Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 243 or 6mm Creedmoor for build?

I'm going to building a rifle for my daughter. to use. She turns 12 this year and feels ready to pull the trigger on a deer this fall. We will be hunting in farm fields where shots can be longer. She shoots quite well and finds .243 recoil reasonable (we borrowed a neighbours rifle for her to try). She finds the recoil of my 6.5x284 bothersome and says that she wouldn't like practicing with it. So it looks like she will be shooting a 6mm rifle of some sort.

I recently bought a trued Remington 700 short action from a friend and I'm looking at getting a Krieger #2 contour 6mm barrel. Ideally I would like the performance of the 6mm Creedmoor and the easy ammo availability of the .243. I handload but someday I will likely give her the rifle and she may or may not be a handloader and we might not live close to each other for me to load for her. So while I would build a 6mm Creedmoor for me, I feel like I should build a .243 for her use and have it throated like a 6mm Creedmoor. Does this make sense or am I overlooking anything?

What's the twist on your barrel?

I meant to mention that. The barrel that I'm looking at is a 1-8" twist.

Is chromoly OK?

I have an idea about what you mean for throat specs, but can you elaborate a bit?

I would just go 6.5 creedmoor. More versatile. You are already loading for 6.5, ammo is more common. Better re-sale

Here we go again....

I've owned both, to my way of thinking the 6mm CM is just an improved 243. I'd go CM and plan on a suppressor, they totally change the shooting experience, especially for new/young hunter (and older hunters like me).

Seex Kreed by a landslide and I'd entertain more RPM. Hint.............

I would vote 6 CM. I built my wife a 6CM with a #2 Bartlein barrel at 22”. It is the cat’s meow. It sits in a McMillan Edge ADL stock with a Leupold 3x9. I have never had an issue loading a load for it using H4350. It likes 95 grain N BTips and Hornady 103 ELDX but shoots most everything well. Around 3000-3100 fps depending on the bullet and load. It weighs about 7.25 lbs if I remember. Recoil is not an issue for her.

With the 243 and heavier bullets you may be limited by mag length if throated for the heavier bullets. This is where the 6.5/6 CM may edge out the 243 as it was designed around a short action and heavy bullets.

6 creed. It's the easy button. Go 1-7 or 1-7.5

I'd suggest a 6xc, but the 6 creed would stomp it. I'd hate to even try and suggest a fast twist 243 win because it normally gets shot down by everyone but Rio7. If you had a bunch of 22-250 brass, a 6-250 would be fun.

Whatever you build, go 1:7.5.

I'd up the RPM if you can and go 6 Creed then - for all the reasons listed here. Factory ammo for both is just as easy to find, actually might be easier for the Creed. Pluss bullets aren't getting shorter (on average) so the extra COAL room afforded by the Creed makes the most sense for "future proof".

Exactly

That's an interesting point.

Chrome-moly would suit fine for our needs.

What I'm thinking of is chambering for .243 with it throated to accomodate bullets like the 108 ELD. What I don't know is how this would fare in a Remington magazine or if I'm missing anything else.

I'd love to thread for a supressor but I'm Canadian and unfortuately my government objects to hearing protection.

Then tighten the twist and go 6mm Creedmoor.

Personally, I'd find a manufacturer who would provide the contour I want in stainless.

That 243 win will need a long action or you'll be defeating the point of its case capacity. And dint jack around with chrome moly, get a stainless.

Don't get much easier. The 6 CM has been an eager to please cartridge.