, or 1500 yard cartridge, and there are those on this site who do, then what these characters should be presenting is bullet expansion and penetration at the velocity the bullet has at 600 yards, 800 yards, and 1500 yards. Based on what I have read,
"Revisiting Bullet Performance" "Dave Scovill Handloader 318, "One of the most interest facets of Mr. Scuichetti's work is that the vast majority of what we might call "hunting" bullets deliver optimum performance in terms of penetration potential and weight retention with an impact velocity window ranging from 2,500 fps to 2,200 fps."
it is likely that the bullet in cartridge "A" through "Z", that is none of them, will not expand at all at 600, 800, and 1500 yards. According to Mr Scovill, 300 yards is about the limit for reliable expansion for most bullets.
Until someone quantifies the damage at distance any particular cartridge and bullet makes, I am going to make the general recommendation to go with the largest diameter bullet, as the hole it makes won't get any smaller than its own diameter!
I found a YouTube video on Creedmore Tests:
6.5 Creedmore ballistic tests
I did not watch the video. Unfortunately http://www.brassfetcher.com/Rifles/Rifles.html does not have a 243 Win or 6.5 Creedmore test report on the web, but you can examine what he has posted. If that might help.
One criticism I have of some ballistic tests is that they are conducted within 25 yards of the muzzle and the cartridge is not downloaded. If someone is claiming that cartridge "A " is a good 600 yard, 800 yard, or 1500 yard cartridge, and there are those on this site who do, then what these characters should be presenting is bullet expansion and penetration at the velocity the bullet has at 600 yards, 800 yards, and 1500 yards. Based on what I have read,
"Revisiting Bullet Performance" "Dave Scovill Handloader 318, "One of the most interest facets of Mr. Scuichetti's work is that the vast majority of what we might call "hunting" bullets deliver optimum performance in terms of penetration potential and weight retention with an impact velocity window ranging from 2,500 fps to 2,200 fps."
it is likely that the bullet in cartridge "A" through "Z", that is none of them, will not expand at all at 600, 800, and 1500 yards. According to Mr Scovill, 300 yards is about the limit for reliable expansion for most bullets.
Until someone quantifies the damage at distance any particular cartridge and bullet makes, I am going to make the general recommendation to go with the largest diameter bullet, as the hole it makes won't get any smaller than its own diameter!
What ammo are they shooting?
farmerboy78
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The 6.5 creed is more versatile. There is a large amount of factory ammo for it now. Remington makes a corelokt, federal makes the fusion, not to mention all the others. I mainly shoot hornady factory ammo for its consistency and accuracy. They have the 147 eld match which I dont recommend for hunting, the 143 eldx precision hunter, 140 eld match, 120 eld match. If you handload, you can load either the 107 smk or new tmk and get over 3100fps for the varmint hunting. 6.5 creed!
.270 is what I shoot it’s old reliable and I’m not putting it down lol
They was shooting 95 grain federal fusion (the grandson also) but I’m going to reload them some this year I never have before because each one of them has had a box apiece for the last 3 or 4 years and they all still have some left they just don’t shoot unless it’s during our Oklahoma rifle season
I agree I heard that the 6.5 had less recoil than the .308 though I don’t know I haven’t ever shot either of them
CarJunkieLS1
Member
And the 7mm08 is better than the .308...
Oh, thats a great load, makes sense
someguy2800
Member
It’s somewhere between a 243 and 308 in recoil. Some say they can’t tell much difference between it and a 308, and others say they can’t tell much difference between it and a 243. I’m in the camp that says it doesn’t recoil much more than a 243, but delivers 40 grains more bullet. They are really sweet to shoot.
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That’s good to hear the more I hear and look the more I think I want on
Captcurt
Member
The 243 works fine on deer as long as you are picky about shot placement, but not all shots are broadside. The extra 20-40grs of bullet can give you the extra penetration you need if the shot is not perfect.
Varminterror
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Guys say 243wins have to be picky about shot placement, but after 20+ years hunting with one, I can’t say it has been my experience at all. No moreso than with a 30-06 and most popular deer hunting bullets.
I learned my lesson a long time ago. I don’t punch through shoulders with anything. Another shot will come, ruining meat and potentially deflecting a bullet and watching a hobbled deer run off to die slowly and maybe not even be recovered just isn’t sensible. I tracked a doe over a mile and a half hit with a 30-06 and a Nosler Partition - her leg was flopping like a limp noodle, but she was traveling fast, and the blood trail went cold. Today, maybe dogs would have found her. Then, I was SOL. So I USED to buy all of those myths about breaking down deer and punching the shoulder, tried it with enough big bullets and big cases to realize it’s still a risky proposition.
I say it here a lot, I kill big-bodies Kansas whitetails every year, and I’ve found the 243win class to be the most efficient and effective deer hunting cartridges on the market. I do strongly prefer the 6mm Creed for it’s faster twist for heavier bullets, and I used a fast twist 243win AI for years ahead of a straight 243, but the results are all there. 6.5 Grendel, 6 creed, 243win, 6SLR, 6BR/Dasher, 243LBC... that’s really the sweet spot for deer. More is more, but perfect is perfect.
I learned my lesson a long time ago. I don’t punch through shoulders with anything. Another shot will come, ruining meat and potentially deflecting a bullet and watching a hobbled deer run off to die slowly and maybe not even be recovered just isn’t sensible. I tracked a doe over a mile and a half hit with a 30-06 and a Nosler Partition - her leg was flopping like a limp noodle, but she was traveling fast, and the blood trail went cold. Today, maybe dogs would have found her. Then, I was SOL. So I USED to buy all of those myths about breaking down deer and punching the shoulder, tried it with enough big bullets and big cases to realize it’s still a risky proposition.
I say it here a lot, I kill big-bodies Kansas whitetails every year, and I’ve found the 243win class to be the most efficient and effective deer hunting cartridges on the market. I do strongly prefer the 6mm Creed for it’s faster twist for heavier bullets, and I used a fast twist 243win AI for years ahead of a straight 243, but the results are all there. 6.5 Grendel, 6 creed, 243win, 6SLR, 6BR/Dasher, 243LBC... that’s really the sweet spot for deer. More is more, but perfect is perfect.
I've never had a bullet deflect or fail to penetrate a shoulder, but axis deer arnt that large. I did get tired of picking bones out of..... Everything
Now I generally splatter the lungs and/or heart. Tho quartering away will I'll usually shoot for the off shoulder. Quartering towards I go for the pocket between the shoulder and chest.
The 6mms penetrate plenty well enough for any of those shots, even with relatively soft bullets.
My experience with the 6.5CM is that they heavier bullets will almost always exit, the 100gr class 6mms dont always, even on broadsides.
Now I generally splatter the lungs and/or heart. Tho quartering away will I'll usually shoot for the off shoulder. Quartering towards I go for the pocket between the shoulder and chest.
The 6mms penetrate plenty well enough for any of those shots, even with relatively soft bullets.
My experience with the 6.5CM is that they heavier bullets will almost always exit, the 100gr class 6mms dont always, even on broadsides.
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