243 to 6 Creedmoor - Would you make the switch?

[Varminterror]

So, 6 CM will stabilize the 85- 100 grain pills of yesterday as well as the newer longer bullets?

Got my attention here.

Absolutely. The 6 creed has a faster standard twist than 243win which means it can stabilize heavier and longer bullets. But it’s not so fast that it destroys 85’s, guys are even shooting 55’s out of 6 creeds.

 

[Steve O]

Are you saying I can neck size the fire formed AI cases with my standard 243 dies? I do not have bushing dies if that makes a difference.

If I was to go 243ai it would be on a centerfeed Savage action. The AI is good for what, an extra 200fps?

No you would have to have a 243AI die; but that seems a lot cheaper than buying a boatload of 6.5CM and resizing them in 6CM dies you are going to have to buy as well.

 

[Jim1187]

No you would have to have a 243AI die; but that seems a lot cheaper than buying a boatload of 6.5CM and resizing them in 6CM dies you are going to have to buy as well.

6mm Creedmoor brass and factory is readily available so no need to do anything but buy, load and shoot or buy, shoot, reload and repeat as you see fit.
If rebarreling or buying a new rifle the 6 Creedmoor is worth a consideration. I wouldn't dump a proven .243 for one but having dies and Winchester brass would not tie me to one.

 

[Varminterror]

I know the 243 isn't exactly a barrel friendly round, but can I realistically expect longer life given same powders/bullets with a 6CM? How much longer approximately?

6 Creed isn’t exactly a barrel friendly cartridge either, the two aren’t THAT different. I would either expect “no difference,” or 250ish rounds more at most. I would be amazed if someone could prove an average life improvement of 500 rounds for the Creed. I’ve burned out a bunch of 243win and 243AI barrels, and 4 barrels so far in 6 creed.

Barrel life is defined by the tolerance of the shooter for their desired use - so it can be a subjective decision. For example, I took a coyote rifle in 243win over 2500 rounds before giving up on the barrel. Accuracy held out, but velocity was bleeding badly for more than half of its life. For 0-400 yard shots on called coyotes, it wasn’t a big deal. One of my 600/1000yrd Benchrest barrels in 243AI, I took off at 750 rounds. My first 6 creed barrel should have been replaced at 1100. It still shot small, but the velocity loss was becoming nearly unmanageable. I started losing speed by 700 and was losing~35fps per hundred rounds by the end, and I took it off at 1471. Absolute train wreck for speed reliability, but it still shot ~2/3moa even at the end. I was pumping a grain and a half more powder to hold onto speed, and I was still almost 150fps SLOWER than when the barrel was new. I took my 3rd barrel off of that rifle after last season at 1505, it started losing velocity around 1100 - but not nearly as bad as that first barrel. It was about 60-65fps slower by 1500 than it was when new, and I didn’t mess with loads at all. I probably could have asked it for 500 more rounds, maybe adding more powder and chasing the lands, but I didn’t want to mess with starting this season on a short-life barrel. It’s still a 1/2moa barrel, just can’t trust it to hold steady speed when I have~$700 or more riding on a 2 day match, so a new barrel is cheap insurance.

I know a lot of guys claim they are getting 2,000 out of their 6 creeds, and that’s fine. None of mine have so far, and I’m not counting on any of them to ever get past 1500. I’ve talked to a bunch of guys and we’re often running the same speeds, bullets, powders, so my guess is those guys are either chasing lands and dumping more powder, or only looking at group size, with a lot looser tolerance for speed loss than I have.

 

[Varminterror]

No you would have to have a 243AI die; but that seems a lot cheaper than buying a boatload of 6.5CM and resizing them in 6CM dies you are going to have to buy as well.

Nobody is buying 6.5 creed brass to make 6 creedmoor. Factory brass has been available for at least 3 years, Lapua for at least 2. Hornady, Peterson, Starline, Alpha, Lapua... if a guy is necking 6.5 to 6 creed in 2020, they’re wasting unnecessary time.

No fireforming for 6 creed, unlike 243AI.

 

[Steve O]

Good to know. I’m no Creedmoor expert that is for certain.

 

[flyinsquirel]

Varminterror - Thanks for the 1st hand info. Very helpful.

 

[BuckSnort]

6 Creed isn’t exactly a barrel friendly cartridge either, the two aren’t THAT different. I would either expect “no difference,” or 250ish rounds more at most. I would be amazed if someone could prove an average life improvement of 500 rounds for the Creed. I’ve burned out a bunch of 243win and 243AI barrels, and 4 barrels so far in 6 creed.

Barrel life is defined by the tolerance of the shooter for their desired use - so it can be a subjective decision. For example, I took a coyote rifle in 243win over 2500 rounds before giving up on the barrel. Accuracy held out, but velocity was bleeding badly for more than half of its life. For 0-400 yard shots on called coyotes, it wasn’t a big deal. One of my 600/1000yrd Benchrest barrels in 243AI, I took off at 750 rounds. My first 6 creed barrel should have been replaced at 1100. It still shot small, but the velocity loss was becoming nearly unmanageable. I started losing speed by 700 and was losing~35fps per hundred rounds by the end, and I took it off at 1471. Absolute train wreck for speed reliability, but it still shot ~2/3moa even at the end. I was pumping a grain and a half more powder to hold onto speed, and I was still almost 150fps SLOWER than when the barrel was new. I took my 3rd barrel off of that rifle after last season at 1505, it started losing velocity around 1100 - but not nearly as bad as that first barrel. It was about 60-65fps slower by 1500 than it was when new, and I didn’t mess with loads at all. I probably could have asked it for 500 more rounds, maybe adding more powder and chasing the lands, but I didn’t want to mess with starting this season on a short-life barrel. It’s still a 1/2moa barrel, just can’t trust it to hold steady speed when I have~$700 or more riding on a 2 day match, so a new barrel is cheap insurance.

I know a lot of guys claim they are getting 2,000 out of their 6 creeds, and that’s fine. None of mine have so far, and I’m not counting on any of them to ever get past 1500. I’ve talked to a bunch of guys and we’re often running the same speeds, bullets, powders, so my guess is those guys are either chasing lands and dumping more powder, or only looking at group size, with a lot looser tolerance for speed loss than I have.

A lot of good intell right here, thank you for sharing that...

 

[Shootinsurveyor]

I’ve thought about doing it as I don’t have time to reload anymore and the ammo Hornady turns out for their creedmoor selections seems to be very good. Still can’t get 243 in loaded ammo with anything near a 105 Amax.