I have shot the .243 for years as my daughters and grandsons but I’m thinking with the better bullet selection the 6.5 creedmoor maybe a better choice I have both the 6.5 creedmoor is more accurate but heavier
50 to 400 yards both open timber and prairie
I understand that I was just looking for information from some that have probably used both hunting and had a preference thanks for all the responsesTo start, there is no such thing as knock down power no matter how much hollywood tries to convince anyone that it does. I have a video of a taliban combatant being hit with about 20 rounds of .308 from an M-60 in a few seconds, and he just collapses.
A .45 acp will not blow an arm or leg off. The miracle new 9mm ammo will not either no matter how many proponents of 9mm say it will.
In any caliber you have to look at bullet performance for the designated duty it's designed for.
Hunting or paper. If hunting, what game?
Whitetail, any caliber put into the sweet spot is going to kill. Death comes from loss of blood to the brain so the quicker the blood can be stopped, the quicker the animal will fall.
There are so many variables in this game that's it's almost impossible to say one bullet/caliber is superior.
The ammo/gun manufacturers want you to think they have the caliber that will take an animal down the quickest with the fastest speed, or the heaviest bullet. Again, it all falls into the animal that is being targeted.
Then you get into ballistics of the bullet. How does it perform in the cavity of the animal? Does it make a clean shot and exit or does it enter, and destroy the innards into jelly.
Again the bullet design is the answer. My 30-06 with a Sierra 165 grain HPBT, and my .243 WSSM in 55 grain do the same thing at long range.
Turn the innards into jelly and they don't run.
You will get owners of .240 Roberts ackly improved that say a deer never runs after the shot because they spent $1000.00 building their rifle. Other owners of 30-30 will say they never had a deer take a step after shooting them.
The thing I've learned after a lifetime of hunting whitetail is that there is no perfect caliber. All work well, some better than others.
Buy a bullet that has a great reputation for white tail and ignore the hype of the gun media.
A personal autopsy of an animal will tell you much more than any gun rag or internet forum about actual performance. Your eyes won't lie to get an advertisement payment to publish false reports.
I think that the 6.5CM is better crossed against .308 and those in the category. Yes, I realize the .243 win’s parent case is the .308, but the diameter is much smaller. I think the better comparison is .243win to 6.5 Grendel. I realize that’s not your question, only posing that maybe it should be.
I do like the 6.5CM and I think it outperforms .308 on many aspects. My very first centerfire rifle was a .243 and as of a couple months ago I own two 6.5grendel rifles.
Just food for thought and my thinking when the question was read.
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