My father liked the 6mm Rem, and it was his "big" gun for big game from the time he graduated high school onward into his 30's. He hunted more with a 6mm Rem than any other cartridge for deer and elk. He liked Nosler Partitions. A lot. Later in life, he preferred punching paper, and got into a 6 PPC that shot better than he could. Then a 6mm BR built on an XP100, again a tack driver. He toyed with those on and off until he quit shooting. He came to prize them.
Dad bought my mother a 243 a few years after I was born, a Ruger M77. I hunted with it several times as a youth, for deer, antelope, and various varmints, including coyotes and rock chucks, usually with the same 100 grain factory ammo. My daughter will have that gun when she is old enough to use it. My son already has a 243 that he loves, and thinks is "the big rifle". I am a huge fan of the 243 as well, for its flat-shooting ability to kill stuff well from 30 feet to 440 yds. Last year I had McGowen cut me a 25" Sporter in 243 AI with a 1:8". I've not messed with it enough to claim undying love yet, but I will say that it is what I hoped it would be, and maybe just a hair more than I thought.
If I was starting from scratch, I'd likely go Creedmoor. For all the obvious reasons. But my AI is built on a standard length action, and feeds just swell with stuff that wouldn't fit in a short action, and I can basically chase the lands until they are all gone. There are several 243's around here, and enough brass that's been stashed to let my kids' kids shoot.
