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Post by ozark on Sept 14, 2009 13:54:55 GMT -5
I don't recall what influenced me to buy a .243 Cal. Rifle. The first one I saw was in 1955. On a hunt a friend took a blacktail eight point buck with one but at the time I was a .270 fan and didn't actually pay much attention to this new unproven cartridge. I knew it was just a necked down .308 but knew little about its potential or how its velocity and ability to reach way out without being effected much by wind drift. Years went by something (Not sure what) convinced me to buy a .243 Savage. Slowly it begin to get my attention because the bullets went where I aimed and the recoil was light enough to make shooting it accurately a pleasant experience. I took some crows at 160 yards aiming dead on. Then four deer were taken with one shot DRT plus a couple that made short death runs, kills proving to me that it was a deer slayer. Still later I used it in two egg shoots cracking eight eggs in eight trys at 100 yards. That is a record for our group (13 fired this year). At age 81 I am still a fair shot but much credit to what I am doing goes to the .243. I know there are probable some .243 Caliber rifles out there that are not super accurate and that much can be said for other rifles. Yet, it is my opinion that as a combination varmint/deer rifle it cannot be beat. Yes, just my opinion, but until you have used one for a couple of seasons it would be difficult to know just how great this little cartridge is. I can say with confidence that this is the last rifle I will buy. I just can't visualize something better coming along. At our egg shoot Saturday a half dozen shooters racked their deer rifles and ask to use my .234. One shooter said:" My 30.06 is for sale, I am getting me a .243. Maybe it is beatable but I can't think of what is going to put it to shame. Ozark
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Sept 14, 2009 18:11:38 GMT -5
It's a pleasant accurate cartridge. Many bullets to choose from in many styles and enough speed to reach out. It's an awesome varmintor and an adequate deer gun. Super easy to make accurate handloads. I can't agree with ozark more.
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Post by PeteVS on Sept 14, 2009 19:15:03 GMT -5
It is my guess that the .243 will gain in popularity, especially as the baby boomers get older, and want an easier recoiling rifle. I also am seduced by it's accuracy, and although I didn't need another deer rifle, I always wanted a .243 after having borrowed one when I was 21, so I bought a Savage with a classic wood stock, luckily before prices went up. It's a little off the subject, but my favorite deer cartridge is .308- almost as accurate as .243, plenty of punch, but not as much kick as a 30-06. So, I wonder why the popularity of that caliber is declining, to the point that some gun dealers are hesitant to take one on a trade-in.
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Post by ozark on Sept 14, 2009 19:38:08 GMT -5
The .308 is a great deer cartridge and certainly adaquate for elk and larger game. It is difficult to predict the changing attitude of rifle buyers. Actually, the 6 MM Remington is equal to if not a little better than the Winchester .243. But there are still some reluctance in America to use the MM designation. The .308 is actually the NATO cartridge called the 7.62 MM. Winchester called it a .308 knowing that the public liked a caliber designation rather than some mm name. Most are aware tht the .308 and the 30.06 fires the exact same bullet but has a different case deminison. The shorter .308 is better designed for semi and full automatic fire. The military Machine Gun is still a 7.62MM (.308). There are so many cartridges out there that to say with accracy which is superior is near impossible. I am partial to the .243 because it meets my needs here in Arkansas. It meets my age needing a light recoil. And since I have long been an accuracy nut demanding a good trigger the accu-trigger and the rifle overall meets my desires in a rifle. If I was going up north, out west, to Alaska or to Aferica I would need a different rifle. Let me be clear....My bragging on the .243 doesn't mean I am critical of any of the others. It simply means that under my circumstances, usage and location it exactly fits.
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Post by dpoor65 on Sept 14, 2009 19:53:35 GMT -5
I had a .264 Win. Mag that I traded for my .243 and never looked back....I know one year that many prairie dogs in Colorado wish I had kept that 264 ;D.....enjoy the H-E- double toothpicks out that rifle Ozark....
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Post by dougedwards on Sept 15, 2009 21:50:03 GMT -5
After shooting the 50 caliber muzzleloader with hot loads my Rem700 VLS in .243 is like a dream to shoot. Fast, accurate and easy to keep focus on the target through the shot. This caliber will take the largest whitetail and light loads are perfect for groundhogs.
While others will argue that 100 grain bullets are too light for whitetails it is obvious to all of us who hunt whitetails with the .243 caliber that a well chosen and well placed bullet is extremely deadly on deer. Dead is dead! Overkill is unnecessary.
I would probably choose another caliber to hunt Mule deer, Elk or Moose but even they will go down if the shot is placed directly in the boiler room. Is there any other caliber as versatile as the .243 Winchester?
Doug
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Post by raf on Sept 16, 2009 14:58:28 GMT -5
I have 3 deer rifles besides my muzzle loader and one is a 243. Mine is an older model 110. No accu trigger but an easily adjustable one and that rifle shoots. Each season I have to flip a coin to decide which rifles is coming out of the gun room. I don't have a 3 sided coin so I have been leaving the 30-06 alone. The other is a 300 WSM and I think I'll save that for the big mulie I'll be looking for later in the season. I've got some doe tags to fill and the 243 will be the ticket. As for my white tail buck tag, it's a toss up. I took a 180 white tail a few years ago with the 243 so I know it can do the job.
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Post by petev on Sept 16, 2009 18:42:49 GMT -5
I think that this has been a great thread, and wouldn't it be great if other threads were started for other favorite calibers? I am always looking to learn something new about the things I am interested in.
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Post by Tarheel on Sept 23, 2009 21:30:37 GMT -5
I have killed a dozen or more deer with a .243, some out to 350 yds. But, I feel a .243 is best suited for broadside shots by hunters who can place the bullet.
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Post by nemohunter on Sept 29, 2009 19:50:16 GMT -5
the .243 is one of those rounds that really benifits from premium bullets.
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Post by ozark on Sept 29, 2009 20:10:44 GMT -5
Since my .243 serves as a duel purpose rifle (Varmints, pests as well as deer and black bear) I have decided to use the 85 grain Nosler Partrition tip exclusive eliminating the need to change the zero. I will zero dead on at 100 yards simply because any shot I get will be within 50 yards of that point. If it should be out at 175 I doubt the drop will cause me a problem with this flat shooter. As a side note, I have shot different bullets from 75 to 90 grains and they impact close to the same place. Another reason people love this caliber.
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Post by deadeye on Sept 29, 2009 20:27:22 GMT -5
After shooting the 50 caliber muzzleloader with hot loads my Rem700 VLS in .243 is like a dream to shoot. Fast, accurate and easy to keep focus on the target through the shot. This caliber will take the largest whitetail and light loads are perfect for groundhogs. While others will argue that 100 grain bullets are too light for whitetails it is obvious to all of us who hunt whitetails with the .243 caliber that a well chosen and well placed bullet is extremely deadly on deer. Dead is dead! Overkill is unnecessary. I would probably choose another caliber to hunt Mule deer, Elk or Moose but even they will go down if the shot is placed directly in the boiler room. Is there any other caliber as versatile as the .243 Winchester? Doug the 7mm is also very versatile,load 168gn bergers for long range & big game hunting,then download to 120gn v-max @3300fps & you have a windbucking flat shooting varmint rifle. but i love the .243also & many,many others also!
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Post by Tarheel on Sept 29, 2009 20:31:03 GMT -5
I believe this 7mm set up is the same that the guys from The Best of the West hunting show uses to kill animals so far.
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Post by tcmech on Sept 29, 2009 20:44:49 GMT -5
The 7mm is a nice round, but the 243 is really an ultimately useful gun to shoot. It has many things going for it that most other calibers do not. Ammunition is inexpensive (relatively speaking), recoil is minimal, accuracy is excellent. When these factors are all added together it makes the 243 an excellent beginners rifle, a fun gun to take to the range, and a gun that inspires confidence in it by just about all who use it.
It may not be suitable for all game, although I am sure it has accounted for moose, and elk, it would not be my first choice for anything larger than whitetails. I have other calibers that may be better varmint rounds, or big game rounds such as the 223 and 300 win mag. But I have none that will do as wide a range of shooting tasks for me as my 243 will.
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Post by ricksalisbury01 on Sept 30, 2009 8:42:26 GMT -5
I love the 243’s that I have. We just got back from WY, and my 13 year old dropped two deer using a 100 grain Hornady interlock, and my 12 year old dropped two deer with the Sierra Game King 85grain HP. All four deer were broadside shots and the twelve year old dropped one at 210 yards, and one at 30 yards. All bullets preformed as described by the manufacturer, and all were passed completely through (full exit). I have seen a total of five deer taken with the 243, and have yet to see one go any further than when I use a 300 Win Mag. The 243 is a great round. Secondly, to comment on deadeyes thread, I just worked up a load in a 7mm GA Precision (GAP) on Sunday and got up to 3050 fps with a 180 Berger over Reloader 22 (do not want to say the amount used). Man what a shooter… in the .2 and.3’s for six round groups. The GAP did have a Nightforce scope on it, but I still like the US Optics better. Toward the evening we had to screw on a can to keep the noise down.
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Post by jims on Oct 1, 2009 6:37:10 GMT -5
Rick, it sounds like a grreat hunt. Your children must be happy campers.
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Post by dannoboone on Oct 2, 2009 21:23:00 GMT -5
Geez, Ben, I know you're completely right about the .243, and many a time I've been tempted to get one. It's just that with a .22-250 and a .25-06, it seems the whole ground is covered.....a .243 would just overlap both.
With the newer bullets, the .243 will take just about any deer that the .25-06 can take, and with the lighter, more explosive bullets the .243 will also do well against the .22-250 in the varmint arena. With 75gr frangible bullets the '06 actually outshines the '250 in X-wind situations.
Guess I just need my arm twisted just right to get a .243 (or to stumble on the right rifle at the right time). ;D ;D
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Post by herman on Oct 4, 2009 19:36:08 GMT -5
Danno you need a 243 to go with the 25/06 and 250.You can tripple the fun in shooting. The 55 gr bullets in the 243 are awesum.
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Post by ozark on Oct 4, 2009 20:24:28 GMT -5
Dannoboone, I read your post carefully. Sounds like you would not need the 25.06 or the 22.250 if only you had a .243. I have owned and enjoyed the 22.250 as well as the 25-06. Both are super rifles and both gets the job done. But to me it seemed the .243 would replace both and I bought one. I now just have the .243 and I can't see where it would be less than foolish for me to buy a 25-06 or a 22-250 or a .223. If I had all three I would have two for sale. Guess which two. LOL
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Post by dannoboone on Oct 10, 2009 9:35:36 GMT -5
Ben & Herman, quit gangin' up on me! ;D ;D What do ya think of this one? www.savagearms.com/12Varminter.htmFor a limited time, Savage made a 112 VLP, and that is the model I have in .25-06. I managed to get one of the last dozen that they made. GREAT shooter! I imagine the 12 VLP would be a very nice addition when funds permit. The center feeds are a PIA to bed the stock, but once done, and once the barrel was broke in on the '06, she shoots very well. Sorry, Ben.....I ain't giving up the Model 788 I inherited, nor the 112 VLP.
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Post by herman on Oct 10, 2009 20:06:47 GMT -5
I have one of those in the 22/250 and my buddie has one in 223 and they both shoot. If I ever get the chance I would like to shoot the marlin in 243,have shot the 270 and 7/08 and right out of the box they shoot.And they look about like the savage on top of that.
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Post by tcmech on Oct 19, 2009 20:04:01 GMT -5
i have been out bow hunting the last couple of weekends and I always take my 10ml2 and my 243 with me to get some target practice in when I go. Yesterday as I was cleaning my 243 my wife told me she has a nickname for that particular gun. She calls it "the other woman".
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Post by deadon on Jan 18, 2010 18:50:05 GMT -5
ozark,I have a pre 64 mod 70 243 that money can't buy. I am one of those baby boomers that went back to my baby.
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Post by cfvickers on Jan 18, 2010 22:57:12 GMT -5
Ok, gotta throw mine in, I have an old browning (the one before the abolt) pencil barrel .243 and enjoy shooting it. Only problem is that the thin contour of the barrel heats quickly and doesn't like it, First two shots are touching, third is 2 inches off. but if you let it cool, it will stack the third right on top of the other two.
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Post by mountainam on Jan 19, 2010 9:00:50 GMT -5
I made my longest shot ever on a woodchuck with a .243 at over 700 yards. I should have never sold that $69 Remington 788. I sold it for $150 and thought I made money. Stupid, Stupid,Stupid! Now I use a 6mm Rem. It lends itself better for handloading with longer case life,higher velocities etc. But then with Hodgdon's newly introduced Hybrid 100V, the .243 guys can get almost there. Someone asked if there was ever a more versatile rifle caliber. Yeah there is, the .257 Roberts. Although not for you off the shelf guys because they kept the max pressure to 45,000 CUP's for the '93 Small Rings. When hand loaded it will out perform both the .243 and 6mm. It would also satisfy the gang that doesn't believe that a 100gr 6mm bullet is heavy enough for a whitetail by offering up to 120 gr pills. Its not a barrel burner like a 25/06 either. It's too bad that the 6mm's pushed it over the hill. A .243 offers everything the deer/varmint hunter requires. Even if you're an "off the shelfer". At less than $1 per shot you can shoot more than the big bore guys at $2.50 a shot and not need an ice bag for you shoulder or forehead. Face it, if you can shoot more you can shoot better. I'd like to hear from the guy in a shotgun/muzzleloader state that wouldn't trade his "Law Required " weapon for a .243 in a heartbeat if permitted. I owned 5 .243's and loaded for many more and only ran into one poor shooter. Everybody should have at least one .243.
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Post by ozark on Feb 5, 2010 13:34:54 GMT -5
I have been looking at ballastic charts still researching my .243. Using a 100 grain bullet with a BC of 351 and zeroed to hit dead on at 100 yards look what you get. At 50 yards you might be a smiggen low (less than 1 Inch). At 150 you would be an inch or so high. At 200 you would be .7 Inches low which is nothing to worry about since at that range the shooter is off more than that 99 percent of the time. I would be ok holding dead on out to 225. Maybe an inch plus low. I am aware other rifles can equal or better that trajectory but who need it? I have taken crows at 200 yards holding dead on. My particular rifle (a Savage) happens to be a tack driver right out of the box and is a pleasure to shoot. Mild recoil a clear Nikon 3x9x40 scope that has done exactly what a scope is supposed to do. I am not attempting to get anyone to go to the .243, but it would be nice if all hunters had the same confidence, pride and accuracy that I am getting from mine. It is a egg cracker at 100 yards. 8 shots, 8 scrambled eggs. LOL
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Post by deadon on Feb 6, 2010 21:16:24 GMT -5
There is an old saying."Beware of the man with one rifle"
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