Thinking about getting a Low recoil deer rifle for hunting from ranges of say 25 yards to 400 yards.Prefer stainless rifle

The cartridges I am thinking about are 243 Winchester,6.5 Creedmore,Maybe 260 Remington.

I will be using on deer weights of approx 150 Pound average,some a little more and some a little less.

I will be shooting FACTORY ammo ONLY.

Which cartridge would you prefer and why?
Which rifle and why?

Thank

I don't know the ammo situation in your area but around here at this point I'd still go .243, simply due to 6.5CM not being available everywhere in quantity. Besides, for your purposes I don't think you'd really need more than a .243.

As for rifles, I guess much depends on budget, but I'll let others far more qualified comment on that one.

Shooting factory ammo, I think the 243 is the best choice, then 260. Lots of different ammo readily available for the 243, more so than the 260 where I live. With that said I have both, a 243 and Creedmoor. Only Creedmoor ammo I have ever found locally was the Superformance/129 SST loads. Did not shoot well in my particular rifle-2.5"+ groups. Handloaded hunting rounds are much better, 1" or less.

I am also having another Creedmoor built. I think it is the perfect, low recoil, whitetail cartridge. However, it will not do anything a 243 or 260 cannot do. Personally, I like the heavier 6.5 bullet choices.

If cost is a consideration, pick up a 700 ADL in 243 from Academy Sports-<400.00. Swap stock and trigger for a nice low cost rig.

One of the 6.5 Creed's advantages is the excellent factory ammo from Hornady and Winchester/Olin. Deer aren't hard to kill, so either will do, but the 129 grain Hornady SST factory load, at least in the lots the I've shot, have been very accurate and in a very small sample size, deadly.

I would agree that 243 factory ammo is exponentially more common than 6.5 Creedmoor, but anyone who plans ahead can order it from an on-line retailer and have it delivered to his/her mailbox, usually within a couple of days.

I have RAR-Predators in both 243 and 6.5 Creed. Both are accurate with factory ammo, with the advantage going to the Creed. Both rifle are set up with the same rings and scopes, so they are as equal as two randomly purchased factory built rifles could be. I'm happy with both.

Howa is now making the 1500 in 6.5 Creed and if SAS can sell them for $330, that would be a heck of a buy. AFAIK, Howa and Savage are the only manufacturers currently cataloging a stainless rifle in 6.5 Creed.

I think Ruger still catalogs a couple heavyweights, Hawkeye Predator and Target.

Kimber catalogs the Montana, Adirondack, and the new Hunter, but not sure how long it will be until a Montana or Hunter in 6.5CR is actually available for sale.

This. And a Kimber Montana.

Easy answer for me. It's the .243 all day long as I think it best fits your needs.

400 yard factory ammo screams 6.5 Creedmoor.

I'd go 243 win based on ammo availability only.

243. Just be sure to use bullets designed for deer.

Without a doubt the 243. Also if I was doing factory only at 6.5 CM recoil levels, I'd do a 7mm-08 before I did the 6.5. Another outstanding low recoiling cartridge.

With your outer limit at 400yds., I'd go Creedmoor. The 140 A-max factory load is very accurate, and poison for deer.

.260 Rem, 120 Federal Fusions at $25.00 a box, and go kill truck loads of deer. Been working for years.

Both. If I had to choose 1, the Creed would be hard to beat. I currently have a 243ai and will be adding a Creed for the 130s and 140s.

Both are great. I do have absolutely zero interest in a 243 that won't stabilize a 105 though.

I have all three, including a .243 twisted for longer bullets, and they'll all work. But if limited to one would probably go Creedmoor. While .243 ammo may be sold in every store, it may not be available in the best load.

As 260remguy noted, ammo can be delivered to your door--and I have found often a cheaper prices than local stores. (And no, there's no hazmat fee on shipped ammo). Find you which load your rifle likes, then buy a bunch.

Hi
Called myself looking for a Stainless Howa 6.5 Creedmore and cant seem to find one.
Who is SAS for a blued one for $330.?
I called a Local sportsmans warehouse and they have a blued Ruger American rifle 6.5 Creedmore for $430.00 ouch

SAS is shortactionsmoker, he manages Whittaker's Gun in Owensboro, KY.

I don't know if Whittaker's has any of the Howa 1500s in 6.5 Creedmoor, but Legacy Sports has the 1500s cataloged in 6.5 Creedmoor, so they should be hitting gun shop shelves soon. Whittaker's currently has Howa 1500 chambered for a variety of cartridges, even 6.5x55, for $330.

I think that I was wrong about the 1500s being stainless. The 1500 barreled actions are listed on page 37 of the Legacy Sports cataloged in blued and grey cerakote. I must have mistaken the cerakote for stainless. 'Sorry for the misinformation.

If you're thinking about doing some varmint shooting or Prairie dogs, 243.

Otherwise 260 Remington. But I'd suggest the 7mm-08 would be better.

For ammo availability: 243 Winchester

For best (IMHO) effectiveness: any 6.5 (6.5 Creedmore, 260 Remington, 6.5X55 Swede

The 243 will have a lot more ammo available on the typical store shelf.

When you want factory ammo that will be accurate, hard hitting, and resist wind drift to 400 yards, 6.5 Creed will be your better choice.

2 winters ago my son was short 243 ammo (I'll not get into it - ex-FIL) on the day of season.

That said - I hit up 4 different places looking for 243 ammo - not a box to be found till the last place. Mom an Pop in a town of about 400 people. Sitting there on the shelf next to 6.5 Creed and 375 H&H Ammo.

243 may be more available but what is available might not be exactly what you want. To a lot of people it's still a varmint gun and that even extends to a few store managers.

Yeah, the 243 is likely more available, but it is absolutely more popular, and every Tom, Dick and Harry, who bought one box last year, used 9 rounds to confirm zero on their Simmons/Tasco and then shot three at running deer will be back this year looking for another box.

If you run the 243, you can be smart and buy a hundred rounds or so and get zeroed, but you can do the same thing with the Creedmoor.

I think that your recommendation of buying one hundred rounds of the same brand, bullet weight, and production lot number is a good one for folks who don't load their own or who don't load for a cartridge that they don't shoot a lot. I don't (yet) load for either the 25-06 or 270, as I have found the Hornady and Winchester/Olin factory ammo most satisfactory.

I tend to look at things differently, if I buy or build a rifle it's to have the rifle in the caliber I want to work with or play with. Hunting deer is such a non-demanding activity, every rifle I have ever owned was fine and worked well for that, and there have been hundreds.

So I'd say to pick the caliber you find interesting that's available in the rifle you really want to own. There are a lot of rifles available in the 6.5 Creed now, with the right twist, that seem to perform well right out of the gate...so add that to the list of the other hundred calibers that will effectively handle a deer.

Curiosity in the 6.5 CRM prompted me to buy one of the new Howa Alpine rifles and it seems to be a nice unit. Initial playing with the little cartridge indicates the the rifle and clambering will be a nice combination.
It weighs exactly 7 lbs. scoped with a 3X9 Leupold perhaps a tad heavier than what some might consider for a dedicated mountain rifle, but still a very nice package especially considering that it wears a Bansner stock, a favourite of mine.
Hopefully if it ever stops raining, I can do some load testing....

I have a .243 and a 6.5x55. Much as I hate to admit it there is a cool factor to .264 caliber cartridges that appeals to me. For my needs the .270 I've owned since 1972 will do anything my Swede will do. The Swede does have less recoil though. Buy what appeals to you. I don't hunt deer with my .243 but could if needed. I use it for coyotes but don't keep the fur.

Ammo availability to me is a moot point. You can find pretty much anything you want online and can stay stocked up.

I've been eyeballing the exact same rifle at my local dealer for a couple months I'd be really interested to hear how yours shoots.

Creedmoor. Buy ammo it likes buy enough and remember the ammo when you go hunting.


Do you fellas jumping up and down about availability actually rely on being able to run in k-mart and buy a box of "shells" ?

I knew a guy in Colorado who went to town each year to pick up a box of 6mm's to hunt elk. He didn't care about the bullet "They're all the same." He said, "You shoot 'em enough times, they'll fall."

I think I would go Creedmoor also. Both the Hornady factory loads of 120 GMX and 129 SST are extremely accurate and the 6.5 bullets ballistic coefficient are better than the 6mm. Both will work fine, but for that 400 yard shot, I would pick the 6.5 Creedmoor.

if you can't kill a 150 pound deer at 400 yards with a 243, then neither of the other rounds will help you either...

Just FWIW.

I"d take whatever of the bunch floats your boat, to me, none are exponentially better than the others.

I was once invited to hunt with group that included the grandson of one of the members. The young man had a Winchester 100 in 243 and I think that he fired close to 100 rounds before he tagged a deer. I think that he had to make 2 trips to Wal-Mart to buy more ammo. Needless to say, it wasn't one of those hunting trips that you remember for the shooting skills and general sportsmanship of your fellow campers.

I'd go with the 6.5 CREEDMOOR and a Howa 1500/Weatherby Vanguard. The Weatherby Vanguards I've seen and had have been reliable and the design is very good. They are the best rifle for the $, bar none. Forged bolt and receiver with an integral bolt handle and recoil lug. Their only shortcoming is they are a little heavier than some of the other rifle actions out there.
I'd take the 6.5 CREEDMOOR over the 243 WIN as the 6.5mm bullets retain velocity better than the 6mm bullets in most styles. Current selection of 6.5 CREEDMOOR isn't as good as 243 WIN, but what is there is great for deer hunting (not the target loads of course).

Any of those calibers would work fine, I went with the Creedmoor because I thought it would be something a little different than what everyone else was shooting.

As for ammo, I can't remember the last box of ammo I bought in a gun store, I like the idea of buying it and having it show up at my front door. I find the round the rifle likes, buy 6 or 7 boxes online and I'm set for awhile.

Either will work, but I'd probably go Creedmore for a little more oomph on bigger deer, provided I could it in a rifle I liked. Rifle choices abound in .243.

CM

I have hunting rifles chambered for each, and I carried each this past season. Either will work well. If I'm choosing one, I choose the Creedmoor. It is more versatile, the heavy bullets have much better penetration, and the Creed in general is that much less likely to give you a splash impact that doesn't kill (not that I claim those are common on 150-lb deer).

If you're not a planner (meaning, for example, you stop at the store on the way and pick up a box of whatever ammo is there), the 243 may be a better choice.

I am a .243 Win guy so I am biased. But to me with the bullets available today, I think its time people start admitting that a .243 driving 90gr Accubonds, or 80-85gr TSX, is not your grandpa's .243win.

I agree, dang it guys find what it shoots and buy some online and be done with it. Do you purchase your ammo on the day you go hunting or what? If this is really a problem then maybe you need some tips on planning your trips. Get the Creedmoor, buy some 140grain Amax and you can thank me later! Elk

6.5 for me

How many people buy ammo en-route to their hunting destination? This argument gets overplayed. Yes I have completely screwed up on occasion and not brought ammo or had a different rifle in the case and only became aware of it at the hunting camp. But usually I have one or more backups.

Picking up a box of new ammo merits a sight in check at the least.

On other occasions I have been able to supply multiple parties with ammo by just cleaning out the vehicle.

Next rifle is a 1 in 8 twist .243 for me. The Creedmore is really appealing but it is a looneys cartridge and besides I don't shoot past 400 if I can help it or spin turrets so the advantages are lost on me.

Agreed.

Howa did a bit of shaving on the Alpine receiver and mine weighs 7 lb. scoped so for my hunting here in BC that will work for me.
It seems to be very accurate with the little bit of shooting that I've done.
hopefully I can have another go at it tomorrow...