6mm creedmoor or .243 win?

[ducky]

I really don't want to start another Creedmoor thread, but I'm wanting a fast twist 6mm, for deer pronghorn, and coyotes. I'm thinking either in a 20" threaded for my suppressor barrel, would make a nice lightish rifle. I have a lot of components for the .243 since I've had one for nearly 30 years, but dies aren't expensive for the 6 CM and all I'd need with them is brass. I also have a lot of heavyweight 6mm bullets from previous experiments with a fast twist .243. I have some parts on hand, so I listed the options that make the most sense to me in the order I'm leaning.

Option 1 buy 6mm Creedmoor Howa semi-heavy contour barreled action from Brownells. Cut barrel back to 20", then bed in Bansner Alpine stock I have.

Option 2 buy M700 ADL Walmart special, take it to a gunsmith with the #3 1:7 twist barrel I have installed cut to 20" with basic blueprint and chambered in .243 Win. Then bed in B&C 2950 Mountain TI stock that I have on hand, and install a new trigger.

Option 3 send barrel I have back to manufacturer and have them make it a 20" .243 Win Rem-age barrel. Buy the same Walmart ADL rifle, skip the blueprint, replace trigger and bed in my stock.

 

[woodnut]

Hummm, hunting deer, pronghorns and coyotes. That sounds like open country to me. For the most part anyways. So why cut the barrel to 20 "? Not going to save much weight and doesn't sound like a lot of heavy brush to interfere with a longer barrel. I have had a 243 and now I have 2 rifles in 6 CM. Mine have an 8 twist for heavier bullets and when I do my part, it is wickedly accurate! My barrels are 26" and I'm coasting 108 ELDs at 3100. Flat, flat shooting to 1000. Same bullets as in a 243, but somehow the 6 CM is very accurate. Plus, Hornady makes some fine factory ammo when you need it. I'm sure you can find plenty of 243 ammo as well. But I would re-think the barrel length but definitely go with the 6 CM. Just MHO though. Hope those thoughts help.

 

[BrentM]

I have a 243 and shot 2 barrels out of it. If I started over I would go with the CM for a OEM rifle. 7 or 8 twist. I have used both twist barrels and ran 105-115 grain bullets. 8 seems fine for that. The CM case is more efficient and therefore can produce similar or better results with less powder.

 

[FIGJAM]

I really don't want to start another Creedmoor thread, but I'm wanting a fast twist 6mm, for deer pronghorn, and coyotes. I'm thinking either in a 20" threaded for my suppressor barrel, would make a nice lightish rifle. I have a lot of components for the .243 since I've had one for nearly 30 years, but dies aren't expensive for the 6 CM and all I'd need with them is brass. I also have a lot of heavyweight 6mm bullets from previous experiments with a fast twist .243. I have some parts on hand, so I listed the options that make the most sense to me in the order I'm leaning.

Option 1 buy 6mm Creedmoor Howa semi-heavy contour barreled action from Brownells. Cut barrel back to 20", then bed in Bansner Alpine stock I have.

Option 2 buy M700 ADL Walmart special, take it to a gunsmith with the #3 1:7 twist barrel I have installed cut to 20" with basic blueprint and chambered in .243 Win. Then bed in B&C 2950 Mountain TI stock that I have on hand, and install a new trigger.

Option 3 send barrel I have back to manufacturer and have them make it a 20" .243 Win Rem-age barrel. Buy the same Walmart ADL rifle, skip the blueprint, replace trigger and bed in my stock.

I have a 243 - love it. It has killed a lot of animals. I was looking for a new coyote gun a couple weeks ago and wanted a 26" barrel .243. It was tough to find a 243 varmint rig with a fast enough twist barrel to shoot the heavy for caliber high BC bullets. I don't do the custom thing...so I ended up with a Bergara Premier Approach 6mm creedmoor. I pick up up from the FFL on friday, so I don't have any comments on how much I like the creedmoor. If they would make 243's with faster twist barrels I definitely would have gone with a 243 - I love that round.

 

[saddlesrus]

Have both 243 and 6cm. been shooting F class and PRS with them. Run the same bullets at the same speed. No noticeable difference except the 243 takes more powder.
Both guns were birthed at Walmart in ADL form, then upgraded stock and trigger. Advantage of the 6cm is availability of factory match grade ammo at much lower prices than match grade 243.

 

[BallisticsGuy]

They're pretty near the same thing when the bullet comes out but there are reasons to go either way that are more practical. If you're buying loaded ammo, .243 is way easier to find a box on the shelf of Joe-Bob's country general store. If you're loading your own, 6CM has enough little benefits to make it worthwhile. 6CM is more efficient but not nearly as common on store shelves, however what you find on store shelves is liable to be match grade in 6CM, not necessarily hunting ammo and vice versa with .243win.

 

[ducky]

Hummm, hunting deer, pronghorns and coyotes. That sounds like open country to me. For the most part anyways. So why cut the barrel to 20 "?

I have a Silencer Co Omega in jail right now, adding that would put me back to 26+" with a 20" barrel. I simply don't want to have 30-32" of barrel and suppressor out in front of me. I'm hoping the BC of 103+ grain bullets will make up the velocity loss at the muzzle from the traditional offerings of the .243 Win, when they impact downrange. I know this is a long range forum, but I've only taken one big game animal beyond 400 yards, I just don't see changing my BG hunting style any time soon. Hope that satisfies my 20" requirement for you.

 

[Tex_Hunter]

A lot to consider here, if you are buying a factory rifle I'd say go with the Creedmoor. It will more likely have an optimum twist rate for heavy bullets, heavier barrel and will more likely be set up to do the type of shooting you want to do with a hotrod 6mm. It was designed as an out of the box match cartridge and so the factory options reflect that. Heavy barrel 243s often have slower twist rates for running light varmint bullets or shorter flat based soft points. Lots of factory rifle makers havent caught up to the twist rates and features people want for running heavy/long for caliber VLDs in the 105gr+ range for the 243.

If you are having a gun built, the Creedmoor may still be a better option just because its a shorter case so you can run longer bullets at a SAAMI magazine length without running into feeding issues or reducing case capacity... this isnt as big of an issue with the 243 as it is with the 260Rem vs 6.5Creedmoor though, and if you are building you can have the smith add an AICS (2.9") or Wyatt's (2.99") and this is no longer an issue regardless.

Creedmoor will probably have better factory loaded match ammo, again, because thats what it was built for. Im a bit of a supporter though, I'd probably only base something off the 243 if I either already had a bunch of components lying around or if I was going to do an AI chambering.

Its sort of the issue of selling an old car and buying a newer one just to get better gas mileage. I used to drive a 2002 GMC 2500HD that got 8MPG, the thing was a pig but got my too and from work and pulled the trailers I need at the ranch on weekends. It was paid off so I didnt really care that I was paying $250/month in gas to feed it... a new truck would have probably cut that to $175 but I would have had to take on a $400 payment. I see older cartridges the same way, not from a cost standpoint but from a "are the better features worth it?" standpoint. The 6.5CM is marginally better than the 260Rem just like the 6CM is probably marginally better than the 243win (for all the reasons I mentioned above). But much like an old truck, youd be foolish to go through the cost/hassle of changing it our just to get something newer and only marginally better, but if you are buying new? You'd be stupid to not invest in what the current "best" is.

 

[Tex_Hunter]

Meant to add... The 6CM is slightly more efficient case so will probably run a little better in the 20" format you are wanting. Gunwerks spec'd their Co Pilot rifle in an 18" 6CM, and it seems to have plenty of performance leftover for hunting deer sized game. A 20" gun would be mighty handy with a suppressor on it.

 

[Mustang72]

Meant to add... The 6CM is slightly more efficient case so will probably run a little better in the 20" format you are wanting. Gunwerks spec'd their Co Pilot rifle in an 18" 6CM, and it seems to have plenty of performance leftover for hunting deer sized game. A 20" gun would be mighty handy with a suppressor on it.

.
I 'll second this thought. Keep hoping somebody will do some true side by side comparison s with the new 've old rounds and shorter barrels.

 

[BEEMAN]

Could look into a 6 Dasher. With a 22" barrel it should get you to 2900 fps. I'm in the process of putting one together right now. It should have enough velocity and ft lbs for deer size game out to 500 yds with a 105 Berger or 101 hammer hunter. With very little recoil and only 30-32 gr of powder.

 

[ducky]

Could look into a 6 Dasher. With a 22" barrel it should get you to 2900 fps.

I want a little more mainstream cartridge, just in case I want some factory ammo to try.

 

[Longshot284]

My vote would be to go with the 6 Creedmoor Howa, personally. The factory Howa's I've had experience with have all shot great with the factory barrel and chamber with factory ammo.

 

[jrock]

I'd go 6mm CM just because I have a .243 and like to try the latest tech. Basically the same but the CM would give a little better internal ballistics in a SA platform with longer bullets.