243 or 6.5 Creedmoor for hunting deer?

[AB2506]

Do you have a coyote rifle?

No, buy a 243.

Yes, buy the 6.5CM.

Don't be afraid of the 243. With the Barnes 85gr TSX, my daughters shot several MD and WT (mostly does), amazing what that bullet can do. It really is impressive.

I have a 6.5CM. Haven't used it a lot yet, but we did drop a young bull with the Hornady American Whitetail 129gr Interlock.

[Tronneroi]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Really nice round. With modern brass and new actions they will far outperform the CM at very safe pressures. This is one round where almost all published data is WAY conservative because of all the old guns. Norma loads this way hotter than most north American companies. Same is true of the 7x57.

Something to be said about a round that has been used for as long as the 6.5 x 55 has. Especially for medium to large game.

[Roamer]

I agree that 6.5x55 is a great round and has been around for a long time. BUT, it is sort of an in between cartridge, a medium length cartridge. It doesn’t fit in short action, and is short in long action. If one had a long action and wanted a 6.5 would 6.5-06 or 6.5-284 (again kind of a medium with 284 win actually being a short action cartridge) be better? As in, anything 6.5x55 can do either of those can do better. Isn’t that why some are saying 6.5x55 is better than 6.5CM? Other than the non existent factory ammo for 6.5-06, it seems like it would be a decent choice for long action 6.5.

Not trying to start an argument, just throwing that out there.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Roamer

I agree that 6.5x55 is a great round and has been around for a long time. BUT, it is sort of an in between cartridge, a medium length cartridge. It doesn’t fit in short action, and is short in long action. If one had a long action and wanted a 6.5 would 6.5-06 or 6.5-284 (again kind of a medium with 284 win actually being a short action cartridge) be better? As in, anything 6.5x55 can do either of those can do better. Isn’t that why some are saying 6.5x55 is better than 6.5CM? Other than the non existent factory ammo for 6.5-06, it seems like it would be a decent choice for long action 6.5.

Not trying to start an argument, just throwing that out there.

Well a 6.5-300 RUM will kick all their butts if that is the only measure of success. The thing about the 6.5x55 is great performance with low recoil, great barrel life and not a lot of powder. That really is the sweet spot for all the popular 6.5s and even the 6 mms.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Well a 6.5-300 RUM will kick all their butts if that is the only measure of success. The thing about the 6.5x55 is great performance with low recoil, great barrel life and not a lot of powder. That really is the sweet spot for all the popular 6.5s and even the 6 mms.

Yup, those big 6.5's are at the other end of the spectrum from the the stuff like the Grendel for sure, and the 6.5X55 is right in the middle!
Most of the 6.5 cartridges I have owned over the years have been in single shots , so action length has never been a worry for me the cartridge itself was my main concern , and thee Swede can do it all efficiently and accurately.
That being said, my last 6.5 I had RKS do up was in .260, only because I had a set of Redding competition dies sitting on the shelf that I wanted to work with ! LOL
Cat

[Stinky Coyote]

This is a factor many don't do the math on and really shows the efficiency of the 6.5's, not because they are 6.5, but because they have unusually high bc/sd.

In a 7 3/4 lb all up rifle a .270 win shooting a 140 gr accubond will see 2000 fps impact velocity at 625 yards with a 24" barrel. (sd .261, bc .496, 2950 fps) and recoil energy will be 20 ft/lbs. (56 gr powder)

In a 7 3/4 lb all up rifle in 6.5 grendel shooting 123 gr whatever will see 2000 fps at 400 yards with a 24" barrel. (sd .252, bc .5, 2580) and recoil energy will be 7.2 lbs. (29.6 gr powder)

The .270 win gives you 29% more distance at the penalty of 64% more recoil.

I own both of these options and actually my .270 is 7.1 lbs all up so recoils with 21.7 ft/lbs and is my upper limit of shootability while maintaining moa in field conditions to many hundreds of yards.

This is a bit of a mismatch comparison, the smallest 6.5 vs my favorite of the older gen cartridges.

If you take the 6.5 creedmoor with a 140 gr (.287 sd, .646 bc, 2710 fps) you see 2000 fps at the same 625 yards as the .270 but with only 13.6 ft/lbs recoil energy in same weight rifle. You have more penetration potential with the higher SD, same distance, and 32% less recoil. (41 grains powder)

Oh, and with that .646 bc i haven't even gotten into wind drift. There's going to be a lot less wind drift with the creedmoor option, but even the little grendel will drift less as it has a higher bc.

There's a lot to love in all three options above. It's the efficiency of the 6.5's that is so impressive to me. Getting bc and sd up...lets you do way more for the powder burned. So...you can burn a lot less powder to do what you used to do with older options.

Little more food for thought.

The 6.5 Grendel is the next gen .243 option.

The 6.5 creedmoor can take pretty much all 308/30-06 case based cartridges and roll them up into one option with a very do all recoil level. It's versatility is hard to envision.

[catnthehat]

Al, that ballistics BS and theory means diddly squat except on paper only.
Shoot what you want, but the the key is to SHOOT !
At some point the trigger is going to have to be tripped , and then alll the thory goes out the window if the shooter is not caable. THAT is the biggest factor in ant cartridge.
The real world differences between the 243 and the 6.5 Creedmoor is diddly squat when it comes to a 300 yard deer kill, personal choice is just that .
Either cartridge will be fin, it's the personal choice that will be the biggest factor
Cat

[elkhunter11]

Of those two choices, I would choose the 6.5cm, although the 260rem, and 6.5x55 would be just as good if you load your own. The 6.5s are excellent hunting cartridges, and the barrel life would be better than the 243win for target shooting. That being said, I am selling my 6.5CM to try a 6.5prc for a back up big game/ target rifle. Both the 6.5cm, and 6.5prc are easier to find factory loads for that some of the other choices, and most factory 6.5x55 factory loads are mild, for use in the older rifles.

[Roamer]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Well a 6.5-300 RUM will kick all their butts if that is the only measure of success. The thing about the 6.5x55 is great performance with low recoil, great barrel life and not a lot of powder. That really is the sweet spot for all the popular 6.5s and even the 6 mms.

I wasn’t saying that speed was the only measure of success. Based on your post where you mention that with modern brass and actions that the Swede will “far outperform” the creedmoor (which is fine, I’m certain it does, physics waits for no man), it read as though the measure of success was extra speed, at safe pressures. My point was in a long action the two cartridges I mentioned would outperform the Swede based on those two criteria. Now that we bring balance of performance, recoil, powder consumption and barrel life into the mix, that changes things. The two cartridges I mentioned will have more recoil, more powder consumption and shorter barrel life, obviously. There’s no free lunch. Also, the RUM would not fit in a long action, which I did stipulate.

I prefer cartridges that balance all of the above mentioned criteria. They just make the most sense and give great end results.

Not trying to argue, in fact I think we are saying the same thing, just a little differently. The key, balance is good.

[elkhunter11]

Also, the RUM would not fit in a long action, which I did stipulate.

The RUM cartridges came from the factory in 700 long actions.

[Roamer]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

The RUM cartridges came from the factory in 700 long actions.

Agreed, you got me. I don’t think they were offered by any other manufacturers in standard long actions though? Could be wrong.

We may have strayed from the original topic oh so slightly. Two short action offerings to ultra mags, gotta love the forums. Haha

[shooter12]

OP might want to have a look at the similar thread/yootube video with .243 vs 65.Creed.
Or , maybe he already did it ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_zmln9oVxM


S12