243 Win

[RayAtkinson]

243

I guess I will have to play the devils advocate as I am not a fan of the .243 for a number of reasons..I tried it out several times on deer and antelope and varmints...It was bad about leaving good blood trails IMO and in many cases you won't get a blood trail at all on big game, even with bullets like Nosler or Barnes X as the hole just isn't large enough in all cases...

Also the .243 is the number one caliber of all time for blowing up according to Winchester figures..Apparantly this is caused by throat erosion and the use of either light of heavy bullets, can't recall which just off hand..This was a study done by Win. to correct the problem..That information was published in an old gun magazine sometime ago and was a study done by Winchester as I recall...At any rate I much prefer the .257 Robts or the 250 Savage...

I do however have a wonderful little 5 lb. 6x45, and that is a caliber I am quite fond of for hunting coyotes and with carefull use and a hoarded batch of Barnes X 75 gr. HPs it is effective on Deer and Antelope in open country where you can watch them run a bit before the expire, as would be the .243.

Just a personal opinnion and certainly argueable..

 

[DUGABOY1]

Just a personal opinnion and certainly argueable..

There is certainly nothing argueable about the above short statement, it is fact personafied! and Absolutely true!:laughing:

 

[DUGABOY1]

Hey Ray, why don't you just say how you feel about the 243"

I suppose it has become evident that Ray has no use for the 243 Win for any purpose. I don't know why he holds back instead of saying how he feels, but he does! SHY I guess! If anyone believes Ray is shy, I have some ocean front property in Arizona..........

I, on the other hand, love the 243 Winchester cartridge, and with my hand loads of H4831 powder, and 100 gr Hornady soft points @ 3000 fps. I have never found a need for a second shot, or a blood trail on any of the 150 or so muledeer, and antitlope, among the huntreds of other animals I have taken with that cartridge, including two good black bear.

My hunting with the 243 Win has not been limited to Muledeer, and whitetail. I've taken several Caribou with that load as well, all with one shot kills. The ranges have ranged btween 50 feet, and 300 yds, with the average being about 175- 200 yds. The 243 is only a varmint cartridge with the lighter bullets, but I use the 100 gr bullets for everything I shoot with this cartridge. Cross canyon shots in the windy country out West, seem to be easy with this bullets no matter the game. The 100 gr bullet @3000 fps buck wind very well, and placeing shots out there in the over 200 yd range is easy.

The 243 Winchester cartridge got a bad rapp by the gun rag writers back in the infancy of this cartridge. Some idiots looked at the velocities in the loading books, and because the velocities were higher with the little 65, and 70 gr bullets, they tried them on deer, with not very good results. The 100gr bullets are made for deer size game, anything lighter is for P-Dogs, and coyotes, not 225 lb muledeer. Once they found the light bullets blew up on impact, they began to bad mouth the 243 for anything bigger than a pack rat. The gun writers followed suit, and the reputation took on a life of it's own. The same crap is being repeted today 54 years after it's comercial birth in 1955,and even before that with Warren Page's wildcat which Winchester re-named the 243 Win. The 243 Page POOPER wild cat was my firs 243 rifle, and when Win brough it out comercially I bought one on the spot. I had already found the value of this cartridge with Page's wildcat.

General comments: pariphrased from cartridges of the world!

The 243 Winchester represents a successful effort to develop a light deer rifle cartridge that could hold it's own, with the high-velocity .22 on small targets and still be adiquate for larger animals. The 243 does this job well. It illeminates the need to own two different rifles for anything from small game, and pests, up to, and including deer, and antelope.

The 80 and lighter bullets are intended for varmints, and small game and the 100 gr bullets for deer size game!

My experience with several thousands of rounds loaded, and shot at eveything from jackrabbit to elk with the 243 Win in several types of rifles, has shown the above general comments to be gospel!

I have a 1961 MCA Mannlicher Shoenauer rifle that will still print 1" 5 shot groups at 150 yds from the bench after over 3000 rounds of hot handloads being pushed through it's tube, and there is no sign of throat errosion, or widened groups! I don't believe there is a better deer rifle than that little MS rifle, or it's cartridge. There I said it, but............ Unlike Ray I'm not shy!



Folks it is all in what you are willing to believe that you read in the magazines, or on the internet! :thumb:

 

[BangFlop]

Gerhard,
How is your new 243? I have taken deer and boar with one and like it a lot (matching bullet with the game is very important) - my sons and wife do too.
Shoot straight! :0

 

[Gerhard]

Gerhard,
How is your new 243? I have taken deer and boar with one and like it a lot (matching bullet with the game is very important) - my sons and wife do too.
Shoot straight! :0

Hey BangFlop,

No it will be still some time before I get to shoot my rifle....

I am busy searching for a REM 700 action to use it as the foundation of the rifle.

This will be at least a 2 year + project...

Will keep you guys updated

 

[BangFlop]

Great action for a push feed! I have a Rem 700 in 7mm Rem Mag and it is a real tack driver. Good luck finding what you want ....

 

[Gerhard]

Great action for a push feed! I have a Rem 700 in 7mm Rem Mag and it is a real tack driver. Good luck finding what you want ....

Thanks,

Its going to be a real challenge here in South Africa.

But I am not in a hurry....

 

[RayAtkinson]

Dugaboy,

 

[DUGABOY1]

Dugaboy,

I thought that would get you out of that hole you been hiding in!

How you been you crusty old coyote? Missed you at the last Dallas safari club show! We didn't have anoybody to roast! Hope to see you at the next one! Everybody said what a shame the old Brush-popper was a no show! :clap:

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Guys,

I am interested in buying a 243 Win.

Tell me more about your experience with this calibre....

What barrel twist do you recommend for 75 to 100 gr bullet?

Who have experience with Howa rifles?

Thanks

@Gerhard
Please don't get a 243 get a 25 cal. Far better than the 243. The 25/06 will do all the 243 will with light bullets and more than it will with heaven 120gn bullets.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Gerhard, it looks like you have gotten plenty of information on the .243 so I will limit my response to the Howa rifle. I have been shooting a Howa .223 for about four years and have nothing but good to say about it. It shoots very well with a variety of loads, and I seem to have good luck with it while hunting. The action is very smooth for an inexpensive rifle and I have used it in the desert Southwest in the blowing dust and sand and never had any problems with it. I have also used it in the snow and ice for predators here in Oklahoma with no problems. I am currently thinking about buying another one in .308 for my grandchildren. Overall it's a good rifle for the price.

@jaustin
Go a head and get a Howa in 308. My son has one and it shoots tiny little groups with his favorite 150gn accubonds and Hornady SSTs.
They are exactly the same action as the Weatherby vanguard also made by Howa.
Bob

 

[Jörg Krüger]

@Gerhard
Please don't get a 243 get a 25 cal. Far better than the 243. The 25/06 will do all the 243 will with light bullets and more than it will with heaven 120gn bullets.
Bob

My goodness @Bob Nelson 35Whelen , this tomato stake thread is 13 years old. The stake has gotten rotten years ago and now boasts with a new Man-bun barrel.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

My goodness @Bob Nelson 35Whelen , this tomato stake thread is 13 years old. The stake has gotten rotten years ago and now boasts with a new Man-bun barrel.

@Jörg Krüger
I was bored and didn't look at the date. It has gone from one over hyped cartridge to another then.
Oh the power of advertising.
Bob

 

[Jörg Krüger]

@Jörg Krüger
I was bored and didn't look at the date. It has gone from one over hyped cartridge to another then.
Oh the power of advertising.
Bob

Can't blame you Uncle Bob. Getting older is nasty.

 

[F. Vaccaro]

I like the .243, but I use suitable bullets & don’t ask it to do something above its capabilities.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I like the .243, but I use suitable bullets & don’t ask it to do something above its capabilities.

@F. Vaccaro
At least you use it within its limited capabilities and use the CORRECT BULLET.
People I know that use it usually use the WRONG bullet for the game picked. Eg 87gn VMAX for everything. They would be better off with an 80gn TTSX, 95gn SST or a good 100gn round nose. They also try and use it outside the practical range of the caliber, that is 200 yards plus.
Even reloading to book velocities is pie in the sky. I have never been able to get over 2,800fps with 100 grainers. A long way from the 3,000+fps book velocities.
Dang the little 250 Savage was doing that almost 100 years ago and nowadays does even better. A 117grain SST at 2,800fps out of the little Savage will do more than anything you can load into the 243.
Bob

 

[F. Vaccaro]

Bob, I’ve chronographed my Hornaday 100gr load, it’s 1830fps.
It works well for deer. Oh yes it’s very thorough on rock Chucks…….

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob, I’ve chronographed my Hornaday 100gr load, it’s 1830fps.
It works well for deer. Oh yes it’s very thorough on rock Chucks…….

@F. Vaccaro
I think you meant 2,830 not 1830 fps. Either one is pretty bad compared to Winchester advertising and reloading manual results of 3,000+fps

 

[F. Vaccaro]

@F. Vaccaro
I think you meant 2,830 not 1830 fps. Either one is pretty bad compared to Winchester advertising and reloading manual results of 3,000+fps

You are right 2830. Fickle finger!!!
it does work well on our Mule Deer.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

You are right 2830. Fickle finger!!!
it does work well on our Mule Deer.

@F. Vaccaro
I have loaded a few 243s for mates and depending on the rifle the best I could ever get was 2,700 to 2,800 fps with 100s and 2,900 to 3,000 with 87s. Nowhere near the 3,000 and 3,300fps Winchester advertises and reloading manuals say. As I have said the old 250 Savage was doing that a long time before the 243. For the life of me I don't see why people like it but to each their own. As long as you are happy that's what is important.
Bob