.243--tell me about your rifle!

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riverhunter

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hi, instead of hi-jacking tb's thread i thought it would be nice to here stories about the 243 cal!!:D .....been thinking a long time about the gun and am close to buying one....be nice to hear what you hunters have shot( varmit/big game) and bullets used!:cool: .....the gun would be used by my wife for hunting deer(close range) and i would like to have a "little bore" to play with!!:p ...thanks for all replies!...larry:)
 
Spend your money on a 25 06 instead. I am not impressed with the 243 on deer. It don't leave a blood trail, if needed. I shot one buck with mine then promptly sold it. Good gopher and yote caliber though. The hit was solid twice with a 100 grain spitzer and I was debating on a 3rd.
 
I have always had a .243 and have used one on game ranging in size from Jack Rabbits to Deer with no problem. I think there are better choices for big game but the .243 is adequate when used within its capabilities.
Back in the 70s we hunted Jacks with Hounds and my favorite rifle was a Winchester M-100 in .243... it had a Scopechief II 2.5-8 with a flip up post and cross hairs. I used very hot loaded 80 grain H/Ps and shooting rabbits running at a couple of hundred yards in front of dogs was very challenging. We used mostly Beagles and only cut the big dogs loose if we got into coyotes which were just starting to show up back then.
That M100 in .243 worked flawlessly for me for many years and thousands of rounds. I remember shooting (off hand) a bic lighter off a fence post at 100 paces with it to win the bottle at deer camp once. That rifle with 100 grain SP's was very good at cutting the brush when deer hunting and took a few nice bucks out of Parry Sound when deer were scarce.
I sold it to a buddy in 79 when my wife got pregnant... he has used it successfully as his Moose rifle ever since. I told him it was not enough gun.... he just laughs at me. He has shot a lot more Moose than I ever will.
My latest .243 incarnation is a BLR with a 2-8 Bushnell, I don't use it much but I have shot coyotes with it out to 200 yards with 55 grain B/Ts. It will shoot the 55gr Noslers into an inch and 100 grain bullets slightly better.
I shot a big Timber wolf with the 55 B/T's in Bobcaygeon a few years ago. On the run with a part of a sheep carcass in its mouth, I hit it three for five running at around 175 yards. I took the first shot off the fender of the tractor and hit it right in the shoulder (It just stumbled and ran faster!) the next four shots were off hand and I broke its back leg and then hit it in the spine with the last shot to put it down.
I remember thinking that I wished I had my old semi and 80gr hollow points for that one.:redface:
 
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Although there are many in the North who consider the .243 a big game cartridge, I am not among them. I own one - a M-7 with a medium weight 22" Lilja barrel in a B&C stock. To me it's a meduim range target/varmint rifle. It does very well with Nosler 55 gr BT's at 3900, and I've never heard a ricochet with this bullet.
 
I have a Win 70 "Sporter Varmint" with a 26" barrel. Heaviest gun I own - even heavier than my Browning 375 H&H. 6-24X scope, and 1 1/2 lb trigger.

I use it on small game (groundhogs, and jackrabbits). I have spit out a 55gr Nosler at 4100 fps using published loads.

Mention 243, and guys fill their pants jumping on it as "too small for deer", "most useless round", etc. Entirely adequate for the 150-250 lb whitetail, but I just like shooting my 35 Whelen.
 
A wonderful caliber , accurate, flat shooting, perfect with premium bullets. A .308 case spitting out 6mm bullets, does not get much better for up to medium size game. Mine is a Sako sporter, with 2.5 x 8 leupold glass in sako rings. :)
 
BIGREDD said:
Hey Andy... is there a good population of Jacks in your area?
I have been hearing of Jacks coming back strong in the East.
Click to expand...

I wish. I do my Jack and Groundhog shooting in SW Ontario in the Exeter area. I have family there and bring along a gun whenever we visit.
 
As I've stated before my Tikka T3 in 243 Win is my "go to rifle". This rifle has absolutely no problem teaching groundhawgs aerobatics and hold over out to 250 really isn't much of a consideration even on these small targets. The bullet selection is great from 55g BT's right up to heavy long 110's & 115's. I personally have shot the 55's @ 4100 fps, the 70 BT's @ 3500 fps and the 87 HPBT's which I didn't favour. Of all loads, the 70g BT works very well for me in bucking the wind and providing transfer of energy on target. If I was to buy a new 243 Win, it would be a Sako Varminter or Tikka T3 varminter as I find its application personally is more for small game.
 
I have shot many deer with a .243 but choose not to do so any more. They will deffinately get the job done but there are much better calibres to choose from for deer sized game and bigger. My opinion of course ;) :D

Damn good coyote gun though and a very fun calibre to shoot! :D
 
as you saw, my 243 is a recently aquired Remington 700 heavy barrel varmint rig. I havent shot anything with it but paper and steel, but I like it. I bought it with the intent of using the action for a custom project, but it'll most likely continue to be a 6mm of some sort. I think the 243 is best for long range shooting of coyotes and wolves. Its been and will continue to be used for deer hunting with pretty good results (from what Ive heard), but It'd not be my first choice. Id much rather pack something 257 Roberts or bigger, but that is just me :)

my rifle is a pig to pack, so for your wife's deer hunting use, Id probably reccomend either a Remington Model Seven CDL or a Tikka T3 of somesort

:beerchug:
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The proper spelling for .243 is ...... 2-5-7 R-O-B-E-R-T-S. :ar15: :ban:


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Had Four of them over the years.Had a BAR,a BLR,a 760 Rem,and a Ruger#1.Took deer with them all.IMO its plenty for whitetails.Never had one go more than 20yrds.
 
I've owned probably 6 243's and as many 6mm's over the years...I did a lot of hunting years ago with a guy who used a 700 BDL in 6mm, I had the same rifle in 243 and so did his Dad....I watched him take quite a few deer and roll many coyotes with that 6mm.....243's and 6mm's.....both good ones.
incidentally...the 6mm was not always faster than the 243....some loads in mine were faster than the same bullet in his 6mm...sometimes it was vice-versa...my 100 gr loads were faster than his 100 gr loads,...but then he hadn't heard of any other powder other than IMR4350....I used IMR4831 in the 243....
One of the 243's I had was a late sixties 700 BDL Varmint....for two seasons it was my only gopher rifle....it had no rifling left for a half inch in front of the chamber but it would still put the 58 gr VMax under an inch...I killed many gophers with it...I have a target here somewhere with the 105 Amax...5 shots in 1-3/16" at 200 meters....not bad for a toasted throat 243...

I like the 243...but it's kinda like the 7mm Rem Mag...it gets no respect...
 
I recently bought a nice little Ruger #1A Light Sporter in 243 from catnthehat, and topped it with a new Elite 3200 2-7 X 32 scope. It's a shooter, and I plan to take a doe with it this year to see the performance on deer. I think that rifle would make almost the ideal starter deer rifle for a young hunter (though the LOP is quite long, even for me...)
 
BIGREDD said:
Hey Andy... is there a good population of Jacks in your area?
I have been hearing of Jacks coming back strong in the East.
Click to expand...
Come hunt jacks here in N.S they are friggin everywhere!, this year is the best year in the 7 year cycle where they're at there max population. Gunna be a good fall, and lotsa stews... ya baby ya :D .
 
I shot a 176 BC whitetail with mine last year 100 grain federal factory loads.

It was the gun in hand and its the only deer I have shot with it. It was around the 275lbs mark, the deer went 40 yrds and piled up. THAT being said i would have rather shot it with my 7mm rem.

I found no hair, the deer showed no sign of being hit, there was no blood for 30yrds, I found one spec of blood walked a bit further and found him lying at the base of a tree. The bullet went into the base of his neck, passed through the chest took out the lungs and was resting on the under side of the hide.

If you ask my cousin about his .243, he will not hunt with anything else. I watched him shoot a bull elk at 400 yrds with his.

He has killed over 40 game animals, whtail, moose elk, mule deer. his partner hunts with a .243 as well.

I am hanging on to mine, but have no plans to chase deer with it this season.
 
I have owned them in Ruger No.1's, no.3's, 700's and 110's.
hated them all ( even the single shots!) Sold them and bought various other 6's, 6.5's, and 762's.
Just me, others like them......
Cat
 
The 243 I own has been in my family before I was born. My dad used that gun for everything, moose, deer, coyotes, bear, beaver, cows, pigs, mind you he was friggin surgical with that thing. My deer I shot last year weighed 327 lbs, shot once from 80 yards and he ran about 10 yds before goin' down. I feel it is more than enough for deer. Maybe light for bigger game, but shot placement is very important. Works well on yotes and wolves. It is my go to rifle. I shoot a federal 100 grn softpoint on everything.
I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.
 
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