Any real advantage using a 6.5 Creed over 243

I have a 243 I use as my "light rifle". Varmint, Deer, Antelope and Cougar. I don't shoot further then 350 yards. I am shooting 100 grn Nosler Partitions loaded by me.
Does the 6.5 Creed have any real advantage over a 243 at a 350 yd distance

 

Most any round more aerodynamic than a 30-30 is very similar at 350 yards. Literally within inches of drop at that distance.

I made Ballistic charts for a group of hunters with different cartridges and loads 2 years ago to 500 yards. I realized 2 things:

1. After about 250 yards you're going to have to compensate with any round.
2. If you're compensating, what difference does it make if you raise 7" or 9"?

It's incredible how well designed most every standard rifle cartridge is since the 30-06 for hunting distances.

Both 243 and any 6.5 are going to have plenty of power and be within an inch in trajectory at 350 yards.

 

Having both cartridges.
Savage Ba stealth in 6.5 creedmoor
Ruger American in 243 winchester

My holds on a 10 inch steel plate at 500 yds are pretty close with a 200 yd zero.

Out in the desert shooting at 800 yds + there's a clearly discernable gain in the creedmoor.

 

The 243 is a great combo varmint/deer cartridge. It can be used for bigger game, but is getting to be pretty borderline for elk size game. The 6.5 CM will shoot 140-150 gr bullets fast enough to be viable for any animal in North America. It is getting pretty light for big bear but with the right bullets will kill anything a 270 will kill. With recoil between 243 and 308, but a lot closer to 243 than 308. I've had a chance to own or shoot 5-6 rifles in 6.5 CM. Every single one of them was more accurate than anything else I've ever shot which is something to consider.

It is also a great combo target/hunting round for the guys who want to use one rifle for hunting and casual long range target shooting. That's what I like about it. I use mine mostly as a range toy, but have complete confidence in it's ability to take any game animal I'll hunt. If you never plan to hunt anything bigger than deer either will get the job done.

 

Maybe it is just me, but I am hesitant to shoot a deer over 200-250 yards with a 243. On the other hand, I have complete faith that my Creedmoors (plural) are capable of 400+.

 

Up until the current ammo scare I saw more factory loadings in the store for 6.5 than .243.

 

The 6.5mm diameter is a near perfect combination of bullet specs like weight, sectional density, and ogive.

The 243 diameter is close, but the bullets tend to be a little on the light side. The deer load my family has used for years uses a 75gr HPBT. It really zings at like 3600 fps. The deer here are large bodied and shots here in NE Kansas are usually under 150 yds. 200 miles west, id rather have the 6.5CM, or rather my 270wsm. You could have 25 mph wind in 7 directions over a 500 yard long shot and the extra heft helps with that.

 

Out to the ranges you're looking at (gonna use 300 yards for the sake of the math), on average the 243 will have an inch or two less bullet drop but will also have only 60-70% the energy of the 6.5 Creedmoor. Not surprisingly, the 6.5 Creedmoor will have a little more recoil but still not .308 levels.

Ammo prices are close enough to be pretty much a wash, and I think in normal times 6.5 Creedmoor was actually cheaper. From what I've seen, it also has a better variety of loads thanks to the fact it is also a popular long range competition cartridge. I recently bought a 243 thanks to a screamin' deal, and I can't really find anything FMJ for cheap practice, only hunting loads. Before the panic, I saw "cheap" 6.5 Creedmoor FMJ pretty regularly.

The main thing that .243 has going for it, IMO, is it is a long established cartridge so its not going anywhere any time soon. The 6.5 Creedmoor is a relative newcomer, and while I'm fairly certain it's here to stay if you are paranoid about fad cartridges I suppose that could concern you.

Personally, if I were looking at 2 rifles and the price was close I'd prefer the 6.5 Creedmoor. In your case, I'm not sure I'd buy a 6.5 Creedmoor to replace the .243 for what you're wanting to do; there's just not enough gain for ME to justify it. That being said, I'm also always looking for a reason to buy another firearm so maybe I would.

 

I have a 700 in 243 and a RAR in 6.5 CM. The Ruger 6.5 is a better rifle. The cost of the rifles and ammo I use is about the same, as is the recoil. The RAR is lighter, and shoots about 1/2" groups at 100 yards using Federal nontypical 140 grain. The 700 shoots about 1.5" groups at 100 yards using Winchester 100 grain power points- with similar results using other more expensive ammo. So with the 6.5, I'm putting about 30% more bullet downrange more accurately, with no weight or recoil penalty. The 6.5 has better terminal performance also. I get avg. 2620 MV from the 6.5, and about 2900 from the 243. Unlike the 243, I can hunt anything in the lower 48 with my 6.5 CM, should the opportunity arise. These are my experiences with MY 243 and 6.5 CM rifles. I believe the 6.5 CM has graduated beyond "fad" status and is here to stay. It is doing amazing things in all types of hunting, as well as in the competition world and tactical applications. There have even been a few experimental light machine guns made in the caliber.

 

The same question can be asked of the 25-06 rem compared to the 270 win.
The larger diameter bullet can carry more mass. I like a heavier bullet with larger diameter. It can make-up for some poorer shot placement and angles.

I have used a couple of 25-06's successfully. I will carry a 243 for the first time this year and will be more selective about shot placement than if I was using a 30-06 or 308 win.

 

Between my brother and I, we have killed dozens of white tails with .243, our favorite cartridge. And yet, I'm assembling a 6.5CM. It won't be a lot different I suppose, but enough to make it fun to put together another gun. Now, if I can just get the USPS to deliver my scope.......

 

Slighter more factory loadings for 6.5, but really, it's down to personal preference.
There are all sorts of similar cartridges out there, better or worse than each other is nearly entirely subjective.

 

I get a big kick out of assembling a new rifle, scope, trigger, model, etc. I have two very nice .243s with beautiful wood stocks....one a heavy target barrel Rem 700 VLS and the other a sport barrel Rem 700 CDL; both great guns and both have killed whitetails. The new 6.5 CM is a Savage 110 Desert Tactical. Completely different look, weight in between the .243s and a new scope I've been wanting to try. Just got it put together and headed to the range. A good reason, in my judgment, to buy a 6.5 CM when I have two .243s

 

Advantage? - it's relative to the application-
My last build was a 260 Rem- not because it was "better" than something, I built one because I enjoy building and I didn't have one- and I wanted to see how it compared to the 6.5CM I have...
There are thousands of overlap applications for catridges- guess why it makes these debates so interesting-