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Joined: Feb 2007
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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For deer, a 243 is about ideal. If you want a multipurpose cartridge for deer and larger game one of the 6.5's is the smallest I'd feel comfortable with. I've had a 243 in the past but let it go. I could do everything I need to do with a 223 and either a 7-08 or 308. I consider the 308 and 7-08 ballistic twins. On paper the 7-08 looks slightly better, but in the real world no one will ever notice. I chose 308 before I started hand loading. If not I might have gone 7-08.
I did give the 6.5 CM a try a few years ago. I do like the round and it lives up to the hype. But if you're keeping the 243 I'd skip it for 7-08 or 308.
Most people don't really want the truth.
They just want constant reassurance that what they believe is the truth.
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 19,179
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 19,179 |
You already have a good deer "caliber". SWOOOSH ! right over their heads.  Jerry
jwall- *** 3100 guy***
A Flat Trajectory is Never a Handicap
Speed is Trajectory's Friend !!
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,014
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,014 |
 “Use enough gun” Jerry Thats what she said.. 
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,220
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jul 2007
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270 Win, 7mm-08, or 308. There ain't no flies on any of those 3.
Exquisitely turdlike in all of his many manifestations!!
Resist much - obey little. Hayduke lives!
"30-06 guys don't worry about schit 'cause 30-06 guys don't worry....." 16bore
~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,593
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,593 |
I know that 6.5 is only a fraction bigger than your 6
but you can get the 130 and 140 and heavier for the 6.5CM
I have 270 for deer and while it’s a great all around caliber and was my go to deer round .
I think the 6.5 will be my go to and the 270 as a back up.
It’s really easy to shoot them well and ammo is cheap and bountiful
S&B 140 fmj 10.99 and SP for 11.99
If you really want something bigger, than the 06....Simply nothing better for all around rifle
Last edited by Dre; 01/16/20.
All of them do something better than the 30-06, but none of them do everything as well.
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 180
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 180 |
243 is excellent for deer. If you're looking to step up 7-08, 280, or a 7mm Mag would serve you well. You also can't go wrong with a 30-06
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Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 134
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OP
Campfire Member
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 134 |
7mm-08
great for deer and you can go up 20-40 grains in bullet for a deer load
great factory ammo also
7mm-08 vs 308... does 308 has more selection and prices ? Any time someone asks a question like this I like to refer them to midwayusa.com. Shop the Ammunition/Rifle Ammunition offerings and show all 176 types. The number of offerings for each cartridge is shown to the right of the cartridge name. Here is a sampling: 60 = .243 Win 69 = 6.5 Creedmoor 3 = 6.5 PRC 64 = .270 Win 17 = .280 Rem 8 = .280 Rem Ackley Improved 31 = 7mm-08 67 = 7mm Rem Mag 158 = .308 Win 123 = .30-06 82 = .300 Win Mag 2 = 300 PRC 5 = .338 Federal 25 = .338 Win Mag 2 = .358 Win 44 = .45-70 Government My suggestion would be to choose a cartridge based on your wants and needs as well as availability and cost of ammo and/or components. If you reload or plan to do so, ammo costs are much less of a concern but you should still look into the cost, variety and availability of components - especially cartridge cases since they are the only unique component for a particular cartridge. Prices for cases can vary from under $0.50 each to over $2.00 each. You say you don’t need a “big game” rifle. Do you plan to hunt hogs or bear as well as deer? What about range of shots? A .243 is fine for lots of things but factory rifles are generally not twisted for heavy-for-caliber, high B.C. bullets. If you want to start stretching your range past 350-400 yards a good place to start is with the 6.5 Creedmoor – whether you plan to purchase factory ammo or reload. A .243 Win launching a 95 grain Hornady SST at 3185fps (Hornady ammo spec) delivers 992 foot-lbs energy at 400 yards. A 6.5 Creedmoor launching a Hornady 143g ELD-X at 2700fps (Hornady ammo spec) delivers 990 foot-lbs energy at 750 yards. At 750 yards the .243 will have 57” of drift in a 10mph crosswind, and less than half the energy of the 6.5CM, while the 6.5CM will drift only 35”. Another advantage of the 6.5CM is that recoil is only marginally greater than the .243 Win you already have. As you go larger in caliber and heavier in bullet weight, recoil will increase accordingly. The ballistics of the 6.5CM, coupled with ammo and component availability are reasons I purchased one even though I have a .243 Win, .257 Roberts, 6.5-06AI and a slew of rifles in .280 Rem and larger. For Daughter #1 I purchased a lefty .270 Win and handload 150g Nosler bullets. That handload beats the 6.5CM some but not by enough to justify the cost of factory ammo if I didn’t reload for her. While the 6.5CM was originally developed primarily for target competition but finds wide usage for hunting, the new (2019) 6.5PRC was developed for hunting but has good application for target competition. Factory rifle and ammo options are limited at the moment, although what is available is pretty good and more and more manufacturers are supporting it. I believe it will be hugely popular in years to come as it balances performance with barrel life. As with the 6.5CM, the SAAMI spec is properly twisted for heavy-for-caliber, high B.C. bullets and it adds about 250fps to what the 6.5CM can do. Comparing Hornady factory loads for the .243 Win, 6.5CM and 6.5PRC at 500 yards with a 200 yard zero: .243Win/95g SST = 1950fps, 802ft-lbs energy, -38.4” drop, 22.2” drift 6.5CM/143g ELD-X = 2030fps, 1308ft-lbs energy, -44.4” drop, 14.4” drift 6.5PRC/143g ELD-X = 2248fps, 1604 ft-lbs energy, -36.2” drop, 12,6” drift A .308 Win and .30-06 are never wrong in my estimation. If you want a lot of fun, it is hard to beat lever actions like the Marlins, especially the .45-70. Standard factory loads for the .45-70 tend to be pretty mild in recoil in spite of the heavy bullets. As they say, the .45-70 can be loaded “from mild to wild” and factory options for Marlins range from trapdoor and cowboy loads to loads suitable for Cape Buffalo and grizzly bears. My subsonic 350g handloads for my .45-70 are among the most fun-to-shoot loads I have – even my daughters love them and they are very inexpensive to build. Thank you for taking your time to explain this in such detail. You are very knowledgeable. That 6.5 CM sure looks like a nice upgrade to my 243. Heck even that 6.5 PRC looks even better.
If you are helping someone and expecting something in return, you are doing business not kindness.
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Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 134
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OP
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Joined: Sep 2019
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.243 is a fine deer caliber rifle. I don't understand why it would require an "upgrade"? Now, if you really want is simply another rifle, that I can completely understand Since you don't reload, I'd suggest .308. There are plenty of factory loads, which gives you a wide variety of options to find out what a particular .308 rifle likes. Yes I definitely want another rifle in a bigger caliber.
If you are helping someone and expecting something in return, you are doing business not kindness.
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 17,927
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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For sure.
But if you must, 270...
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Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 241
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
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In my state (Kentucky), I would go 7mm-08 because it would be legal to use in the unlikely event I get drawn for the state elk hunt. I like the trajectory, ammo selection, and recoil level as well. I use it with 139 gr. Hornady GMX bullets. Absolute hammers on deer and would not hesitate to use on elk.
If ifs and buts were like candy and nuts, it would be Christmas every day.
“The .30-06 is never a mistake.” - Col. Townsend Whelan
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 821
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Posts: 821 |
If you’re not going to load your own, I’d go with a .270, .308, or .30-06. If you plan to start loading ammo, I’d also strongly consider the .280 and 7-08.
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Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 2,290
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Posts: 2,290 |
.308 seems like the natural answer.
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 30,263
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 30,263 |
For sure.
But if you must, 270... Here in Montana, I've always said the "ideal battery" is a 22lr, 243 and 270... hard to beat that trifecta. But since it's only Southern deer in question, the 308 seems like the logical choice for a non-handloader.
“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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Joined: Apr 2010
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Campfire Tracker
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Hi guys the first rifle I ever bought is a 243 and this is my all-around rifle, I use it for everything, but I'm thinking about upgrading caliber, no I don't need nothing for big game, I just need a good deer caliber. Any suggestions will be very appreciated. Thank you in advance. You already have a good deer "caliber". +1 +2 A guy with a good 243 is set for deer and more. My advice is to buy a basic reloading kit and learn to reload for it, maybe see if it'll spin the Hornady 105 hpbt.
"The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that lightening ain't distributed right." - Mark Twain
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 11,951
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 11,951 |
You already have a good deer "caliber". Yup ........
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,055
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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6creed is the only logical answer here.
"243/85TSX It's as if the HAMMER OF THOR were wielded by CHUCK NORRIS himself, and a roundhouse kick thrown in for good measure."
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,356
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Posts: 1,356 |
You already have a good deer "caliber". SWOOOSH ! right over their heads. Jerry Too funny, yes “upgrading caliber” as in 6mm-how about 243AI, 6mm AI, 6mm-284, 240 Wby, 6mm-06.
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 13,921
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2010
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Hi guys the first rifle I ever bought is a 243 and this is my all-around rifle, I use it for everything, but I'm thinking about upgrading caliber, no I don't need nothing for big game, I just need a good deer caliber. Any suggestions will be very appreciated. Thank you in advance. Another 243.......... Party pooper .......... I think you mean Page Pooper.
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Joined: Oct 2016
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Campfire Regular
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For deer only anywhere you go from a 243 is a downgrade.
Good bullets properly placed always work, but not everyone knows what good bullets are, or can reliably place them in the field
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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For deer only anywhere you go from a 243 is a downgrade. Horseshit IMO, a good next step is the 270 Win
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