.243 Qestions...*Follow Up, Post #26*

Slug870

Slug870

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I am looking at picking up a Tikka T3 Hunter in .243 for a deer rifle so I figured I'd ask a few owners what they thought of the .243. Please note, I am not asking about the rifle; just the .243 cartridge. Currently I hunt with a .30-06, so something a little smaller might be good for the collection.

I was thinking .243 as I have read a few reviews from hunters saying that they love their .243, however I have also read that barrel like is quite short; not a real good selling point. Having said that, it will be a hunting rifle and after some initial load development, it will not likely see a lot rounds going through it. At any rate, a few questions...

1. There are some who would say .243 is fine for varmint, "pushing it" for large deer and no good for bear. To me that just doesn't add up; anyone care to comment?

2. Could anyone suggest a "proven" bullet which they have found to be good when reloading the .243?

3. Of course, I have to ask what everyone's favorite powder is for the .243?

Thanks for any and all advice, comments and opinions!
 
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243 is one of my most favorite rounds but use it with respect within its limitations.
1. Proper bullet placement on high quality kill shots will provide a killing combination. 243 will effectively harvest large game animals. Keep your shots within 200yards. In my experience this cartridge is effective on Moose, Elk, Mtn Goat, deer, bear.
2. 100 gr Hornady flat base to find load and practice with. Hunt with same load using the 100gr Nosler partition.
3. H4350.
My 2c.
 
Slug870 said:
1. There are some who would say .243 is fine for varmint, "pushing it" for large deer and no good for bear. To me that just doesn't add up; anyone care to comment?
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I have taken large Caribou with my .243 and the bullet goes through the animal on a side shot. My son shot a very large Caribou with the .243 on a front on shot, went through the animal through the liver and exited out the side. Before I had this gun it had taken a large Elk in Montana.
 
I have a few .243 one a lever action browning was my first deer rifle, and the other a tikka t3 is my son's first deer rifle . Shot placement is pretty critical when hunting bigger stuff if you can hit your mark then a .243 should be just fine , if you find your accuracy to be minute of deer in the field a .243 might not be the best choice . Every deer I have shot with my .243 has dropped like a sack of potatoes but I pass on a fair number of shots until I can get the right one . I don't use it much for larger stuff(I have other guns for that) but if the shot and the tags were right I would not be too afraid to take an elk with it .I generally shoot 95 + grain bullets for hunting and there are bullets available up to 115 gr. for long distance accuracy and down to about 50ish gr.for varmint and small game. All in all it is a pretty decent small caliber round.
 
Speaking as one who has seen one shot bang flops on deer, moose and mountain goat, I say a 243 would be an excellent choice to go along with your 30-06.
Very accurate, easy to shoot and flat shooting, what is not to like about them?
 
1. With the right bullets it is a completely adequate deer round, although it lacks bullet weight for some unusual situations.
2. For many years the standard of bullet performance has been the 100 grain Nosler Partition. There are newer bullets that claim to be as good. I've not shot enough game with them to be as absolutely certain about them as I am the Partitions.
3. IMR 4350 for deer weight bullets.

The .243 is not a very heavy cartridge, so I believe heavy for caliber bullets make the best big game loads. I have been present (I prefer larger calibers) when probably more than 30 deer were shot with one (or its 6mm Rem. twin), and I believe it is a good round for deer sized game, if one uses the proper bullets.
 
I have not hunted a lot with the 243, but I have shot ½ a boxcar full of deer with the 6mm Remington.
The two are so similar in performance that no deer would know the difference.

My bullet of choice has most often been either the 95 or the 100 Partition.

When I was on Vancouver Island, I shot about a dozen blacktails with the 85 Partition.
I cannot remember having to shoot twice on any deer.

I shot an immature Bull Moose with my 6mm and the 100 Partition, broadside at 210 yards.
That 100 Partition exited, and that moose was DRT.

Shot placement is a bit more critical with the small bullet diameter/weight, but placed right, it'll get the job done.
On the plus side, these chamberings tend to be very accurate, allowing precise bullet placement.

Regards, Eagleye.
 
My 243 is probably my favourite rifle. You have to be a little more precise with your shot, but its a fairly accurate calibre, so it shouldn't be a problem. Deer for sure, but I'd want something bigger for bear.
 
I use mine for white tail & mule deer. My standard reload is 87gr HP with H414 for powder. I have never had trouble with hunting deer its a one shoot drop. I was never a big fan of the 100gr bullets.
 
I have a 243 but have never used it for deer,but as eagleye I shot quite a few with the 6mm and never had to shoot a second time.I always used 100 gr bullets and kept my shots 200 yds and under and never had a problem.
 
I enjoy shooting .243, very accurate and flat shooting, but I find it too light in both energy and bullet weight for most of my hunting. Compare the .243 next to your 30.06 round and ask yourself how much less is one bullet from the other? In my mind, it doesn't make sense to have a bullet that can group nice up to 400 yards, but can only use for hunting up to 200. Even up close, I would not want to shoot a moose or elk with a 243.
 
I prefer to think of the .243 as a cartridge suitable for 100 pound game, you can double that with a premium bullet. There have been observations made by credible folks with resumes full of experience like Eagleye and H-4831, as to the .243's effect on large game, but you can also hear similar observations from folks who shoot big game with .22 centerfires. More than a few folks in the North shoot everything with .22-250s. The question then becomes, what is the importance, if any, of the expanded frontal area of a bullet. Then the age old debate of big bore vs small bore once again raises its ugly head.

What can happen under ideal conditions is not my concern; my concern is what might happen under the conditions I am familiar with. What happens when the coat of the game animal is ice covered from the recent early season snow squall? What happens when the only shot you get is quartering away. What happens, not at 200 yards, but when the bullet hits the game at full speed at 25 yards? For these reasons, I dislike small bores for use on big game. A .243 trumps a .22, a 6.5 trumps a .243, a .30 trumps a .243 and a .375 trumps a .30, when all operate in a comparable velocity envelope. Now the answer to my questions is that the math is not that complicated. If you shoot an animal that remains on its feet, shoot again, and repeat as required. I prefer to go with a cartridge that provides an expectation of achieving a one shot kill, which is why for North American hunting I think appropriate cartridges start with the moderate case sized 6.5s.

What kills the game? Tissue damage resulting in blood loss, which in turn ultimately deprives the brain of oxygen which is delivered by that blood, and results in the death of the animal. What damages the most tissue? The larger the diameter of the bullet, that fully penetrates the game animal,the greater the volume of tissue that the bullet impacts upon. A .243 bullet will expand from .30 to .45 caliber, a .30/06 bullet will expand from .45 caliber to three quarters of an inch, in the case of the heavy weights on game of sufficient density to cause them to fully expand. Ditto for the .375 that under some conditions can expand to an inch. Is that level of performance always necessary? No. Is it nice to have in reserve? Yes.
 
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Boomer said:
.... Is that level of performance always necessary? No. Is it nice to have in reserve? Yes.
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X2

My experience is that it is better to error on the heavy side than too light of bullet. Loosing a couple extra pounds of meat is not an issue, as not finding a wounded animal is significant.
 
The OP wants it as a deer rifle, and I think in that application it will work great, especially when paired with premium bullets. He didn't mention elk or moose hunting, but he did mention he has a 30-06 which I assume he would take on that sort of a hunt.

As I said, I've never really liked the .243 but my buddy uses one for deer and when he puts a 85gr TSX bullet into a deer chest the deer flops over. Broadside, raking and frontal shots.
 
Some excellent replies here guys, and I thank you all for taking the time to post. I greatly appreciate the insight and opinions of some of the most credible and knowledgeable names on CGN who have taken the time to contribute to this thread.

Boomer said:
I prefer to think of the .243 as a cartridge suitable for 100 pound game, you can double that with a premium bullet. There have been observations made by credible folks with resumes full of experience like Eagleye and H-4831, as to the .243's effect on large game, but you can also hear similar observations from folks who shoot big game with .22 centerfires. More than a few folks in the North shoot everything with .22-250s. The question then becomes, what is the importance, if any, of the expanded frontal area of a bullet. Then the age old debate of big bore vs small bore once again raises its ugly head.

What can happen under ideal conditions is not my concern; my concern is what might happen under the conditions I am familiar with. What happens when the coat of the game animal is ice covered from the recent early season snow squall? What happens when the only shot you get is quartering away. What happens, not at 200 yards, but when the bullet hits the game at full speed at 25 yards? For these reasons, I dislike small bores for use on big game. A .243 trumps a .22, a 6.5 trumps a .243, a .30 trumps a .243 and a .375 trumps a .30, when all operate in a comparable velocity envelope. Now the answer to my questions is that the math is not that complicated. If you shoot an animal that remains on its feet, shoot again, and repeat as required. I prefer to go with a cartridge that provides an expectation of achieving a one shot kill, which is why for North American hunting I think appropriate cartridges start with the moderate case sized 6.5s.

What kills the game? Tissue damage resulting in blood loss, which in turn ultimately deprives the brain of oxygen which is delivered by that blood, and results in the death of the animal. What damages the most tissue? The larger the diameter of the bullet, that fully penetrates the game animal,the greater the volume of tissue that the bullet impacts upon. A .243 bullet will expand from .30 to .45 caliber, a .30/06 bullet will expand from .45 caliber to three quarters of an inch, in the case of the heavy weights on game of sufficient density to cause them to fully expand. Ditto for the .375 that under some conditions can expand to an inch. Is that level of performance always necessary? No. Is it nice to have in reserve? Yes.
Click to expand...

This is a fine example of why I love CGN. An intelligent, unbiased post which is both informative as well as well spoken. Notice in particular the lack of insults, bravado and "I'm right and you're wrong" type of statements. Well done to you Boomer, and thank you for posting.
 
I had a 243 Win before, shot 2 deer with it, a 4x4 whitetail (50yds) and a 2x3 mule deer (200yds), both with 100gr Partitions, both broadside and both had 1 1/2" exit holes. They never made it far. Love the partitions.
MV was 2900fps from a 22" barrel. I now have a 6mm Rem I'm using this year ,same bullet but at 3200fps. Pick your shot and you will have your animal.
If you wanted more bullet weight you could always go with a 2506 in that same gun and shoot 100-120gr bullets. Its a winner as well.
 
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