243 or 6.5x55

"Am I missing something here?"
No - at 300 yards the .300 Win Mag is down around 6" with 800 ft lbs more energy and the 6.5 is down about 7" with 800 ft lbs less energy. Two different classes of gun. Everything anyone said about the 6.5 x 55 vs. the .243 could be said about the 6.5 x 55 vs. the .300 Win Mag. The .300 Win Mag is "more gun" - not even close.
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Thanks! That makes perfect sense. :)
 
Having owned both a 243 and 6.5 Swede at one point, for deer and up, the Swede wins hands down - with the ability to go from 85 gr to 160 gr bullets, the 243 isn't even in the same zip code.

The 260 was created to allow 6.5 ballistics in a short action - if you like that, you might also want to consider the 7-08 - that's the one of the three I actually kept
 
IMHO, the .243 is MUCH better at varminting, or perhaps smaller deer, if kept to 100yds or so. Bullet weight is just too light for most deer hunting.
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Consider that I use a .243 pistol and am easily giving up 100 yards in terms of retained energy over a rifle, I would have to call balderdash on the above statement. I've dropped large corn fed deer at 250 + yards with an encore pistol in .243 and it has performed as well as larger cartridges.

My father's biggest buck - topping at 200 dressed fell to a single 100 grain core loct from a .243 pistol, at 150 yards.....


Again, I stand my my previous post - a deer or antelope would not know the difference between a .243 and a 6.5 x 55 at normal hunting ranges.

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Everyone who is saying that the 6.5 win hands down.... Well of course it does. Comparing a .243 to a 6.5 is like comparing a .223 to a .243. Come on man......
 
Plus, I've heard for years the same old "you can buy it at a corner filling station" argument... How many of you actually go hunting without enough ammo? Or lose it? Or shoot it all up and need to go buy more? (that's a scary thought )
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My issue with not being able to get ammo is that the only ammo available locally for the 6.5x55 is Remington Corelokt ammo which will not shoot in my rifle for some reason. My handloads with the same weight bullet (140gr SPBT) will shoot 1" groups at 100 yards, Rem ammo more like 6". However I handload so it's not an issue for me and really not a consideration. This past season I ramped up my loading and loaded enough ammo for the next 5 years or so.

Stu
 
Again, I stand my my previous post - a deer or antelope would not know the difference between a .243 and a 6.5 x 55 at normal hunting ranges.
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Yes but a moose or bear would :)

WildicantthinkofanythingtoputhereAlaska ™©2002-2011
 
If it were me i would go 6.5Lr ;). But yea get the .260 or the swede you wont be disappointed. In an all around hunting cartridge for north american game i believe the 6.5 fills the sweet spot. You have 90-160gr bullets for varmint-moose. Extremely high BC which retains velocity and ft/lb energy downrange and excellent sectional density for good penetration. All this is accomplished in a short action too. The 6.5 rivals a 300 winchester mag @ 1000yds anything under that for hunting and i would imagine the 300 would have a great more ft/lb of energy behind it.
 
OK, guys and dolls. The OP stated he's settling on a .260Rem if one would read the posts....

Saltydog235 said:
Dang, that sounds a lot like gun envy.
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Knowing Huntergirl over the years here I can assure you it is NOT gun envy.
 
The 6.5mm I was comparing to the 300wm was the 260rem (6.5mm08) and I was not comparing Ft-Lb's I was comparing Trajectory. In other words the 260rem will have about the same or a little less wind drift and about the same or a little less drop (trajectory) then the 300wm.
The 260rem loaded with the 139grain Lapua Scenar,140grain Berger VLD or 140grain SMK vs the 300wm loaded with the 190grain SMK. The 260rem will also have well over 80% of the 300wm's energy at 1000 yards.

jmortimer said:
"Am I missing something here?"
No - at 300 yards the .300 Win Mag is down around 6" with 800 ft lbs more energy and the 6.5 is down about 7" with 800 ft lbs less energy. Two different classes of gun. Everything anyone said about the 6.5 x 55 vs. the .243 could be said about the 6.5 x 55 vs. the .300 Win Mag. The .300 Win Mag is "more gun" - not even close.
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If you go back and have a look at my post I said the 6.5mm (260rem) with a 140grain bullet has more energy (KE) at 300 yards then a 308 with a 150 grain bullet.
 
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kd7sgm said:
Thanks for everyones input, I think I will get a 260 instead as it is available in the rifle I really like and is basically the same as the 6.5 If I feel the need for the 243 I can steal back from my kids.
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KD I think you will love the 260, everyone I know that has one does. There's a few advantages going with the 260.
Short action so gun will be shorter, lighter and faster
If you don't like it you can change it to a 7mm08, 308 or a 243 with only a new barrel.
You can make brass from the 7mm08, 308 or 243 (Lapua now makes 260 brass so you probably best to buy that).
If you do make your own 260 brass just be carefull your kids dont get your ammo mixed up with other ammo like your 243, even if you buy 260 brass it is a good habit to always check the head stamp before putting ammo anywhere near your gun (if you have 2 different interchangeable rounds).
What gun do you have your eye on KD?
 
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quote:Yes but a moose or bear would .

Before telling this anedoct I like to say that personnaly I believe on using enough bullet for a specific hunt, but if the shoot is properly placed a lesser tip could perform as well, but the margin of error his very little.!!!
Two years a go I was in a gun shop when a fellow enter and ask the owner if He like to came outside to look at his moose. Both got out and the fellow show us a magnificent bull on his trailer with 54 inch rack. When back in the shop the shop owner told me that the guy was there 4 days before to buy a box of .243 and when he put on the counter a box of 90 grain bullets the fellow decline and ask : - don't you have anything smaller like 70 grain I am only going moose hunting. - He give him the 70 grain, and the tip did the job!!!
 
fullboar said:
KD I think you will love the 260, everyone I know that has one does. There's a few advantages going with the 260.
Short action so gun will be shorter, lighter and faster
If you don't like it you can change it to a 7mm08, 308 or a 243 with only a new barrel.
You can make brass from the 7mm08, 308 or 243 (Lapua now makes 260 brass so you probably best to buy that).
If you do make your own 260 brass just be carefull your kids dont get your ammo mixed up with other ammo like your 243, even if you buy 260 brass it is a good habit to always check the head stamp before putting ammo anywhere near your gun (if you have 2 different interchangeable rounds).
What gun do you have your eye on KD?
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Agreed it has to be the most fun short action cartridge i've had to date. Light recoil but excellent ballistics. I got mine in a Sako 85 hunter.... i hardly hunt with it due to the wood on it :(. Excellent gun and cartridge though.
 
i just bought a 6.5x55 from my friends widow. its a ruger mk II. kicks like a 30/30 can take an elk or moose. the round has been used in 1000yard matches and has a record 4.4 inches at 1000 yards.
 
I plan on getting the Savage weather warrior. I was looking on the Savage website and they show a 260 available in the weather warrior just not a lefty in that caliber. I have been attempting to call and see if I can order one from them. If I will not be able to do so I will either get a 6.5 tikka or a 260 hawkeye.
 
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