243

Mac78

Mac78

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I picked up a nice 243 the other day. I've never owned one or shot one till this gun. What's your experience with them for deer. The rifle is a carl gustaf action m96 I believe , rebarreled with a 22 inch remington 243 barrel. I just bore sighted it and fired 3 shots over the hood of my truck at a target about 50 yrs away and it seemed to group real nice . A box of 80 gr federal power shok came with the gun . I have other rifles to hunt with. I wish I could carry it for varmints, but never know might take it for a walk to the woods from time to time in deer season just wanting to know it it capabilities on deer .
 
It has killed every deer I have fired at with mine 7 or 8 now vs the 280 I used for years
I use hand loads and 100g partitions and don't have to look for the deer
Cheers
 
Any 100gr pill spells deer meat in the freezer. Great cartridge, my old man has used a 243 Sako for as long as I can remember... always downs his deer.
 
I bought one of those cheap 700 stainless ADL's recently. 24" barrel. Restocked and bedded in a LVSF stock. The x Mark trigger adjusted to 2.5lbs. Shoots the 80 TTSX into little groups. Took it on a wolf hunt recently but it has yet to record a kill.
The 243 Win just works for what I intend to use it for...
Pictures in this case!
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We found conventional bullets to be overly destructive in our 243's, but with 95 or 100 gr partitions the 243 is a great deer, or antelope gun. I liked the one my wife has so much I got one for me.
 
If I could carry it for varmints I'd still have one. I found partitions to be good performers but there is little surprise there. I was also impressed with the 95 grain federal fusion from mine. I had a 20" barrel on mine so with factory velocity was low enough 100 grain soft points performed well without the excessive damage other posters mentioned. The .243 really cemented the idea that bullet construction and placement is what matters more than diameter.
I considered loading a monometal like TTSX but am having it rebarreled to a 7mm-08 instead. I will hang onto the .243 barrel in case I am unable to get the 7mm-08 to shoot as well as I want it to.
 
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I wouldn't try to land those 80 grainers on a deer, I've never seen good results but mine was the stuff in the red box so may be dated.
 
My experience with the .243 is similar to the others here. 100 grain bullets are better than anything lighter for deer ( except perhaps the TSX but I have no experience with those) Nosler partitions were always satisfactory. I also had amazing accuracy and good effect on varmints with the Nosler BT 70 gr. I carried a .243 for moose once when my regular moose rifle was out of commission, but I don't recommend that, it is really better suited to deer / antelope / barren ground caribou and smaller size critters.
 
So far everything sounds like it will make the walk to the deer stand . I like caring all my guns from time to time come hunting season. Never know which one will be the lucky one..lol
 
I finally joined the 243 gang last year. OMG!!! I bought it for mainly targets and varmints. Really accurate round. I picked up some 55gr Winchester Silver Ballistic tips at a show for cheap. I can't believe how flat it shoots. I'm tying to duplicate that load now at the bench.
 
I have had a Browning BLR in .243 since the early 1980's . I use 75 gr. on varmints & 100 gr. on Deer.
Shot about a dozen deer & never lost any hit with this. I do find the .243 , even with the lighter bullets is
too much for coyotes , unless shots are commonly 300 yds. + . I use any of the varmint .22 cal. for coyotes now
with shots mostly within 200 yds. & occasionally up to 300 yds.
I would put the .243 especially in a BLR as 1 of the best overall cal. & deer rifles . My 2 cents .
 
Mac78 said:
What would you recommend for bullets ? Grain weight ? Brand ?
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My son has killed deer, bear, coyotes, wolves, goat and 3-4 moose with his 243 using handloaded 80gr barnes ttsx. I just recently picked up a sweet 243 and am using the same load. These tough bullets break large moose bones and this caliber is one that many shoot accurately.
 
I'll still take a Lee Enfield when drawn for moose or elk, but a .243 has completed supplanted my .303s for deer hunting. Partly because the rifle, a BSA CF2 Stutzen, is wasted sitting in the gun cabinet, but in any other, the cartridge would still be just right.
 
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