How good is the .243?

[Mr. Hill]

I sure do remember the post; I believe my post in that thread pertained to picking a new rifle when the op already owned a .243 and wanted another back up rifle, and he was considering a .25-06 or a .270. I suggested the .270 for purposes of caliber diversity, but all those calibers will work effectively on deer.

[Guv]

People need to pay attention to their bullet selection as much or more than the particular cartridge. How is a 100gr .243 so good but a 120gr 25-06 so bad or visa versa. We are talking about .014" of an inch difference in diameter, breaker points were gaped larger than that. Bullet placement and bullet construction are the to biggest factors to success after the trigger is pulled.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

[QUOTE How good. / visa versa.][/QUOTE]

Excellent point brought to everyone's attention.

[taylorce1]

Originally Posted by Guv

People need to pay attention to their bullet selection as much or more than the particular cartridge. How is a 100gr .243 so good but a 120gr 25-06 so bad or visa versa. We are talking about .014" of an inch difference in diameter, breaker points were gaped larger than that. Bullet placement and bullet construction are the to biggest factors to success after the trigger is pulled.

Welcome to the .270 VS. .280 debate! Often times people get hung up on their chosen cartridge and put blinders on to everything else. Bullets are important, but shot placement will even overcome some bullet issues.

[deerslayer303]

^exactly. People want that magic Magnum blaster to compensate for lack of skill. I've witnessed I don't know how many hunters who after the rifle is zerod it may never get fired again until they are shooting at game. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times. Go SHOOT the thing. You won't hurt it!

[Panfisher]

Welcome to the .270 VS. .280 debate! Well that's a silly debate, obviously the .280 is better. Why? Because I have one. . Much of the caliber debates, arguments are purely semantic. Give a good hunter only one rifle in any number of calibers and we would do fine with it for the vast majority of our shooting needs. But what fun would 5hat be?

[deerslayer303]

^ nope both 270 and 280 suck, cause I don't have one!

[Art Eatman]

Nuttin' much has changed in some sixty-five years. I remember a gunsmith (nicknamed "Buster" but after seeing some of his work I thought "Butcher" was more accurate) who was madly in love with his "Improved '06". That was the flattest shooting gun in the US. He could hold on a deer's back at 600 yards and hit it in the heart.

Some of these "this" vs. "that" threads resurrect old memories.

[Guv]

And don't forget how much more deadly a 32Win Special is than a 30-30!

[Mobuck]

"I see this attitude a lot online, and it's total BS. Just because you kill a lot of deer doesn't invalidate others experience. I'm a one deer a year hunters for the most part. It doesn't mean the opportunity isn't there to kill multiple deer on a yearly basis."

Experience has it's advantages. I see 5-7 deer shot every year with cartridges from .22 to .30 caliber(those are the calibers we're currently using). I see which bullets do what when they hit at this or that angle. I see how much internal damage occurs at various ranges. There's no replacement for this accumulation of knowledge.

" You might get to kill multiple deer, but I get the opportunity to kill multiple species of medium and big game a year and this year I'll be hunting bear, pronghorn, mule deer, white tail, and elk. "

I'm not bragging about my hunting experiences but I've shot a few of each of the species you mentioned. \
I've commented that my deer hunting is "grocery shopping" and most of it is exactly that--putting food in the freezer. I tend to use what is effective and efficient rather than something that sort of works if you're lucky. I can and have killed deer with almost any cartridge(only admit to what's legal BTW) but I've found that some work better than others. Sure, I COULD kill deer for the next 20 years with a .243 BUT I'd prefer a 25/06 because I know it will do the job more effectively (with cheaper bullets) AND I'm more confident in that capability.

[Guv]

.014" of an inch!

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Now I know where all those deer I give a go-free-pass to end up. Mobuck gets em.

BTW: I too like the 25-06 better than the 243. I suspect the reason why so many gents prefer their 243. "Maybe its a strenuous task for them having to push/ pull a lon~g bolt back & forth."

[Art Eatman]

Aw, Sure Shot, I'm sorta empirical: Whatever works is probably plenty good.

Bolt throw? My other pet rifle is a Weatherby Mark V in '06; how long a throw do you want?

[taylorce1]

Originally Posted by Mobuck

I'm not bragging about my hunting experiences but I've shot a few of each of the species you mentioned. \
I've commented that my deer hunting is "grocery shopping" and most of it is exactly that--putting food in the freezer. I tend to use what is effective and efficient rather than something that sort of works if you're lucky. I can and have killed deer with almost any cartridge(only admit to what's legal BTW) but I've found that some work better than others. Sure, I COULD kill deer for the next 20 years with a .243 BUT I'd prefer a 25/06 because I know it will do the job more effectively (with cheaper bullets) AND I'm more confident in that capability.

Hi
Well when you continue to post things like what you stated above and things like this:

Originally Posted by Mobuck

Over the past decade, my deer rifles have "freezerized" more deer than many hunters do in a lifetime of "one deer a year" hunting experience. I see what happens day after day, deer after deer.

That sure sounds like you think you've accomplished something that you feel is superior to everyone else posting on this forum topic. When in fact all it shows is how little you actually understand about hunting other places, and how little credit you give anyone else who hunts in limited draw states. You especially seem condescending when you start to accuse posters of using illegal methods to take deer, and I can guarantee no laws were broken.

I'm involved in taking quite a few head of game animals every year, and a lot of them are deer. So I to see what works as well, and I haven't found a cartridge that doesn't work well with good shot placement. Using both the .243 and .25-06 there isn't a lot of difference between the two on hair, and neither need a premium bullet to kill any mule or white tail deer. However, premium bullets do have advantages in both cartridges not to mention bullets don't cost much in the grand scheme of things so that's a small talking point.

There are ways to hunt multiple deer, elk, and pronghorn in my state, but we only get one animal per license. If we want to hunt another animal of the same species we have to buy another license at full price. In some cases we can have an unlimited amount of tags for one species at $35-45 per tag. I've often went afield with more than one license for the same species in my pocket, but you may only have one antlered license per species. Lack of time is what usually limits me to one animal per year per species for my freezer, that and my freezer fills up quickly if you are successful in all three main species of big game in Colorado. Now that my daughter is hunting I don't have freezer space for two of each elk, deer, and pronghorn. Not to mention any extra white tail we hunt out of state.

So like I stated earlier thinking your experience is better than the majority of other hunters is BS. Your experience is your experience it isn't better or worse just different from other hunters. So don't think you have the market cornered on deer hunting experience.

[Colorado Redneck]

Can't we all just get along?

I admit to really liking the 25-06, but last summer bought a 243 for speed goats and deer. Another gun to work up loads for, and something different.

I got into a little discussion a year or so back about the 25-06 vs 243 thingie. The other poster's contention was the 243 can do everything as well or better than the 25-06. Maybe, under very certain circumstances. But---

This fall will be my first rifle elk hunt. The 25-06 is going along. ~2000 ft. lbs at 200 yards is the reason why. Hard to do with my 22 inch barrel 10 twist 243. No doubt, the 243 could bring down a cow elk, but that isn't the point for me. The point is, the 25-06 is more suited for this application IMHO. And really, opinion is mostly what we all have in common, except they are often different.

[lefteye]

While I've had both a .243 and .270 for many years and have always hunted with my own reloads, I've never felt the .243 was as good as a .270 for western game hunting, particularly Mule Deer and larger game. While I've used my .300 Win Mag for my elk hunts, I believe my .270 would have been better for each of those hunts: lighter, more comfortable, more accurate, and sufficiently powerful for elk. The only advantage of the .300 was the stainless barrel/action, but snow or rain was not common during those hunts. A .25-06 with the best of the bullets made today may be fine for an elk. As I've written before, elk guides I've hunted with often preferred hunters with a .270 simply because they thought hunters could shoot it more accurately than more powerful rifles.

[Colorado Redneck]

lefteye--25-06 is the most "powerful" rifle I own. 270 would be more appropo, but not buying another hunting rifle just now. Appreciate your comments. Heck, I may get skunked. Again.

[reynolds357]

Mobuck, applying your logic about bullet size, velocity, and how those factors greatly determine a Bullets performance on game, I have a question or two.
Why do you hunt with a .25-06 and not a .270 Wby mag? A 300 RUM? A 7 Rum? Why not a .416 Barrett or a .50 BMG? Surely a .50 BMG will make deer deader than a .25-06 will.

[Slamfire]

I had one M70 featherweight in 243 and it would not shoot! I took the barrel off and made it a 308 Win. A couple of years ago I was able to get a M70 in 257 Roberts. The 257 Roberts does everything a 243 does and with less pressure and barrel wear. I think it is the better cartridge.

[Steffy]

One reason the .243 is so popular is that it kills deer real good and does not kick hard. Lots of lady and kid hunters have shot truck loads of deer with the little .243.

I usually shoot them with something larger because I have to justify owning more rifles than my two .243's.

[gw44]

I came home ( in 1960 ) with a used 243win and my dad said I hope you don't thank you are going to deer hunt with that !!!