6.5 CM or .243

[jasent]

"If" is the thing for the OP. OP's 243 is a Browning BAR with a "10 twist". So super fast twist for cartridge and super heavy for caliber bullets, don't seem to apply here.

i missed that part.

 

[djm670]

I can't disagree. When I'm hunting antelope, my go-to rifle is a 243AI. Antelope are small, not hard to take down, and live in areas where they are not hard to recover even if they travel a bit. I have never found myself wanting with this rifle, taking antelope out to 500 yards.

Yes, larger calibers fight the wind better. Typically I deal with the wind by my approach. Yes, a 6.5 is better, but a 300WM is even better than that. Like I said antelope are small, and the bigger you go the more meat damage you risk. I did once use a 300WM to fight the wind, it worked, and I had less to eat as well.

I totally agree. Either will work fine. We had an over abundance of antelope when I grew up.. and shooting them was a lot like shooting jack rabbits.. Would use what ever truck gun was in the jeep or truck. And most often it was 6 mm Remington (the Winchester's .243 better twin).

The .243 was designed and built for shooting deer and antelope. Winchester originally designed it so it would shoot 100 grain bullets with a 1 in 10 twist barrel, unlike Remington who designed the .244 for varmits based on barrel twist of 1 in 12.

Anyway if one were to compare similar hornaday ammo.. .243 - 95 grain SST with Superformance powder vs the the 6.5 creedmoor 129 SST with the same powder.. their ballistics or flight paths are almost the same. with the .243 being an inch better (-38.4") at 500 yards to (-39.5" for the 6.5 CR) when both are sighted in at 200 yards.. For all practical purposes the trajectories are the same.

https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/243-win-95-gr-sst-superformance#!/

https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/6-5-creedmoor-129-gr-sst-superformance#!/

I am too computer illiterate to copy and past the hornaday charts in their correct relationships so just posted the websites for the trajectory/engergy charts.

And if one were to assess the OP's skill level based on the question he asked (could be a bad assumption) he should probably use the 6.5 Creedmoor, but either will work fine.

 

[djm670]

"If" is the thing for the OP. OP's 243 is a Browning BAR with a "10 twist". So super fast twist for cartridge and super heavy for caliber bullets, don't seem to apply here.

But the 10 twist should shoot 95 to 105 grain bullets just fine and many of them are designed for deer or antelope.

 

[Bucknut]

As has been stated, either will work well.

... please don't mistake me for a jack hole here... but if you have to ask the question, then you probably aren't shooting far enough to make a difference...? If that's the case, I would say whichever rifle you are most comfortable with and can shoot the best.

 

[HARPERC]

In these days of laser range finders, turrets that dial, and reticles with reference points, wind is more of an issue than bullet drop.
Have fun!
I miss the days of 5 tags apiece, and take everything in the safe.

 

[Buzzsaw]

X-BOLT


accuracy when the long shot presents itself. leave the semi auto in the truck for coyote

 

[Danehunter]

I say 6.5 Creedmoor B/C it will "outrun" the .243 beyond 300 yards in terms of energy and flatter trajectory.

Also, if you handled the neck of the 6.5 CM was made to accept longer VLD style bullets which are more aerodynamic. Yeah, the .243 is a good old cartridge but now we have a "gooder" new 6.5 CM.

Eric B.

 

[kraigwy]

I've use both, and both work. My wife uses her 243 with Hornady 100 spbt's and they were great, she's shot more then one past 600 yards.

In a 10 FV wind there is 1.5 mins difference between her 243 and my 6.5 CM using Horn. 143s.

 

[Beardeddeer91]

As others have stated I'd go with the 6.5 largely because it generally outperforms at distance and it handles the strong winds often present on pronghorn hunts much better. Either one though will work great.