Badboymelvin
AH enthusiast
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2013
- Messages
- 472
- Reaction score
- 1,845
- Location
- Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Media
- 22
- Articles
- 2
Hey crew,
I scored a .243!
A bit of backstory first...
As I've previously mentioned, IF l could own 1 more rifle... it would be a .243.
The reason being I already own a 308 Norma for big stuff and a .425 Express for REALLY big stuff - but I didn't have anything for smaller stuff like Fallow deer.
Also, my kids, my wife and some female friends (it's amazing how many women want to learn to hunt) have started accompanying me on my deer hunting trips and the smallest rifle l own is a 308 Norma shooting a 175gn pill at 2900fps.
They are happy to use it but l know better... it kicks. Especially to a novice... cue big flinch.
So I got to thinking, IF l ever bought another rifle it would be a nice, small, pleasant shooting rifle. And to me that meant a .243.
Yep, the most boring cartridge l can think of... but you know what? Sometimes boring can be good!
Ammo and components can be found anywhere, as well as load data and rifles in .243 are plentiful.
Although it's a mild cartridge it works well on Fallow with the right projectile and shoots pretty flat.
And importantly for me, it doesn't recoil that hard so with a bit of practice it can be used confidently by new deer hunters.
Plus l actually do like the little .243...
So there's the backstory.
The only problem is l have NO budget for a new rifle! But one can dream...
Well this dream started becoming a reality when l went hunting with @Bob Nelson 35Whelen and he gifted me a set of loading dies in .243!
What an incredibly kind gesture - especially when l didn't even have a rifle in .243 yet!
He also gifted me a packet of LR primers which are a precious commodity in Australia. Thank you so much Bob... it almost seemed like you knew something l didn't...
Seriously, thank you Bob. l owe you one mate.
The next step was when a dear friend of my wife and I @Kiwifire111 heard l was after a .243... so he messaged me and said he was sending down one of his .243's (a Parker Hale) that he wasn't using for the family to use. I was speechless... he was even putting a scope on it for me...
Now, for anyone who knows Mal, will know what kind of a man he is... put simply there are none finer. I have lost count of the favours he has done for me and my family and l am truly honoured to call this man my friend.
Me writing about this on a forum doesn't fully express just how much l truly appreciate this... it's something l'll never forget.
Thank you.
So as unbelievable as it sounds, I now have a rifle and dies...
I was just kinda sitting there wondering how all this was actually happening when there was a knock at the door.
It was the postman with a package addressed to me. It was from @CBH Australia and when l opened it there was 100 pieces of once-fired .243 Winchester brass, a packet of Nosler 95gn Ballistic Tips and a packet of 70gn copper hollow-point Hammer bullets!
I quickly messaged Chris thanking him and of course, he wouldn't except any payment for them.
Talk about generosity.
Wow...
Thank you mate.
So there's the story of how l came into possession of a .243!
And dies and primers!
And brass and projectiles!
All because of people's generosity and wanting to help. It really does blow your mind and I really am just so proud to call these guys mates.
And l can't wait to share a hunting camp or a nice dinner with them again soon.
So what's next?
As soon as the rifle arrives I'm going to work up a nice, accurate load with the 95gn BT and aim for 3000fps.
According to my ADI loading manual 44.5gn of 2213SC (H4831) should get me there...
My ballistic program says that if l can get 2950-3000fps with the 95gn BT it will have an almost identical trajectory as my 308 Norma with 175gn so that would be nice and and handy.
I know Bob isn't a fan of the Nosler Ballistic Tips, but I've been putting out the feelers and everyone I've asked who hunts Fallow with a .243 loves them.
Maybe they've been changed or redesigned...?
I shall let everyone know soon!
So there we go, a nice feel-good story for everyone to read.
As I said, I'm still blown away and just so, so thankful for everyone and what they did...
And really importantly, it's given me the opportunity to introduce new and inexperienced people - who want to learn, to hunting.
And with a rifle they can enjoy shooting... that is just so good.
You see... I WAS meant to have a .243!
Thanks for reading.
Russ
I scored a .243!
A bit of backstory first...
As I've previously mentioned, IF l could own 1 more rifle... it would be a .243.
The reason being I already own a 308 Norma for big stuff and a .425 Express for REALLY big stuff - but I didn't have anything for smaller stuff like Fallow deer.
Also, my kids, my wife and some female friends (it's amazing how many women want to learn to hunt) have started accompanying me on my deer hunting trips and the smallest rifle l own is a 308 Norma shooting a 175gn pill at 2900fps.
They are happy to use it but l know better... it kicks. Especially to a novice... cue big flinch.
So I got to thinking, IF l ever bought another rifle it would be a nice, small, pleasant shooting rifle. And to me that meant a .243.
Yep, the most boring cartridge l can think of... but you know what? Sometimes boring can be good!
Ammo and components can be found anywhere, as well as load data and rifles in .243 are plentiful.
Although it's a mild cartridge it works well on Fallow with the right projectile and shoots pretty flat.
And importantly for me, it doesn't recoil that hard so with a bit of practice it can be used confidently by new deer hunters.
Plus l actually do like the little .243...
So there's the backstory.
The only problem is l have NO budget for a new rifle! But one can dream...
Well this dream started becoming a reality when l went hunting with @Bob Nelson 35Whelen and he gifted me a set of loading dies in .243!
What an incredibly kind gesture - especially when l didn't even have a rifle in .243 yet!
He also gifted me a packet of LR primers which are a precious commodity in Australia. Thank you so much Bob... it almost seemed like you knew something l didn't...
Seriously, thank you Bob. l owe you one mate.
The next step was when a dear friend of my wife and I @Kiwifire111 heard l was after a .243... so he messaged me and said he was sending down one of his .243's (a Parker Hale) that he wasn't using for the family to use. I was speechless... he was even putting a scope on it for me...
Now, for anyone who knows Mal, will know what kind of a man he is... put simply there are none finer. I have lost count of the favours he has done for me and my family and l am truly honoured to call this man my friend.
Me writing about this on a forum doesn't fully express just how much l truly appreciate this... it's something l'll never forget.
Thank you.
So as unbelievable as it sounds, I now have a rifle and dies...
I was just kinda sitting there wondering how all this was actually happening when there was a knock at the door.
It was the postman with a package addressed to me. It was from @CBH Australia and when l opened it there was 100 pieces of once-fired .243 Winchester brass, a packet of Nosler 95gn Ballistic Tips and a packet of 70gn copper hollow-point Hammer bullets!
I quickly messaged Chris thanking him and of course, he wouldn't except any payment for them.
Talk about generosity.
Wow...
Thank you mate.
So there's the story of how l came into possession of a .243!
And dies and primers!
And brass and projectiles!
All because of people's generosity and wanting to help. It really does blow your mind and I really am just so proud to call these guys mates.
And l can't wait to share a hunting camp or a nice dinner with them again soon.
So what's next?
As soon as the rifle arrives I'm going to work up a nice, accurate load with the 95gn BT and aim for 3000fps.
According to my ADI loading manual 44.5gn of 2213SC (H4831) should get me there...
My ballistic program says that if l can get 2950-3000fps with the 95gn BT it will have an almost identical trajectory as my 308 Norma with 175gn so that would be nice and and handy.
I know Bob isn't a fan of the Nosler Ballistic Tips, but I've been putting out the feelers and everyone I've asked who hunts Fallow with a .243 loves them.
Maybe they've been changed or redesigned...?
I shall let everyone know soon!
So there we go, a nice feel-good story for everyone to read.
As I said, I'm still blown away and just so, so thankful for everyone and what they did...
And really importantly, it's given me the opportunity to introduce new and inexperienced people - who want to learn, to hunting.
And with a rifle they can enjoy shooting... that is just so good.
You see... I WAS meant to have a .243!
Thanks for reading.
Russ
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