New Rifle Day

[Ian]

The 6.5 CM does not fit an AR-15. It's popularity rides on ballistics (especially due to the high-quality bullets we can get now), functionally tolerating extremely high BC 6.5mm bullets within the confines a short-action rifle or AR10/LR-308 magazine, and low recoil for the BC you get. As a hunting cartridge it has little if any advantage over any other short-action 6.5mm.

If I remember correctly, the 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser cartridge doesn't work in a short-action, which is unfortunate for it is a fantastic cartridge.

 

[Bruce Drake]

The 26's are adequately represented without the Creedmoor in all respects but one. The Black Rifles. Most of the existing 26's have superior ballistics to the Creedmoor. It's niche is the AR platform. It will fit and function in a standard AR receiver. Of course it is "new and improved" and being hailed as the greatest thing next to the second coming. Why not it sells guns?

The 6.5 Creedmoor requires an AR10 receiver.
The 6.5 grendel fits the AR15 receiver.
I own examples of both.
the 6.5CM is the equivalent to a 250 Savage that has been Ackley Improved in my opinion. Its best at 120gr in bullet weight while the 6.5 Grendel is best using a 100gr bullet while besting the 6PPC which it was derived from because it can handle bullets upto 120gr while the 6PPC should top out at 90gr respectively.

That said. A Tikka in 243 is about perfect for what the original poster stated his desired uses for it.

 

[CZ93X62]

I did go a little wide on the scope for this critter. Swarovski Z3 in 4x-12x x 50mm. It had a very healthy discount as well. Plex reticle.

 

[Tomme boy]

The 243 brass likes to grow. Keep up on the trim length. Make sure to do a water capacity test on the Starline brass compared to other brass. Starline has a tendency to make their brass with less case capacity than everyone else. 4350 of one of the flavors is about the perfect powder for 85gr+. Varget for the lighter than 85gr.

I smoked a few Iowa does with mine using the 87gr BTHP. Back when they let us hunt late season doe only counties with a rifle. Just make sure the deer is over 150yds or so with this bullet. It still passed through 3 of the 4 I killed years ago. I recovered the bullet that did not make it through on the opposite side hide. I still have it somewhere.

 

[Rally]

Tomme boy,
In our family we had about 11 different rifles in .243 and 6mm. Most of us started out with the 87 gr. Hornady or 90 Speer bullets, but penetration lacked if they contacted bone, and the holes needed trimming. Most of us have settled on the 100 gr bullets at around 2900 Fps, for pass throughs and less fragmentation, less trimming. Mn. and Wi. whitetails.

 

[Tomme boy]

I know! Thats why I would not shoot at a deer anything closer than 150yds. i never ran them hot. They shot so good I had to try them. I always go with a lung shot. There are better bullets for sure, but I was shooting at deer along fence lines. Late in the year the deer are pretty smart and hide in strange out of the way places. Fence lines are overlooked by most people.

 

[CZ93X62]

To date, no deer with the 243. Lots of coyotes and jackrabbits with jacketed bullets, usually the 85 grain Sierra HP. A whole lot more ground squirrels have been whacked with the RCBS 6mm-95-SP ahead of 12.0-14.0 grains of 2400.

The other 243s did some brass stretching, for sure. Necks thicken a bit, too. The first firing was the most egregious stretching, and partial F/L sizing slowed that quite a bit. These are the same traits the 22-250 comes at you with, and I've had at least one of those around the house since 1980. Caliber traits and characteristics come with the territory, not all calibers are as forgiving and compliant as the 30-06 and 223.

 

[Rockydoc]

The 6.5 Creedmoor requires an AR10 receiver.
The 6.5 grendel fits the AR15 receiver.
I own examples of both.
the 6.5CM is the equivalent to a 250 Savage that has been Ackley Improved in my opinion. Its best at 120gr in bullet weight while the 6.5 Grendel is best using a 100gr bullet while besting the 6PPC which it was derived from because it can handle bullets upto 120gr while the 6PPC should top out at 90gr respectively.

That said. A Tikka in 243 is about perfect for what the original poster stated his desired uses for it.

I like 6.5mm. My first was a 6.5X06 AI custom made by P.O. Ackley. Then a 264 Winchester Magnum custom. My current favorite is a Kimber 84M Classic in 260 Remington. What I like about 6.5mm is the range of bullets it will shoot well, from 100gr to 160gr. My favorite weight for deer hunting is 139gr.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I like 6.5mm. My first was a 6.5X06 AI custom made by P.O. Ackley. Then a 264 Winchester Magnum custom. My current favorite is a Kimber 84M Classic in 260 Remington. What I like about 6.5mm is the range of bullets it will shoot well, from 100gr to 160gr. My favorite weight for deer hunting is 139gr.

I have a 6.5/06 tech a 6.5/270. But a big time favorite!!

CW

 

[Rally]

I know! Thats why I would not shoot at a deer anything closer than 150yds. i never ran them hot. They shot so good I had to try them. I always go with a lung shot. There are better bullets for sure, but I was shooting at deer along fence lines. Late in the year the deer are pretty smart and hide in strange out of the way places. Fence lines are overlooked by most people.

Can't help you with the fences, there aren't many here, and I'm good with that. Hate opening gates too!

 

[Bruce Drake]

I'm learning that I appreciate the 6.5 over the the 7x57 and 30 caliber rifles I own. But I'm also dealing with a medical issue where I can't shoot rifles as often as I used to without dealing with recoil effects on my spine/neck so the 6.5 caliber rifles do allow me to extend my shooting at the ranges without having to resort to 22 caliber rifles.

 

[CZ93X62]

OK, here it is. I posted this in the wrong thread first. My first order of business with this Finnish art object will be to REMOVE THE STICKERS on the stock and scope, then give it a nice solvent bath inside and out. The 243 Winchester "hole" in the gun safe has been filled. I think a couple spares of the detachable magazine might be in order also.

 

[gman]

That Z3 Swarovski is some fine glass. I have one on my 280AI. I’m partial to 7mm’s but the 6.5 is growing on me.

 

[CZ93X62]

I looked around for spare mags, and Beretta sells them--at a healthy tariff. I ordered 1 more flush-fit and 2 "extended" models (5 shots). Bolt sporting rifle magazine retention systems do not the inspire the confidence of mil-spec detachables (AR-15, Mini-14, M1A, etc). They WILL fall out if looked at intently. Redundancy is comforting.

Leupold is pretty good glass, and makes up more than half of my rifle glassware. This Swarovski Z3 had been in stock for over a year, as had the rifle itself. It isn't a 6.5 Creedmoor, so it languished. Same story on the scope--it wasn't a 36X with tall turrets, so it was "lame". I have always wanted at least one high-line scope, and when a Swarovski gets offered for Leupold dollars, SNAG IT. The spare mag costs are what they are, but I am still very much "right-side-up" on this acquisition. I'm always happy when a new war toy comes home, but this one already feels pretty special.

 

[fiver]

Swarovski huh Allen?
I didn't know we were in the presence of royalty here......LOL.

 

[CZ93X62]

Nah, just a regular old dude that got way lucky.

 

[Ian]

I got my spare magazines from Bwana's Emporium, I don't remember if the packages read Tikka or Sako but they are OEM and something north of $50 each IIRC. Agreed on the comfort of redundancy, "one is none, two is one....."

 

[CZ93X62]

I got my spare magazines from Bwana's Emporium, I don't remember if the packages read Tikka or Sako but they are OEM and something north of $50 each IIRC. Agreed on the comfort of redundancy, "one is none, two is one....."

Yup, $49.50 each. Free shipping (LOL!) and Gavin The Magnificent's piece of the action came to $160.02. Sales tax and DROS fees on rifle and scope were close to $160.00. Death by 1000 cuts.

 

[Tomme boy]

I had a 1942 Tikka M39 Mosin years ago. I got it from I think Wholesale Guns. it was a New rebuild with the hang tag. It was test fired only. If that 243 shoots as good as that mosin did you will have a shooter for sure.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

You did extremely well !