The 243 Winchester for Australian Game

[Forrest Halley]

@Forrest Halley
I have learnt thru years of experience what works for me.
Are you using a 243/06 to get 3,300fps couse the 243 would be pushing to get 3,100.
Helps to be a crazy loon it keeps me sane
Ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bob

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen that's surely threatening some pet cartridges. Sip the Bundy don't gulp. Staball 6.5 is saying 46.7gr as max and 3500 fps...wow! That's going to have quite a wallop with a .243....2300 ft lbs at the muzzle. Supersonic to 2100 yards. Above 1600 ft lbs to 415 yards. Sneeze at the peril of your reputation. That's a mighty toe-mah-toe stake...

 

[hawkeyesatx]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen that's surely threatening some pet cartridges. Sip the Bundy don't gulp. Staball 6.5 is saying 46.7gr as max and 3500 fps...wow! That's going to have quite a wallop with a .243....2300 ft lbs at the muzzle. Supersonic to 2100 yards. Above 1600 ft lbs to 415 yards. Sneeze at the peril of your reputation. That's a mighty toe-mah-toe stake...

Holy COW!!
I need to find me some StaBall 6.5!!
It’s like trying to find hens teeth here though!


Hawk

 

[rdog]

Holy COW!!
I need to find me some StaBall 6.5!!
It’s like trying to find hens teeth here though!


Hawk

If it does not have a 5 in its caliber designation Bob don't like it, that does not include 6.5 buy the way.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen that's surely threatening some pet cartridges. Sip the Bundy don't gulp. Staball 6.5 is saying 46.7gr as max and 3500 fps...wow! That's going to have quite a wallop with a .243....2300 ft lbs at the muzzle. Supersonic to 2100 yards. Above 1600 ft lbs to 415 yards. Sneeze at the peril of your reputation. That's a mighty toe-mah-toe stake...

@Forrest Halley
Dream on my friend books ain't always right. 3 of my manuals ( you know those Mexican books on reloading, Manuel's) say the 87s give 3,300 and the 100s give 2,900 to 3,000. My experience with a chronograph tells a different story, 87s at 3,000 or less and 100s at 27 to 3800 and that's actual chronoed numbers not pie in the shy book specs.
Bob

 

[hawkeyesatx]

@Forrest Halley
Dream on my friend books ain't always right. 3 of my manuals ( you know those Mexican books on reloading, Manuel's) say the 87s give 3,300 and the 100s give 2,900 to 3,000. My experience with a chronograph tells a different story, 87s at 3,000 or less and 100s at 27 to 3800 and that's actual chronoed numbers not pie in the shy book specs.
Bob

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen

I’m wondering if the .243 you had didn’t have a severely eroded neck, or a little longer neck in the chamber area that kept the velocities down?


Hawk

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

If it does not have a 5 in its caliber designation Bob don't like it, that does not include 6.5 buy the way.

@rdog
I do like the 7mms and the 30s as well. I also have a 222 rem 788 and a nice little 22K Hornet. So no it doesn't have to have a 5 in it. Haven't spent enough time around the 6.5x55 to form an opinion. Have seen it fail on fallow with 140s because the projectile was to hard. The 139gn SST worked well tho.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen

I’m wondering if the .243 you had didn’t have a severely eroded neck, or a little longer neck in the chamber area that kept the velocities down?


Hawk

@hawkeyesatx
2 were brand new Tikka t3 lites and an old BSA that was like new as well a a 24 inch barrel BRUNO.
All in tip top condition. The BSA was checked using a chrony and speed magneto chronograph and they only varied a few fps betwixt them.
Bob

 

[Forrest Halley]

@Forrest Halley
Dream on my friend books ain't always right. 3 of my manuals ( you know those Mexican books on reloading, Manuel's) say the 87s give 3,300 and the 100s give 2,900 to 3,000. My experience with a chronograph tells a different story, 87s at 3,000 or less and 100s at 27 to 3800 and that's actual chronoed numbers not pie in the shy book specs.
Bob

Oh yes that's for sure. I'll load a few up and see. I think I have some 87 gr vmax around. That's pretty close. Hodgdon is coming up 32-mid 3300's for that.

Is it possible the air was thickened by Whelen propaganda prior to the chronograph test? I know that hot air is usually less dense, but when it's full of hopes and dreams of ballistic marvel and wonder...might slow it down a bit...har har har All the Best Bob!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Oh yes that's for sure. I'll load a few up and see. I think I have some 87 gr vmax around. That's pretty close. Hodgdon is coming up 32-mid 3300's for that.

Is it possible the air was thickened by Whelen propaganda prior to the chronograph test? I know that hot air is usually less dense, but when it's full of hopes and dreams of ballistic marvel and wonder...might slow it down a bit...har har har All the Best Bob!

@Forrest Halley
Many others have had the same experience as me with lower than book velocities. Even Winchester lowered their on velocities on the 243 because they were pie in the sky.

 

[CBH Australia]

Im gonna test my wife's .243 next I'm out with a Chrony,

It's only a 20" barrel so not expecting max velocity but worth a test.

I'll try my favourite load with 95gn Nosler BT.

 

[rdog]

I have a 24 inch BBL no chrony & i do not care, most things i shoot end up dead with 100 grain Sierra Pro Hunters, it just work's.

 

[hawkeyesatx]

I have a 24 inch BBL no chrony & i do not care, most things i shoot end up dead with 100 grain Sierra Pro Hunters, it just work's.

That has been my experience as well.
I don’t take excessively long shots on big game with it, and the smaller critters I’ve shot haven’t complained at all about being shot with a “lowly” .243 and 100 gr bullets!


Hawk

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Im gonna test my wife's .243 next I'm out with a Chrony,

It's only a 20" barrel so not expecting max velocity but worth a test.

I'll try my favourite load with 95gn Nosler BT.

@CBH Australia
Take a photo of the results mate so we can see.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I have a 24 inch BBL no chrony & i do not care, most things i shoot end up dead with 100 grain Sierra Pro Hunters, it just work's.

@rdog
That's what usually happens when you use the right bullet in the right spot and the 100gn works in the 243

 

[Marcos Rodriguez]

That’s because shooters/hunters use a 243 on game that it too big/tough for it

I call the 243 too heavy for light work
And
Too light for heavy work
Sort of in no man’s land

In other words,l thatth I´m say!!!
More powerfull than everyone needs for the small game
Less powerfull than needs for the big game...
Agreed...

 

[CBH Australia]

In other words,l thatth I´m say!!!
More powerfull than everyone needs for the small game
Less powerfull than needs for the big game...
Agreed...

Marco, that's correct but also there is no such thing as overkill. Keep hunting small game with it.

 

[F. Vaccaro]

In other words,l thatth I´m say!!!
More powerfull than everyone needs for the small game
Less powerfull than needs for the big game...
Agreed...

I don't agree, use a proper bullet, put it in the right spot, & get out your knife!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I don't agree, use a proper bullet, put it in the right spot, & get out your knife!

@F. Vaccaro
If you are using a 243 you will probably need the knife to finish the animal off.

 

[Scrumbag]

It's fairly popular in the UK for our deer species (largest is red deer) but I think people do prefer something a little larger if they are targeting the larger species regularly. Mind you, not many critters will improve in health if you put a 100 gr Partition in the right place...

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

It's fairly popular in the UK for our deer species (largest is red deer) but I think people do prefer something a little larger if they are targeting the larger species regularly. Mind you, not many critters will improve in health if you put a 100 gr Partition in the right place...

@Scrumbag
We ll know everything is smaller in England due to the people's view being scewed
by the consumption of warm beer. So red deer are probably the size of rabbits not real deer. So the 243 may work on your game.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bob