Feb 22, 2025 5 min read

By Dave Bates

For the Observer-Reporter

Jack O’Connor and George Block were unabashed fans of the .270 caliber. Robert Ruark was fond of saying “Use enough gun!” For most non-dangerous plains game of Africa, he considered the .30-06′ about right for his everyday needs.

I have made no secret of my love affair with the .308 chambering. I have taken enough Pennsylvania whitetails with the cartridge to say with relative certainty, “It’ll do.” But as of late, I have been stepping out on my rifle. Finding myself in possession of a 6mm has begun to turn my head in other directions. I’ve known quite a few serious sportsmen who have relied on the 6mm/.243 bullet to do the job over the years. Most were older gentlemen whom I trusted enough to accept their wisdom. I did not, however, appreciate their wisdom, in light of my own prejudices. My trusty .308 was ample. Experience makes us who we are. If you grew up in a Democrat or Republican household then that’s what you became, for the most part. If you hailed from a family who espoused the ought-six then the .30-06 was your medicine and you clung to it out of loyalty.

So why now? Well, there comes a time in life when one no longer has anything left to prove. I might be approaching that mark in life. I’ve done a few things and I have a lot of things left to do. However, embracing a sore shoulder is not one of them. I no longer feel the need to shoot a Howitzer when a popgun will do the trick. In fact, I’ve started to enjoy the process of discovering exactly “how much gun” is really “enough gun.”

When it comes to the little rifle, there is much fascination. The .243/6mm niche is offered in so many sweet shooting combinations that I can scarcely conjure them all. Surely there is something for everyone. The accuracy of the .243 Win is excellent. It is a flat shooting platform. While my recent addition is certainly not the most accurate peashooter in my cupboard, it is certainly acceptable. I rather enjoy the process of unlocking the innate accuracy of a rifle with its combination of powder, bullet, primer, casing. Breaking the code is easy for some but I, admittedly, struggle with assembling the puzzle. But once I discover a winning combination, it tends to become a life-long partnership. Rarely do I improve on my first plateau of discovery.

The bottom line is performance. Having witnessed some awesome down-range results, I am building confidence with every harvest. The old adage of “How dead do you have to kill it?” echoes true. I can recall a bunch of one-shot kills at the hands of my .308. The mighty mite that is the 6mm may be a close cousin. The .243/6mm seems to do the job nicely. Paired with a bullet that possesses some level of controlled expansion without blowing up inside the deer, the .243/6mm offers excellent results. I inherited a plethora of 6mm bullets from my friend Bob. Having put them to use with a large cross section of powders handed down from my Uncle Jim, I have arrived in the land of “acceptable accuracy.” The Nosler Ballistic Tip has traditionally been my go-to bullet for most hunting applications. My recent windfall encompasses a quantity of Hornady spire points, some Sierra Pro-Hunters, as many Sierra Game King and some old Barnes bullets of the same profile. All are in the 100 grain selection. All fly similarly well. The Pro-Hunters were my choice for a hunting bullet and delivered quite nicely.

While my research is ongoing, I have seen enough to make a believer out of me. I am curious if even better results can be achieved with the lighter 95, 90 or even an 85 grain bullet? I have read some great press on the lightweights but my experience has only been that of reading and not of doing. I favor a bullet on the slightly heavier side. I wonder if my groups won’t tighten up with the lighter bullet weights? I’ll conduct some more research this summer from the bench.

When it comes to the myriad configurations of light hunting rifles, that is where the .243/6mm really shines. I like short, fast-handling rifles that point well. These field guns carry with ease given their light weight and are a joy to tote through the woods for a day. What’s not to love about a light weapon that shoots lights out? This is to say nothing of its minimal felt recoil. I have long been a fan of the Mannlicher stocked rifles. Some of my favorites are the Mannlicher variety of Schoenauer, Sako Forester, Remington 600, and Ruger M77 configuration. Their classic lines lend to their simplistic beauty. Blue steel and walnut add the class to the mix.

So, while I’m not quite ready to retire my .308, I am more than a little smitten with my new addition. What romance may blossom? From all indications the .243/6mm looks like more than enough rifle.

Dave Bates writes a weekly outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter. He can be reached at alphaomegashootingsolutions@gmail.com