Thoughts on the 6mm-284

[cronhelm]

My 243 has a1:8 barrel and I have shot it out to 2000 yds but the terminal energy out there is comparible to a .380 handgun.

With all the talk about using big calibres and heavy bullets on this forum, I just wondered what guys thought was a reasonable idicator of terminal performance.

I am sure that a 300gr MK at 2500 yds has enough energy measured in ft/lbs as a result of its weight. However at that range, the velocity is pretty slow.

Compare that to a .243 at 1000 yds, which will have way more velocity but much less in the way of ft/lbs because of its light weight.

I am relatively new to hunting big game, having been a varmint hunter for many years. We hear so much about the .243 as a marginal deer rifle at close ranges, that it had never occured to me to use it for deer at longer ranges.

Obviously people are doing it so it must work. Here in Canada we have big Mule Deer so I worry about having enough terminal punch to put them down at longer ranges.

Personally I plan to get myself a custom 6.5 WSM for long-range varmints as well as long-range hunting. I like the idea of a medium weight bullet with a high BC, moving at pretty high velocity.

Obviously this is not an ultra-long-range gun but that is another topic.

Peter Cronhelm