Tell me about (brag on) the .243

[Dr_2_B]

I have several rifles - lotsa milsurp types - but I've never owned a .243. But it seems that it keeps coming up in all kinds of varying situations. Why so good? Is it as versatile as, say, a 30-06?

[liberty1]

Not as versatile as the 30-06. If game is deer sized or smaller it is an excellent choice. My children and I have taken many deer and antelope with one shot using 95 or 100gr bullets from several makers. We have also taken elk but the results were not as dynamic. We do not use it anymore for the elk.
But again from prairie dogs, coyotes, javelina through deer it is a great choice.

[mikejonestkd]

One of my favorite all around cartridges - accurate in most rifles, flat shooting, hits harder than the ballistic charts say it ought to, low recoil....

Its not an elk/moose/bear round but it sure does a nice job on farm bucks in NYS.

[Doodlebugger45]

No, I wouldn't say it's as versatile as a 30-06 or a 308. But it's fun to shoot because it can have the same screaming velocities as a varmint cartridge if you want, but you can still load it up with 100 gr bullets and have a serious deer cartridge that shoots way way out there. All that and virtually no recoil.

It's not as popular with real serious varmint hunters that go out and shoot at 200 prairie dogs in a day. The muzzle blast and small recoil will get old doing it that many times a day. And it's not quite as powerful as say a 25-06 or 7 mm 08, so some mule deer hunters feel it's a bit light. All that said though, I know several guys around here that consider it just fine for elk because they can hit a snuff can at 300 yards.

As for me though, it's just so fun to shoot. It's more powerful than a 22-250, but less recoil than a 270. It's good for rock chucks, perfect for antelope, great for whitetails and coyotes, adequate for mule deer, and if I happen to be hunting in the season where I have a valid elk tag as well as a mule deer, I'd consider taking a shot at an elk because it shoots so accurate. Although, to tell you the truth, if I was in a situation where I might take a shot at anything from an antelope to an elk on the same day I would probably carry my 7 mm mag or 308. The 243 is versatile, but not as versatile as those 2, but for pure fun, it's hard to beat.

[5RWill]

If your a good enough shot it can be versitle. Had an old friend shot nothing but his custom .243. Used it in 500 yard chicken shoots and took a elk with it. I have one and i love the little thing. It was my first deer rifle. Every single deer that i've shot has not gone 15 yards, with the exception of a gut shot on my part. Took a doe down at 285, dropped her. Speedy little cartridge, very fun to shoot. All my friends kept moving up on calibers when i was little, .270 this 30-06 that, then oh look at me i got a 300 mag. Lol they ask me what i shot i said still got my .243. They made fun of it, who has more 1 shot killed deer and farther ranges, well your talkin to him. Just don't let anyone fool you about the .243 it's a great caliber. Not that anyone on here would try to fool you, but elsewhere.

Positives:
Very low recoil
fast
good bc
Fun too shoot.

Negatives:
Can be too lite

again as doodle said it's pure fun to shoot lol, like a 22-250 but with more punch. Hell if you want to ackley improve it or just load it hot it can be faster than a 22-250. I know you can get a 62gr barnes varmint grenade and in a 26in barrel it will be smoking.

[Buzzcook]

There are a few states with a minimum caliber for deer. The .243 meets that minimum. So if you want a gun for both varmints and deer, the .243 is your best bet, in those states.

If your state doesn't have that restriction the .243 is still your best bet for a rifle that doubles for varmints and deer.

[hodaka]

If you reload, the cost of the 6mm bullets is significantly less than the .308, .264 and most others except the .223. My next rifle is likely to be in .243 for that reason.

[roklok]

One of my favorite cartridges. I have killed deer, turkeys, and thousands of groundhogs with mine. My longest kill was with the .243, a groundhog at 606 yards. No fancy setup, just a sporter weight 700 with a Leupold 3.5-10 and a Harris bipod.

[Swampghost]

It's one of my favorite rounds, basically a necked down .308 it "floats like a butterfly,stings like a bee".

The downside is smaller animals at closer ranges. When your deer are running 100-150 lbs. and you're in a tight spot (under 50 yds.) you can lose 1/4 of the animal after spraying the woods with 5-10 pounds of meat and then having to cut out all of the bloodshot stuff.

[Jmackk]

Personaly I love it, shoot flat, low recoil, I think its in the to 5 or 10 for fastest bullets. Fun to shoot at long range, can take anything from deer down, even thought my dad use's it to hunt cow elk because hes a head shooter, its jsut his thing. Would not body shoot and elk, but a deer would be great. I have found that the people who dont like it have never shot it. Its a great caliber and its one of the few you can still find with the hole "ammo shortage" thing.

[Swampghost]

+1 on the ammo shortage. WallyWorld still has all that I can afford to buy.

[Dr_2_B]

I'm not necessarily one of those guys who says the .223 isn't good enough for military work. But for those who do believe that, I'd think they'd be clamoring for replacing it with .243, no?

[lmccrock]

But for those who do believe that, I'd think they'd be clamoring for replacing it with .243, no? 243 is a necked down 308, so it cannot be had in an intermediate sized rifle, like an AR15. It would be a full sized rifle, like an M14. Also, I imagine barrel life would be short in machine guns, because the military would want the same cartridge in both rifle and LMG. 243 as a cartridge, no, but as a 6mm bore, maybe.

Lee

[rantingredneck]

243 is a necked down 308, so it cannot be had in an intermediate sized rifle, like an AR15

Yep. There are some AR10 models chambered in .243 out there though. I've thought about buying one a couple times, but for my purposes I'm well served by my Remington 700 ADL.

After some time with a dowel rod and sandpaper hogging out the stock to float the barrel it is a true Sub-MOA gun. 5 shots at 100 yds I could cover with a nickel. That was with the Remington Express Corelokt 100 grain load too. Not exactly match fodder.

[ZeSpectre]

Here's what I know about the .243 Winchester round.

My dad brought home his game limit on deer every year when I was growing up. The vast majority of them were extremely clean kills. Dad used to say that it was a combination of his patience and shooting a rifle that, as he would put it, "stayed tame and manageable" (Oh, Dad was a fairly small man BTW).

I've grown up to be quite a bit bigger than Dad, but the .243 is still my favorite rifle cartridge for general purpose work and I couldn't even tell you how many 'chucks, and other varmints I've taken with one. Again, the vast majority were good clean DRT shots both because the caliber is flat-shooting and reasonably powerful but also because it doesn't thump hard so I stay calm, relaxed, and on target.

[elkman06]

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll179/elkman06/ithaca2.jpg

Mine, Ithaca(Tikka).. .243win..LSA55 model/
1/2in groups at 100 yds..Makes a antelope very, very sick.
elkman06

[Thermodyne]

Its a cheap rebuild for a shot out 22-250:D

Cut a thread, rebore and rechamber.

[Al Thompson]

Only thing to watch with a .243 is the bullet. Here in the south, I've seen some issues with hunters not understanding that. :( Use a good tough bullet for big stuff and adjust as appropriate for varmits.

[3StrikesNC]

700 BDL with a cheap Bushnell 3x9, factory Rem 80gr @ 200 yds;
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa112/6045gcnc/0913081353a.jpg

I'd say pretty good. :D

Wish I could do this with 'em all ......

[Swampghost]

The last time to the range I was using ShootNSee 1" fix-it dots for targets @ 200 w/factory ammo. The Rem. 700 is a gem!

[James R. Burke]

The .243 is a good rifle for up to whitetails, and great for varmints. There are lots of rifles that may be more versatile. My wife has the Ruger No 1A light sporter. For deer I am loading her with RL-22, and a Nosler 100 grain partition. She shot at her first two deer, and dropped them both. The first was a nice buck double lung shot went about 35 yards and fell over. The second one she filled her doe tag. Made a neck shot, and dropped right there. For deer shot placement is key with the .243 but it will do the job. I loaded some varmitn bullets for her using H-414 and 55 grain Nosler b.t. I think I am going to go alittle heavier with the varmint round. They both are very accurate coming from a light sporter.

[sc928porsche]

I have never found much use for the 243. Other than the fact that the 243 can be made from a 308 cartridge maybe. I will stick with the good old 25-06. Not much recoil at all, ammo easy to come by, and can be made from the 30-06 case. For those who love their 243, that is fine. I just happen to be one who dosnt care much for the cartridge.

[dipper]

.243 is a good round but nothing special about it.
I'll stick with 7MM-08 for the bullet selection.

[Major Dave (retired)]

...is a tiny little rifle, a Win M70 "short action carbine".

Weighs next to nothing, because it has a short (carbine length) , pencil thin barrel, and a very thin forend to the wooden stock.

I put a little Leupold Vari-X III 1.75-6x33 scope on it. Ideal size and weight for a little rifle.

I love it for still hunting for hours on end in typically thick brushy east Texas piney woods without tiring me out. When you are in a tree stand or a box blind, it doesn't matter how heavy the rifle is, because you can rest the weight on the stand/blind. But when you are "sneaking and peeking", you have the weight of the rifle in your hands at all times.

Minimal recoil, despite the light weight.

Can go down to 55 gr. pills at about 3,600 fps MV, for little stuff,or up to 105 gr (can't remember the MV, about 2850, I think) for deer.

Not for elk, bear, moose, elephant, etc., but great for everything else.

I like it. I'm keeping it.

[Firepower!]

Within 100 yards head shot there isnt anything that will survive a 243 hit.

Between my 243, 7x57 and 9.3x62 I can hunt everything on this planet.

[LateNightFlight]

My .243 is a Sako. I bought the gun decades ago, swapping away a 30-06 because I wanted a gun that could go either way - varmint or deer, and at the time I couldn't afford both. Now I have bigger deer guns and smaller varmint guns but would never part with the .243. It's been the loaner gun, the learner gun, and a safe queen in between, but it's still fun to shoot and has practical utility for targets or hunting.

I'm wondering why I don't see or hear of them in law enforcement? (I'm not saying they're not - they probably are, somewhere, but I'm not aware of them.) It seems like a perfect 'In Between' round for departments not wanting 308s, but kicks it up a notch over the .223s.