Help choosing a caliber

[snox801]

I would say for what you wan the .243 would be it I have so many .223 cases and they are just not what the 6 or 6.5 is. I personally use a 6.5 creed but I have a huge love for the .243 and I think it is better all around. You can take deer at decent distance or load 55gr for vermin. Just a great round.

 

[model7fan]

I feel the need to buy another gun but I'm not sure which caliber to buy. I most likely won't hunt big game with it because I will just use my 7RM just so I have the confidence of the larger cartrage at further distances if I need to reach out. So i'm looking for something that will be cheaper to reload and have less kick and still have good accuracy for targets and varmint/predators at medium ranges (600ish yards). I have been tossing back and forth a few calibers but don't have any hands on experience with any of them, just what I have been searching online. The 243 win. 6.5 creedmoor and the 223 rem are the calibers that I have been leaning towards. To be honest, I have been leaning towards the 243 but keep changing my mind for what ever reason. As far as the 6.5 creedmoor goes, It will be roughly the same cost to reload as my 7RM, so I may as well just use the 7RM. The 223 and the 243 would definately be cheaper to load and have less kick, but I believe the 243 would out perform the 223 and if needed, I could always use it for deer. I guess it sounds like I have my mind made up but I would love to hear opinions from you guys with experience in these calibers.

The 243 is my favorite do all cartridge for everything up to whitetail size. It's an American Icon everyone should have one. A lot of people will underestimate its ability but it performs

 

[Wolf76]

Just throwing this out there. What about the 308? It would also serve as a backup for your 7 mag. Easy to shoot, cheap to reload, and covers the spectrum better than most.

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

Don't see how a creedmoor and a 7 mag cost the same to reload... the 7mm burns about 35% more powder...bullets about the same so is the primer...depends on what you want to do..I use a 6mm,223 and a 22-250 AI the most as I live in Texas and deer, hogs and varmints are on the menu the most..also like to shoot a 6.5 Grendel plenty of pop for a miserly powder load..one of those little Howa mini would make a cool truck gun.

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

Don't see how a creedmoor and a 7 mag cost the same to reload... the 7mm burns about 35% more powder...bullets about the same so is the primer...depends on what you want to do..I use a 6mm,223 and a 22-250 AI the most as I live in Texas and deer, hogs and varmints are on the menu the most..also like to shoot a 6.5 Grendel plenty of pop for a miserly powder load..one of those little Howa mini would make a cool truck gun.

243 and 6.5 creedmoor should be about the same cost wise unless your shooting cheaper varmint bullets for the 243. Match bullets for match bullets the cost is the same. I load 7mm mag and it cost alittle more than a dollar more per 20 rounds than the creedmoor not taking into account the 7mms more expensive brass.

 

[AimSmallHitSmall]

I am putting together a 224V build. That should fit the bill for what you need too.

I've toyed with four 224 Valkyries ( AR Platform) and can honestly say go for a bolt action rifle.

 

[Deleted member 25294]

Just throwing this out there. What about the 308? It would also serve as a backup for your 7 mag. Easy to shoot, cheap to reload, and covers the spectrum better than most.[/QUOTE

 

[gohring3006]

Run the numbers on a 6.5mm 120 grain bullet around 3100 FPS at your intended range. It's a hammer, and shoots flat.

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

243 will be flatter for sure. I feel the 6.5 is a better all around caliber. Wide range of bullet weights with good BCs. Plenty of great hunting bullets as well as match bullets. A few varmint bullets too. What's not to like? Recoil will favor the 243 and trajectoy. Wind drift, energy, and barrel life would go to the 6.5. If you were to go 6mm route I'd probably go with the 6mm creed. Plenty of good brass available for it.

 

[corsair4360]

I've toyed with four 224 Valkyries ( AR Platform) and can honestly say go for a bolt action rifle.

I find the semi-automatic platforms like the AR15 and many others are a challenge to reload for due to their auto loading capability. I agree bolt actions or single shots are much easier to reload for. I have reloaded for semi-auto's but have not been able to fine tune the loads to the rifle like you can with a single shot or bolt rifle

 

[CoachChris]

FWIW - I have a 7RM, 300WM and a 6.5CM. I spent most of my time shooting 22LR and 17WSM. I built a 223 Rem so I could shoot further than 300-400yds. I figured out it wasn't really as inexpensive as I thought it would be to shoot match ammo out of the 223. Now I'm back to spending most of my shooting practice with the rimfires.

 

[WildRose]

I feel the need to buy another gun but I'm not sure which caliber to buy. I most likely won't hunt big game with it because I will just use my 7RM just so I have the confidence of the larger cartrage at further distances if I need to reach out. So i'm looking for something that will be cheaper to reload and have less kick and still have good accuracy for targets and varmint/predators at medium ranges (600ish yards). I have been tossing back and forth a few calibers but don't have any hands on experience with any of them, just what I have been searching online. The 243 win. 6.5 creedmoor and the 223 rem are the calibers that I have been leaning towards. To be honest, I have been leaning towards the 243 but keep changing my mind for what ever reason. As far as the 6.5 creedmoor goes, It will be roughly the same cost to reload as my 7RM, so I may as well just use the 7RM. The 223 and the 243 would definately be cheaper to load and have less kick, but I believe the 243 would out perform the 223 and if needed, I could always use it for deer. I guess it sounds like I have my mind made up but I would love to hear opinions from you guys with experience in these calibers.

Any of the more popular 6.5's will fit your bill quite well. I shoot the .260 Rem and while I bought it more to play with and just to shoot varmints with I find it being my primary go to rifle for pretty much everything inside of 600yds these days.

I never bought into the "magic" of the 6.5's but after four or five years shooting the .260 more and more I'm starting to be a believer.

The 6.5x47L and 6.5CM are righ tthere with it and of course the 6.5x55 has been one of the most popular calibers world wide for about a hundred years now and is one of the most popular in both Europe and Africa for everything from the smallest antelope (the size of small and pygmy goats) all the way up to the largest plains game and European Elk and Red Deer.

 

[hseII]

Any of the more popular 6.5's will fit your bill quite well. I shoot the .260 Rem and while I bought it more to play with and just to shoot varmints with I find it being my primary go to rifle for pretty much everything inside of 600yds these days.

I never bought into the "magic" of the 6.5's but after four or five years shooting the .260 more and more I'm starting to be a believer.

The 6.5x47L and 6.5CM are righ tthere with it and of course the 6.5x55 has been one of the most popular calibers world wide for about a hundred years now and is one of the most popular in both Europe and Africa for everything from the smallest antelope (the size of small and pygmy goats) all the way up to the largest plains game and European Elk and Red Deer.

+ 1 for a .260 Regular.

 

[KyCarl]

Honestly I have a .243 but I also have a 6.5 X 284 and there is really no comparison!
the 6.5 is faster flatter and inherently a lot more accurate! It's also more expensive to shoot..burns barrels out faster..kicks a bit more..Life's a trade off?
My 243 is an old black Sako varmint with a really cool set trigger.
6.5 is a Alamo with 28" barrel..