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6.5 all day. Lots of good cartridges, minimal recoil. Perfect.

Did he though? He DID shoot a .243 Win in 2014, but does he now? John Widden is one of the best shooters in the world that could win (and has) with multiple different cartridges. He's also been BEAT by other excellent shooters using something else. I fail to see how this adds to the conversation. OP is not a gunsmith, is not asking about shooting F-Class, is not asking about a custom rifle, and is NOT considering a .243 Winchester.

Accurateshooter.com is a great resource if you'd like to discuss the merits of .243 Winchester for F-Open LR. You may also check out F-Class John, Keith at Winning in the Wind, and Erik Cortina on YouTube. They may have a few pointers on 6mm's merits at 1000 yards vs a 7mm or .308 cal.

Georgia deer hunting, I’d go 6.5 Creedmoor. Out west with mule deer, black bear, elk and moose, I’d settle for more bullet weight and a 308 WCF.

Are we talking about a deer gun or a target rifle?

You are correct that competition shooting has nothing to do with hunting rifles.

But the OP did say that recoil was a factor.

And in spite of what you are comfortable with, many, including John Whidden, and quite a few other commenters here, believe they can shoot better with a lower recoiling rifle.
So I guess I might have been angling towards this aspect/advantage.

Not suggesting a 22LR or a 243. Just saying that it requires less effort for me to shoot a lower recoiling rifle well than one that has more recoil like a lightweight 308.

I got offtrack trying to make a point because the OP had said that recoil was a factor.

Sorry.

Dollar Short seems to think the relevance of what a guy shot in F-Class eight years ago is relevant due to him saying he preferred to have less recoil for the same performance. That particular competitor no longer uses that cartridge because technology has changed.

And again, that was recoil being lower with SAME performance...and a gunsmith that can change burned up barrels without issue. All this in a competition setting where HUNDREDS of rounds are shot over the course of a few days where sub-half MOA performance is needed. Then the same shooter/gunsmith has since switched as bullet technology has changed. And that's ONE shooter eight years ago. Apples and oranges. Its irrelevant to the post.

All I was saying is if it makes a difference in a 22 pound rifle to a top shooter than it surely makes a difference to a more average shooter with a 7 or 8 pound rifle.