One caliber away from contentment... who else?

[CoElkHunter]

I like the 6CM over the 243. Barrels come in a faster twist. Finding ammo has not been hard stateside not sure where you are. You can seat the bullets out longer and they do not interfere with the mag as easily as a 243 win.

As far as one caliber away. If my 7PRC shows up, it will be a want vs need at that point. I'm blessed in the regards I have calibers covered. Now rifles for a specific task....we won't go there just yet.

He's in OZ. Good luck finding ANY obscure brass there. Or really even here in the US for the most part.

 

[CoElkHunter]

you guys are going to think Im crazy.... but... after "never" finding the perfect caliber for anything... and spending the better part of 40 years buying, selling, trading into probably 50 different calibers across the spectrum from .22 short to 585 Hubel Express..

I think Ive finally found contentment.. in the old school basics...

308 does pretty much everything I want to do at every distance I want to do it at for pretty much anything between the size of a small whitetail up to a a zebra..

223 does pretty much everything I want to do at every distance I want to do it at for pretty much everything smaller than a whitetail..

and 375 H&H does everything I want to do at every distance I want to do it at for everything bigger than a zebra..

Sure.. Ive still got a lot more options in the safe.. lots of things to choose from.. lots of perhaps "better" options if I really want to dwell on it...

but.. I honestly cant think of anything I want to shoot or anything I want to hunt.. anywhere on the planet.. that I cant do with one of those 3 calibers..

I may indeed finally be content

Yeah, I'm done with anymore "obscure" cartridges. The cost of brass for most is outrageous IF you can find ANY. I can use .458 and .338 cases to form my .416 Taylor. That's as obscure I'm going.

 

[Inline6]

He's in OZ. Good luck finding ANY obscure brass there. Or really even here in the US for the most part.

I would not call it obscure. Can be made by resizing 6.5CM brass or 22-250 if in a pinch.

 

[Inline6]

I would not call it obscure. Can be made by resizing 6.5CM brass or 22-250 if in a pinch.

And I have ran 243, 260 and 308 through the resizing die to make it...just to see if it could be done. It will work. Just need to turn the necks if you try it.

 

[double rifle newbie]

i had the same bug. my collection includes:
22lr
.223
30-06
338wm
9.3x74r
416rm
450 nitro express.

had a gap between .223 and 30-06. ive grown an interest in a very light, flat shooting rifle specifically for mountain goat and dall in alaska, antelope out west, and ibex/chamois/fallow/mouflon in europe. i came across a great deal on a tikka ultralight in a 6.5 creedmor a couple years ago and decided that it would be my gap filler. 5.9 lbs, flat shooting, enough gun for its intended quarry, and fills the gap nicely for its intended use.

 

[CBH Australia]

i had the same bug. my collection includes:
22lr
.223
30-06
338wm
9.3x74r
416rm
450 nitro express.

had a gap between .223 and 30-06. ive grown an interest in a very light, flat shooting rifle specifically for mountain goat and dall in alaska, antelope out west, and ibex/chamois/fallow/mouflon in europe. i came across a great deal on a tikka ultralight in a 6.5 creedmor a couple years ago and decided that it would be my gap filler. 5.9 lbs, flat shooting, enough gun for its intended quarry, and fills the gap nicely for its intended use.

A Creedmoor!

 

[cash_tx]

I currently have 15 different rifle calibers at the moment; so for me it's not really about the next caliber, but rather the next beautiful rifle or killer deal that catches my eye. That being said, I keep hearing 257 Roberts, 6.5x55, and 6.5 Creedmoor calling my name; which is kind of funny as those three are almost the same thing.

 

[CBH Australia]

Just one more drink. One more cigarette. One more pill. One more hit of heroin. Same concept. 243 Win will lead to just one more other drug. Lol!

Yeah, he's had a few .458's and that unleashed the Bad Boy in him, now he has has .425Express, speaking of obscure brass.

But I can provide some .243 brass I'd needed

Well he doesn't drink and smoke, he gave up his bad habits and he is a real family man. With a couple of young kids and a couple of teenagers at home he is probably trying to balance a family budget and wishing for another rifle.

 

[cash_tx]

Hey everyone...

I have decided that I am only one caliber away from complete contentment... does anyone else feel the same?

I thought I had the complete armoury but looking again l think l'm missing something...
Looking in my safe I have everything from rabbits to long-range deer hunting to close-range elephant hunting covered -but I'm missing one caliber that would be perfect FOR ME.
And l believe that caliber is the .243 Winchester.

I have always owned bigger calibers but my absolute favourite hunting spot in the world (@CBH Australia this is where we hunted ) is where l hunt Fallow deer - and not particularly big Fallow at that. There's no Sambar, just Fallow so a bigger caliber isn't required.

Now, having said that I have hunted this spot with the following calibers... .458 Win Mag, 425 Express, 338 Win Mag and my next trip l was going to bring my 308 Norma Mag.
All have done - or will do the job, but all of the above are expensive, kick hard and are big for Fallow... and l think a .243 Would be perfect for this hunting spot.

Why the .243 over other certain calibers?
Well for one l really like the .243.
I also like the idea of walking into a gun shop and have a selection of readily available ammo off the shelf.
I can choose ammo from 55 to over 100gn.
Recoil is mild so my wife and kids can comfortably shoot it.
Pretty flat trajectory - similar to my 308 Norma.
It's effective on Fallow sized game. I've personally seen with my own eyes a mate drop 2 Fallow with one shot using factory Federal blue-box 100gn ammo.
I think it would be a nice step down from my 308 Norma.

As far as rifles go, l think my perfect .243 would be housed in a Winchester M70 with a 22" barrel with a nice trim 3-9x scope on top.
If l couldn't find a Winchester M70 it would have to be something that is nice light and trim.

Now, all the above is just me dreaming as l have NO budget for a new rifle!
BUT!
If l could afford one more rifle it would be a .243 Winchester.
I know it's not everyone's cup of tea and it's not very exotic or exciting, but l already own enough exciting calibers so a .243 it would be

Is anyone else one caliber or rifle away from complete contentment?
If so, would love to hear what it is! And it can be as exotic or rare as you want.
And l bet it's not a .243!

Russ

I too have a 308 Norma Magnum, as well as two different 243 Win's. One of the 243's is the same make and model as the 308 Norma, just in a different caliber. With that said, there is a tremendous difference in the shooter's experience of blast and felt recoil. I'm a big fan of you getting a mild-shooting caliber; but if I didn't already own 243's, I'd probably lean more towards a 6.5 Creedmoor for just a tad more oomph but still very mild recoil (not to mention the availability of ammo is basically equal between the two).

 

[cash_tx]

you guys are going to think Im crazy.... but... after "never" finding the perfect caliber for anything... and spending the better part of 40 years buying, selling, trading into probably 50 different calibers across the spectrum from .22 short to 585 Hubel Express..

I think Ive finally found contentment.. in the old school basics...

308 does pretty much everything I want to do at every distance I want to do it at for pretty much anything between the size of a small whitetail up to a a zebra..

223 does pretty much everything I want to do at every distance I want to do it at for pretty much everything smaller than a whitetail..

and 375 H&H does everything I want to do at every distance I want to do it at for everything bigger than a zebra..

Sure.. Ive still got a lot more options in the safe.. lots of things to choose from.. lots of perhaps "better" options if I really want to dwell on it...

but.. I honestly cant think of anything I want to shoot or anything I want to hunt.. anywhere on the planet.. that I cant do with one of those 3 calibers..

I may indeed finally be content

Trending dangerously close to bringing logic and self-restraint to the conversation... ;-)

 

[Badboymelvin]

.25-06 over the .243 would be my choice. You could raid Townsend's @Bob Nelson 35Whelen stash of .30-06 brass to form the .25-06 cartridge.

Hey mate,

It's funny, the .25-06 is one cartridge that has never grabbed me. Never saw what the fuss was about or what it did better than a .270...
In fact the only .25 cal that interests me in any way is the .257Wby, which I've owned.
But regardless of what .25 it is, they are not legal for Sambar in Vic which would be another strike against the .25-06...

Russ

 

[eyedok]

I have 5 .243’s, have culled alot of whitetails and shot a couple big muleys w them- IMO very underrated cartridge, use good bullets and it performs well

 

[TOBY458]

Yeah, he's had a few .458's and that unleashed the Bad Boy in him, now he has has .425Express, speaking of obscure brass.

But I can provide some .243 brass I'd needed

Well he doesn't drink and smoke, he gave up his bad habits and he is a real family man. With a couple of young kids and a couple of teenagers at home he is probably trying to balance a family budget and wishing for another rifle.

It was just a joke.

 

[Badboymelvin]

He's in OZ. Good luck finding ANY obscure brass there. Or really even here in the US for the most part.

Yep

 

[Badboymelvin]

Yeah, he's had a few .458's and that unleashed the Bad Boy in him, now he has has .425Express, speaking of obscure brass.

But I can provide some .243 brass I'd needed

Well he doesn't drink and smoke, he gave up his bad habits and he is a real family man. With a couple of young kids and a couple of teenagers at home he is probably trying to balance a family budget and wishing for another rifle.

Exactly my friend.
Gave up the bad stuff years ago and never looked back... in fact if l couldn't get further more from where l once was I'm starting ministry next year!

Russ

 

[Badboymelvin]

It was just a joke.

Wasn't taken any other way mate

Russ

 

[Doubleplay]

you guys are going to think Im crazy.... but... after "never" finding the perfect caliber for anything... and spending the better part of 40 years buying, selling, trading into probably 50 different calibers across the spectrum from .22 short to 585 Hubel Express..

I think Ive finally found contentment.. in the old school basics...

308 does pretty much everything I want to do at every distance I want to do it at for pretty much anything between the size of a small whitetail up to a a zebra..

223 does pretty much everything I want to do at every distance I want to do it at for pretty much everything smaller than a whitetail..

and 375 H&H does everything I want to do at every distance I want to do it at for everything bigger than a zebra..

Sure.. Ive still got a lot more options in the safe.. lots of things to choose from.. lots of perhaps "better" options if I really want to dwell on it...

but.. I honestly cant think of anything I want to shoot or anything I want to hunt.. anywhere on the planet.. that I cant do with one of those 3 calibers..

I may indeed finally be content

%100 agreed and 308 has the most availability all over the World.

 

[BeeMaa]

I think I NEED a Daniel Defense DDM4V7 in 5.56NATO.

And a Benelli SBE3 Waterfowl Performance Shop 20 bore in Gore Optifade Timber.

So two would be NEEDED, but only one is a "caliber". How's that for getting around the legal end of the verbiage?

 

[CBH Australia]

It was just a joke.

Don't take it to heart, I took it as a joke.

I just know he's got a healthy addiction to gunpowder and big Boomer's but he also moved one to home another recently.

 

[sgt_zim]

243 Win? I think @Bob Nelson 35Whelen will be along shortly to set you straight.