Hello all,

Due to bum shoulder had to sell my 308.
Wanting a good caliber in a bolt gun in something more than 22 centerfire.
Looking at 243's just because there everywhere.
But is there something better that won't beat me up.
I have AR's just wanting it in a bolt gun.
Coyote and deer and just plain shooting is the intended purpose.

Thanks~

coal farmer, Absolutely nothing wrong with the tried & true 243 win!!!!!! Good cartridge!!! I know before long someone will chime in with the 6mm Creedmoor, & that's fine. I do have a 243, & a 6x47 Lapua . The 243 is an older Remington 700 that shoots the Hornady 87 grain v-max very well. That makes a great coyote bullet. My 6x47 L is built on a trued R 700, with a Bartlien barrel. It's set up to shoot Berger 105 Hybrids. Its a heavy barrel with a brake, so there's very little recoil!!! And, its very accurate!!!!!! It is planned for my Long Range Coyote Killer.... When you step up to heavier game bullets, the 243 works just fine for deer sized game.... Good Luck with your search!!!!!!!

Another vote for 243, especially if you reload for it..

If the 308 causes problems for your shoulder and you're not wanting to consider 22 centerfire - then I'd recommend a 6BR with a 1:8 twist with deer on the menu or a 1:12 twist for light weight bullets for coyote, woodchuck, prairie dogs etc.

The 1:8 twist should hand 68 grain fine on the light side and probably 115 grains on the heavy side, but if you're looking at 52/53 grain, I think I'd go 1:12

Benefits would be less recoil than the 243 and probably triple the barrel life over the 243. The velocity loss would be minor for what you're looking to do and accuracy will be as good or better than the 243. If you reload, the 6BR will use 30%/40% less powder.

Brass - initial cost will be expensive BUT purchase 100 cases of unprimed Lapua brass and you'll probably get 20+ reloadings off each case, so in the long run, brass might be less expensive. I run Lapua brass for a 22-250 and it's initially expensive but it's like the energizer bunny - just keeps on going.

That 6x47 Lapua is one sweet cartridge with low recoil,

I have to agree with the others. The .243 really is a fine round for what you want. At one time I would not have said this preferring rounds like the .25/06 or .270 Win. Even moose hunters are using the round for with great success. Use the right bullet, put it where it needs to go, and you are done.

If there was just one 6mm bore rifle round I would be totally fine if it was a .243 Winchester.

With a bum shoulder the 243 Win will work well for you.

I'm not sure about your local market and if its any good for finding other things than the "normal fare", and if you aren't in a big hurry and have a bit of time to look, a 250 Savage is not a bad round either for your needs. It's just not as readily available without a bit of looking.

243 Winnie, 6mm Creedmoor, 6x47 Lapua are all great choices. The new 6mm ARC from Hornady would be a pretty soft shooting cartridge as well but will give up a little velocity to those other three.

If you want something that offers a little more bullet weight but still is relatively easy on the shoulder consider a 260 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, or 6.5x47 Lapua.

If you want to tame down whatever you decide on even further put a muzzle brake on it or go through the process of getting a suppressor.

Also, get something with a little heft to it, not a super light weight rifle, the extra weight will do as much to soften it up as anything.

So you really think 6.5 creedmoor would be that much less than
a 308 on recoil?

I have killed more coyotes with a 243 than any other caliber,just partial to 223 and 22-250 now

I’m a 6mm creedmoor guy. The .243 will do everything you need it to do and more. I just happen to think the extra 100-150 FPS in the creed is an added bonus. I think the NEW 6ARC would be a pretty neat bolt gun build if you are waning something soft shooting and I’m guessing you would still be able to sling a lighter coyote bullet pretty darn fast out of a bolt.

Not much more to add. There have been some real good recommendations. However for proven performance and simplicity, the ole 243 is really hard to beat if your wanting a 6mm sized cartridge.

Simple is often the best. I had a lot of 6mm bores in mind before I built the one I have now. The 6mm/06 was high on the list as was the 6mm Remington AI. But after a bit of research and back and forth with a very knowledgeable person here on PM (thanks again, Keith!) I went with the .243 AI. Plenty of speed, wonderful accuracy even with reduced loads, and brass is plentiful. One of my favorite rifles.

.243 for handloading anything from 55/58 grain to 115 grain Bergers.
Same for 6mm Creedmoor
Same for 6mm ARC (up to 108 grain)(both gas and bolt)

The best factory ammo I've tried so far was Berger 105 hybrid for my 6mm Creedmoor. They use Lapua brass. One box of ammo, four 5-shot groups at 1/2" or less at 100yds.

You may want to consider a fast twist 22-250, anything from 36 grain up to 69 grain with a 1 in 10" twist. Ruger American Predator. Best factory ammo I've tried for that is the Sierra Prairie Predator 50 grain. about 3/4" at 100yds.

Good luck!

For recoil purposes and deer don’t look past a 7mm-08. Downside is there isn’t nearly as many bullet options as the 243. Plus side is recoil is similar.

Just mainly for deer a 30-30 isn't too bad on recoil, tons of deer been shot using that cal. in PA.
GOOGLE---- "recoil chart"-Chuck Harris", that will give you a general idea on recoil of different calibers.