6mm remington or .243 Winchester?

Question

From what I've read their performances are almost indentical. But you rarely anybody talk about the 6mm on ths forum. I was wondering if anybody had an opion on the matter. Compare the 6mm to everything the .243 does in hunting including deer....

Answer 1

This is one of those 270 Win or 280 Remington type questions.

Comparing the 6mm Rem and the 243 Win, on paper, anything the 243 Win will do, the 6mm will do better.

They both use the same bullets, but the 6mm has slightly more power capacity. It you look in the Speer reloading manual, the 6mm usually has about 50 to about a 150 fps advantage over the 243 Win (same powder and bullet).

Is that enough to make a difference? Personally, I don't think so. The 6mm will hit with a little more energy, but not a whole lot. 100 fps or so isn't a huge advantage. I've had that much variance when chronographing rounds that were all the same load.

Both are adequeate for deer with heavier bullets. I would stick with the 95gr or larger bullets for deer. Personally, when I handloaded a lot, I used Speer 105 gr. bullets with great success on Northern Wisconsin whitetails (never took more than 1 shot).

Personally, if I were to choose between the two cartridges, I would opt for the 243 Win. The main reason is that it is much more popular, it comes in a wider variety of rifles, and there is a wider variety of factory ammo.

If you are a reloader, it would be a toss up. I haven't reloaded in awhile, but there used to be a large quantity of fired military brass you could get for cheap in 308 Win. I used to size them, neck them down, trim them, and used them in my 243 Win. However, if you had a 6mm Rem and were a handloader, you wouldn't need to be worried about factory ammo variety. You could load your own and you'd have an excellent, higher velocity round.

Personally, I've used both extensively. I learned to shoot high powered rifles with a 6mm, but ultimately, I bought a 243 Win for my own use as it was chambered in the rifle I liked (and it was on a great sale when I got it...had the same rifle been on sale in a 6mm Rem, then I would be using that instead).

You really can't go wrong either way. Good Luck and happy hunting.

Answer 2

Not identical at all.

First, the true 6mm is actually a .244 caliber bullet and the case has greater powder capacity. Even in factory loads, this leads to a greater ballistic coefficient. Ballistic coefficient (BC) refers to the ratio of energy transferred to the bullet upon the combustion of the powder. Higher BC leads to greater velocities (fps), knockdown (lbs) and terminal ballistics (the final state of bullet and target after impact). Inside 150 yards, you may never notice the difference in the field...but at 200 yards plus, it becomes apparent, across the board. 6mm Rem is better. True, it's not like comparing a 30/30 to a .30-06...but the difference is still there...IF YOU LOOK AT THE FACTS.

Second, look at the origins of these rounds. The .243 Win. was designed to be a step up from the .223 Rem (a varmint and close range tactical cartridge). The 6mm is necked down from the .257 Roberts...a small caliber big-game rifle. The .243 is said to be a dual purpose rifle, but I wouldn't feel responsible letting a kid take a 200 yard shot at a whitetail with one. With 6mm, as with any cartridge, it would depend more on the kid shooting the gun.

Finally, the comparison...side by side. The .243 cartridge cannot out shoot or out kill the 6mm cartridge under any circumstances, all other factors (shooter, bullet weight, range) being equal. The 6mm can be reloaded with greater versatility. The .243 does have more factory ammo available, at greater price ranges. The .243 is also being chambered in new guns, where if you have a 6mm, it is or soon will be an antique. Hunting applications: Varmint hunters will typically go for .223, .22-250, .17hmr, etc over the .243 or 6mm due to range, but the 6mm can compete at extreme ranges (250+yards). Deer hunters typically go with .243 simply due to the availability of factory ammo. I have never hunted with a .243, but have hunted side by side with those that have. I have never recovered a deer or coyote shot with a 6mm without finding an exit wound. My friends have found their .243 bullets in the deer when skinning them. With a 100 yard zero, I hold where I want the bullet to hit. My friends with the .243 hold a little high.

My preference for the 6mm is based on fact and experience...not popularity. When you're alone in the woods, being popular is irrelevant.

Answer 3

I went for ages with only a 6mm Remington. It's suffered from a reputation of not being as accurate as 243, but mine is one of the most accurate rifles I own. When I was a kid and had no other rifle for deer, I had several bullet failures at close range. I don't know how much the extra 100 fps compared to the 243 contributed, but I suspect modern premium bullets would make the point moot anyway (I no longer use the 6 for deer). The 6mm looks right, though, when it's next to my 257 Roberts, 7x57 and 8x57 rifles. Conversely, at the loading bench, especially as I get older and need my reading glasses, I've had to be a little more careful reading headstamps!

Answer 4

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RE:
6mm remington or .243 Winchester?
From what I've read their performances are almost indentical. But you rarely anybody talk about the 6mm on ths forum. I was wondering if anybody had an opion on the matter. Compare the 6mm to everything the .243 does in hunting including deer....

Answer 5

Is there any advantage in using .243 Winchester over 6mm Remington? Is there a third choice you would recommend ?

Answer 6

6mm Remington Ammo

Answer 7

even though i think its too small for deer, i still think that its better than the 6mm. they are so close, they are almost the same. the only good thing for the .243 Winchester is that it is very popular and it has dual purpose capabilities and the ammo is easy to find. use the 100 grain bullets for deer, and switch to something like a 75 or 80 grain bullet for coyote.

Answer 8

I have both. I like both of them. In the end, I shoot and harvest with the 6mm exclusively - while my family members shoot and harvest exclusively with the 243. The 6mm is my baby. When it barks in the woods or in the plains, it never fails I always eat good!

Answer 9

6mm when it was introduced it was intended for a ultimate varmint rifle and had fast twist rates that would not stabilize heavier bullets so it was not as good on deer in the early days and once you get a bad rep it is hard to come back

the 243 from the get go was intended as dual purpose rifle

Answer 10

Both are good and the minimum for deer hunting. The .6mm, good as it is, is somewhat dated and rifles n ammo in this caliber are becoming very hard to find. I use a .25-06 or bigger for deer.

Best.

H