Check out the link
a 6mm NATO (aka .243)

http://www.chuckhawks.com/243_service_rifle.htm

No, I'd say the .308, 50 BMG, and the few .300 Win Mags are doing nicely enough.

.308 ?
they use a .223 as a service rifle.
50 bmg is on the tanks and copters
.300 is for the snipers.
Talking bout a service rifle.

Oh, I'm sorry, .223, I think the .243 doesn't belong in the military, it belongs right where it is, in the arsenal of people who like to kill a deer using the lightest gun possible.

Personally, I don't think my tax dollars are worth the difference between a .223 and a .243. They could better spend that money putting better armor on Humvees, and advancing technology so less of my friends and classmates get themselves blownup on daily patrols. I am tired of going to funerals.

If they wanted to lily-guild a service rifle caliber, then they should adopt the 7mm-08 or a .260. Or better yet, go back to what we beat the Krauts with...

I would say yes for a new rifle. Would much prefer one that does not blow hot gasses straight back into the bolt and action. And altho I think the .24 would be better than a .22, I would like the 6.8 mm spc even better.

Ah, the M16. The Mattel Toy. The black mousetrap. The fastest shooting squirrel rifle ever issued to a standing army.

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go back to the m14 in the 308 would be a much better than the 223 which alot of us use to kill coyotes and varmints they are trying to use on humans the 308 would havemuch better range and power and the .45 not the 9mm

I do think that the US military needs to get back to the M-14 or a variant of the 7.62. The M-16 was and still is a piece of sh-- when compared to the 5.56. Chromelined barrels, noncorrosive ammo and that half a-- assist handle does little to improve the reliability or accuracyof this plastic piece of junk. Add all the bells and whistles to the M-16 and it comes no where near the reliability and accuracy of a basicM-14. And while their at it trash, the9mm and bring back the 45or 10 mm. in ahi-capacity handgun. Great lineup:15 round 45 acp, 7.62 with selector switch and 30 round magazines, 50 cal. semi for cleanup then rock and roll.

why replace a varmint caliber with another varmint caliber??? they'd lose more then gain by going to a much larger case that uses a projectile thats only half a milimeter larger in diameter then a 5.56. they would have to cut mag capacity down to 20 from 30 to accomedate for the fatter cased cartridge. not a good trade off in my opinion. honestly I think they had the right idea when the 6.8 spc was developed. also if they would use a 243 which is a necked down 308 why not just use a 7.62 since the ammo is already readily available