Thread: 6mm Creedmoor vs 243

Originally Posted by Cigar

Can you even buy a factory 6mm Creedmoor in NZ currently? A quick internet search turned up only one retail option, costing $3900.

Yip howas are also available here

Originally Posted by Kelton

Yip howas are also available here

Not currently it appears, even the importer doesn't have them listed.

Originally Posted by Cigar

Not currently it appears, even the importer doesn't have them listed.

Yip you’d have to be lucky and stumble across one in store some where The importer is out

Originally Posted by Rated M for Magnum

More wallop than the lighter bullets

I've still got the barrel, rifle is off the market now as the 243 barrel will go on it. I've got the big 7mm mag for way out long and this will be for 0-300, probably.

I guess because why not?

So is the goal of the exercise of swapping from 7mm08 to 243 just to reduce recoil? You handload dont you? You could have just used a 120gr in the 7mm08 and used lighter powder charges, to reduce the recoil to a similar level to the 243.

For example, ive just finalised a lighter load for my 8 year old boy to shoot my bitsa Model 7 6.5CM. I used 123 gr eldm's (left over from when i briefly owned a 6.5 Grendel) Ive downloaded them to Grendel speeds essentially. 30gr of powder pushing them at 2570 fps. It has seriously mild recoil, prints a 3 shot group at 100 measuring .35 inch and should hold more energy to 300 yards than your average 243 win load, and once he grows and can tollerate more recoil i can increase the loads.

Adults can still have fun despite what we’re told. I understand the need to tinker and change up I have my main stays and I have gap fillers the gap fillers for me make load development fun no pressure how good can you get it etc etc all of the gap fillers would do just fine as main stays gap filler=scratching an itch to me and having fun in the mean time . I love loading for a new cartridge I hate loading my usual

Originally Posted by Kelton

Adults can still have fun despite what we’re told. I understand the need to tinker and change up I have my main stays and I have gap fillers the gap fillers for me make load development fun no pressure how good can you get it etc etc all of the gap fillers would do just fine as main stays gap filler=scratching an itch to me and having fun in the mean time . I love loading for a new cartridge I hate loading my usual

I cannot argue with you, im exactly the same!

I think it’s fun just tinkering about and seeing what different calibres can do it would be a boring old world if we all had T3 7mm08’s we’d have nothing to argue about.
Pretty impressed with the 243 performance have been playing around with mine last few days and pushing a 85gr mono at 3290 from a 18.5” barrel, basically zero recoil with suppresor on it and the numbers look very impressive for a wee bullet out to a very long distance.

Originally Posted by GWH

I cannot argue with you, im exactly the same!

I’m just about guaranteed to keep slinking my way threw what I haven’t had if the price is right iv got a 257bob I can’t find brass for so it hasn’t being sold as I haven’t had my fun yet

Originally Posted by Kelton

Adults can still have fun despite what we’re told. I understand the need to tinker and change up I have my main stays and I have gap fillers the gap fillers for me make load development fun no pressure how good can you get it etc etc all of the gap fillers would do just fine as main stays gap filler=scratching an itch to me and having fun in the mean time . I love loading for a new cartridge I hate loading my usual

Exactly, variety is the spice and so on.

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

I think it’s fun just tinkering about and seeing what different calibres can do it would be a boring old world if we all had T3 7mm08’s we’d have nothing to argue about.
Pretty impressed with the 243 performance have been playing around with mine last few days and pushing a 85gr mono at 3290 from a 18.5” barrel, basically zero recoil with suppresor on it and the numbers look very impressive for a wee bullet out to a very long distance.

This is what I enjoy about reloading, big time, tinkering, trying things that people say won't work etc. It's fun, even when they are right ha ha.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

6mm CM: 108gr ELD-M at 300m: hits at 2,450 ft./sec with 1450 ft-lbs thump
243 Win: 95gr Nosler BT at 300m: hits at 2,240 ft./sec with 1050 ft-lbs thump (30% less)

A fast twist 6CM with high BC bullet outperforms a slow twist 243 with a lower BC bullet, no question, especially when the range stretches out.

But I doubt that a big red hind hit in the hilar zone would notice the difference in the scenario above. She would be dead right there, either way

Originally Posted by 7.62

A fast twist 6CM with high BC bullet outperforms a slow twist 243 with a lower BC bullet, no question, especially when the range stretches out.

But I doubt that a big red hind hit in the hilar zone would notice the difference in the scenario above. She would be dead right there, either way

And when the range stretches out with the lower BC, speed shedding bullet, your chances of missing the hilar zone increase, especially in those pesky fickle gully winds blowing around the faces.

I’ve done heaps of drop tests at 200, 250, 300m with the .243 Win, to nail down my drops as well as I can. Various traditional hunting bullets, 85-100gr. Once I’ve got the ES down to acceptable levels and the drop from the point of aim is reasonably consistent, it’s the horizontal dispersion that raises big questions. Like… crikey… that was off to the left /right, enough to put the bullet slightly too far back on the deer, no problem. Picking those annoying downrange breezes you can’t really see is so hard, especially in our CNI winter conditions.

The >100gr 6mm bullets that have come along in the last few years shoot tighter at that range. They just handle the conditions that bit better, and for me have improved confidence no end at the ranges at which I wouldn’t take the shot with my .243… you’ve probably seen this before but seeing as how we’ve here… Gotta make some new vids.

Originally Posted by GWH

So is the goal of the exercise of swapping from 7mm08 to 243 just to reduce recoil? You handload dont you? You could have just used a 120gr in the 7mm08 and used lighter powder charges, to reduce the recoil to a similar level to the 243.

For example, ive just finalised a lighter load for my 8 year old boy to shoot my bitsa Model 7 6.5CM. I used 123 gr eldm's (left over from when i briefly owned a 6.5 Grendel) Ive downloaded them to Grendel speeds essentially. 30gr of powder pushing them at 2570 fps. It has seriously mild recoil, prints a 3 shot group at 100 measuring .35 inch and should hold more energy to 300 yards than your average 243 win load, and once he grows and can tollerate more recoil i can increase the loads.

I see where you're going, and I do have a load developed with 120 VMAX for this rifle and most of a box of them on the shelf. But I've wanted a 243 for about a year and finally decided I would have a go at getting one.

You're right, I could just have one rifle that does it all, (my rem mag gets plenty of love and I take it on expensive trips) but where's the fun in that? A 308 would do it all, but I sold mine so I could buy a shotgun and shoot ducks. Maybe I'll end up selling this as a 7 mill o latte and get a 308 again, keep the 243 barrel, who knows.

Reloading is my hobby, I find it all fascinating, my wife and most of my friends not so much ha ha

I want to learn about a caliber I have no experience with and with a bit of luck and some good shot placement, even put some meat in the freezer in the process.

Plus the barrel swap on its own should occupy my mind for a while at least

Then again, maybe a meth habit would be cheaper

Originally Posted by Flyblown

And when the range stretches out with the lower BC, speed shedding bullet, your chances of missing the hilar zone increase, especially in those pesky fickle gully winds blowing around the faces.

I’ve done heaps of drop tests at 200, 250, 300m with the .243 Win, to nail down my drops as well as I can. Various traditional hunting bullets, 85-100gr. Once I’ve got the ES down to acceptable levels and the drop from the point of aim is reasonably consistent, it’s the horizontal dispersion that raises big questions. Like… crikey… that was off to the left /right, enough to put the bullet slightly too far back on the deer, no problem. Picking those annoying downrange breezes you can’t really see is so hard, especially in our CNI winter conditions.

The >100gr 6mm bullets that have come along in the last few years shoot tighter at that range. They just handle the conditions that bit better, and for me have improved confidence no end at the ranges at which I wouldn’t take the shot with my .243… you’ve probably seen this before but seeing as how we’ve here… Gotta make some new vids.

Man that WHACK! is deafening on impact.

Originally Posted by Rated M for Magnum

I see where you're going, and I do have a load developed with 120 VMAX for this rifle and most of a box of them on the shelf. But I've wanted a 243 for about a year and finally decided I would have a go at getting one.

You're right, I could just have one rifle that does it all, (my rem mag gets plenty of love and I take it on expensive trips) but where's the fun in that? A 308 would do it all, but I sold mine so I could buy a shotgun and shoot ducks. Maybe I'll end up selling this as a 7 mill o latte and get a 308 again, keep the 243 barrel, who knows.

Reloading is my hobby, I find it all fascinating, my wife and most of my friends not so much ha ha

I want to learn about a caliber I have no experience with and with a bit of luck and some good shot placement, even put some meat in the freezer in the process.

Plus the barrel swap on its own should occupy my mind for a while at least

Then again, maybe a meth habit would be cheaper

Greetings Rated M for Magnum,
I think your post above says it all. The rifles and the handloading is a journey for you as well as me. Destinations, once achieved, morph into new ones so the journey, fortunately, has no end. Enjoy it.
Regards Grandpamac.