Do you consider the .243 win to be a "stunt" round for moose/elk? Or is it enough?

[skypilot]

I have two........one for moose the other for elk/bear......

Seriously though, a .243 wouldn't be my do all moose bear/elk caliber but with the Nosler Partitions......it makes a .243 shoot a little bigger.

 

[drache]

There is a post in the Hunting section about the .243 winchester round. Might want to go tell a bunch of those guys they shouldn't be shooting the moose with them

 

[kennymo]

The 243 begs for premium bullets IMO.

This. With the heaviest Barnes, Nosler or otherwise maximum weight retaining bullet you can find, I have no doubt that the lil gun would take a moose with a good broadside. I still prefer a little more weight than it can offer though. My future moose gun is the 303 sporter in my basement waiting for me to finish the walnut stock. And put the 215 grain Woodleighs into brass.

I didn't take the poll as I find it a little wanting. Choosing between 'I use 243 for everything' or some form of 'I hate the 243' just doesn't fit into my game plan. It's an awesome little round, but I'd like a different choice for the big critters.

 

[VLT79]

No fire that I'm aware of.
I'm not here to argue, and for the most part I agree with you.
I just took exception to a couple of the comments you made.
I don't need to read carefully, my comprehension is quite good.

FWIW, I usually have at least one .243 in stock

LMAO! You can't pick and choose words from a sentence, ignore the rest, and conclude a person is saying one thing when they really aren't! My 243s are collecting dust now anyway...been using the 308 or 35 Whelen for everything from grouse to moose the last few years.

 

[BrotherRockeye]

LMAO! You can't pick and choose words from a sentence, ignore the rest, and conclude a person is saying one thing when they really aren't! My 243s are collecting dust now anyway...been using the 308 or 35 Whelen for everything from grouse to moose the last few years.

I wasn't picking and choosing, just hi lighting the pertinent info that prompted me to reply as I did so folks didn't misconstrue my intent.
Healthy discussion is always good and I thank you for that.

 

[shorttrac]

Not my first choice but with proper bullets and proper placement, no reason why not. 5000 ft lbs of energy or 1000 ft lbs in the wrong spot makes no difference, your tracking and most likely losing it. The biggest problem I see is most hunters are week a year hunters and the rifle gets shot a couple times the week before the season and if the pie plate gets hit at 100 paces its good to go. This lack of respect for the animal you intend to kill quickly and humanely aggravates me more then someone shooting a light caliber.

 

[Diablo7101]

I love these guys who think that the varmint rifle guys are better shots than magnum guys. I'm a 22-250 guy, a 308 guy and a 300wsm guy. When it comes to big game I bet I "could" drop them with the 250...but wouldn't bother trying. The 308 has killed lots of moose...but I only use it when hunting in heavy cover where the shots will be 200yds and under (not because I can't place a shot a further distances). I use the 300 so I can reach out and still have adequate "energy" to get the job done efficiently, not because I'm a ####ty shot and just hit it anywhere. I don't like tracking #### for miles...they never run toward the truck! Also...I reload and do shoot the magnum frequently, it's a sako and is fairly soft to shoot in my opinion.

 

[ricksplace]

I have a lot of experience shooting long distance (DCRA shooter for 30+years). I owned a 243 once. It shot well, flat, accurate. I never killed anything with it.Moose up here can go over 1000 lbs. When I target shoot, I think about the rifle I'm using. When I hunt game, I think about the game I'm hunting. The respect I have for the game I hunt makes me use a gun that will pretty much guarantee a bang-flop. About the only way you can guarantee a bang-flop with a 243 is a brain or spine shot. I am a good enough shot to put a bullet there at reasonable ranges, but I have hunted enough to know that a head or spine shot doesn't present itself often enough to depend on.
I think about the game. I use a 416 Remington I built with Barnes X bullets for moose. Brain and spine shots work just as well as a 243...

Maybe I just read too much Elmer Keith when I was a kid. (Some of you young guys are saying "who's Elmer Keith?" -google is your friend)

Real good discussions about the 243. It really is a great cartridge.

ps. I have been shooting airguns lately. Rabbits are at their peak right now, so too are all the predators. Rabbits are all over the place. An airgun will kill a rabbit with a head shot, so I shot one for the pot with a high-powered airgun. Pellet went clean through the head, but it still took the rabbit a while to die. I won't shoot them with an airgun again. A head shot with a 22 hollow point is more humane in my opinion.

Lots of good discussion. I'm not criticising any of the comments above. This is just my $.02.

pps. I shot a grouse this fall with a 500gr cast bullet out of my .458 Winchester at 1700 fps. Bang-flop. Guess it was overkill.

 

[hoytcanon]

My kids all started on .243's... Many deer "bit the dust" as a result... But by the time they were moose hunting, they had moved up to .25/06, .260, 7mm-08 or .308... Considering the range and circumstances though, the .243 would have killed them just as dead... But if I had a number of cartridge options for elk/moose, then .243 would most certainly not be my choice... I have no problem choosing .243 over .260 or 7mm-08 etc... for coyotes and deer...

 

[track]

I´ll just say that there are better cartridges and bigger calibers out there that would be much more ideal for those real big tough animals. My personal choice would be a 30 cal. magnum for moose and elk. To me ethics play a role in cartridge selection.

 

[regulate34]

I would take it black bear hunting without a issue. If a elk or moose would present a easy shot when I was in my hand id take it.

 

[BigUglyMan]

I prefer to not use a tack hammer to drive spikes. But you can get it done.

 

[8mmpeter]

Ever heard of flat tops and fire balls? Try the search function.

 

[two-dogs]

I´ll just say that there are better cartridges and bigger calibers out there that would be much more ideal for those real big tough animals. My personal choice would be a 30 cal. magnum for moose and elk. To me ethics play a role in cartridge selection.[/QUOTE]

you got it, man! But there is a never ending preaching from the oh so many of the "shot placement crowd" with the lesser cal preacher's that preach their sermon's on the subject and have no ethical give a chite if a bad shot is placed by someone cause they are God's gift to placing shots perfectly on paper or from their armchair while big game hunting! Not every hunter out there is/are "as expert placement shooters as they are"! Not saying one needs a magnum, but! Yeah, a 30 cal is much more suitable for the "human" task for the big guys!

 

[Kelly Timoffee]

IMO, I think that the bang flop statement should be struck from hunting lingo especially trying to guarantee one by choosing "adequate" fire power.Especially when mentoring new and impressionable hunters.Immediate results should not be expected.

Too many variables and too many unknowns.You cannot predict the results of a shot on a game animal , you can only improve your odds by using common sense and proper shot placement.

A hunter can shoot 100 animals in the heart/lungs and possibly never have a bang flop but definitely harvest game properly and ethically each time.

Ok, my nit-pick is over.................

The .243 can get things done , a poor shot is a poor shot regardless of chambering.

Would I use it on large game, yes , is there more appropriate choices, yes.

I have a lot of experience shooting long distance (DCRA shooter for 30+years). I owned a 243 once. It shot well, flat, accurate. I never killed anything with it.Moose up here can go over 1000 lbs. When I target shoot, I think about the rifle I'm using. When I hunt game, I think about the game I'm hunting. The respect I have for the game I hunt makes me use a gun that will pretty much guarantee a bang-flop. About the only way you can guarantee a bang-flop with a 243 is a brain or spine shot. I am a good enough shot to put a bullet there at reasonable ranges, but I have hunted enough to know that a head or spine shot doesn't present itself often enough to depend on.
I think about the game. I use a 416 Remington I built with Barnes X bullets for moose. Brain and spine shots work just as well as a 243...

Maybe I just read too much Elmer Keith when I was a kid. (Some of you young guys are saying "who's Elmer Keith?" -google is your friend)

Real good discussions about the 243. It really is a great cartridge.

ps. I have been shooting airguns lately. Rabbits are at their peak right now, so too are all the predators. Rabbits are all over the place. An airgun will kill a rabbit with a head shot, so I shot one for the pot with a high-powered airgun. Pellet went clean through the head, but it still took the rabbit a while to die. I won't shoot them with an airgun again. A head shot with a 22 hollow point is more humane in my opinion.

Lots of good discussion. I'm not criticising any of the comments above. This is just my $.02.

pps. I shot a grouse this fall with a 500gr cast bullet out of my .458 Winchester at 1700 fps. Bang-flop. Guess it was overkill.

 

[shorttrac]

I´ll just say that there are better cartridges and bigger calibers out there that would be much more ideal for those real big tough animals. My personal choice would be a 30 cal. magnum for moose and elk. To me ethics play a role in cartridge selection.[/QUOTE]

you got it, man! But there is a never ending preaching from the oh so many of the "shot placement crowd" with the lesser cal's preacher's that preach their sermon's on the subject and have no ethical give a chite if a bad shot is placed by someone cause they are God's gift to placing shots perfectly on paper or from their armchair while big game hunting! Not every hunter out there are/is "as expert placement shooters as they are"! Not saying one needs a magnum, but! Yeah, a 30 cal is much more suitable for the human task!

Anyone can shoot well, its called practice and it doesn't matter what your shooting, a bad shot is a bad shot that animal is gone. As far as I am concerned failing to practice and ensure you can make a good shot is unethical. Most "expert placement shooters" are that way for a reason.

 

[SHELL SHUCKER]

The .243 can & has got the job done on big game for a good many years, and for the folks that
are experienced enough with it, there are no worries. Hell, there is a ton of big game in "critter
heaven" because of the .22LR & .22 magnum.

One's just got to study-up and get enough actual hunting under their belts to get a decent grasp of
things. Of course, regular trips to the range and small game hunting with your rifle are a must to stay
in tune. The .243 is a great handloaders cartridge and is easy on costs for folks that work it right.

It's all based on personal skill level & experience.....including fluke shots.

 

[NorwegianInBaffinland]

In Norway 6,5x55 se is the smallest caliber you can have to legally hunt moose. (store bought ammo) The bullet has to be at least 139 grains (9 grams) and have at least 2700 joule at 100 meters.

Why don't we all just go for the slightly bigger 6,5 bullet and buy lots of swedes and make sure the stores sell more 6,5.

The swede has all the benefits of the 243 win, (less recoil, high BC, easy to get to go accurate in most rifles, etc.) and I prefer shooting it to 308 win because it has less recoil.

Go 6,5x55 se!

 

[stevey3737]

I've seen just as many .243 shooters never practice, and the only reason they picked up shooting .243 was because it was cheap to shoot. And it didn't recoil much. That was it. None of that extra practice b.s. Cause I NEVER see people shooting one at the range, and I go there almost daily.

I have one and I shoot at the range all the time, and as stated here I think its more about shot placement than anything else my 243 is very accurate and I can shoot it all day long with little or no shoulder fatigue so it will always place a better shot than most heavy magnums but that being said I do believe the heavier rounds may be more forgiving for those guys you are talking about who never go to your range, but if people think they can shoot 2 rounds a year and bag anything they want the question or poll should be " do you think people who don't know how to place a shot should be aloud to hunt"

 

[SHELL SHUCKER]

In Norway 6,5x55 se is the smallest caliber you can have to legally hunt moose. (store bought ammo) The bullet has to be at least 139 grains (9 grams) and have at least 2700 joule at 100 meters.

Why don't we all just go for the slightly bigger 6,5 bullet and buy lots of swedes and make sure the stores sell more 6,5.

The swede has all the benefits of the 243 win, (less recoil, high BC, easy to get to go accurate in most rifles, etc.) and I prefer shooting it to 308 win because it has less recoil.

Go 6,5x55 se!

Although I love the 6.5's, the thread is on the 6mm/243 Winchester. The best of the 6mm's at present is the 6XC which is based on the .250/3000 Savage. This round is super consistent to 1000 yds. in F/Class shooting, but can be easily set up for hunting scenarios from gophers to moose.

For the rest of us shmucks, the .243 Winchester is a well proven round in the game fields. My sister got her
first muley at 400 yds. with a .243 in a Browning 81 BLR back in the 80's with one shot from a truck hood.

They ain't nothing wrong with the 6mm's if you work and load 'em right.