For me, it would be the Creedmoor. Light to heavyweight, great SD for long range, less recoil than the heavier 7mm loads, and scary accurate.
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing." Robert E. Howard
Tough to choose a loser out of those 3 Which do you shoot best, in the field?
If you're serious about 700y, even for practice only, they have similar drift if using the higher BC bullet options for their respective caliber. But recoil is something I'd seriously consider if shooting out to 700 yards, even just for fun/practice/plinking.
A bud recently bought a Predator in 6.5 Creed. The trigger feels heavy to me, even with the spring removed, but I was able to put 4 shots into one hole. Last time out he was making solid hits at 500 and 600 with decent wind. No missed shots. Then 875 and 1050. Its a good shooter with factory 140 AMAX.
Tough to argue with performance but I'm not a big fan of the RAR ejection with the S/A cartridges. If you're lazy with the bolt it'll drop the spent case into the action. Same thing happens with my 223 RAR. If shooting game, I bet that brass goes into orbit due to excitement but its not foolproof like the L/A versions. We can't get the L/A RAR to do anything other than chuck the spent brass far from the rifle.
A 140 Partition in 6.5 or 7mm-08 is skookem! Suppose the .284 puts more blood to track on the ground..
I would agree with Shag, only I doubt you or the animal would recognize the difference in 6.5 and 7mm-08.
Nut
Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.
I bought a RAR Predator in 6.5 Creed just for a beater and loaner.
This was shot number 6,7 and 8 using the 140gr A-Max with 42.4gr of H4350 with AOL at 2.800".
About to start on some 123gr Skinners using RL-17.
The only thing I have done is float the barrel. The fore end has the reinforced pattern in it. I just ordered a Timney set at 1.5# so that will take care of the trigger which wasn't horrible after I had adjusted it.
I can see this taking out some doe's on the hunting lease this year especially with the kids behind the trigger.
The scientific name for an animal that doesn't either run from or fight its enemies is lunch. - Michael Friedman
I'd say that the answer aligns with whichever bullet you like the most in whichever cartridge you prefer.
I recently purchased a 7-08 with the intention of 162 Amax for whitetail - knowing I could also go 120/140 TTSX if I determined that the 162 wasn't going to do it for me.
I can't imagine any one of those 3 choices not working for you in a similar situation.
I also shoot the 105 out of my son's 243 and that's been nice so far. Larry has a pic of a darn nice bear taken with the same from a 6mm BR - it gets the job done.
Long/longer - chose the bullet you like seems to be the answer - the cartridge is a wash after that.
4th_point - I've a RAR Predator in .243W and while accuracy is just 'so,so' right now I'm sure hand-loading will make it better. Same for a Savage SS Warrior in 7mm-08. LGS availability for 6.5 Creed ammo/components is just hit/miss (hate waiting on the big brown truck). Good as the 6.5 Creed is it needs a bigger audience and user group. It is bucking the 6.5 Swede and .260 rem after all. Homesteader
For hunting it would be the 7-08 all day. Not much you could not accomplish with a 140-gr AB. No way I personally would shoot game to 700 with any of the 3, but your call.
I know the 6.5 has been killing moose over seas for a long time now, so no flies there either.
There's not a lot I'd worry about with a 7-08 and a good 140+ grainer launched out of it. BTW, I just found that Barnes has new data on it's site for this and some other cartridges, thanks to this thread.
Currently have 2 of the 243's and a 7mm-08. Sold my Creed a few years ago and have to agree - it was scary accurate!
Of the 3, I wouldn't hesitate to use either the Creed or the 7mm-08 on game up to elk. Though I would tend to hedge my bets and carry the '-08 more often. Most likely loaded with something heavier than the 140 but that's just me.
For bears and deer any of them should do the job but I'd feel better about making a clean kill with either the Creed or the 7mm-08 in a 140 gr pill.
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For me, it's all about the rifle. I don't believe that you'll come up short with any of the cartridges listed in a hunting situation.
I see what guys write about the heavy, high b.c. bullets and they're not wrong. It's just never mattered in any of my hunting. I used a bullet that's often referred to as a ping pong ball to kill my first black bear with a .243. One shot, dead right there with some spinning and thrashing.
I see guys bad mouth the .243, but all I can do is refer to my own experience. There have been times when I wondered if the .243 was enough rifle. Never let it stop a shot, and never been disappointed with any well placed shot.
I do think that the various 6.5s offer a lot, but my experience there is all with rifles owned by others. I've been pretty impressed with the 7-08/150 ballistic tip.
4th_point - I've a RAR Predator in .243W and while accuracy is just 'so,so' right now I'm sure hand-loading will make it better. Same for a Savage SS Warrior in 7mm-08. LGS availability for 6.5 Creed ammo/components is just hit/miss (hate waiting on the big brown truck). Good as the 6.5 Creed is it needs a bigger audience and user group. It is bucking the 6.5 Swede and .260 rem after all. Homesteader
A couple weeks ago people were predicting that factory 140gr AMAX ammo would get scarce, especially with the release of the Ruger Precision rifle. Rumor had it that Horny was getting ready to make another batch but current inventory at that time was low everywhere. We literally watched it evaporate off of local shelves and online in a couple of days. Not sure if the Precision rifle has anything to do with it, but the Creed seems to have a decent following right now.
Personally, I like the 7mm-08 with 162 AMAX. And 243 on the low recoil end. I don't see myself getting a 6.5 Creed but can see the appeal.
Some may disagree, but for long range not a .243 fan. Nice and flat shooting, but those 100 gr bullets (at least in my experience) lack the mass for a consistent exit wound. If elk were even in the equation, yet another strike against the .243.
No experience with the other two calibers so no comment on them.
"Put none but Americans on guard tonight." -George Washington
7mm-08 for game. Great selection of bullets, ballistics similar or better than the 7x57 which Mr. Bell used on elephant. Can be used for LR target/varmint work.
6.5 would be next on my list. I have heard a few make the point that the moose in Sweden are not the size of the moose in the U.S.? Not sure if that would change the outcome of the 6.5 on them as long as it reaches the vitals it would kill them.
Either of these would be my choice for the game you plan on hunting, with a little bias going towards the 7mm-08.
In a factory 10 twist barrel I wouldn't even really consider a .243 Win. With a factory 9.25 twist (Savage or Rem) shooting 105 Amax, well that's a different animal all together. Custom 7-8 barrel and I'd run it against anything the CM OR 7-08 has to offer at long range.
For what OP is shooting the 6.5 CM RAR Predator is a no-brainer. It's the only rifle twisted right to maximize his use of bullets available for the 6.5mm. Put a custom 8 twist tube on the Tikka's and it changes the dynamics of things greatly.
no matter what you 'think', you've just been proved wrong......
Nope. Again, just because it worked that time still doesn't make it a good choice for 688 yard shots on elk. Has no place for it, are much better options.
no matter what you 'think', you've just been proved wrong......
Nope. Again, just because it worked that time still doesn't make it a good choice for 688 yard shots on elk. Has no place for it, are much better options.
How much deader would it have been if something "much" better had been used in that video?
How does a .308 hole through the heart kill better than a .243 hole? Does the critter live with a .243 hole but die with a .308?
Well, it's settled then. Taco says the 243 is too anemic/anaemic, however you spell it. And the Creed is only good for prairie dogs. That leaves only the 7/08, I reckon.
Curious, where do you think the cutoff is for a 243 on elk? Obviously think it is a great choice for 700 yards. What about 1000? Or 1200? Or why stop there if you're accurate enough, like you said. How about 2000 yards?
Or ignore the question entirely. What is your cutoff? I've been clear on my stance. To me the 243 is a poor choice for 700 yard elk shots. Very clearly stated.
I was going to accuse you of being a "gut shooter" , but then there was that last pic. So, well...
Nut
Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.
no matter what you 'think', you've just been proved wrong......
Nope. Again, just because it worked that time still doesn't make it a good choice for 688 yard shots on elk. Has no place for it, are much better options.
How much deader would it have been if something "much" better had been used in that video?
How does a .308 hole through the heart kill better than a .243 hole? Does the critter live with a .243 hole but die with a .308?
'
Great point.
I've hunted extensively with a .243 and a .308. I have heart shot a ton of fairly heavy Wisconsin whitetails with both. The thing with the .308 is I always get an exit. With the .243 sometimes do, sometimes don't. Had one buck I heart shot with the .243 thru the heart at somewhere between 250 and 300 with 100 grain partitions. Bullet destroyed the heart, but didn't exit. This was in a hilly CRP field and the buck ran up and over the hill in knee high grass. Almost didn't find him because there was no blood. The .308 wouldn't have "killed better" dead is dead, but a blood trail is nice to have, as heart shot animals can run a bit.
I would think the 7/08 or 6.5 with heavier bullets under the same conditions stand a better chance of exiting than a .243.
"Put none but Americans on guard tonight." -George Washington
As to the video, don't think that elk was heart shot, more like spine shot, as the back legs go out from under it first. Don't think what caliber you spine shoot an animal with is going to be too crucial.
"Put none but Americans on guard tonight." -George Washington
Don't know what to do now with these 22CFs I have. Guess chipmunks?
Nut
Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.
A local girl just got her elk with a 123 amax from a rar predator in 6.5 creedmoor. One shot and it was done. I have a load of 162 amax over h4350 that does about 2700 From a 22" 7-08. I does well on game. The 105 vld from a 243 can do some impressive stuff too, if tikka just made an 8 twist 243....
I have heard nothing but good about rebored barrels, but it would still be hard for me to go that far and not just get a new barrel.
David
It's about half the price of a new one.
DF
I'm aware.
I don't really care what the multiplier is (1/2, 1/4, 1/10) - a new top tier barrel is relatively cheap.
I would get a new barrel, twisted exactly the way I wanted it. It's just not enough money to justify "almost as good" in my mind. Just my opinion...
David
Been thinking about it.
I think I can have a SS Shilen Match installed much quicker than a rebore and I know what a Shilen Match will do.
Shilen seems to have great turnaround time lately, but I guess that depends on the barrel. We'll see about an 8 twist 6.5. Either they're making a lot of those to feed the Creed demand or that demand has depleted their stocks. Won't take long to find out.
Which do you shoot best, in the field? 
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