Lets talk about hunting with the .243 winchester

I have a BLR takedown in 243 that i took a 3x3 it ran about a 100 feet and died, no arguments from me

I bought my nephew a youth model left hand savage in 243 a model 10 I believe. he took it hinting with my brother for 4 years and never fired it lol
 
If not for my 257Roberts, I would probably own a 243 for a "deer only" rifle. I think it's a better choice than the 257 as it fits better in a short action. Lots of good deer bullets in 257 and 243 so that is not a factor.

The 243 is a very good chambering that has sold well from Day 1. The 6.5CM might have a bit of competition for the 243 as it's a bit shorter than the 260 and allows the bullets to be seated out to the lands and offers heavier bullets as an option.
 
SuperCub said:
If not for my 257Roberts, I would probably own a 243 for a "deer only" rifle. I think it's a better choice than the 257 as it fits better in a short action. Lots of good deer bullets in 257 and 243 so that is not a factor.

The 243 is a very good chambering that has sold well from Day 1. The 6.5CM might have a bit of competition for the 243 as it's a bit shorter than the 260 and allows the bullets to be seated out to the lands and offers heavier bullets as an option.
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It will be interesting to see if the 6.5cm catches on with the hunting crowd, it's sure popular with the precision crowd. Although it would have to compete with the 7mm08 too, which has gained a pretty strong following among hunters who've outgrown magnumitis.

Savage chambers it in the axis these days, and I'd assume most other manufacturers are doing 6.5cm hunting rifles too... I could certainly see the 260rem becoming even less popular (personally I'm going to stick to the 308-based cartridges though.)
 
Suther said:
It will be interesting to see if the 6.5cm catches on with the hunting crowd
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I expect it will IF the guns, ammo and brass is readily available to shooters at reasonable prices. This is where Remington dropped the marketing ball for the 7-08 and 260.
 
rral22 said:
No, I didn't.
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LOL. Because you don't know...
Lung shots are not surgery, and are guaranteed kills. ive lost deer in the past, and have seen deer lost in the past, therefore, I pass up on maybe shots for guaranteed kills broadside... sure I don't get as many as I could, but I also don't lose any now either... This is only 20 years hunting experience talking, so maybe I'm just new to the way of life...
 
My first rifle was an Ithaca LSA-55 in 243 Win. Have only used hand loads.

For Coyote/Predator/Deer I use Hornady 95gr SST with fantastic results and 0 loss to date.

For anything larger I use a 100gr Nosler Partition which I have taken a black bear with. Bear didn't even make it 20 yards before it collapsed.

I don't recommend a 243 for larger game but it can certainly be used effectively with proper shot placement and bullet choice.

I enjoy shooting this caliber as it is easy on the ol' shoulder!

Edit: Worth mentioning is my success with Barnes T-TSX 80gr for accuracy. Consistent sub-MOA @ 100m. No results to report for game though.
 
I've shot 8 species of deer with the same .243 that I've had for about 20 yrs. It was my 1st centrefire rifle. From Muntjac to a Royal stag(6x6 red stag) in the UK, to mule deer and whitetails in SK and AB. I shot 3 deer with it last year, and my buddy shot 1 with that rifle. Last years deer were all shot with 100 gr interlocs. Oh, I forgot the 5th deer. Another hunting buddy gut shot it and kept missing so I shot it in the neck at 212 yds.
I absolutely love the .243, I will never be without one. It is a fantastic deer cartridge, but bullet choice is crucial. I have been unimpressed with anything less than 90 gr for deer, although some of the modern copper solids might be ok. If I get drawn for a muley buck this year, I will probably use the 100 gr Remington corloct bullets that I've had on the shelf for years.
Don't let anyone tell you the .243 won't kill deer. It does'nt have the energy of the big boomers, but it's very easy to shoot well.
 
rci2950 said:
What are your experiences with this cartridge? What animals were you taking and what bullets were you using? Is it in your mind a good cartridge for white tail deer? Would you attempt to take a black bear with it? Are you using factory ammo or hand loads? Give me your experiences good and bad. Tell me the story. How far was the shot? Where did you hit it? How far did it run? What was the meat damage like?

I attached a few pics. The ammunition I picked up to try first are S&B 100 grain soft points. Rifle is a Merkel R15 from Nordic Marksman, The sale they have going on is pretty irresistible.

Lets talk about .243 winchester only. Don't tell me that .25-06 is better, that's not helpful. I only want to discuss the .243 winchester because that's what i have. Pics of rifles and animals are appreciated as well.

Thanks!!

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My Daughters 243 X bolt has cleanly knocked down several 4 point mulies using several different 100 grain bullets in BC, beautiful deer gun IMHO
 
I've got a T3 Hunter in .243, very sweet shooting rifle. It shot absolutely horrid with Remington 100 Corelokt, it was a struggle to hold 2" groups at 100 yds. The cheapo Federal blue box 100s shot well enough that it took me a while to develop a handload that grouped better.
My deer ammo is 90 gr Accubond over IMR 4831 at about 2950 fps, nice accurate bullet in the Tikka.
My varmint/predator/long range load is an 80 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip Varmint over H414.
I believe it's a very good deer cartridge in the hands of a skilled shooter. Those that aren't skilled shooters have no business hunting anyway in my opinion. Know your limits and stay within them.
Having said that, the .243 is a great rifle for developing good shooting skills. It won't kick the snot out of you, most new shooters won't develop a flinch learning to shoot with one.
 
Suther said:
Although it would have to compete with the 7mm08 too, which has gained a pretty strong following among hunters who've outgrown magnumitis.
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I chuckled when I read this. This is me exactly. I sold my .338WM two years ago, my .45-70 last fall, and bought myself a pretty little Model 70 Featherweight in 7mm-08. My old body is less interested in the whiplash from the big guys than it used to be. I also have less to prove to myself, I guess.
 
As mentioned, it's easy to shoot well. That is key. It's also got more than enough knock down power for the largest North American game, never mind deer.....even at mid ranges.
 
I`ve used the Stevens 200 in .243 since it came out. Shot several deer with it using 90/100gr bullets, no issues. My brother used an old Parker Hale in .243 to harvest at least a dozen moose. We`re both convinced.

DF
 
An old buddy from work was all he used. Probably shot 20 deer up to that point, and that was maybe 20 years ago. I'm sure he's shot another 20 with it. He said he used the heaviest bullet, whatever that was.
 
A 243 is on my list. 5/9 deer taken in my hunting party last fall were with a 243. They never made it far after being shot.
 
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