The 243 Winchester for Australian Game

[Dr Ray]

l dont own a 243 but have a couple of 6mm dashers built on old Mauser 98 actions that are basically a more efficient 243, less powder more velocity, very precise ect...
the 6mm fits a need for me in an accurate meat hunter without destroying the meat
l use 100gr sierra pro hunters @ 3020fps

here's one l shot a few days ago with a 6mm dasher after passing up eight better heads because they were too good for just eating and still in velvet would be a crime to not let them breed

View attachment 450989

and here is a photo after the shot showing where the deer in on the deck shown by the yellow arrow

View attachment 450990

and here is a 10x photo showing the deer, the white dot

View attachment 450991

l have used bigger cartridges but but stopped because of meat damage
IMHO the 234 cal does have its place

What’s your opinion of the 257 Weatherby?

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

What’s your opinion of the 257 Weatherby?

@Dr Ray
I haven't had anything to do with the 257 Weatherby but my 25 runs very very close to it and is absolutely dynamite on anything it hits with well placed shots. Sighted 2 inches high at 100 it zeros close to 300 and is only 8 inches low at 400 with a 100gn TTSX so shoots flat as well.

 

[rdog]

@Code4
Load the little Savage up to equal pressure as the 245 snd it will out do the 243. The 250 was held to 46,000 cup for the Savage 99. Load it to the same 52,000 as the 243.
In the Savage you can go upto 120gn projectiles. Let's see the 243 do that.
Bob

Looks like Bob is not taking his medication again.

 

[marksman]

l Like the Weatherby's

a mate had a 257 Weatherby many years ago that he used for shooting foxes, it did everything
lit up a dark sky and the projectile even gutted the fox for him LOL
until he used the wrong powder in it

l'm pretty sure that like a few magnums l have and have owned that the kinetic shock from a 257 Weatherby would destroy too much meat causing a lot of bruising which is the reason for me going a lighter very precise shooting round but there are plenty of other rounds that will do the job as good.
for a stalk and jump l would use a bigger cal, if the shots were close enough even a double barrel 12ga with slugs is good for a meat animal gun as there is no kinetic shock and you can eat up to the hole
in that last post l should have mentioned like quite a few have already said how important shot placement and bullet construction is, the deer being shot in the neck it dropped the same as if brain shot, l wouldn't do a brain shot at that distance for fear of wounding,
but if your rifle will shoot straight and you know the rifle it is possible to use lighter rounds within their limits, l do advocate paper punching and plenty of practice
l have seen bigger cals fail because the shooter did not aim small

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

l Like the Weatherby's

a mate had a 257 Weatherby many years ago that he used for shooting foxes, it did everything
lit up a dark sky and the projectile even gutted the fox for him LOL
until he used the wrong powder in it

View attachment 451381

l'm pretty sure that like a few magnums l have and have owned that the kinetic shock from a 257 Weatherby would destroy too much meat causing a lot of bruising which is the reason for me going a lighter very precise shooting round but there are plenty of other rounds that will do the job as good.
for a stalk and jump l would use a bigger cal, if the shots were close enough even a double barrel 12ga with slugs is good for a meat animal gun as there is no kinetic shock and you can eat up to the hole
in that last post l should have mentioned like quite a few have already said how important shot placement and bullet construction is, the deer being shot in the neck it dropped the same as if brain shot, l wouldn't do a brain shot at that distance for fear of wounding,
but if your rifle will shoot straight and you know the rifle it is possible to use lighter rounds within their limits, l do advocate paper punching and plenty of practice
l have seen bigger cals fail because the shooter did not aim small

@marksman
When he touched that one off it would have lit his eyes up wondering what the hell just happened.
I know with my 25 it is very destructive. A deer shot in the mid neck is a lost decapitated with a 117grain SST and all the meat is buried down to between the shoulders. If it is shoulder shot the off side leg of a fallow doe is just jelly and not usable even for dog meat. These are 200 yard shots as well. Closer in it is even more damage. A 20kg sucker pig that would have been good spit roasted was shot in the shoulder after the mate shot its back foot off with a 243. When he picked it up to look at it for the spit the off side rib cage and front leg were still a bloody mess on the dam wall. Needless to say it was no good for the spit.
If you want to use a fast 25 these are the type of thing you have to accept.
A shot behind the shoulder into the ribs is the best. Still destroys a bit of meat but not as much as other shots but you don't need to track any game I've shot with it so far.

 

[CBH Australia]

@marksman
When he touched that one off it would have lit his eyes up wondering what the hell just happened.
I know with my 25 it is very destructive. A deer shot in the mid neck is a lost decapitated with a 117grain SST and all the meat is buried down to between the shoulders. If it is shoulder shot the off side leg of a fallow doe is just jelly and not usable even for dog meat. These are 200 yard shots as well. Closer in it is even more damage. A 20kg sucker pig that would have been good spit roasted was shot in the shoulder after the mate shot its back foot off with a 243. When he picked it up to look at it for the spit the off side rib cage and front leg were still a bloody mess on the dam wall. Needless to say it was no good for the spit.
If you want to use a fast 25 these are the type of thing you have to accept.
A shot behind the shoulder into the ribs is the best. Still destroys a bit of meat but not as much as other shots but you don't need to track any game I've shot with it so far.

Bob, sounds like you need to load that down to .243 performance to save a bit of meat damage.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob, sounds like you need to load that down to .243 performance to save a bit of meat damage.

@CBH Australia
Chris that would be like owning a Ferrari and only driving it in first gear. Might be ok for a little bit but not letting it go to its potential.
It is designed to shoot flat, fast and hit hard. A bit of meat loss is OK. Performance is better as you don't have the tracking you have with the 243. The loss of a bit of rib meat in my book is not bad considering the performance.

 

[marksman]

when he touched off the trigger my mate did have a bit of a surprise Bob LOL
it was a big lesson to learn and showing how good the Weatherby action is

that deer shot in the neck was only held together by the paddy wack and skin around the wound, the neck was completely destroyed where hit, dead is dead Bob
what l'm talking about with kinetic shock is the bruising that is more than just a bit of rib meat, its like all the blood vessels in the area explode from the shock and ruins the meat by leaving blood bruising, very wasteful when you can do the job better but l am talking about taking game for meat

l dont want to take the discussion away from what its about, the 243 but after being asked what l thought about the 257 Weatherby l watched this and thought l'd share it
Nathan Fosters lefty wife Steph hunting goats with a right handed monte carlo 257 Weatherby

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

when he touched off the trigger my mate did have a bit of a surprise Bob LOL
it was a big lesson to learn and showing how good the Weatherby action is

that deer shot in the neck was only held together by the paddy wack and skin around the wound, the neck was completely destroyed where hit, dead is dead Bob
what l'm talking about with kinetic shock is the bruising that is more than just a bit of rib meat, its like all the blood vessels in the area explode from the shock and ruins the meat by leaving blood bruising, very wasteful when you can do the job better but l am talking about taking game for meat

l dont want to take the discussion away from what its about, the 243 but after being asked what l thought about the 257 Weatherby l watched this and thought l'd share it
Nathan Fosters lefty wife Steph hunting goats with a right handed monte carlo 257 Weatherby

@marksman
That's why I like the fast 25s they just work and do massive damage.
Seeing the goats Steph shot it is an identical result that I get with my 25.

 

[F. Vaccaro]

I believe the .257 Weatherby was Roy Weatherbys favorite caliber.

 

[Longwalker]

I have owned a couple of .243 rifles. Used them here in Canada to shoot coyotes and Whitetail and Mule deer without any problems. But I always wondered about their adequacy on deer. For just a little more recoil and no other trade offs, I have used .25-06, and 7mm 08 and 7x57 etc. on deer with more confidence and no worries at all. And perfect consistent performance. I sold my last .243 a few years ago and I don't miss it.
But here's a twist - I had my primary .308 rifle seize up during a late season moose hunt in very cold weather once. At -40° my Remington 700 refused to play. So I grabbed my back up Savage 99 lever action .243 and was happy that I had a reasonably effective "plan B" option to hunt with. I would have been limited to broadside rib shots with the 100 gr. Nosler Partition bullets that I had loaded. But if offered that chance? I would have taken it. Didn't get that chance.
I know of a local hunter who during his long career shot shot more than 50 moose with a similar power .250 savage and 100 gr. factory loads. Never lost one. Seldom shot a moose only once, but he got them on the ground. So who knows.
I just prefer to use what gives me confidence.

 

[marksman]

@marksman
That's why I like the fast 25s they just work and do massive damage.
Seeing the goats Steph shot it is an identical result that I get with my 25.

massive damage is no good for a meat hunter Bob but if the truth is to be known you can do the same damage with a 243 depending on the bullet selected and where you hit them,
the berger hunting projectile is one that will blow big holes in the side of a small animal like them goats that Steph was shooting in her video but even the sierra bullets l am using will blow out a big hole if l chest shot instead of neck or brain
the difference is .243/6.17mm and ,257/6.35mm and the 243 has way better bullets made for it LOL
understand the reason l get farmers ringing me to cull their deer is because of how l do it
the farmers like that l take the whole animal away and it is eaten not left to rot or attract wild dogs
l understand there are farmers out there that dont care and just want the pests dropped, thats fine
FFS the kiwi deer cullers used the 222 on reds for years, the favourite shot being the meat saver shot
but l do believe there are better choices
IMHO shot placement is the key but if a 25 is good for blasting a 50 must be double as good LOL

 

[CBH Australia]

.243, shot placement and proper projectile selection all work.
.243 is good for Australian game.

 

[264]

New Winchester 243 featherweight (1960) Nice boar in the bracken fern a week or so ago. 90 gr E-tip 15m , entry just behind shoulder broke the off side scapula and stopped against the fighting pad Drop on the spot. Good way to christen the new rifle.
Heres some pics, cheers Mick

recovered 90 grE-Tip

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

New Winchester 243 featherweight (1960) Nice boar in the bracken fern a week or so ago. 90 gr E-tip 15m , entry just behind shoulder broke the off side scapula and stopped against the fighting pad Drop on the spot. Good way to christen the new rifle.
Heres some pics, cheers Mick
View attachment 455881
recovered 90 grE-Tip
View attachment 455882

@264
Mick finally some one is using the right projectiles for game in the 243. Many in Australia could learn from you about matching bullets to game to make it work properly instead of loading 87gn you beaut do it all varmit bullet.
Well done

 

[rdog]

New Winchester 243 featherweight (1960) Nice boar in the bracken fern a week or so ago. 90 gr E-tip 15m , entry just behind shoulder broke the off side scapula and stopped against the fighting pad Drop on the spot. Good way to christen the new rifle.
Heres some pics, cheers Mick
View attachment 455881
recovered 90 grE-Tip
View attachment 455882

What make of bullet is the e tip?

 

[264]

What make of bullet is the e tip?

Noslers version of all copper. Ive been wanting a tough projectile for the 243 so thought Id see how they go.

 

[rdog]

Noslers version of all copper. Ive been wanting a tough projectile for the 243 so thought Id see how they go.

Thank you i will try to get some to try.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Noslers version of all copper. Ive been wanting a tough projectile for the 243 so thought Id see how they go.

@264
Well they sure seem to work well Mick.
Maybe just maybe but don't hold your breath one day I might just say " hey the 243 may have a use"
Nah hell will freeze over first.
Still good to see someone loading it properly tho.

 

[264]

@264
Well they sure seem to work well Mick.
Maybe just maybe but don't hold your breath one day I might just say " hey the 243 may have a use"
Nah hell will freeze over first.
Still good to see someone loading it properly tho.

Starting loads , so expecting a bit more from the E -Tip. ironic to get the boar. I was trying to get a fallow. Last thing I expected to get after the move from the NT.
243 has its place.