.243 Win or 6.5 CM?

[dieselrealtor]

To start this off, I am juggling things around a bit in favor of suppressor hosts & since I don't have kids at home anymore.

I have a .243 TC Compass that I bought several years ago for a good price, mainly for a low recoil loaner rifle for small frame or young shooters to take deer. It is not probable but possible that I may shoot some prairie dogs out West in the future but may just use a 223 for that.

I do not currently own a 6.5 CM

Admittedly I have not done much googlefoo to compare the 2 calibers so this is probably an ignorant question.

Are they overlapping with 6.5 CM being superior or are they 2 totally different animals?

 

[55fairlane]

I do not own a 6.5cm , but, for prairie dog hunts a 243 or a 223 should provide enough to reach out and knock 'em down
Just my opinion

 

[Mongo59]

Just think how much .223 or .243 ammo you could buy for the price of a new rifle in a new caliber...

 

[Trapper Jim]

.243. They got it right the first time in 1955.

 

[duanewade]

.243 as ammo variety and availability far surpasses the 6.5

 

[patience0830]

I own both. Not far apart. If I was to have to choose it would completely depend on how far away I intended to kill things. Inside 500 yds, I'd take the .243. Longer range, the 6.5 carries more energy.

If you reload the .243 and don't shoot a bunch, the lighter pills are real screamers. Barrel burning loads though. And it will take deer just fine with 85 to 100gr bullets.

 

[yetti462]

I own both and shoot these 2 more than any of my other rifles. Main difference is the wind bucking power of the 6.5. 4' hold on the 6mm is cut in half with the 6.5 in same wind . Suppressed the 243 recoil in more tame, good for staying in scope to see misses . As 1 owner to another, get the 6.5 and have both .

243 is probably my favorite if I were to pick.

 

[bgcatty]

.243. They got it right the first time in 1955.

I’ve got a 1970’s vintage Winchester Model 70 in .243 Winchester and as Trapper Jim said: They got it right in 1955!
There is nothing a 6.5 Creed does that much better, if anything, than a well tuned .243 can do.
Besides my rifle has classically beautiful walnut and steel; something you don’t see too often with a 6.5 Creed rifle.

 

[ditcherman]

Both of those are serious overkill for prairie dogs. Not that there's anything at all wrong with overkill.

I think, in my barely educated opinion, that 6mmCM is a closer comparison to 243.
22-250 is great for prairie dogs, but I ended up using my 6mm CM more on my last hunt just because I didn't have the right scope on the 22-250.
Also had the 6 suppressed which was nice.

Windage and fall, energy at distance, classic walnut on one end and battle rifle style on the other...up to you.

 

[x10]

I'm in the 243 camp also, short action, easy to load for , plenty of factory ammo out there, wide range of bullets, you already have a high performance machine