Why is the .243 Winchester so popular?

[Dogger]

Seems to me there are better choices for varmint rifles, and better choices for deer, and this can't be the only choice for varminting AND deer... so why is it so popular a cartridge? What is the primary use for your .243?

I have buddies who swear by it for deer, despite the gun-writer talk that you have to pick your shots very carefully. I am curious: just how good is that 100 grain deer blaster?

Thanks for the replies.

[RickD]

My brother uses his Savage .243 (normal contour barrel) as his "walkin' around coyote rifle." He uses it for small deer as well. For long-range (all-day) varminting he uses his .22-250 or his .223 both Savages in heavy barrel configuration. The .243 beats him up too much for all-day work (and he does duck with a 10 guage mag shotgun). It's a tweener fer shure, but it works okay for him.

Rick

[WalterGAII]

I use the .243 Win for varminting because I can get 4000 fps+ from 55gr. varmint bullets. If I hunted deer, I could also use 95-105gr. hunting bullets. Most whitetail hunters are overgunned. You don't need a 300 Win mag for kiliing a deer at 100 yds or less, which is where most deer are killed in this area of the world.

[12-34hom]

The 243 is one versatile round.

Shoots bullet weights from 55 thru 107 grain.

Bucks the wind better than any 22 centerfire.

Inherently accurate.

Many factory guns chambered in it.

Recoil quite mild.

Easy to handload for.

Utilizes many different smokeless powders.


I shot a 243 for over ten years, now into a 6mm ack imp. It still is one of my favorite calibers and will remain so with the shooting public. Whether its varmints or small game up to deer it really can't be beat. Its popularity will continue for a long time to come.

[Remington]

I use a .243 for deer. It's a Browning Pump. I shot a 6 point at about 120 yards and the bullet went right through. Shot him square in the lungs.

[Mikey]

I've lost count of the deer I've taken with a .243 and all but one expired exactly where they stood. It's been too many (50 plus?) for for it to be pure chance. The last one was a 6 point buck at a measured (Bushnell Yardage Pro) 284 yards and he went about 18 inches straight down.

As for picking your shots, I do that with my 7mm magnum. A "Texas Heart Shot" isn't guaranteed with ANY round.

It's popular because it's EXTREMELY accurate, VERY comfortable to shoot and gets game.

Mikey

[Spectre]

I'm getting a .250/3000 AI, and I will mostly shoot deer with it. Not so much different than a .243...

[Kingcreek]

With the right bullet for the job at hand it's a good choice up to deer. I'va got a Montana friend that uses .243 for everything including elk but I don't recomend it.
Just right for pronghorn antelope, adequate for deer IMO.

[Tom Matiska]

I think some give it an undeserved reputation as a heavy varmint round that may not penatrate well.

In the 35+ years we've had one in our family I can't recall a single case where a broadside or front quarter shot stopped in bambi. Only rounds we've recovered from deer were head on shots that stopped in the back half of the deer.

Just enough fragmentation that it is more forgiving of bullet placement than most.

Tom

[Dogger]

Interesting that several folks mention they use it on "small deer". IIRC, the largest buck in Virginia (antlers) was taken with an ironsighted 30-30 a year or two ago. He dressed out over a couple hundred pounds. I imagine that a .243 would have worked as well. Where I hunt most shots are well within 100 yards and terrain is fairly rugged. A BIG deer dresses out at 120-140 pounds. I would think a light weight .243 would be a real dream to carry all day in these woods.

Have any of you cleanly taken "big deer" with the .243?Thanks

[The Lost Yooper]

Greetings

Despite the beliefs of many modern day hunters, deer aren't difficult to kill. A bad shot is a bad shot regardless of caliber, so if one can't hit a deer in the right spot with a .243, then I don't place much weight in their confidence in a super magnum. The only real arguement I see for a much bigger gun, is long range shots beyond 300 yards. The .243 has more than earned its ribbons.

Mike

[WalterGAII]

I'm not sure if this qualifies as a "big deer", but a young cousin of mine killed a 270# buck with his .243 last year.

[Kobra]

I enjoy my 243 and its nothing great a plain ole Rem 700 BDL with a wood stock. But loaded with PMC .243 85gr HP, it is accurate and deadly.

Rick D. I can believe your brother can tolerate the recoil all day....that is one of my favorite things about a 243 - no recoil. But then again we don't shoot varmints all day around here - hard to shoot a coyote after dark without a spotlight which is illegal here in KY.

12-34hom, 6mm Ackley Improved of yours, how hard is it to get brass formed, dies, rebarreling? It is just a 6mm Remington with an Ackley shoulder, right?

[RickD]

Rick D. I can believe your brother can tolerate the recoil all day....

He probably could, or maybe not. When he goes a varmintn', he shoots hundreds of rounds. Woodchucks throughout Ohio fear his name. He has used the .243 for woodchuck but it is not what he prefers. The .243 is his coyote rifle, now. For the little brown, furry ones, he uses the .223 (and .22-250 should the range require it).

I spoke with him just over the holidays about what he uses his multitude of rifles for. He has gobs of various rifles and he can afford to specialize, I guess. I am quite jealous, as you might expect.

That being said, would someone else (other than my peculiar brother) be quite happy with the .243 as a varmint/deer rifle? Heck yes. They are legion.

Rick

[Michael Priddy]

I think the main reason the 243/6mm/257s are so popular is they are so shootable. We all know that the more you shoot the same gun the better you get with it. Because of its low recoil and accuracy, it is just fun to shoot. When you take it into the field, you know it is going to shoot exactly where you aim it. I have great confidence in my 6mm. I use it primarly for varmint hunting under windy conditions and my 220 swift on calm days. I shoot it a lot at the bench and get 1/4 inch groups. Except for the 6.5-20x leupold scope on it, I would use it to deer hunt. My friends shoot through the deer they kill with their 243s. It makes a large exit wound with the 100gr. Hornady round nose bullets. I think every serious shoot should have a 23/6mm to shoot like the BB gun we had when we were kids. Mike

[Benchrest1000]

WaltherGAII,

Uh, yes. That would be a big deer. In my locale, that's not a bad black bear.

[12-34hom]

Kobra; Just use factory 6mm rounds shot in an ack ley cut chamber. Simpley forms them into Ackley version [40 degree shoulder] This round [6mm ack imp] has about the same capacity as a 240 Weatherby.

I had the chamber cut by a gunsmith here in Iowa [Gordy Gritters]and barrel twist is 1 & 8, with a 273 neck.[Shilen SS select match - countour #7] I did not want to have to turn the necks on my brass.

So far with the records i've kept, this rifle @ .5 moa. I've shot some groups in the .3 range with this gun. I have some Sierrea 107 grain BTHP [match] that i'm researching a load for right now with IMR - 4895 & V.V. #160. I'm hoping to shoot into the low .3 or .2 moa with this combo.


As far as dies go, i use Redding Comp dies, I normally only neck size my brass [feature of reloading wildcat] use benchrest primers [CCI #2] And i prep my brass very carefully. Sort for weight, uniform primer pockets, deburr flash holes, etc..... The only thing i don't like is that Norma or Laupa don't make brass for this caliber. Thier brass is very consistant, a little pricey but worth it.

My next varmint rig going to be a "walking varminter" chambered in 22-250 ack imp. I've heard & read some very good evals of this caliber also!!!

Good shooting.

[ithaca_deerslayer]

A .243 is WAY too small for deer. You need at least a 6mm Rem. (chuckle, chuckle).

Actually, I sold my 6mm a ways back when I was trimming down for a move to college. Wish now I hadn't sold it, but at the time it was the right thing to do.

It was, indeed, a 'tweener. A little too much recoil and expense compared to my .223 for all day target shooting, and more than what was needed for varmits. And I felt it was a little too light for the biggest of the big game (for the kind I encounter and dream of encountering, I prefer the .30-06).

But one could very well trade in a .223 and a .30-06 and go with just a .243 for everything. That would work fine.

My own thought process at the time was that it was a redundant gun for me to have when I needed money. Now, however, I'd pay a pretty penny to get that gun back.

[TABING]

I'm sure glad this came up cuz it confirms what I've been thinking about. My next rifle is gonna be a .243, light to medium weight. It's a good all round cartridge. ( I use to have a 6mm Rem, wish I didn't sell that one). And as for it being too light for deer, well I thought that too, until my buddy down in Texas shot his first deer (100pound+) at about 100 yards with his Bushmaster .223, (against my recommendation).
Well the proof is in the eatin'

[Kobra]

I checked into your 6mm Ackley Improved.

My book said
40 gr 4750
85 gr 3686
105 gr 3399

Not too bad. This is based off of 6mm Rem brass? There is a 243 Ackley Improved too and it is tough too. I am toying with buying a 243 and getting the chamber cut for this caliber. Luckily a machinist in our machine shop here at work shoots in 1000 yd competitions and loves to build wildcat guns.

Keep us informed on the 6mm project.

[Gilgamesh]

I like the .243 and have two at home, but for a versatile cartridge I'd look at a .257 Roberts.

The .257 is just as flat shooting as the .243, with more muzzle velocity and stopping power. Excellent deer rifle (my father shot his first buck 44 years ago with a Remington .257) and I've laid the plague of the hollow point to many a woodchuck with it as well. I also handload and it's great there too, esp. since you can vary the powder and bullet weight enough to move from varmints to big game easily. Load some rounds for chucks and some more for whitetail.

If you can't find a .257 for a decent price though, it's hard to argue with the .243 (although I've been wanting to get a .25-06)


-Gilgamesh-

[12-34hom]

Kobra; yes the brass i'm currently using is Remington. I found one lot that was very consistant and i use that for all my range work.

243 ack imp is also one excellent round!! There is plenty of Norma & Lapua brass for 243. I reloaded Norma brass when i was still shooting 243 caliber. Both calibers 243 & 6mm ack imp make excellent 1000 yard calibers. Fact is thats what my 107 grain load is being developed for. I'm a member of the Varmint Hunters Assocation, and i want a long range round for shooting at thier "Jamboree" this coming summer.

Also; I have found a load [using Varget] and Hornaday V-max bullets = 58 grainers - CCI benchrest primers = FPS @ 4000fps and shoots .4moa. This is my current crow & coyote & red fox load. 3 inches of drop at 300 yards. 6mm and 243 ack, both flat shooters and fine target rounds to boot.

Good shooting.

[Arizona Fusilier]

My .243 manifests itself in a Weatherby Vanguard. Very flat-shooting and accurate. I bought mine for varmints, but only have a little experience with prairie dogs.

Presumably, the .243 brass can be formed by necking down .308 brass. I am not setup for reloading (yet!), so I have no personal experience with the feasability of that procedure. But I was persuaded towards this cartridge because of that, as I shoot a lot of .308 from my assault (er, um, I mean self-defense) rifles.

[RickD]

I shoot a lot of .308 from my assault (er, um, I mean self-defense) rifles.

Watch yer mouth, bub.