Open sights - .243 Win or 6.5x55 SE?

K

Kleab

New member
I’ve used TFL for quite a while, but never actually signed up until today. I’ve generally been able to find what I was looking for on already existing threads. I’ve looked into this topic quite a bit, but I feel like my question is a slightly different animal since I’m not planning on putting a scope on this gun and just sticking with iron sights.

My next rifle is going to be a CZ 550 FS. I’m already 100% decided on the rifle choice, but the more difficult decision for me is on the caliber. I've narrowed it down to .243 Win or 6.5x55 SE, with pros and cons for both. I decided to start shooting with open sights to feel more like a well-rounded marksman, ha ha. My shooting will consist of paper and steel targets out to about 400 yards and maybe an occasional hunting trip with my brothers and dad.

I've considered the .243 Win because it will have a light recoil and a flat shot. It's a gun I'd be able to use to teach my kids to shoot and it will do all I ask of it and more with the type of shooting I have in mind. The 6.5x55 will be a round I can use to effectively get me out to longer ranges and use to hunt slightly larger game. Also, the gun I want is a Mauser style, so part of me feels like it's only appropriate to pair the gun with a Mauser cartridge. I feel this cartridge will also do all I ask of it and more. I'm not terrible concerned about the little extra recoil, rather my main concern with the 6.5x55 is the cost and availability of ammo. I don't reload (yet).

I'd like to hear from anyone that has experience with these cartridges, especially when used with iron sights. I shoot 6.5 Creed on my main long range gun, so I'm more or less familiar with the potential of that size of a bullet, given my limited skill level. Would the 6.5x55 be overkill at the distances I'm shooting?

Kleab
 
Both are excellent cartridges and somewhat similar. Ammo and reloading components will always be more readily available for the 243 in this country.
 
I'm, not sure if I understand the concern about overkill.

My favorite open-sight cartridge is 30-06, but I'd be hard-pressed to say why.

Both cartridges that you mentioned are fun to shoot, they are accurate and don't kick that much. If you are not reloading, I would note that .243 factory ammo is easier to find, and often costs less than 6.5x55. There is also a much better variety of loadings out there for .243 Winchester.

Other than that, it would be hard to say why one would be substantially better than the other. Between those two cartridges, it would be hard to go wrong, they are both great performers.

I own guns in .243 and 6.5x55. - I shoot the .243 a lot more but that's because of the gun, not the cartridge.
 
I think I just want to be talked out of or into one of the cartridges, ha ha. I can't decide on one and I keep second guessing myself.
 
This may be a situation where you should flip a coin - or consider trying for two rifles, then selling the one that you end up using the least, later on.
 
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Good Luck, on the 400yds with the issue open sights. :eek:

IMO, @ that distance, the front ramp's gonna cover the target, flat-shooting cartridge or not.


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I've seen it done. Plus, that's the goal to work toward, ha ha. At that distance, it'd be steel targets.
 
At 400 yds you most likely would not cover the target with your front sight, but rather sight it in using a 6'oclock hold. Both of those calibers are perfectly capable of great accuracy at that distance.
 
For the uses mentioned go for whatever is going to be the cheapest to feed.

Although the lower recoil of 243 for young shooters would be a plus in the 243s book.
 
I got home and discussed the options with my wife and she loves the idea of the light recoil on the .243 for teaching the kids, so it sounds like it's the winner. Plus, the ammo is more common where I live and generally a little cheaper as well, so it really was the more logical pick from the beginning. Thanks for the input!
 
I have both, and I would agree with your decision to go with the .243 Win to start. Plenty of time to add a 6.5x55 (or .270 Win) later, if you feel you need a little more oomph downrange. The main reason to go with the .243 initially is the abundance of reasonably priced ammo options compared to the 6.5x55. If you handload (as I do) it is more of a toss up, but for the non handloader, it is far easier to find a variety of factory ammo for $25 or less per box than it is to find ANY 6.5x55 ammo.
I heartily recommend the Federal Power Shok (blue box) ammo. You can usually find it for $20 or less for a box of 20 and it has shown impressive accuracy in both my Sako A-7 and Stevens 200 in both the 80 gr and 100 gr weights. I also would not hesitate to try their new "Deer Thugs" ammo, in spite of the (IMO) ridiculous name, because I am pretty sure it is being loaded with Speer Deep Curl 80 and 90 gr bullets. I expect the accuracy to be similar to the Fusion loads they also offer, which also has been very acceptable in my rifles.
If you do start handloading, there are lots of combinations of powder and bullets that have proven accurate in lots of rifles. Although each rifle is unique and experimentation is usually needed to determine the best load for your particular rifle. Good Luck and let us know how it goes.
 
I would say with a .243 and a shorter barrel in the FS.

However, maybe you should think about the .308 version for hunting given the heavier bullets for better flexibility. (The 08 case length is probably better suited to the shorter barrel than some of the other chamberings)

If they made it, I'd suggest it in 7mm-08.

Whatever you choose, enjoy your shooting.

ATB,

Scrummy
 
My wife hunts with her custom Browning in 6.5mm Swede and has toppled many big game animals with it including Wyoming elk. This cartridge has a lot going for it and very similar to 270 in recoil.

.243 is a great deer and antelope rifle. Immensely popular with a world-wide base of hunters. This is my primary antelope-getter because of flat trajectory, hits hard, and low recoil.

Jack
 
6.5x55 by FAR. I'm not a fan at all of the light-weight bullets that a .243 shoots. Standard bullet with a 6.5 is 120 to 140 grn.
 
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